My Vegtastic 21st Birthday!

I spent my actual birthday in Syracuse with my sister. She took me for sushi and it was delicious! I gained a new appreciation for the Florida winter as I got bundled up to go out into the snow. (I am impressed with your adaptability, Bails!) Jessica threw me a little party and we went to a karaoke bar. She also took me to a vegan restaurant that was amazing!!! It was called Strong Hearts Cafe. From there I got a vegan chocolate-coconut cupcake and ate it with vegan ice cream. Back in Jacksonville, I celebrated with my grandparents and my mom and David at Maggiano's. My mom surprised me with a beautiful vegan carrot cake from Whole Foods! Everyone loved it! And check out the message she had them write on it! Haha! It was like you were there!
The next day David took me to Orlando! We ate and drank around the world at Epcot. We had dinner in China and I was impressed with my tofu-veggie stir-fry! Who knew Disney could be healthy? It was the funnest. It turned out to be the best 21st birthday I could have imagined!

The Farewell Feast

So, the time we knew was coming has at last crept up on us, and Bailey has to get on movin'! We sent her off with the grandest and vegan-est of all feasts and a whole lot of love! We were lucky enough to have the festivities documented by the most wonderful professional photographer in town, Vicki Palombo from Photographic Memories. (http://www.vickipalombo.zenfolio.com/ and http://www.vickimichael.blogspot.com/) This is what was on the menu for our vegtastic extravaganza:

• Nori Rolls with Sweet Potato, Tempeh, and Avocado and Sweet Brown Rice
• Lentil-Walnut Pate with Garlic-Herb Crostini
• Marinated Portabello and Eggplant Napoleons with Cashew Cream and Pesto
• 3-Spice Potatoes
• Apple-Cider and Brown Sugar Brussels Sprouts with Pecans
• Kale Salad with Roasted Daikon and Sweet Miso Dressing
• Pumpkin Crumb Cake with Pecan Streusal Topping

We went to Whole Foods in the morning and started cooking around 3. We served it around 7 and the sore feet and chaos paid off! The recipes came from 3 different vegan cookbooks as well as the magic of creativity and improvisation. All these recipes will be up under the recipe section soon.

Enjoy these snapshots! Bailey, I love making memories with you! And remember to chronicle your new (slightly colder) adventures! Love you!