Birthday week

My birthday was drawn out over the end of the month and I didn’t hate it.

I still have chocolate and cake coming at me from all angles and I’m totally kidding myself when I think it would be good to get “back on track” with my sweet tooth.  Ummm, no it wouldn’t!  Life it too short to skip dessert.  I love my evening routine with Kyle.  Once the kids are down we go in the hot tub and chat about our day and just relax until 8 o’clock-ish.  Then it’s dessert and TV time.  If it’s a football night, that’s the best.  If it’s Monday, it’s The Voice, which we both really like.  And any other night, it’s The Good Wife.  Love me some Florrick.

This is me in all my Thursday night glory.  Freshly showered after the hot tub, enjoying cake and football on the bed.  Heavenly.

My birthday was actually Friday but the celebrating started back on Tuesday when I went to the East Bay and hung out with my whole family.  My sisters and their fiancés were both there as well.  All the people I love and care about the most.

I requested kale salad and salmon so as soon as Miss V was down I got to massaging the greens with a glass of vino in hand.  P was kept occupied by the numerous extra hands on deck.

My dad grilled beef and chicken too, but I stuck to fish.  So did P.

Special plate 🙂

My mom baked a gluten free chocolate cake for dessert, as I already showed off previously.  She used Pamela’s mix, which she also used last year, and it was equally as delicious.

The frosting was made from dark chocolate chips melted into the solid portion of canned coconut milk.

We peaced out of town early the next morning because Kyle had work and we had music class (both back in Davis, obviously).

I was glad to have this gem waiting in the fridge when I got home.  I had tons of extra bananas from last week that I made into quick breads right before we went out of town (to LA).  Some were almond flour based and some were just an all purpose GF blend (Bob’s Red Mill from Thrive Market).

This one was stevia sweetened (NuNaturals more fiber baking blend) and studded with walnuts.

Two slices piled high with sun butter did just the trick before we scooted out the door to sing and dance the morning away.

That afternoon Kyle got off work early so we could go downtown and pick up my new bike.  Weeeee!  I rode over to market, showed it off to some peeps and then rode it home (while Kyle drove back with the kiddos).  SO MUCH FUN!  You better believe I’ve been riding every morning since.  I have missed cycling so much and I didn’t even realize it until I started riding again.  It’s a blast.  I can’t wait til V is old enough to pull them both around in the chariot.

My bestie texted me on Friday morning and said to open the front door and look down…and this DECAF SOY MISTO was there on my porch!  Are you kidding me?!!?  Angel of caffeine, I could have showered her in kisses, but alas she was already gone.  Muah!!

I tried to make something special for myself for my birthday breakfast but it didn’t turn out.  I used this recipe for pumpkin waffles but halved it and subbed sun butter for almond butter.  I don’t know why it didn’t work.  When I went to take it off the grill it was too soft and crumbly so I left it on longer hoping that cooking it longer would maybe firm it up so I could lift it off in one piece.

Not so much.  I ended up adding a bunch of flax seeds and almond milk so the second and third waffles were a little better but those got tupperwared up for later in the week.  No matter.  Adding heaps of nut butter fixes most anything.  Still felt indulgent because I had the time to eat something different (while sitting down!).

We had a park date later that afternoon.  V was excited to celebrate my birthday.

How cute is this card!?

These are the goodies Kyle brought home for me.  All are new to me, if you can believe it.

This was the cake I made.  Tasted good but didn’t look remotely acceptable.  I wouldn’t show it to anyone outside of myself and Kyle.  No joke.

Regardless of it’s dry as desert appearance I’ve been enjoying it on a daily basis, either after lunch or dinner.  Yeah.  Lunch dessert.  It’s a thing.  At least it has been this week.  I will worry about my out of control sweet tooth later.  Or not.

After dinner on Friday I rode my bike downtown to meet up with some girlfriends for birthday drinks.  Bubbles for moi.  Not too much though because I had to ride back home, too.  🙂

How cute are my children?

On Saturday morning we went to brunch at a friend’s house to celebrate a few October birthdays.  We had swimming first, so we barely made it past 11 when P started getting really tired.  The rest of Saturday was mellow.  We went on a walk to a park as a family, stopping in to the ‘bux for my birthday treat.

Sous chef helping with dinner.

His adorable apron was a birthday gift.

CHOCOCOCOCOLATE.

Baking fun.

I made these again but this time with pumpkin.

I wanted to see if another squash could sub in for the zucchini and I’m happy to report it does without any other changes needed.

I added cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves to increase the seasonal flavors and have made it last four morning’s for breakfast.  It. Is. Ma. Favorite.  I literally look forward to it from the second I wake up until I’m scooping sun butter out of the jar to coat each inch.  I can’t get enough nut/seed butter lately.

I finished off both of these last week.  And now am almost through another two jars after just a week.  It’s taking all my will power to NOT freak out that 1/4 cup is my average serving size.  Uhhhhhh.  Nursing appetite.

On Sunday I made Gwyneth’s banana buckwheat pancake batter again and used it for waffles.  Much better than the pumpkin attempt from a few days earlier.

This is my new jar.

I got it on Thrive, naturally, for 50% what it costs in stores.  Justin’s has a bunch of other fun (sweetened) varieties that I’m considering.  Favorites to recommend???  The maple seems most up my alley.

After P fought his nap for over two hours, we gave up and packed ourselves into the car to go to Disney on Ice!!!  Guess who fell asleep on the way.

Poor thing.  Ten minutes later he was confused as all get out when we tried to gently bring him back to life.  Erg.  Good thing Mickey and Minnie were on deck.

Truth be told, I was really into the show too!  V liked it for 3/4 of the time and but after I nursed her she wanted to go to bed, so I put her in the ergo and rocked her to sleep in the walkway while watching the end.  Seeing all those cute little kids in their princess costumes and whatnot was heart melting.  P has zero clue about the Disney stories they acted out (Frog Prince, Cinderella, Snow White, and Rapunzel) but was loving it anyway.  And of course the interludes with Mickey and friends got him sitting up in his seat and waving and chattering on and on and on…  The whole thing was so cute and way better than what I’d envisioned when we bought the tickets.  I’d go again in a second!  And the tickets were totally reasonable (dare I say cheap?).  Nobody wants to do the drive back from Sac (Tahoe traffic on Sunday night) with a nap-less toddler but this was soooo worth it.

And that’s the end of birthday week.

Next post I’ll be back with the weekly menu.  Only a week behind.  😛

OMG.  These littles.  My heart can’t handle it.