You can have your cake (and eat it too!)

Last weekend was my birthday weekend. Yes, birthday weekend. The rule is if your birthday falls on a weekend, you get to celebrate all weekend. Yes, I made up the rule, but I think it’s only fair. I mean it only comes around once a year, right?!

Birthdays always mean delicious food, and you better believe some birthday cake. My philosophy on birthdays or any other celebrations for that matter, INDULGE! C’mon it’s your birthday, the one day out of the year that is essentially yours (and whoever else shares your day of birth…), so enjoy it, savor it. Don’t worry about the calories in your cake or the grams of fat in the ice cream. Worry about it the next day if you so choose. Get back on track afterward. It is important in maintaining a healthy lifestyle that you allow yourself to indulge every now and then. If you restrict yourself too much, chances are you’ll end up over-indulging.

How did I indulge on my birthday? I took the whole weekend to indulge in my hometown, Buffalo, NY!

A picnic basket for two (Steve being #2) filled with cheese, crackers, fruit, and a little bubbly.

And a box of treats! Cookies, cupcakes, and scones from a local bakery. The apricot white chocolate scone was awesome!

Took the provisions to my family’s cabin. To think that my Dad designed and built the cabin. It was a long process but truly amazing and inspiring to see the finished product.

The view from my cabin- nothing wrong with wanting to celebrate the birthday with a big dose of nature.

It’s not a birthday without a family birthday dinner at Left Bank! Calamari to start. I love when it’s only lightly breaded.

“Stuffed” banana peppers. They actually weren’t stuffed which was odd. The stuffing was placed on top of the pepper. I had never seen them prepared that way before. But I wasn’t a fan anyway. They were wayyy too hot for me! My mouth was on fire, the bread couldn’t even put it out, that’s how bad it was.

Carrot papardella tossed with lobster, shrimp and crabmeat served in a shellfish-brandy cream, with julienne vegetables, arugula and tarragon. It definitely had a lot of potential. I mean look at the color of that pasta, amazing! Unfortunately, the shellfish cream sauce was a little too much seafood in one dish for me. I love this restaurant though and everyone else had delicious dishes.

The good news? Can’t be disappointed with birthday cake! Mmmmm…

Closed out the birthday weekend with a birthday brunch at The Pancake House. A Dutch Baby was my last birthday treat. An air-filled, oven-baked pancake topped with lemon, butter, powdered sugar, and strawberries.

Overall, it was a great birthday weekend filled with family, old friends, and good food. It’s important to allow ourselves to enjoy these celebrations and not feel guilty afterward! Because we are worth it.

Peace, love, and food,

Kara