I pictured the weekend before being Christmas being packed with holiday-specific cheer, but instead we all took turns fighting a mild version of the crud (a little coughing and post-nasal drip for those that were really hoping I‘d share specifics). Luckily we all seem to be back to normal after enlisting my favorite remedies and we even managed to squeeze in some at-home fun in the form of cooking.
Side note: how to get a guy to a grocery store? Visit one with a bar.
Also note, that when bringing along a three year old for a leisurely stroll down busy aisles, it helps to have a police cart, an iPhone with wifi and a cookie making station.
Thanks Whole Foods for supplying the aforementioned.
Moving on, we enjoyed the samples and perusing and left with food to enjoy making together. After watching Chef (cute movie!) on Friday night, I was inspired to spend a little time in the kitchen with the fam.
Luckily Hailey is still really eager to help when she can, though she is getting more insistent with pitching in on the scarier stuff, like hot stovetops.
Being that both David and I were wanting to relax, we cancelled our sitter Saturday night and instead decided to have an at-home date night.
We both couldn’t understand why we didn’t do this more often. Our entire dinner, bottle of wine included, was just under $35. Not cheap, but when compared to paying a sitter or taking the entire family out, it was much less expensive. Plus, it was fun to get into the kitchen together with Christmas tunes jamming and work a little magic on the stove top.
We used this recipe, which surprisingly came together pretty easily. In fact, we both enjoyed it so much that we are already shuffling through other recipes to try. We decided it would be fun to keep up with the at-home date nights every few weeks and try out a more exciting/intimidating recipes that we wouldn’t have time for on most regular evenings.
Though at first it was hard for my type-A side to relinquish control in the kitchen, it was so much fun when I relaxed and realized the goal isn’t a perfect dish, but rather a, enjoyable evening. The food is just a perk!
Sunday night, I returned to simplicity.
Peel-n-eat shrimp, which are ridiculously easy to prepare.
1. Bring a large pot of water to boil with a bay leaf and about a teaspoon of Old Bay Seasoning.
2. Add shrimp, cover and return to a boil for about two minutes, until shrimp are pink.
3. Immediately drain shrimp and place in a bowl of cold/ice water to stop the cooking.
4. Place in large bowl, squeeze half a lemon over them and serve!
Delicious.
What is a dish that is intimidating to you, but would be fun to try?
I’d love to learn how to cook a bone-in rib roast, homemade pasta, sushi rolls or crab legs.
Brynn says
What a fun date night! I really enjoyed the movie Chef and was also inspired to start cooking. I’d like to try and make paella!
Sherry says
Yummy-looks delicious. I think it’s great that David works in the kitchen with you–makes it fun. I’ve got a paella recipe that I’m looking forward to trying.
Giselle says
Fun! We tend to do more at home date nights than nights out because they are just easier and cheaper! I think it helps that I love to cook. If I weren’t a fan of being in the kitchen I can see where it would be more stressful than relaxing. I’ve never thought to make peel and eat shrimp for dinner. I think my son would love that!
Jen says
I love that idea! My husband and I should to that, too. We eat pretty differently–I eat mostly vegetarian and he does not, but there’s probably something special we could make that we would both eat. And if wanted beer instead of wine, I think I would be on board!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
A cookie making station! I am jealous! Haha!
I’m ready to make ANY dish! They more “involved” and intimidating the better! Haha!
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
What a fun date night!
I’ve done sushi! It’s pretty fun. The secret is getting that sticky rice just right. A fuzzy logic rice cooker helps!
I’ve wanted to try risotto for a while. It’s probably not all that complicated, just high maintenance with having to stand over it, adding liquid every 5 minutes, stirring constantly, etc. But for some reason it intimidates me.
Heather says
Chinese food is so intimidating to me – most traditional style Asian foods, actually, but my brother bought me a cookbook, so now i just need to pick a recipe and give it a go. First I’ve got to find some of those ingredients, though… ha ha.
Liz @ I Heart Vegetables says
That sounds like such a fun night! I’m all for a date night in 🙂
Liv @ Healthy Liv says
Sounds like a fun, low-key night!
Homemade pasta and yeast bread have always been a little intimidating to me. I’m not sure if homemade pasta is worth all the effort, and then yeast can be tricky, but I definitely want to work on my bread and cinnamon roll baking 🙂
Sabrina says
Oh my god that grapefruit looks heavenly. Also love the shrimp! Yum.
Madeline @ FoodFitandFam says
I love date nights out as much as the next girl but there is something so fun about having ones at home 🙂 PS – I am coming to dinner at some point.
Kat @ Where the Sidewalk Ends says
I LOVE this post. I’m almost 27 weeks pregnant with my first, and I definitely have some anxiety about losing date night, as we live fairly outside the city and are not sure how easy it will be to get a sitter. It’s so nice to see that with two (crazy adorable – I’ve been a long time reader and just love seeing their antics) little ones, you have such a lovely evening at home. Not to mention, just yesterday I said to my husband, “I NEED LINGUINE WITH CLAM SAUCE.” I might have to throw together this recipe! Also, Chef is totally fabulous, and inspired lots of cooking in our house too.
Marnie @ SuperSmartMama says
I loooove the idea of an at home date night. I have to say, although our oldest is three and a half, it has never occurred to us to try and to an at-home date night. Now that we’ve got two, we’ll have to give it a try sometime!
Julie @ Running in a Skirt says
Chef was so a cute movie.
I’d really like to make homemade pasta or a layered cake 🙂
Matt says
Looks like a delicious meal!