I am a sucker for birthdays.  I love celebrating my friends’ birthdays, and I’m not going to lie – I love my own birthday.  Guess I was born without the Peter Pan gene – I don’t mind growing up.  Each year has gotten better and better, and surely this year will not disappoint.

To celebrate this year, I wanted to cook a meal. A BIG meal.  I’ve had some bouts of insomnia lately, and ended up spending those sleepless nights pouring over cookbooks, including my new Lavender cookbook, a gift from my dear friends Krista and Ryan after their recent trip to a lavender farm in New Mexico!  What a treat this little book has proven to be.I decided birthday dinner would include the following:

• butterscotch pumpkin muffins with honey lavender butter (the lavender cookbook by sharon shipley)
• giant crusty and creamy white beans with greens (supernatural cooking by heidi swanson)
• jasmine rice mushroom pilaf with lavender (the lavender cookbook)
• savory autumn cobbler (a recipe shared by a dear friend)

I spent all day cooking, and I can’t imagine a better way to enjoy a birthday. Except maybe the addition of croissant french toast with strawberries from Gold Standard….but I’m not complaining.  I’ll try that jam sooner or later ;)

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Recipes to follow. I’m sleepy.