Dinner time and early birthday presents!!

Every Saturday when we are at the farmer's markets I buy a pumpkin, even if we don't actually need one. That is how I ended up with three beautiful butternuts staring at me from the bowl today, screaming to be cooked (I am fluent in pumpkin I have recently discovered).
My favourite way of eating them is simply roasted sprinkled in dried sage and thyme and doused in a little olive oil.
So I created a salad around my sage and thyme roasted pumpkin. Which looks a little like this:

This bowl of beautiful consisted of baby spinach, the aforementioned pumpkin, sliced green olives (from the sweetest Greek couple on the planet), semi dried tomatoes and some roasted sunflower seeds and pinenuts.
I wished it could go on forever, alas there is an empty plate that testifies to the fact that it did not.

I also wanted to share some exciting news!
My 24th birthday is officially 9 days away! I have been planning this birthday since the day after my 23rd birthday. As a result of some super saving and early planning I am taking a trip to Las Vegas and California for three whole weeks. I fly out of Brisbane (Australia - see why I need alot of planning!) on the 22nd of March for three weeks of madness. My actual birthday will be spent in Las Vegas where I plan to spend 24 hours awake enjoying everything Vegas has to offer. I will miss my family on my birthday but this adventure seemed too big to pass up and I promised to make a mini documentary for them using my new birthday present -- a camcorder! So in 6 days time expect my blogging to be coming live from Vegas!

On Saturday night (see the best dessert ever below), one of my best friends and I went out for an early birthday celebration and she surprised me with some awesome Aussie/American themed gifts.

Her instructions were:
1. Some American taste in case you were missing it at the moment (Reese's bar)
2. A little Aussie (Vegan) beauty to keep you company while you are away (jar of magnificent night cream)
3. Some luxury for the plane (pink grapefruit body butter)
4. Something to inspire you (bracelet)

The bracelet is engraved with "sing as though no one can hear you".
My gorgeous best friend gave me this because I take singing lessons, but I have never performed in front of her or my family and she believes so much in me. Thank you my beautiful doctor-to-be.

So with all that good news, and lovely food I bid you all goodnight. I have three patients left to see and then I am taking an early bedtime in preparation for a (hopefully) big return to running tomorrow.

Amy