{27}

Today I am celebrating my 27th birthday!!!!

I am definitely not one of those people that tries to ignore their birthday when it rolls around (why pass
 up a chance for some champagne?!).  Plus with Chris' birthday only three days after mine, we make sure
 to do it up every year.  I cannot believe it has been a whole year since our last
birthday party (re-live that magic here and here). 

{fall cooking: crispy polenta}

These past couple blustery days in Chicago have made it feel like Fall more than ever so I have been collecting a wishlist of dishes to cook to go along with the changing season.  This recipe made the cut as soon as I spotted it on Pinterest, but the honey and lack of protein in the dish made it feel too much like a dessert.  We dropped the honey from the recipe and added in cremini mushrooms as well as some spicy italian sausage. We also used feta cheese instead of goat cheese, but that is only because I mistakenly bought lemon flavored goat cheese at the market (it's gross- trust me). You can see the original recipe we followed here.  The crispy polenta makes for a great base to any dish and is easy to prepare for large groups- we particularly love to pair it with marinated pork loin.

{friday cocktail: raspberry mint fizz}

Since moving to Chicago, I have heard a few people talk about "seasonal" drinking which happens to be different people's preferences for drinking based on what season it is and I am not just referring to Hot Toddy's in the winter and margaritas in the summer.  People here have told me they drink red wine or Manhattans only in the winter.  Being from California, the concept of real seasons is pretty foreign to me let alone the idea of modifying my drink choices based on the season.  I have been wanting to whip up this simple summer inspired cocktail recipe for some time and I figured with the official first day of Fall fast approaching, I better get on it!

I was first inspired to make this recipe when I saw a similar version on Camille Styles using blueberries and I loved that the recipe could easily be altered using different fruits for garnish and a wide variety of flavors for the soda.  No matter what combination you choose, the result is light and refreshing with a touch of sparkle. All of the ingredients conjure up ideas of sitting on roof decks on a hot afternoon or outdoor summer evening  dinner parties.   The best part of this recipe is that it is extremely easy to make in large batches perfect for parties- plus it looks super girl which makes it perfect for a bridal or baby shower.

Cheers!