Yearly Archives: 2010

Family matters

In which I begin dating my husband again

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Rockford and I have been married for nine years. We’ve been together for much longer than that, and we’ve known each other since dinosaurs ruled the earth seventh grade.

Project 52: Date Nights logo And you know something? I still like him. Quite a lot. Which is why I thought, “Hey! That’s a great idea!” when I saw the Project 52: Date Nights idea at Simple Modern Mom.

The premise is simple, in concept: one date every week for a full year. You pick a night and a time, set whatever restrictions you’d like and each of you take turns — a month at a time — planning the dates. The standard rules on the contract (yes! there’s a contract!) state that you should Look Nice. Which around here, I take to mean Don’t Wear Your Pajamas.

So again, pretty straightforward concept. Spend Time Together. Will it be so simple in execution? We’ll see. Because I signed up to do it. I should say we signed up to do it. Rockford is so entirely on board that he planned our first date:

1/52

  • Kids in bed.
  • Chocolate-covered strawberries.
  • Music.
  • A few hands of gin.

    • Even though I lost (429-278), it was so nice to turn off the distractions and spend some time together.

    We’re going to try to go out for a date once a month, but most of our date nights will be at home, after the kids have gone to bed. In addition to the No PJs rule, we’ve decided that we can only do one movie night a month. So. Do you have any great ideas for inexpensive, at-home dates?

    Eating

    Frozen-meal consumers’ advisory

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    I don’t know what prompted me to buy Healthy Choice’s Lobster Cheese Ravioli. Temporary insanity? Deep-seated self-loathing? A short-lived possession by a freezer-aisle-dwelling demon? Whatever it was, I did indeed buy the Lobster Cheese Ravioli.

    And today, I tried it.

    It was vile. Fishy-tasting and putrid. Possibly the worst thing I’ve ever eaten.

    I do not recommend it.

    menu plan Monday

    Still striving to be kid-friendly

    menubuttonBaked chicken nuggets, mashed potatoes
    My children are devoted to the McNugget. I’m hoping the Mommy version will be just as big a hit. Also, mashed potatoes are one of the few vegetables Poppy will eat. Although I’m hesitant to call potatoes a “vegetable,” especially when they’re mashed. Does that make me an anti-starchite? Anyway, she’ll eat them. But usually only when Rockford’s mom makes them. So this meal is a big We’ll See.

    Black beans & rice
    I’m thinking about making some kind of seasoned rice mix I got at the store for this, even though I already know the only part of it that Poppy will eat is plain white rice. (Have you noticed how much my meal planning involves what she’ll eat. I have.) I know that the rest of us will “chomp it up,” as Petey would say.

    Pizza
    I bought a frozen pizza, and I fully intend to use it.

    Spaghetti
    Oddly enough, this is one meal that Poppy eats without complaint. Even — especially, even — when there’s sauce involved.

    Lasagna burgers
    I made these a few weeks ago, and they were delicious. I probably won’t make the cheese and tomato sauce toppings again this time, though. Not that they weren’t good; I just don’t think I have the ingredients on hand. Anyway, I have a few of the burger patties in the freezer, so they’ll make an easy meal.