It’s a bit crazy to think that Isla was born JUST before the world shut down from a global pandemic. She arrived on 3/17/2020 as our own little four-leaf clover!

We visited her school on her day off to share a cookie cake with her school friends before the fun festivities that evening.

Last year, we kept her 2nd birthday very low key with a homemade chocolate cake shared among friends. We aimed to do the same this year, but since I took the entire week off, I had the urge to make dinner for her Friday birthday! I opted to try a Mediterranean menu and scoured the web (as usual) for the most delicious sounding recipes. I was a bit nervous since it would be my first time making several of the dishes, but I knew my guests would be fine if we just had to order pizza when all was said and done, lol!

Isla’s Birthday Menu:

• Chicken shawarma
• Falafel
• Quinoa tabouleh – I used this recipe with tri-color quinoa instead of bulgur wheat, plus English cucumbers
• Hummus
• Tzatziki
• Briam – Greek roasted potato/zucchini/tomato/onion. This is so simple, yet so flavorful!
• Pita bread – store bought!
• Pita chips
• Chocolate Cake with vanilla buttercream frosting

I made the same chocolate cake last year with chocolate buttercream frosting. Both were delicious and quite easy to make! The girls helped me bake the cake =)

All in all it was a sweet gathering with great company. I am happy to report that none of the dishes were disasters! It truly brings me deep joy to cook and feed loved ones. If you’re looking for a good menu for a small dinner party, I highly recommend the recipes linked above! Happy cooking and celebrating =)