How To Plan a Plant Based Birthday
This week, we celebrate my wonderful husband’s birthday! Since we first met, we have always found it to be an amazing coincidence that his birthday is April 1st, and my name is April Dawn; meaning, his birthday is on the dawn of April. We find it to be quite in line with the serendipitous way in which we met, started our relationship, and continue to grow as partners and as parents.
While I celebrate this wonderful man each and every day, this Thursday, we will have an additional birthday celebration. Celebrations don’t have to be a crowded party and room full of people. As we all know, that is not a good idea this year anyway. That said, we honestly prefer small, intimate gatherings.
I’ve been asked before how we celebrate holidays as a plant-based family. How and what do we prepare for meals, desserts, and appetizers are among the questions. These questions come up primarily around the holidays with emphasis on meals. However, recently, I was asked how we plan to celebrate our little one’s birthday, and if we would have a birthday cake. The answer to that is YES! In fact, the answer is an enthusiastic yes!
When we are celebrating birthdays, we have cake! Our cake is vegan and gluten free, and I have to tell you, absolutely delicious! There are truly so many recipe options available now, that it is an easeful process to prepare desserts and sweet treats. I’ve shared before that we use flax eggs to substitute eggs, and this works incredibly well. I have shared a video tutorial on our Instagram page with the steps of making flax eggs. It’s super easy!
Getting back to the planning and preparation of my husband’s birthday…
I will prepare breakfast and dinner for him, as he usually does most of the cooking in our home. We collaborate fully on meal plans and creating recipes, but when it comes to the actual cooking, it’s usually Dylan that prepares the meals. I know I’ve mentioned it already, but I just have to say again that he is a true partner.
Tonight, I will be making jackfruit tacos, one of his favorite dishes that I prepare. Jackfruit is very interesting and versatile. It’s a fruit, yet, is often used in tacos and as vegan “barbeque”.
This recipe includes jackfruit, black beans (which our little guy enjoys), onion, salsa, avocado, and vegan cream cheese (as a sour cream), all in an almond flour tortilla shell. Delicious, right??
Now, let’s talk desserts…
Regalo’s birthday is in September. We chose to purchase a vegan and gluten free cake from a local bakery this year. Then, once we realized we were actually pretty talented at baking on our own, we made another cake. We used a Simple Mills mix and icing, both chocolate, and paired it with vanilla coconut ice cream…. ALL vegan and gluten free and amazing!
I share these details with you this week, because I want those reading to know that we never feel deprived, and our choices are much more healthy than the typical cakes and treats. We do still consider them treats, but we don’t use any added sugars or dairy in our baking, and, of course, no meat in our meals. It’s truly amazing to be able to enjoy these foods without feeling awful afterwards. Using whole plant food sources, such as dates to sweeten, allows us to continue to feel good, even when “treating” ourselves.
JACKFRUIT TACOS
I hope that you feel inspired to create delicious plant-based holiday recipes and traditions.
Happy Birthday to my wonderful husband!