Update: My 20th Birthday! / Chocolate Mug Cake

Surprise, surprise.

I was planning on typing up a hint post before today but my plan didn't work very well due to a recipe fail so all of you have the luxury of wishing me a happy belated birthday. ;)

So my day started off early with tofu scramble and toast for breakfast. Rick bought me a TofuXpress online a couple days ago and it showed up on our doorstep yesterday, so we were excited to use it for the first time!

This helps us save TONS of trees (aka paper towels).

We soaked the tofu overnight and the consistency came out perfect in the morning. I can't wait to see how the tofu turns out in stir-fry next time.
After breakfast, Rick took me to the UCSD Birch Aquarium in La Jolla. I've been there many times, for field trips and otherwise, but I never actually had a chance to enjoy myself there. Today really made a difference.

Woot!

I realized how much I have in common with a 20-year old leopard shark, age- and height-wise.

Does anyone see Dory? Time to find Nemo.

There he is!

I like my gifts useful and memorable. A Birch Aquarium magnet, please. =)

I had such a great time! The aquarium is such a responsible place and I love how they stress the importance of going green and respecting sea life. I took tons of more pics and I'd love to share them but I don't want to flood this post with all of them. ;)

After the aquarium, we had an amazing lunch at the new, super healthy and eco-friendly restaurant in Fashion Valley Mall called True Food Kitchen. We ordered Shiitake & Tofu Lettuce Cups as an appetizer and two freshly-juiced drinks on the side. Rick got the nectar sweet Hangover Rx and I ordered the deliciously spicy Kale Aid.

Eat (and drink!) natural colors.

For our entrees, Rick chose the "Banh Mi" Wrap and I picked Andy's Favorite "TLT". We had pan-fried diced sweet potato and a fresh kale salad on the side.

In case you were wondering, no, I couldn't finish it!

Their food was so great! The tempeh in my sandwich was smoky and crispy and surrounded by ton of veggies. Unfortunately, before ordering, Rick and I didn't realize the kale salad is prepared with grated cheese. Next time we go, we'll kindly ask them to not add that. But all in all, I loved the food and the restaurant is an awesome place for date nights. Definitely going there again.

And, last but not least, what's a birthday without cake?! I made a teenie one just for me.

No frosting; just a sweet cherry on top.

Many thanks to Emma from the fairly new vegan blog, Barefoot Baker; this chocolate mug cake was fantastic and it's great for satisfying a rich chocolate craving. In her post, she mentions her 20th birthday and how she made this cake for herself; and now it's me who's trying out her cake and talking about my own 20th birthday! How very peculiar! Click here for the recipe.
The info below represents the use of white flour, unsweetened almond milk, and only one tablespoon of sugar.

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 278
Fat: 15.5g
Carbs: 33.5g
Protein: 3.7g
Fiber: 2.6g
Sugar: 12.3g

What a great treat. The cake turned out wonderfully in just a minute in the microwave. Like Emma said on her post, you can use applesauce instead of oil but the flavor won't be as good. There's always room for experimenting though. ;)

I had an amazing and very happy birthday. Many thanks and hugs to my readers, friends, family, cats, and (of course) Ricky. <3

Ta ta for now!