My 43rd Birthday!

I'm back with another birthday post! This one is a recap of my actual birthday, which was last Monday. I took the day off work, which is something I always do on my birthday. I don't believe in working on birthdays. So, I started my day with a mid-morning 4.3 mile run for my 43 years. Afterward, I tucked into this big breakfast of Just Egg, Beyond Sausage, Hash Browns, and Pancakes with spicy maple syrup. The pancake mix and syrup — from Ghetto Gastro — were birthday gifts from my BFF Sheridan.

Later in the afternoon, I made a birthday wish with a Rubicon Vegan Black Forest Cake that my friend Mike gave me for my birthday. 

Then, Paul and I headed to Knifebird for wine and birthday snacks. 

I love Knifebird for little small bites, and they have a few vegan items. I ordered a nice glass of something red. I can't remember what because they were out of the pinot I'd asked for, so they subbed a different wine. It was great though!

And I ordered the Marinated Olives. All for me because Paul hates olives.

And some Tomato Bruschetta and White Bean Bruschetta. It may not look like much, but the whole meal was pretty satisfying after eating a whole bowl of olives. Plus, I don't like to eat big meals in the evening because I sleep better when I eat lighter at night. My breakfasts and lunches are giant though!

So that was it for birthday night. And then this past weekend, I did my family birthday. I drove to visit my parents in Arkansas.

And my mama made a Nacho Bar! I piled mine high with toppings, including Gardein burger, Violife cheese, black beans, and lots of guac.

After dinner, we went to the Spring River Draft House, our favorite bar there, and I enjoyed a flight of craft beers.

The next morning, I got in a six-mile run around the river before my mom's very tasty Vegan Breakfast Pizza and Hash Browns. What a perfect start to 43!