It seems like both forever and no time at all since B and I first met. We live pretty close to each other (extremely close, actually, but that’s a story for another day!) so for the past 12 months we’ve been, as we like to say, “power dating.” And it’s been quite a year! He’s met my family, and I’ve met some of his. We’ve gone on road trips and hosted brunch. He was there when I killed my first (and only) animal, and when I almost died. It’s been a good year.
Yesterday, to celebrate our anniversary, we started our day with breakfast at the diner, just as we did for our second date last year. (B was still a “blog secret” back then, so none of that was documented here.)
Then we took a little trip to the outer boroughs, a beginning to a new adventure (wink wink).
Back home, a honecrisp to munch on while watching an episode of The Sopranos… I love Sundays.
Lots ‘o veggies for lunch! Spinach, avocado, carrots, sauerkraut, black beans, olives, tahini-dressed chickpeas.
And a big, chewy, Bavarian pretzel from Silver Moon for my doughy fix. (I’ve been craving bread so much lately! I blame it on my grandparents, whom I inherited the “baguette gene” from.)
I went to the gym, where I discovered that the cardio machines now have TV on demand! The sound wasn’t working, but I still flipped through a few shows. It kept me on the CrossRamp longer than usual, too.
For a special dinner out, we went to Mana, a farm to table restaurant in the neighborhood. I walk by it all the time and have literally been meaning to go there for 15 years… better late than never!
The inside is rustic and charming, with bright walls, dark wood, and a terra cotta roof. It was packed! We were lucky to get a table.
We shared a couple appetizers to start. The shiitake mushroom with tofu and tempura were quite good, although I could have done with a little less batter.
The steamed vegetable dumplings were also good, and satisfied my craving for “comfort food.”
For his entrée, B ordered the roasted sole fish tacos with pea shoots, slaw and tomatillo sauce.
I had the tempeh temptation: stir fried tempeh, shitake, bok choy, cous cous pilaf, carrot & beet salad. It was quite good… something I would have made for myself at home. I was pretty full from the appetizers, though, so I ended up taking most of it home.
There’s always room for dessert! Our server told us the chef had just finished the cake of the day, a black and white spelt cake with almond cream. It was moist, with an almost pudding-like frosting that tasted quite a bit like like this chocolate mousse!
For a nightcap, we had a glass of wine and watched The Sopranos again. We’ve been watching the series since the summer, and are on the last season now! It’s such a good show.
It was a wonderful day, and a lovely way to celebrate a great year and the many more to come.
How long have you been with your significant other? Do you celebrate anniversaries?
