Don't Burn it Down on Your Way Out
I just wanted to pop into your inboxes one last time before we bid the disappointment that was 2021 goodbye. There are no recipes in this little tidbit because when I started this rambling page of words and bites it was never just about the food. It has always been about bringing a feeling to the dining room table. Shared Plates was created on the basis of recreating that dinner with friends warmth and one of my favorite warm and fuzzies is the satisfaction of a night spent in beautiful conversation.
Aaron and I went out for a Negroni (my favorite drink) the other night and we sat on a perfect patio, next to a raging bonfire and we discussed some of the best things from our year, some of the most inspiring things and some things that were unexpected. It was a simple reflection that reminded us of what it’s like to be a human and why that experience or bite of food or piece of advice added so much value to our lives. I’ve compiled a short but heartfelt list of questions that I hope you can bring to a dinner table or zoom with friends, your pod or someone new. Reflect on where you started and how far you’ve come, it’s refreshing. It may even inspire you to go a little further. You don’t need to share your answers with me, though I love reading the responses I receive after each newsletter. I have shared my answers at the very bottom because I am and will always verge on being an over-sharer. As always - cheers to good food and onward and upward in 2022!
What is the most successful thing you nurtured this year?
What is the best advice you received?
What is the best impromptu experience you had?
What is the most memorable thing you ate?
What is the most memorable thing you drank?
What is the best thing you read?
What is the best thing you listened to?
What is the most satisfying nagging task you tackled?
What is the best Covid pivot that you will continue long after Covid?
What one thing do you think everyone would be better off if they did? Stopped doing?
What is the most important thing you’ve been searching for but haven’t yet found?
My Answers
What is the most successful thing you nurtured this year? - My ability to parent and be a partner What is the best advice you received? -You may not like where you live but you don't need to burn it down on your way out What is the best impromptu experience you had? - Dinner at Rose Mary (thank you Joe Flamm, Aiden Dillon, Leigh Ervine, Brian Motyka and Renee Martinez you all filled my soul back to the top) What is the most memorable thing you ate? - Rush Creek Reserve over an open fire What is the most memorable thing you drank? - My Negroni at Rose Mary What is the best thing you read? - Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark Sullivan What is the best thing you listened to? - Small Things Often What is the most satisfying nagging task you tackled? - Getting a full time job What is the best Covid pivot that you will continue long after Covid? - Knowing a vacation doesn't have to be a plane ride away What one thing do you think everyone would be better off if they did? Stopped doing? - Respected their fellow man - Watching so much news What is the most important thing you’ve been searching for but haven’t yet found? - My forever home