Baby Peter's 1st Vegan Birthday!

So I'm really not all that crazy about babies ... unless they're VEGAN BABIES! When my friend Stephanie (Poopie Bitch on the PPK) got preggo last year, she promised me that her baby wouldn't be lame. And she was right! Peter's not so bad for a baby. And he's been vegan all of his little life. We celebrated Peter's 1st birthday on Saturday at Steph and Richard's new house. First, Peter and his little friends went swimming in the backyard:

The best part of a party at Stephanie's house is the amazing vegan spread. If you've ever seen her old blog or her posts on the PPK, you know this woman can seriously cook. She made a Middle Eastern spread fit for king — Spanakopita from Vegan with a Vengeance, Israeli Couscous Salad, Dolmas, Hummus, Falafel, and the WORLD'S BEST Baba Ganoush. Oh, and she even made homemade Mint Lemonade and served it in cups with our names written in Sharpie:

But it wouldn't be a first birthday party without cake, right? Stephanie used to run a little special occasion cake business, and her baked treats are always out of this world. For Peter's special day, Stephanie made the Ginger-Macadamia-Coconut-Carrot Cupcakes from Vegan with a Vengeance:

And of course, Peter got to eat his cake first. While most babies just dig their hands in and make a huge mess, Peter knew the proper way to eat a cupcake — icing first!

Happy Birthday, Peter!!

Now, because I'm sure she won't care, I'm gonna share Stephanie's secret recipe for Baba Ganoush. She posted it on Facebook, so I figure it's fair game, right?

Poopie Bitch's Best-Ever Baba Ganoush
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2 1-pound eggplants, halved lengthwise
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup tahini
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, chopped

Preheat oven to 375°F. Generously oil rimmed baking sheet. Place eggplant halves, cut side down, on sheet. Roast until eggplant is very soft, about 45 minutes. Cool slightly. Using spoon, scoop out pulp from eggplant into strainer set over bowl. Let stand 30 minutes, allowing excess liquid to drain from eggplant.

Transfer eggplant pulp to processor. Add 1/4 cup oil, tahini, lemon juice, and garlic; process until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to small bowl, cover and chill. Serve chilled or bring to room temperature before serving.