After the excitement of last night, it was a relief to wake to a blessedly quiet morning.
I began my day with a hot run into the neighborhoods nearby and down a biking path that yielded a spectacular view of the mountains. Sweat poured down my face, but the air was clean and filled my lungs enough to help me power through. As I ran, I admired the cacti that loomed threateningly, casting shadows over the path. When I looked down at my pounding feet, I caught sight of lizards scurrying by, searching for a shady spot to rest. Despite the heat of the desert, there is life hidden everywhere.
I arrived home, sweaty and hot but feeling accomplished. I showered and got ready for the long day ahead. Then, I sat in the kitchen to a hot cup of coffee, took a deep breath, and drank in the serenity of the tranquil, desert morning.
Today was our last day in Tucson. Luckily for us, it is not quite time to say goodbye. We were able to postpone the inevitable farewells by having Steve and kids travel with us to Sun City to visit more family. However, there was one thing we had to do before leaving – I had promised Thomas that I would watch the new live action Aladdin movie with him. We were supposed to watch it last night, but after the excitement of the hospital visit, it was far too late and we were all far too tired to enjoy the viewing experience. Instead, we sat in the living room today with Jake, Samuel, my parents, and Steve to enjoy one of my favorite Disney princess movies reimagined. While watching, I played a game of cards with Steve, which was thoroughly entertaining. Steve is a master of cards, so he was a challenging opponent. Lucky for me, the game we played had a bit of luck worked in, so I was able to hang with him for most of the game. I lost, of course, but it was a still a match I could be somewhat proud of.
After the movie, all of us hurriedly got ready and packed our bags for our next destination. The car ride was long and lazy. Jake and Thomas dozed in the seats in front of me while Dad and Mom talked intermittently in quiet tones. We had all been up late last night and had little energy to spare because of it.
I thought Arizona would be about the same temperature anywhere we went. I discovered today that I was mistaken. Sun City, I realized, was aptly named. The sun was the most noticeable feature of the place. It scorched the land and beat down on us relentlessly. I started sweating in the sweltering heat as soon as I stepped out of the car.
We hurried inside, where we were greeted with a gracious air conditioned space. We had arrived at Bev’s and Gus’ house, my mother’s and Steve’s aunt and uncle. After their parents passed away, my Mom and Steve moved to live with Bev and Gus for the duration of their teenage years. I have not seen Bev and Gus since I was 11 years old.
Bev had prepared an extravagant spread for lunch, which we attacked like scavengers. It was now late in the afternoon and none of us had eaten since early in the morning.
Gus and Bev looked like they had not aged a day since the last day I had seen them. Funnily enough, Bev said the same thing about me. We spent the afternoon and evening talking and catching up, sharing stories and reconnecting after years spent living across the country.
Today was not an eventful day, but it was one of my favorites thus far. After the fear I felt last night from the scorpion attack, it was such a relief to have a relaxed day, surrounded by loving family members and the lazy, still desert atmosphere that discourages boisterous activity with its merciless heat. Today was a day to appreciate and remember just how blessed I am by the people I have in my life and the beauty of the world around me. I am used to speeding through life, always looking to the next activity, but it was a relief to slow down on this vacation and just appreciate the moment I was in.
When I stop rushing through life, I realize just how truly beautiful it is and how fortunate I am to be able to experience it.
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Since the beginning of the novel coronavirus and stay-at-home order, date nights went from going out to dinner and a movie on a Friday night to cooking a nice meal at home and watching Netflix. At first, this was a welcome, intimate change, but after a while, the creativity seemed to run out. You can only eat the same meal and watch the same movie so many times before it starts to get old.
I have a solution for you. It’s still dinner and a movie, but with fun, inventive spin.
I love having themed date nights, when the activities, food, drinks, and movie all fit together for one entertaining experience. My latest themed night was based on the Disney Pixar film, Ratatouille.
It is a fun, family-friendly movie that’s perfect for a family movie night, or for just a chill night with your significant other. The biggest plus for this movie is that it is definitely going to make you feel hungry, which is perfect because this date night is filled with lots of food.
I hope you enjoy! If you try out this date night for yourself, please let me know how it goes. I would love to hear about your experience, and if you added any fun ideas of your own.
Drinks
As a little sneak preview to the night ahead, I made café au lait. This is a French coffee recipe that uses equal parts coffee and steamed milk. The recipe is just below.
I also recommend picking up a nice French wine, such as a tasty bottle of champagne or a Bordeaux to pair with dinner or dessert.
Café au Lait
Makes: 2 servings
Ingredients:
1 cup strong brewed coffee
1 cup steamed milk (see Notes)
sweetener of choice, to taste (see Notes)
Directions:
Steam milk with desired amount of sweetener.
Pour hot coffee into a mug and top with milk. Sprinkle with cinnamon, if desired.
Notes:
The best way I have found to steam any kind of milk (without a fancy milk steamer) is the following: Place milk in a food processor or blender and pulse for 30 seconds, or until the milk is frothy. Pour into a mug and heat in the microwave for 30 to 45 seconds (until hot but not deflated). This yields the perfect consistency and temperature. It works best for whole milk, but any type of milk will still gain body through this process.
