To tell the truth, last year was a bust. My husband had back surgery the second week of Jan. and we had one date, and one recipe and one on deck. The days passed by, the jars stayed full, and I was pretty disappointed. So, in 2014, we started up again. January was awesome because of it. We got to three dates and three recipes, we skipped week one because we got one date and meal in last year so now our jar is even.
Week 1
Date: Go see a movie Meal: Presto Pesto Chicken from Rachel Ray
This was great because we really needed a low key night out, the theaters had a lot of great choices and we decided to go see The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
This movie, was really incredible. The write ups did not do it justice, Stiller did a superb directing and acting job. The cinematography was beyond beautiful and the story was touching a realistic. Not to mention the soundtrack was perfect. I loved this film so much and it put me in the best mood ever afterwords.
We got home and opened our cookbook. The best part of the recipes we put in the jars was that we put what we were cooking, what cookbook it can be found in and on what page. We have a cookbook holder and we decided to keep the recipe we will be enjoying should be displayed through the week after out first experience. After coming home from a great movie we got to cooking.
We cook together, as a team. For this, I was in charge of the 'pesto' and pasta and my husband was in charge of the chicken (butterflying and tenderizing).
This was yummy and perfect to op off our night with. We score recipes as 'remake' or 'rematch'. The 'rematches' get made again with mixed up ingredients to hopefully make it better. The 'remakes' get stored to be learned as a regular meal option. This meal became an immediate 'remake'.
Week 2
Date: Go to Babylon village and find a new place to grab a bite Recipe: Stuffed Eggplant from Rachel Ray
Because of the nature of this week's date, we did the date and recipe on different days.
We went to Babylon and stopped into the Argyle Grill and Tavern and had a delicious meal in a beautiful casual setting. Before we ate, we actually stopped by a little bakery for a cupcake and indulged in some dessert first. My crab cakes were perfect, and my husband's steak sandwich made him exceptionally happy. The best part of this date is it brought us to a village that we do not frequent yet we love.
Then, the recipe came on a different night.
Two Rachel Rays in a row! This one became a 'remake'. The stuffing was flavorful and delicious, but the eggplant was a little odd. As we ate, we decided the stuffing would taste better with a little spice and possibly in a pepper instead of an eggplant. So, this month we plan on 'remaking' this recipe (I will write about it in next month's summary).
Week 3 (Last week of January)
Date: Go to Walt Whitman's Birthplace Recipe: Spicy Chicken Tacos (Rachel Ray again)
This week actually came with a bonus date:
We attended the Rangers Islanders game at Yankee Stadium. Froze, but had a BLAST.
The next day, we traveled to Walt Whitman's Birthplace in Huntington
I'd like to say this: This small, simple attraction is right in our backyard. They do poetry readings, and events for children and adults. We were the only two there to tour the home and walk around the displays. The volunteers there are so sweet and we got to see something new and refreshing. Me, being the nerd I am was overly excited to see American Poetry displayed so proudly. I think for any parents out there, making this a 'family date' is a definite.
Then we came home and got to cooking
We love tacos. We normally just buy a kit, use the seasoning and boom tacos. So this, was an awesome twist to a normal favorite. Making our own seasoning and cause was more delicious than we thought - this is a for sure 'remake'.
Forcing us to make time for these dates has gotten us out of the house, exploring the place we live, and has also improved the contents of our refrigerator. Cooking together has been a blast.
For those who missed the original post I linked it up top. These dates we hand picked by the two of us - not knowing what the other ones wrote (26 each, adding up to 52 so we can pick one a week for the whole year). Every week it is so exciting to see what is in store for the next.
If you have any questions about the places or recipes above feel free to comment. I will update about this month next month as well!
Without Wax,
Stephanie
