Take a Break From The Winter Blues......Have a Small Dinner Party!

Honestly, for me, winter has drug on endlessly!  I have tried to keep my focus on getting the inside of my house cleaned and organized so that when the weather breaks.......watch out world.....here I come!  I don't care if February is the shortest month of the year, it surely seems like the longest!  I am determined to find ways to enjoy life until spring hits!

While the snow is still piled up outside my door, I decided that this was the perfect time to have a small dinner get together.  My sister in law and her husband are going to garden with us this year and this is the perfect opportunity to have dinner,  sit around the table and make plans for our summer garden.  While you may not want to throw a gardening seed party like me, having a few neighbors over for dinner is a good way to keep open communication especially if you are all parents with school age kids.  It helps the kids to maintain friendships and meet those new to the neighborhood.

Dinner plans can mean something as simple as a pot of soup and in my case, salmon, mashed potatoes, and grilled asparagus are on the menu.  Dinner with some neighbors may include board games or card games. If there are neighborhood kids involved, be sure to have some activities to keep them busy.  

Keeping your menu and entertainment simple and themed will make it more inviting for your guests to return the favor!  Take a little time to invite someone to dinner this month.  It will be a great way to make the time pass until we can all crawl out of our burrows!

I have included my recipe for my salmon glaze below!

Enjoy!

Julie Atkins

Salmon Glaze

8 Tbsp Soy Sauce (I use low sodium)

2 Tbsp Chili paste (less if you want to put out some of the heat)

3 cloves minced garlic

2 Tbsp toasted sesame oil

1 tsp grated ginger (optional)

Mix in small bowl and pour over salmon.  Sprinkle with black sesame seeds and diced green onion if desired.  Bake salmon according to directions.