al fresco birthday

I had a birthday over the weekend. Maid of Honor Katie took me (with my mom and DJ) to Ravinia to see Pink Martini and Michael Feinstein.

The menu was incredible.

-Dark and Stormies (dark rum + ginger beer + lime wedge over ice: all to taste)

-Cocktail Caprese bites (basil + mozzarella + cherry tomato)

-Veggie bites (on toothpicks, to dip in hummus)

-Roasted tomato garlic cinnamon jam

-Chianti hard sausage

-Soft, wonderful wheat bread

-Cakes in jars (eight-yolk yellow cake + lemon curd filling + Swiss buttercream frosting)

My mom brought eight kinds of artisanal cheese. See that smile? That's what I'll look like when I'm ::mumblety::, more or less . This, I think, is why birthdays are still fun. Katie even brought candles for our cakes-in-jars.

You know how there's that vicious story about brides choosing ugly bridesmaids' dresses so they'll be the prettiest? That wouldn't work for me, Katie makes everything look good.

She also brings pink champagne with raspberries. It was divine.

I still worry about having parties where no one shows up. But, lesson learned, small parties with just the right people are the best.