After much debate, I relied on an old favorite for my birthday dinner: Zingerman’s Roadhouse (an Ann Arbor — nay, Michigan! — institution).

Let’s just say it wasn’t my first time. I love going to Zingerman’s because I can order anything on the menu with a clear conscience. Most of their produce, meat, and dairy come from local farms. If they can’t find something on a local farm, they’ll literally travel the world to hand-select only the best ingredients. Their meats are pastured and free-range.

People ask me if that stuff really makes a difference in taste, and my answer is always yes, yes it does.

My parents, boyfriends, and close family friends joined me in the feasting. We cleaned up! Let me show you around the foodie highlights.

I didn’t order any alcohol (my birthday is all about food, not drinks), but the server brought me some samples of wine to try because she said it would “look pretty.” Never one to turn down free stuff, I tried ‘em all! Usually I like reds best, but my favorite of these three was the white. I totally forget what they all were.

My boyfriend tried the Dr. Pepper made with real sugar. He gave it a thumbs up. Dad’s in the background!

For their entree, my parents got lots of small plates, one of which was the 5 Burger Sampler: “Five mini-burgers topped with different cheeses — a delicious way to try our many great American cheeses. Served with lettuce, hot-house tomato, onion, and pickles.”

All Zingerman’s beef is grass-fed, and most of it is from local farms.

My parents also split the Otto File Polenta Integrale (“served with roasted eggplant, Corman Farms roasted tomatoes, and Ig Vella Mezzo Secco cheese”).

Excuse the bad pic! My boyfriend got the Beef Bourguignon — “French pot roast braised with red wine and mire poix. Served with mashed potatoes.” I tried it, and it was delish.

I got a combo of BBQ Pork & Pit-Smoked Beef Brisket with different BBQ sauces (Eastern North Carolina vinegar, Memphis tomato, and South Carolina mustard) served with mashed potatoes and Southern-style braised greens.

One of my family friends got the Buttermilk-Fried Chicken, which is “Amish free-range chicken dipped in a buttermilk batter served with local mashed potatoes and yellow mustard cole slaw.” It’s supposedly the best fried chicken in Ann Arbor, and I believe it.

Of course, there was more food on the table (like amazing soda bread from their St. Patrick’s Day-themed specials!), but I’ll spare you the crappy pics. Speaking of which, my parents’ gift to me was money towards a new camera, so you might be seeing some upgrades in that department soon!

We ordered two desserts (I forgot to snap pics!) and Zing’s gave me this cupcake on the house because it was my bday. I got my favorite restaurant dessert ever, Zingerman’s famous doughnut sundae, and a slice of hummingbird cake (sort of like carrot cake, but with more stuff, like pineapple, coconut, and walnuts). The cupcake was pretty good, too! It had a delicious maple frosting.

Hope you enjoyed getting a peek into my bday eats, and thanks for all the birthday wishes!

I’m just going to keep rolling with the bday eats here (because they’re so yummy!).

A few friends took me out for lunch, and I got this gorgeous plate of sashimi (plus miso soup and salad with that delicious ginger dressing). You know you’re getting older when you go straight for the raw fish, rather than the rolls that mask the fish flavor.

Honestly, I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect birthday lunch. I’m SO excited for dinner, though… you guys will just have to wait and see what I picked!

Tulips and a card from a coworker, frittata from my (if I do say so myself) genius idea to make one on Sunday for the week. Ugh, my photos are so grainy and awful lately. Too bad I didn’t think to ask for a new camera for my bday!

When I think of jerky, I think of a) trucker gas stations and b) woodsy folk (do with that what you will). But when I saw this at Trader Joe’s, I had to try it. It’s made from organic beef raised without added hormones or antibiotics. Not to mention, as is the case with most TJ’s products, I recognize all the ingredients. Though I doubt it’s made from grass-fed beef, I’m willing to compromise because it’s PEPPER beef jerky, and that’s the next best thing after pepper steak, right? Right. It’s a good snack, and a great alternative to chips if you’re craving something savory or salty. I also just love the texture of jerky.

Nutrition stats per 1 oz serving:

Calories: 70
Fat: 1g (0g trans)
Carb: 5g
Protein: 11g

SOLD. I had about an ounce for a snack, plus some more baby carrots (not pictured, obv).

My lunch was rather small and uninspired, but still tasty. We have: leftover chicken soup (soup is always better as leftovers!), another hard-boiled egg (I’m a bit obsessed), and some extra baby carrots. I also ate a tangerine from my Door to Door Organics box afterwards.

This breakfast brought to you by my boyfriend’s loving nickname for me.

Just kidding. He doesn’t actually call me “Whitey.” But he does call me “Vampire” a lot. Hey, what can I say? I wasn’t blessed melaninically.

My breakfast does look scarily white, and normally, that wouldn’t be a good thing. White foods usually aren’t packed with nutrition, but these are!

First we have a Trader Joe’s hard-boiled egg, packed with tryptophan, selenium, iodine, vitamin B2, protein, vitamin B12, and vitamin D, just to name a few. Next, we have full-fat Greek yogurt (don’t fear the fat!), packed with calcium, vitamins B6 and B12, magnesium, healthy bacteria, and protein, and blueberries (and I don’t need to remind you how packed full of nutrients those are!).

Today’s day in food might look a little strange, but that’s because I’m feeling a little off today. I think I got a little too happy at happy hour last night (not with the alcohol, with the food!). Too much sugar — this time in the form of cookies — makes me not a happy camper in the morning. Total food hangover. But I’m getting back on the wagon.

This is a continuation of yesterday, but I’m trying to be better about posting ALL my meals and snacks on Fridays. For dinner, I was planning on cooking the rest of the organic spinach from my D2D box with some ground beef. But I got a last-minute invite from my parents, and that option seemed a lot more appealing. Dinner by Dad is always a winner! But guess what was still on the menu?

Yup, spinach. Granted, it was mixed with kale, so it wasn’t quite as prominently featured. Also on the plate: spinach-feta turkey burger (made as a loaf) and homemade mashed ‘taters. Yummies in my tummies.

After dinner, I headed out with a group of friends for drinks. I found my new go-to drink! Ciroc vodka (made from grapes instead of a wheat derivative, so I think it’s easier on my stomach), club soda, and lots of lime.

The higher-quality vodka and lots of citrus flavor made this drink more than just tolerable. I’d go so far as to say it was pretty tasty! I had two of these throughout the night, though the second wasn’t made with Ciroc, and there was a huge difference… it was a lot nastier.

Some of my peoples at the bar. It was a French brasserie-style brewery (I don’t know, is that a contradiction?), and next time I go, I’m definitely trying the food!