Last night, I celebrated my 29th birthday with 29 GirlFriends. (No boys allowed, haha! :P)

I wanted it to be an intimate affair --which turned out to be a VERY NOISY intimate affair with nonstop chismisan and laughter!-- to share my creative growth in 2011. My friends came over to PIPINO for a special 5-course Vegan Dinner. Aside from me, there was only one other vegetarian on my guest list, but I was happy that all of them were excited to eat this vegan meal! My friends are all sexy flexitarians! haha :P

It was fun playing Martha & putting together this whole dinner. Thought about the menu for over a week. Bought new plates for each course. Colors for the night were black, gray, green, white & beige, mostly applied in the table setting.Place cards, menu and giveaway on each setting. Placemats were from Landmark (best kitchen section!), cutlery are Pipino's own from Gourdo's. Linens are from Sur la Table.

Each guest took home a pendant/charm with her initial stamped on it. The pendant is made from recycled silver clay, something I learned from the jewelry class I took up in Singapore last June. The charm was strung on a friendship bracelet. I packed them in these aluminum tins that I got on sale at Subic Freeport. (You can find the most awesome things there, most of the time on sale! I once got a gold metal fishscale belt for P37.50---random!) Painted/scanned/printed the tag inside.

The 5-Course Dinner Menu  The menu features some things I learned in cooking school.

That Vegan Nutrition class was really helpful!!

AppetizerSeared Vegetable Dumpling with Edamame Sauce
served with Picked Papaya & Seaweed

 Red Cabbage, Red Onions, Watermelon, Red Beets, Tomatoes, Candied Walnuts and Cashew Cheese Sauce with Balsamic Vinaigrette all make for a delicious 'Red Salad'.

Papaya and Coconut Soup with Cucumber and Fresh Ginger -- creamy, but so light and refreshing! Mad props, this course is all Chef Ed!

The Main Course  Sundried Tomato & Roasted Mushroom Couscous, Tofu Miso & Malunggay Pesto, Zucchini-Broccoli-Parmesan Sticks, Sweet Potato Bacon and Carrot Butter. I purposely made this dish to be packed with flavor AND nutrition. Lots of vitamins in there, since the carrot butter and malunggay pesto are both RAW!

And now, for dessert:Banana-Cinnamon Muffins with Lavender-infused Sugar, Pipino's Oatmeal & Chocolate Chip Cookies, served with Spiced Almond Milk.

  The Party-In-A-Box...prizint!

  My Craft Club and SB friends

Mar, Muff, Me, Patty, Nicole, Kat, Jinkie and Trey

 with Mar, Crit and Muff

with Gin, El, Ats and Tet

Thanks to Chef Edward for executing and bringing my menu to life, and to the PKS & Pipino Staff for making this wonderful celebration possible!

i ♥ DIY! I wish we could do this every day :P 

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