Birthdays!

Its been a great week so far for birthdays. It is my birthday week so some of the rules are going out the window, but if you can't break a rule on your birthday when can you? Went out to Georgia Browns on Tuesday for a friends birthday. This is a great DC restaurant featuring southern style food. I had the vegetarian sampler, which was rice and beans, succotash, fried green tomatoes. Okay, I know they're fried in batter but it was a birthday party. Food was really tasty. Had a glass or two of wine but what the hell.
Yesterday we went to a 4th July BBQ. I ate loads of salad and a couple of chicken sausages, without the bun, I just can't resist BBQ food. Then loads of fresh fruit for desert. Yummy. However, it was all I could do to resist the cake and cookies, but I did.

The local organic shop has just started selling these coconut covered dates. Bought some yesterday and they are really tasty. Great to satisfy that sweet craving.

Then yesterday was my birthday! Went to Ardeo in Cleveland Park. Lovely meal. There was nothing veggy that was wheat-free so I went for tuna with a lentil salad and leeks. Tasty.
I did succumb to panna cotta for dessert and half a bottle of wine but it was my birthday - whats a girl supposed to do?!

Today's lunch was Quinoa salad. I am trying to make up for a few bad days with something perfectly healthy. I never know what to do with Quinoa really and haven't found a really great recipe for it yet so I normally make it up. Todays was a dressing of olive oil, red wine vinegar and dijon mustard. I whisked all this together in the bottom of a salad bowl. Then added baby spinach leaves, cherry tomatoes, red onion, feta cheese. Then added the cooked quinoa and mixed it all together. It was really tasty. I used 1/2 cup of quinoa and that was plenty for lunch.