Tasty, Tasty Melodies pt. 4

Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans ...

So, the date with Roommate did not go as planned, but hey. That's life!

We did make chicken, but it was a little undercooked and was bookended by some hard discussion. So, while productive, it wasn't the pseudo romantic Valentine's Day we'd expected.

This is a song my mother constantly references. As I am sure most people my age have, I grew up on the Beatles. My parents are still very open to us exploring various religions and spiritualities. The fact that the Beatles dabbled in transcendental meditation (a practice that my family has been engaged in for decades), and that John is kind of the patron saint of acceptance and love for the millennials made them the soundtrack for our house.

Whenever something went the other way, Mum would reference this song. And it's so true. Whenever I find myself thinking or second-guessing a decision, I always resurface to find that life has kept on going.

And even though Roommate and I didn't get our lovely little dinner, we still had something of value.

Love is action. Love is motion. Love is not just going forward, but growing. And there are growing pains that go with it.

All my life, I'm trying to reach back to that place where all I did was trust. Where my entire life was a free-fall into my parents' arms. When love was law.

So, no recipes this time. But there will be more food blogging soon, I promise. But I hope this has been some food for thought.

A Tasty Prequel

So, amidst all of the papers, monologues, film scenes, architecture readings, class presentations, masques and mainstage work ... the fact that Valentine's Day is coming - and is on my mind - is baffling.

And oddly enough, not in a "OMGZ IM SINGLE SO I HATE COUPLES" or "This is a bullshit Hallmark holiday" kind of way or even "What will I get for my manboy this year?"

It's in a "So, I'm going to need a stick of butter, some prosciutto, a roasting chicken, thyme, rosemary, garlic, sea salt, crushed chillies, smoked paprika and some potatoes."

Yeah. I'm letting the St. Whoosits day friend date take over.

I've never really seen this day as one for couples, actually. My strongest memories are of those little boxed cards you'd fill out for every kid in your class, and my mum putting pink foil-wrapped Kisses in my lunch bag. Also, cinnamon hearts contests at the back of the bus (I came in second with fifty-seven in my mouth at once). I've not been in a relationship when the day has come around, so it's never meant romantic love to me.

Last year, a bunch of us girls went for a dinner at Pags, followed by seeing the (awful) movie Valentine's Day, and then Cheesecake at QV. All in all, pretty good. But it required some forethought, just as a real date would have.

This year, the elaborate dinner is homemade, and for Roommate. She and I are calling it couple this year, and deciding to forgo the "eff you, we can go out, too!" mentality that so many people seem to take.

I'm going to post the recipe (and hopefully pictures) of the chicken I'll be making. It's a marriage between Jamie Oliver's roast chicken, and my own. So, of course, with due credit I'll try and find a link to that and add my modifications.

The best thing about Valentine's day? Discounted pink candy on the 16th. Aw yeah.