Thirteen years

It doesn’t seem possible that it was thirteen years ago today that DP and I stood up in front of our friends and family to make it all official. I knew full well when I said “I do” that not only was I agreeing to love, honor, and cherish, but also to the prospect of a life less ordinary. But even so, I don’t think I could have envisioned where I find myself today. Five (very) long-distance moves, one degree, seven jobs (combined), two continents, and one unimaginably life-changing sprog later, here we are, ten thousand miles from where we started, and it’s still interesting. Sometimes, it’s been of the “May you live in interesting times” variety, but I’m lucky enough to have my best friend along for the ride.

Anniversary dinner
Getting a babysitter turned out to be a non-starter, so we’ve opted for the “at-home date”: dinner for two, after Miss B’s bedtime, complete with some grownup conversation, and probably followed by the next head-busting installment of Lost (Season 4) on DVD. And no computer for you-know-who (hence the early post and no pictures of dinner). A quality evening for an old married couple.

Sauteed chicken with bacon and white wine
Adapted from Nigella Express

We usually eat dinner at 6:30, so I’m sure we’ll both be starving by the time this is ready—part of the reason I chose something that sounds quick and delicious. Plus it includes bacon, and if thirteen years of marriage have taught me anything, it’s that DP will eat pretty much anything if it has bacon in it.

2 strips bacon
2 chicken breasts
A few splashes of dry white wine
1 clove garlic

Chop bacon into small pieces and cook until crispy; remove from pan and drain on paper towels. Meanwhile, pound the chicken breasts flat, to a thickness of about ½ inch/1 cm. Drain off some of the bacon fat if there’s an excessive amount.

Saute the chicken in the bacon fat, cooking 2-3 minutes on each side, turning once. Remove the chicken to a warm plate when cooked through. Add the white wine; as it bubbles, scrape the bottom of the pan to get up any good stuff. Add the garlic, the bacon, and any juices from the chicken. Plate the chicken, pour the sauce over, and serve immediately.

Serves 2.