birthday part 1: you know you’re a foodie when…

… even the non-edible gifts you get for your birthday are food related.

I turned 23 on Friday and my loved ones spoiled me rotten.

Chai soap from my cousin Lara and coconut frosting bubble bath from my aunt Jeanie. Both, upon using, make me want to lick myself off after because they smell so stinkin’ good.

Jeanie and I had an epic conversation about Nanaimo bars not long ago, so imagine my delight when she also gifted me their essential ingredient:

I definitely owe her a batch! I’m delightedly researching variations, of which there are GAZILLIONS!

Jeanie also told me that my grandma always used Bird’s custard powder to make her dessert creations, including her legendary trifle. So I am excited to play with it in many, many ways in our upcoming holiday season.

My most exciting and unexpected birthday delivery came with a characteristically hysterical card.

 

The contents? Scads of CHOCOLATE COVERED STRAWBERRIES!

There were initially a dozen in the box, but there were quickly less than that :D (The box recommended that you hide behind furniture while opening it so no one knows what’s in it!)

So you get a picture of each delectable flavor.

In three delicious flavors: an adorable tuxedo-looking white chocolate with drizzles of dark; crunchy and sweet milk chocolate with chopped walnuts; and rich and decadent chip-studded dark chocolate.

Eating these makes me kind of want to lie around all day having people fan me. They are that indulgent.

Also on the subject of chocolate covered fruit, Steve got me these goooooooorgeous dark chocolate covered figs.

They were meant for a romantic evening picnic that ended up not happening due to me generally being a very difficult and often unpleasant person to date. But he insisted on sending me home with the goodies regardless, because he is a Quality Boyfriend.

He also got me (this was all from Whole Foods, incidentally) delicious organic goat cheese.

 

Oh, did I mention I had a megabag of apples because he, in one of his many additional thoughtful gestures, also took me APPLE PICKING? (There is a reason my birthday will need to be divided into AT LEAST three posts)

Well I decided that the first thing I would do would be to look up apples in my NEW FAVORITE BEAUTIFUL COLOSSAL COOKBOOK!

I literally squealed with delight when I unwrapped this.

Yes, my amazing aunt Kathy, my most loyal blog reader, gave me How to Cook Everything Vegetarian. I know. I know. I am having a hard time leaving the house because all I really want to be doing is reading it. Mark Bittman, you clever, clever man.

I flipped to apples in the index and was highly intrigued by this recipe:

Which, in the practical and extremely expansive way in which the book is organized, is part of a larger, user-friendly section on the art of a perfect omelet.

 

The recipe was so user friendly that even I, the girl who always ruins omelets, made a beautiful omelet. It was great, too, because the methodology was so clear that I knew I could adapt it. Thus, lacking cream cheese and blue cheese as the recipe called for, I substituted goat cheese. It was obviously fantastic. Rich, light, fluffy eggs; sweet crunchy apples; tangy melty goat cheese.

Absolutely sublime breakfast!

 

With toast, sunshine, gratitude, and lots more cookbook reading!