A Little Dinner Date

One of my favorite things about seeing someone new, other than false expectations, is having them over for dinner. When you live in a small apartment, there's a lot to consider. I personally believe that every move you make is likely being judged, so keep that in mind. Whenever a guy invites me over for dinner, a part of me fears he'll try to pass off pasta and Ragu as cooking, so I try to go above and beyond to quell any apprehensions. I made this bastardized French dish in a Crock Pot to seem less pretentious. The trick to romantic cooking, like cleaning, is making it seem effortless.

Dinner Date Do's:

*Make a playlist, otherwise you run the risk of that Garth Brooks song you keep on your iPod ironically, coming up on shuffle.

*Set the table and use a tablecloth if you've got one.

*Remove all incriminating/embarrassing medications and ointments from your medicine cabinet, you never know who likes to snoop...

*Scoop the litter box.

*Wash the last boy off your sheets and have plenty of fresh linens on hand.

*Have scented candles, because your house will probably smell like wine and garlic.

Crock au Vin 

You will need the following: 

3 chicken breasts

3 slices of bacon 

1/4-1/2 lb fresh mushrooms

1 carrot (sliced thin)

1 yellow onion (quartered)

2-3 cloves garlic

3/4 c red wine

1 c beef stock

fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

salt & pepper

Step 1: Tenderize and flour chicken cutlets. Cook bacon in a skillet. Set aside and discard fat.

*I use butcher's bacon, it tastes better. 

Step 2: Brown chicken on all sides (about three minutes). Remove chicken and set aside. Sautee onions, carrots and mushrooms in butter for about three minutes.

Step 3: Line crock with veggies, garlic, bay leaf and chopped bacon. Top with chicken. Pour wine and stock over chicken and garnish with fresh thyme. Salt and pepper to taste. Cover and let simmer on high 3-4 hours. Add additional fresh thyme ten minutes prior to serving.

I won't tell you about how rest of the date went, but dinner was a success. For dessert I made my signature apple pie, it made for a great breakfast too.