Saturday, February 16, 2013

GR's 13th Birthday!

My GR turned 13 on February 12th.  Most of you probably think it's Lincoln's birthday, but it's really hers.  Anyhow, she didn't want a party, just a fun day with her family that she designed.  She may bring a friend with us camping in a few months as a way to celebrate her birthday in that way.  She loves being outside, and so part of our day was at a park.  Enjoy the pics, another restaurant to add to the mix, some doggie catch-ups, and of course, dessert!

After Christmas, Michaels was selling off their gingerbread houses super cheap, like for one or two dollars, so I bought two more of them.  GR's been bugging me ever since to make them, so I let her do it the night before her birthday.  For the life of us, we couldn't get it to stick together or stand up, so I suggested gingerbread cookies. Everyone loved that idea, so they decorated the house pieces and had huge cookies for breakfast the next day!  This is what was left before I remembered to take a photo.

We took our lunch from Adalbertos to the park.  I had a veggie burrito without cheese, sour cream or guacamole, which has dairy in it.  Also, the Blessings had fries; if you order their fries, make sure you ask for new oil.  We've had bacon in our fries before, and that's how we discovered they use the same oil for everything. 

We also enjoyed a little croquet.  Here G is practicing his swing, which ended up doing him no good because I beat the pants off everyone!

Here's a shot of the birthday girl with her pup, Mindy.  The last pics I posted of the dogs, they were just about two months old.  Now, they are two years old as of November.

Here's a beautiful shot of them.

Not to be outdone, here's SR's dog and Mindy's sister, Abby.  Just to give you a quick update on Abby: she's currently undergoing heartworm treatment.  She apparently contracted it from a mosquito before we got her and Mindy on a program. We are praying for a full recovery.  In a few weeks, I'll have a post dedicated to gratuitous pet pictures. 

For dinner, GR picked one of our most favorite restaurants, Huong Sen Tofu.  They are located on Stockton Boulevard in Sacramento.  We go there at least once a month.  G used to work near here and learned about it from coworkers.  We started coming as a family when I was still pregnant with JK.   They are super affordable and offer a wide ranges of dishes.

Here's what it looks like when you order.  You can see one of the two brother owners in the background.  They make all of their dishes from scratch in their kitchen, including their mock meats, and everything is vegan, even their desserts, but not their waffles.  Don't ask me why they sell waffles, but they seem to be a real hit among the Vietnamese immigrants.

 They also double as a store, and here's their main refrigeration section.  On the left is their soy milk, which they also make there. 

 Here is a table in the center which stores some of their non-chilled items.  Not everything that sell prepackaged is vegan or vegetarian.

 G said I could take a picture of his dish, which is what he usually orders each time we come: steamed rice, a super tasty eggplant and tofu dish, and red seitan.

 The girls and I usually get the pho bo.  That's the garnish on the side.  So good.  JK just likes their tofu and steamed rice.

 For dessert, we met up with my parents.  GR asked for ice cream as her dessert.  When I asked if she was sure she didn't want a cake, she said she really wanted my Black Tie Cheesecake , but she thought it was too much work for me to make for her.  Pish posh!  My girl got her ice cream and her cake!  By the way, if  you haven't made it yet, the cheesecake looks hard to make, but it isn't. Give it a try!

So that's all the pics I'm putting up.  Hope you enjoyed the show.  Happy Birthday, GR! 


11 comments:

  1. Happy b-day to GR. She picked a wonderful way to celebrate her birthday and I can't think of anything better. Who needs a party when your whole family is filled with party people? I do hope poor little Abby makes it through her treatment. Let us know how she does.

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  2. I too would like to extend well wishes towards both Abby and GR.
    Too bad dogs can't eat chocolate. I'm pretty sure that cheesecake would make anyone feel better. I love the tour of the store! It's always fun to see the insides of unsuspecting places like that. It's great that they make and sell their own soy milk!

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  3. Happy Birthday, GR! She's a beautiful girl, just like her mother! She certainly designed a perfect day to celebrate, and lots of good eats.

    My goodness, the pups do grow quickly!

    I will have to try out the cheesecake - oh my!

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  4. Happy birthday to GR! Looks like she had such a nice day. And one with cheesecake!
    Excellent work on the gingerbread house! That's what I love about cooking - it's fun, it's artistic, it's communal, and if it doesn't turn out how you expected, you get to eat the evidence!

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  5. Andrea, thank you. GR and I are similar in how we like to celebrate, both kind of low key. I will keep you updated on Abby; hopefully all will go well.

    FF, thank you for the well wishes. I love that cheesecake, so it's good that I only make it a few times a year...if you know what I mean. I like seeing places too, so I figured someone out there would like to see that restaurant. :-)

    Ingrid, thank you! That cheesecake would have tasted perfect for your birthday, too, right after your vanilla cupcake.

    Joey, she did, thank you. And, yes, even food that doesn't "look" good can still taste great, and my hips are evidence of that!

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  6. Happy birthday to GR! I love the photos of her with Mindy. How adorable! Both dogs are super cute and I'm so sorry to hear that Abby contracted heartworm. :( Please do keep us updated on that. I know how rough and long that treatment can be.

    All of the food looks & sounds great. What a lucky birthday girl to get such delicious desserts!

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  7. Happy Birthday GR, you are a beautiful young lady. God bless and enjoy all those youthful years.

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  8. Happy Birthday GR! Only five more long years till you are legal to run amok!

    (Horrible about Abby's heartworm. Why'd you have to include that downer bit of news in this post?)

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  9. Molly, thanks for the well wishes about Abby. It is a draining procedure. The park was really the last time she was able to run around. We basically have to keep her still for the next two months.

    Millie, thank you, and I'm sure she will! :-)

    SV, I'll make sure those years are as long as possible. I'm sorry to have distressed you so much. When would have been a better time? I'm hoping to have only positive news from here on out concerning her, believe me.

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  10. Good question. After some consideration I've decided that no time is a good time to read about that.

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  11. We brought a dog home from the shelter once then found out she had heart worms. Pricey little treatment that was. Glad she will be ok.

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