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Sisters know best. A Birthday filled with love.

Sisters know best. Or should I say siblings? 
It was the eve of my birthday when I found three...yes, three!...letters for me from two of my sisters and my brother, wishing me a Happy Birthday.  Not only did I feel blessed, but I felt loved because all of them are currently traveling or living away from their home. But they still remembered me. Receiving calls, texts, emails, and small gifts from my parents, other siblings, and friends truly made the day extra special. 

I really enjoyed everything I did to celebrate my special day.  We began it with a yummy breakfast of baked eggs in avocado, grapefruit, sauteed red cabbage, and cultured salsa. I enjoyed being able to eat good food with my husband. 


Before dinner, Marshall and I went to the shooting range to shoot our Christmas gingerbread house. It was time for it to go to the grave, and shooting it with a .22 is so much more exciting than tossing it in the dumpster. Plus, don't we all need an excuse to shoot something?

As much as I love having people over for parties, I needed a quiet celebration (so much so that I didn't even blow out any candles).  I made an Indian dinner of Saag Paneer, homemade naan, rice pilaf, and steamed buttered carrots.  There is a lot of satisfaction in creating a meal where everything is homemade, including the cheese and bread. 

I know the meal was a success because when I asked Marshall, "So how did you like this vegetarian meal?" he answered with, "this was vegetarian?"  oh yeah. sweet success! 
We all know Indian food doesn't look very appetizing. But I happen
to be a huge fan of it. So just pretend you can taste the amazingness of it!
 Dessert was a succulent, full-bodied dark chocolate cake, topped with real whipped creme fraiche.  What I loved about this cake was how nutrient dense it was. It was made with real eggs, butter, and homemade dark chocolate.  The leftovers will be savored ever so slowly :).



 Of course a birthday wouldn't be a birthday without silly pictures!


Fishie face!
  
Trying to attempt a straight face. It didn't really work.


My mother and sister-in-law made an awesome hat and scarf and we were
just having fun being silly.
And Marshall was a good sport to let us take a
picture of him too :) Gotta love that boy. 

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