Non-Resolution #1

I have found that resolutions for a new year are, for the most part, a load of bunk. Few people actually stick to them, most make the same list year after year, and virtually nobody I know makes a resolution that looks beyond the next 12 months. That makes us all a bunch of quitters, and I don't like to quit stuff. So...

This year we decided to change things up a bit...up the ante, if you will. In stead of a "New Year's Resolution", we have decided to make a commitment to each other that we want to carry our for the rest of our lives. We find that we get so lost in the day-to-day stuff and looking to the next time I travel or when we will have company that we forget to enjoy all the moments in between. And to make matters worse, we try so hard to be financially conservative that the occasional "date night" is even skipped because we would rather allocate that money to something else. And who wants to drop that much coin to eat a meal that you could cook just as well! Although, I do love that somebody else will do the dishes!

Here is the commitment we have made to each other for the rest of our lives (I know, we should have put this in our wedding vows!):

Once a month, we will have a dressed-up, jazz music playing, new food trying, three-course meal, at home, in the dining room, on the fancy dishes, with a nice bottle of wine (read: more than $10), no hockey, no TV, no iPhones, just us and a little Miles Davis.

The only rules are stated in the commitment. So, January 15 will be our first of many many new date nights. Here's the menu:

Appetizer:
Three Onion Chowder with Parsleyed Oyster Crackers

Main Course:
Steak Pinwheels with Basil Pesto, Sundried tomatoes and Black Olives
Potato Gratin with mushrooms and Gruyere

Desert:
Apple Tort with Breadcrumb-Hazelnut crust

Yep, I know, WAY too much food. But it's date night and hence the cheat night. No comments are allowed on caloric intake, fat grams, carbs, or any other non-positive "you shouldn't do that" type feedback. All other comments are welcomed!

Cheers!