My Focus for 2023 is using my TIME wisely and that includes returning to some things my husband and I used to do together which we enjoyed but seemed to have let lapse as life took over with selling and buying a new home.
Our Christmas was not what we expected as Mike tested positive for COVID on Christmas morning which meant not seeing my family during the Christmas holidays.
A belated Christmas gift from my son and his wife, prompted me to commit to making TIME with my darling, to discover new recipes and to bring back our Saturday ‘Restaurant at Home’ nights. There was a time when we did this every Saturday. We would take it in turns to plan and prepare a special menu for each other, lay the table with our special dinnerware and put on some background music. A ‘date night’ at our home restaurant. It was a wonderful way to re-connect, especially as we were both busy during the week.
Now we aren’t quite so busy but why shouldn’t we make time for each other over a meal made with love? We both enjoy cooking and it is a lovely way to spend time together.
Time to try new recipes in 2023
As I join the monthly What’s On Your Plate? Blog Challenge link up co-hosted by Donna from Retirement Reflections and Deb, The Widow Badass , I hope to share some of these new recipes that we try during the month. It will also perhaps hold me accountable to actually making the time to find joy in the kitchen. (Make sure you pop over and visit Donna and Deb to see what is on their plate each month).
First up, will be discovering some new recipes from our Christmas Gift – Italian Street Food – Recipes from Italy’s Bars and Hidden Laneways by Paola Bacchia.
My husband, was born in Italy and came to Australia when he was 4 years old (he is now 73) and we have both visited Italy several times. We both love Italian food so are keen to try our hand at some of the recipes in this book.
What is Italian Street Food?
Paola explains that it is definitely not Fast Food but tasty, cheap and has a story and tradition. I love that and it brings back memories of my visits to Italy.
It is about being in touch with the local people, who make it, their land and their traditions.
Whilst these recipes aren’t formal they are tasty and I quite enjoy making platters occasionally rather than a main course.
Here’s to making Time to bring back our ‘Restaurant at Home’ nights in 2023 and exploring new recipes and ideas.
Do you enjoy cooking and making special dinners at home? I’d love you to share your favourite recipe with me.
27 Comments
Hi, Sue – I love your plan for Saturday Night Restaurant Dinners At Home. I will definitely be borrowing this great idea! And your Italian Street Food book looks wonderful. Thank you for the inspiration and thank you for joining us at #WOYPBC. Both are greatly appreciated! <3
I miss our Saturday Night Restaurant Dinners and now we are settled into our new home I’m keen to restart them. xx
This is great Sue, a good use of TIME and a lovely way to share food you both love. A fabulous concept and I look forward to seeing your recipes and food you cook.
Thanks Deb, I actually think TIME is a great choice and pretty easy to write about. I really want to revisit our Home Restaurant nights so WOYP will be a good motivator. x
All fab ideas, Sue – I want to improve my cooking this year. Toni x
I enjoy cooking Toni but of late we have fallen into the habit of having the same meals all the time. It’s time for some variety x
Me too, Sue ❤️
Can’t wait to see what’s cooking in your place – that book looks great!
Yes I’m keen to try some of the recipes plus I have Mary Berry’s cookbook and a couple of Maggie Beer’s which I would like to use. WOYP will be my motivation I think. x
Happy New Year Sue! I hope Mike is feeling better. It’s challenging having your holiday plans interrupted, but I know you made the most of the situation. I absolutely love the idea of a home restaurant date night. What a wonderful way to spend your time!
Happy New Year, Christie. Mike is on the mend thank goodness and I managed to avoid COVID. I’m keen to revisit our home restaurant date nights and WOYP will help motivate me. I hope you can also join us for the newly named What’s Been On Your Calendar? each month which replaces WOTY. xx
hi Sue, Saturday Restaurant at home sounds great…..My “good dinner set” sits in the cupboard collecting dust…..I must find some energy and enthusiasm and start my own Restaurant at home…:) 🙂 I’m afraid that CoVid 19 has no barriers it is slowly spreading to us all……..cheers..from Rainey…
Hi there! I know what you mean about the ‘good dinner set’ collecting dust. We have beautiful possessions which we don’t use and enjoy. I hope you are okay? Did you contract COVID? As you would know my husband did over Christmas but I fortunately avoided it. Take care and look after yourself. Sending hugs. xx
I love that idea of Restaurant Night at Home! Glad that Mike is on the mend and that you were spared. That cookbook looks intriguing…Italians really know their food. When I was a teenager I worked at a fruit and vegetable stand run by Italians one summer and what their customers spent on fresh fruits and veggies every week was almost as much as my family’s entire grocery budget for the same time period! It was inspiring and puzzling to me at the same time.
Deb
Hi Deb, we used to have great fun planning and cooking the meal but life took over and I do miss those times. It’s time to bring them back! I know my in-laws who were Italian and Croatian would spend money on quality food – fruit and vegetables and rarely went out to eat. It’s a different culture and mindset but a healthy one! Mike is over his COVID now thank goodness and feeling well, thank you xx
I plan to join you now that holidays are put away. Can’t wait.
Happy New Year Sue! I love the idea of your home restaurant date nights. It’s weird how easily life can overtake the fun habits that we have previously enjoyed. Well done for recognising this and reinstating your special time connecting with Mike. I might have to copy this idea! I’m looking forward to seeing what you cook up. X
Happy New Year, Janine! You are welcome to copy the idea and I’m hoping I can hold to the commitment. We had such fun planning and preparing delicious meals that were different to the everyday meals we usually eat. x
Oh that’s great, Antoinette! Happy New Year and look forward to connecting in 2023. x
That’s a great concept Sue – Restaurant Night at home. We both love to cook. We do, well prior to Covid, so did a Friday night family pizza night with our outdoor pizza oven. We’ve only done it a couple of times since although there was zero reason we didn’t start again regularly. We cooked special meals for ourselves for our anniversaries and birthdays during Covid and I think will continue it. I look forward to watching and reading about you using your Time wisely in the kitchen. Bernie
Oh a family pizza night is great. I think we just fall out of some habits which we enjoy because life gets in the way, we get too busy. I’m trying to change that in our life. x
I’m not sure it was busy Sue as much as Covid. Our daughter was, at one point, on the very cautious side with her two little ones. Once spring arrives, we will start again. You provided some inspiration!!
Yes COVID disrupted everyone didn’t it? My husband tested positive on Christmas morning. We have been lucky to have gone this long without contracting it. We’ve both had our vaccinations and boosters which have helped. x
Thank you Sue You are so inspiring in many ways! Just WISH we had your energy! LOL
Francis and I do have a restaurant table and backdrop set up at home to enjoy romantic brekkies, lunches and dinners. We have themed romantic date nights and is always fun trying to find THE PERFECT recipes for the occasions.
I know you and Frank have a very loving relationship, Joanne which is wonderful to see. xx
Thank you We are blessed and we were/are destined being together for life. We thank our loved ones from the heavens about for allowing us to find each other….FATE
lovely xx