Hello my friends – today is my birthday! Monday is kind of a lame birthday day, but don’t worry – I was quite spoiled with a weekend of celebrations. 
On Saturday, Matt and I had a bunch of friends over for a combination end of summer BBQ + birthday party for me. We started the party at 4 p.m. and it didn’t end until midnight, so I’d say it was a hit! I was having too much fun to take any photos, but Matt grilled everyone gourmet burgers and sausages from Whole Foods, and I made a big salad and all sorts of snacks (hummus, crackers, veggies, fruit, cheese, etc.) for everyone to enjoy, too. Dessert was this beautiful fruit tart, also from Whole Foods – I’m not a cake person but I love tarts! It was delicious.
As for yesterday, Matt planned us a surprise adventure day! The weather could not have been more perfect, and our first stop was a picnic at Paradise Springs Winery near Clifton, VA!
We had all sorts of good food to snack on – a mix of stuff from our fridge/pantry (crackers, cheese, grapes, guac, carrots) and a few things from Whole Foods that we grabbed on the drive out – kale salad, quinoa salad, beets, olives, and some sausage.
We couldn’t have had a more beautiful day for it, and the winery grounds were lovely! Lots of people had the same idea and were also out enjoying the day, but it wasn’t crowded, which was nice. Can’t wait to go back!
After eating and relaxing for awhile, we headed inside for a wine tasting. We ended up buying a bottle of the Chardonnay to take home – crisp and refreshing!
Our second stop on the adventure day was Mason Neck State Park, about a 30 minute drive away (closer to DC).
It’s right on the Potomac River, and Matt’s original plan was for us to go kayaking, but apparently they send out the last boats at 3:30 and we arrived shortly after that. No worries – we hit the hiking trails, instead!
There were a bunch of shorter trails on the property and we spent about 2 hours enjoying them. What a lovely way to spend the afternoon!
Our final birthday adventure was back in DC! We came home, cleaned up, and my parents took us out to a nice dinner. We went to Lincoln – the service wasn’t amazing (slow/disorganized), but the food was good and so was the company, so no worries. I especially love their deviled eggs. This one had lobster on top!
As for today, I’m spending the day working, but treating myself to a lunchtime yoga class and looking forward to a chill night at home with Matt. He’s going to make us cedar plank salmon and sweet potatoes on the grill per my request. Any recipes you guys recommend along those lines? I’m sure he’d love to see them!
Thank you to those who have already shared birthday wishes – and thank you, as always, for reading my blog and sharing in our adventures! You guys rock – I’m so glad you’re here. <3
Birthday Weekend Adventures originally appeared on fANNEtastic food | Washington D.C. area Registered Dietitian | Recipes + Healthy Living + Fitness on September 21, 2015.
The post Birthday Weekend Adventures appeared first on fANNEtastic food | Washington D.C. area Registered Dietitian | Recipes + Healthy Living + Fitness.