I personally like to drink my coffee dark, but Joseph likes a little sweetener. What I have found works best is to put the sugar right into the milk before pouring it into the food processor. It helps add even more body to the milk, and it gently sweetens the coffee without being too over-powering.
Music
No date night is complete without a proper musical selection. I really enjoyed the French Cafe Lounge playlist on Spotify. Joseph and I listened to it while we made dinner, which lead to much more dancing than cooking (which, I have to admit, was really the goal all along).
Activity
Well, this would be cooking, of course! You have it easy tonight. Get in the kitchen together to make all of your dishes. The dessert is “build-your-own” style, so it is even more fun for everyone to get their aprons on and spend time in the kitchen together.
If this seems too simple, I recommend adding in a little extra dancing with your significant other. It’s incredible how just a little music can completely change the ambiance in the room. With the music playing in the background and each of us gazing into each other’s eyes, the kitchen turned into a delightful little café on the streets of Paris in moments.
Food
This is the fun part.
For dinner, the choice was obvious: Ratatouille. I am currently on a low-FODMAP diet, so I used the recipe from Wholesome Yum for inspiration, but tweaked the ingredients slightly to fit my diet. If you are free from any low-FODMAP restraints, feel free to head over to the Wholesome Yum website to follow that recipe. Otherwise, look below for my little notes and edits.
Low-FODMAP Ratatouille
Makes: 2 generous servings, or 4 to 6 smaller side dish-sized servings
Ingredients:
For the sauce:
1 14.5oz can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, drained
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp Herbs de Provence (see Notes)
2 tbsp fresh basil
1/4 tsp sea salt, or to taste
For the vegetables:
3 medium roma tomatoes, sliced
2 medium (about 12oz) zucchini, sliced
1 small (about 1 pound) eggplant, sliced (see Notes)
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Combine all the sauce ingredients in the bowl of a blender or food processor. Puree until smooth. Add salt and pepper, to taste.
Spread the sauce in a thin layer in a 1.5-quart round or oval casserole dish.
Arrange tomatoes, zucchini and eggplant in a spiral, alternating them. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and the sauce is bubbly at the edges.
Notes:
Herbs de Provence is a blend of thyme, basil, rosemary, tarragon, savory, marjoram, oregano, and bay leaf. We did not currently have this in our cupboard, but what we did have was Italian seasoning, which is a blend of basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, sage, and coriander (if you are on a low-FODMAP diet, check your Italian seasoning blend closely – some like to sneak in a little garlic). So, we used Italian seasoning and marjoram, and it turned out fine.
Eggplants tend to be much bigger than zucchini and tomatoes, so you may need to cut your slices into halves or quarters to make them similar in size. My eggplant was rather small, so I was able to leave my slices whole.
For a little extra protein, we ate some shrimp with our ratatouille, but truly, the ratatouille was our main dish.
We paused the movie halfway through to eat dessert. I chose to do crepes. I also considered making macarons, but they are rather finicky to make. So, I decided to do something a little easier and more interactive for anyone who is not the main baker.
It may surprise you, but most crepe recipes are a little heavy in the carbs. Because they are so thin, I thought they would be healthier than pancakes, but no such luck occurred. So, I searched for a healthy crepe recipe and fell in love with the one posted on A Sweet Pea Chef. It is tasty and light, which is exactly what everyone wants their crepe to be.
Feel free to head over to A Sweet Pea Chef for the original recipe, or look below for a low-FODMAP version with my personal notes.
Low-FODMAP Crepes
Makes: 2 to 4 servings
Ingredients:
2 large eggs
1/2 cup milk of choice (I like to use unsweetened almond milk)
1/4 cup water
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp 100% pure maple syrup (not pancake syrup)
1/4 cup gluten-free flour blend (I used King Arthur Flour’s all-purpose gluten-free flour blend)
fillings and/or toppings of choice (see Notes)
Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all the ingredients.
Heat a small skillet over medium-high heat and lightly grease with cooking spray.
Ladle about 1/4-cup of the batter into the skillet and gently rotate the pan to spread it evenly over the base of the skillet (the thickness should be similar to that of a tortilla).
Cook on low to medium heat, flipping as needed until cooked (see Notes).
Place the cooked crepe on a plate, add your favorite fillings, and fold or roll up. Add toppings of choice.
Notes:
There are so many delicious ways to fill and top crepes. I chose a traditional French version – I folded my crepes and then squeezed lemon juice on top and sprinkled them with powdered sugar. Joseph went for the more American version, with chocolate chips, powdered sugar and peanut butter. Other delicious filling and topping ideas include fresh fruit (such as berries or banana slices), Nutella, or whipped cream. Feel free to get creative with whatever you have in your pantry!
I always find that when I am making crepes, the first few are a disaster. When I was making these, I tried to flip them as little as possible. I waited until the last possible second, when it was starting to get rather brown, and then flipped the crepe, and they turned out perfectly. The crepes I flipped sooner were under-done in the middle and fell apart. It may take a few tries to get yours just right, but don’t worry! Ugly crepes are still delicious crepes.
Movie
At the end of your date, or just after dinner to strengthen your appetite for dessert, snuggle up on the couch and turn on the cartoon favorite, Ratatouille. It’s a fun way to end your French-themed day, and the movie is surprisingly moving at any age.
