I'm off — with 12 of my close friends — to spend the weekend at my vacation house in the mountains. Since it's a birthday celebration, I hope to make the house feel festive. There will be a fire in the fireplace and the boys are in charge of making sure there's plenty of firewood. I'll throw cozy blankets across the couches and turn on the white Christmas lights that we leave up all year round. As for the food, I'll serve the chili at the table, display the cake on a cake stand, and pour the warming tippler in Irish coffee glasses.
When I imagine a 
This Friday a group of my closest friends will join me at my vacation house in the mountains. It's going to be a whirlwind weekend filled with 
It's my best friend's birthday this weekend, and to celebrate, a group of 12 friends are headed to my parents' cabin in the Sierra Nevada mountains. We'll enjoy lots of delicious foods and decadent desserts. To kick things off on Friday night, we'll make a huge pot of Italian chicken chili with pancetta crouton toppers. This hearty and filling dish is the perfect start to a cold Winter weekend. On Saturday morning we'll recharge with breakfast burritos stuffed with eggs, cheese, black beans, and chorizo. After a day of snowshoeing, we'll come home to comforting grilled fontina and mushroom sandwiches and roasted red pepper soup.