"Date Night In" with a Personal Chef: Part 1 (The Set-up)

For Christmas our daughter gave a most wonderful, creative gift: a personal chef to come to our home and teach my husband and me a special dish to make, as a special "date night in."

Originally scheduled for January 10th, we had to move it to February 7th, which I liked better because it became our Valentine celebration.   We have a Valentine birthday boy who turns 13 this coming weekend, and we have special plans for him.

Saturday morning I gave the kitchen a final cleaning, with hubs doing magic on the cooktop with a scrub pad. It's funny the white-glove treatment you'll give your stove, fridge, counters, and sink when a professional chef is coming.  It might behoove me to invite him more often, if for no other reason.

But table decorating is where the fun is.   I edited a bouquet from a tall vase in the kitchen, and made a small one as our "centerpiece." Candles in low votives, red cloth napkins scrunched into heart shapes, two rose wine glasses, a chocolate colored tablecloth, and some bright white plates completed the look I was going for. Big question I had was whether to sit across from each other at a table meant for six (or 10) to stare into each other's eyes (riiiiiggghhht) or to cozy up in the corner where I could touch him and take close-up pictures.

You wouldn't believe how big a deal this was to me. Normally I make quick decisions, but when it comes to seating arrangements, I take forever. Pretty bad when your guest list has just two on it.

Yes, these napkins are embroidered with poinsettias, not exactly Valentine-ish, unless you're a Christmas bride like I was. In that case, poinsettias remind me of our romantic wedding, so it works.

Sarah swooped in an hour before the chef arrived to collect her little bro for an overnighter that included a tour of our old neighborhood, game night with all the sibs, and church with her the next day.

Before she left, I asked her to please give me her opinion on the seating: across from each other like so, or next to each other like so? (I slid the setting over.) She burst out laughing. "Really, Mom?  That's a big decision? It took you all of what--two seconds to move that stuff?"

Okay, so I'm a silly, fussy, hopeless romantic and I love to be as close to my man as possible on a date, so the cozy corner arrangement won out.  Daughter snapped a few pictures (one of which was clearly photobombed by that rascally Valentine baby) , handed us the envelope of money to pay "Chef Steven" (not OUR Stephen), told us not to open it, and then they were off.



To be continued with The Meal.

Wearing the Hodgepodge on my Sleeve

1. Do you wear your heart on your sleeve, or keep your emotions tucked in tight?

I've been told I'm easy to read.  I used to cry easily; I don't so much anymore.  When I'm angry, I tend to stuff my emotions for awhile, but my face doesn't hide it. But if I'm hurt really deeply or feel an injustice has been done to me, and I have no power to change  the situation (as in how I'm treated by anyone in authority over me) I will shut down or avoid that person as much as possible until my heart is soft enough to forgive them.

2. How did you meet your closest friend?

My closest female friend? That would be Barb, whom I've known for 41 years.  I don't remember exactly how we met; either in school or in the little podunk town where my dad pastored a tiny church in Alden, KS. 

My closest male friend, AKA my husband?  He was playing guitar in an inner city church  for a kids' Saturday Bible club.  I went to see if he and his two guy friends needed help with the club because I wanted to either work with kids or the elderly, not just go to school and work.  I fell in love with the tall, quiet guitar player rather quickly. Like Baskin Robbins Ice Cream Store, my "wants and must haves" list for a husband had 31 flavors that I discovered he fulfilled: loves God, loves kids, is at least six feet tall, very intelligent, good at math, rather athletic, a handyman, musically inclined, kind to my family, makes me laugh, handles money responsibly, likes dogs, doesn't show off, wears a suit well, has nice hands, etc. etc., et cet er a....!  Even has green eyes!)   He, by contrast,  had only 3 requirements and I quote, "She loves God, loves kids, and is not a dog."

3.  Pink lemonade, grilled salmon, cotton candy, pink grapefruit, a strawberry milkshake, or raspberry sorbet...of the pink foods listed, which one is your favorite? Least favorite? Which one have you most recently consumed?

Favorite? Cotton candy, no question!  (If you want to read how my kids pranked me one time with cotton candy, it's in my archives!)  Steve and Ambrey gave me REAL cotton candy for Mother's Day last year. 

 Least favorite, thus far, would be grilled salmon, but I hope that our date this weekend with a personal in-home chef will change my mind. Our daughter bought us this "date night in" as a Christmas gift, and we had our choice of things to learn from "Chef Steven"(who is not my son, although he can cook).  I deferred to my husband's affinity for salmon and decided to be brave and try to learn to like something by fixing it differently.  Stay tuned! I'll let you know you next week how it goes. 

Most recently consumed? A Sonic strawberry milkshake.

4. When were you last 'tickled pink' over something? Explain.

It had been quite a long time, by my flower-hungry standards, since I'd had a bouquet from my sweetheart. I decided to pray he would think to do that.  Pray rather than say a word, or rather than put it on a grocery list like I've been known to do. (I kid you not.) About three days later, he came home with from food shopping (which I hate to do, so it's a very loving gesture from him)--and guess what he had brought? I was tickled pink that God had heard my prayer (it's such a small thing, but I was craving mid-winter beauty in the house and wanted some romance, too).   

5. Are you a fan of television talk shows? Daytime, nighttime, or both? What's your favorite?

I don't watch daytime TV except on rare occasions, and I like to watch Ellen DeGeneres.  Favorite nighttime is the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. We tape him and watch him after dinner the next night.

6. When was the last time you wanted to ask a question, but felt too foolish to do so?

I don't know. Usually if I really want to know something, I put my foolish feelings aside and just ask. 

7. My favorite ____vegetable juice______________right now is _Bolthouse Farms carrot juice________________.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

I really would like to enjoy cooking again. I used to, but have lost my desire. Any suggestions as to how to get it back?