Two of my close friends have the same birthday. This year I had each of them over for their birthday dinners two days in a row. I was delighted to use my new birthday banner. I gave Deborah a pot of flowering tulips. For the table, I used two bunches of daffodils from Trader Joes.

For Deborah’s birthday dinner, I asked her for food or theme ideas. She responded, “Tropical”. I don’t think I ever did a tropical themed dinner before so I was delighted to try something new. I made Vegan Tropical Tacos and Vegan Mango and Lime Cheesecake garnished with a mint leaf. I still have a living pot of mint left over from Christmas. The fresh flavors temporarily transformed us to a tropical climate. It was a refreshing change from cold and snowy Rochester in January.