It Really is All About the Food

My sister and I have had this running joke for years. In our house growing up, one of the first questions my mom would ask if we had been out was "what did you have to eat", or "how was the food?" In high school, I worked on the weekends waitressing for a large catering company. When I'd get home from working a wedding or event, my mom would want every detail of the menu. We could spend an hour talking about the scallops wrapped in bacon or the spinach triangles make from phyllo dough. My catering friends would even send me home with the leftovers for her.
 Family cookouts were a huge deal in our house, as were holidays, and even Saturday lunches out. All those menus to plan. It seemed to have far less to do with who would be there, and far more to do with what we would eat.  So...over time, the running joke prevailed.  When there were gatherings that included my mom (and this still continues to this day), it really was all about the food.

But here's the thing -- she was right.

My boy was home from college this weekend (can you hear the glee in my voice?). Days before his arrival, the questions began via text message.

Me: Food ideas please!!! Dinner Saturday night? Crepes on Sunday?

Cole: I would love a simple pasta and chicken dinner.

Me: Like carbonara or fettuccine alfredo? Or pasta with red sauce?

Cole: Oooooo carbonara would be clutch.

Clutch, apparently, is a good thing.

The next day, as I'm getting ready to make the three plus hour drive to pick him up, I inform him that I'm bringing banana muffins for his ride home. He loves banana muffins.

So the weekend unfolded with an amazing dinner of spaghetti carbonara with pancetta and peas (thank you, Mike) and was capped off with crepes on Sunday morning, one of our favorite traditions.

 Joe, Cole's good friend, even came to join us. He knew exactly when the last time was that he had joined us for crepes, and could recount the times he missed  for various reasons.

So I'm telling you all this, not so you can rest assured that no Iafollas went hungry last weekend, but to explain why it really is all about the food. In our house, and I'm guessing in so many of yours, the food is so entwined in all of the good feelings and all of the memories, and absolutely in all of the best stories. I feel like we are our best selves when gathered around a table. Feeding our family and friends is just another way to show them how very much they are loved (I talked a lot about this BACK HERE ). And in a house filled with girls who love to talk and share, and boys who would rather not (husband included), the table is a wonderful place to find common ground.

It was a great weekend. Far too short, and not enough time with my boy (I reluctantly shared him with his friends), but filled with lots of hugs and great talks and just being.

And on his way out the door, Mike put a still warm loaf of homemade pumpkin bread in Cole's hands to take back to school. Because in case you were wondering, it really is all about the food.

This is our well-loved recipe. We use a whole stick of butter and regular muffin pans. They are delicious with chocolate chips or blueberries too. 

Denise

What Love Looks Like

I am married to a great guy. He is so many wonderful things, but if I listed them here and he ever saw it, he'd be mortified. He is a humble guy, and a man of few words. I can tell you what he is not, however. He is not a gusher.

 He does not profess his love at every turn, he is not full of compliments and he most likely won't notice if I'm wearing something new. When I ask him how I look (usually only if we're headed out somewhere nice), his answer is almost inevitably "fine". Oh, and don't let me forget to mention this...he HATES Valentine's Day and refuses to celebrate it.

 For years I secretly (OK, not too secretly -- sometimes quite vocally) wished for the "romantic comedy" type of husband. You know, the guy who always says and does the most romantic things.  And then I started paying closer attention.

 Mike does profess his love and care for me and our family...and he does it often. His way is more subtle and quiet -- just like him. Here's what love looks like...

 Grilled Asparagus Pizza with Sun-dried Tomatoes, Caramelized Onions and Fontina - A huge favorite at our house

 Seared Scallops wrapped in Bacon with Fresh Sage and Golden Delicious Apples

 A Snack Cake Birthday Creation he made for Cole's Sixteenth Birthday Guys Weekend

 Our Gorgeous Thanksgiving Turkey cooked on the Weber grill every year

 Lobster Risotto

Ice Crean Sandwiches with Chocolate Chip Cookies, Bananas, Toffee, Hot Fudge and Vanilla Icecream

Homemade Bellinis starting from Fresh Peaches

"Mike's Potatoes" - Delicious Potatoes cooked with tremendous amounts of butter, garlic, Swiss cheese and love

So there it is, folks. One man's quiet way of showing everyone around him how much he loves them. He takes what little free time he has (and he truly has very little), and he creates beautiful meals for us. These meals give us the moments together that grow into some of our favorite family memories and stories.  That kind of love can't fit on a Valentine. <3


Disclaimer: These photos were snapped with my phone, and long before I knew they'd show up in a blog post. Next time I'll pull out the good camera to do Mike's meals justice. A food stylist I'm not. But boy, were these things delicious!

Denise