Another Yummy Saturday Night + A Sleepover!

2016-09-10chickenalredosquash

Chicken Alfredo in Spaghetti Squash Boats

We have had another delectable Saturday night. The healthy Chicken Alfredo made with Greek yogurt instead of cream and served in a half of a spaghetti squash was just delectable. We also had a Greek Salad mixed with spiralized cucumbers, and one of our favorite dishes, a warm Kale salad with pine nuts and feta. We cooked with a glass of well chilled chardonnay at hand and oldies playing and we laughed and talked and had a wonderful time. Dinner was SO good, we eat like Queens on Saturday night, and always double the recipes so we have leftovers to have through the week. And this week was extra special.

Last week Tropical Storm Hermine blew through and Noni spent 2 nights here with me. On those nights we got into watching the wonderful Netflix series which I had seen but Noni never had, “Grace and Frankie,” and we laughed our way through the tropical storm and the aftermath and Sunday evening while she was waiting for a ride we watched more “Grace and Frankie” and we are HOOKED! Binge watching this show is the way to go! I did it the first time I watched it and we are doing it now. So last night after our dinner we decided Noni would spend the night and she brought her jammies and I put mine on after getting the dogs out and we curled up and watched several episodes until after 12:30 a.m. We had such a ball and laughed so much it was the best time ever.

Noni had to be at work at 1 today so we had the morning to have coffee and visit and have a little breakfast and it was a nice leisurely morning. Coffee tastes so much better when you have a friend to share it with! And she will be coming by after she gets off work at 4 so we can divide up our leftovers and package hers up to take home. This was truly the best of all worlds. Friendship, cooking, a marvelous dinner, and a fun night of laughing and watching “our show.”

I think of all of the Saturday nights I have spent alone and so lonely and now we have the most wonderful times together. And I wonder how many sweet souls are sitting home alone and lonely when they might have someone they could invite to cook with them. Usually we watch a movie after dinner and then Noni goes home but binge watching our show means it is really late, too late for her to drive, and I have a little guest room she can use. And the thing is, I have known Noni for over 20 years but we never became really close friends until we started cooking together. You might have an acquaintance that you know from church or some other venue that would make a perfect cooking buddy and you can get to know them and form a lovely friendship as your cooking times grow along.

It is a fun activity all week because after the weekend is over we have leftovers to enjoy, and then we start hunting for recipes for the next weekend. By Friday we either get together in person or over the phone and go through the recipes and divvy up what we need. One or the other of us will already have lots of ingredients, for example I have olive oil and seasonings, minced garlic and maybe other standard items, and Noni will have a number of things and then we divide up what needs to be purchased, we each make our shopping lists and by Saturday I shop for what I need and Noni gets her things together and then it’s Saturday and time to cook again. The sweet experience of cooking together infuses and gives a framework to the whole week. It makes me less lonely through the week too as I hunt for recipes and talk to Noni and plan and prepare.

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 So another Saturday has come and gone but the friendship lingers and fills the days. Noni will be off work and here soon to divvy up our leftovers and we will begin to prepare for next week. It will be here before we know it. What a blessing and a joy it is. May these special nights continue on forever!

MaitriSz4.4.16.09

Comments

  1. yay for a girlfriend infusion/dinner helpmeet, on a regular basis. You two got it going!
    is noni a single woman as well? just curious. i feel your energy just filling up and spilling over with gladness. this is such a beautiful testament to friendship.

    xo
    ka

    • Hi Ka,

      Noni is separated from her husband for a long time, they don’t live together but haven’t divorced. And yes this is a beautiful friendship and joyous indeed! 🙂

      Love you honey,

      Maitri

  2. Kathy Charniak says

    You sound so happy.Glad you have a nice friend. A good friend really is a blessing. I got a little yorkie mix from a rescue. Her name is Hope.I think she is over 5 yrs old. Im trying to potty train her. She is such a sweetie.she doing pretty good. Someone abandoned her at the groomer. PS love Frankie & Grace

    • Thank you Kathy, and yes, I am feeling happy, I’ve had a wonderful weekend with Noni and it really is a blessing having a dear friend.

      Your Hope sounds just adorable. I hope you find great joy and happiness with her. I can’t believe someone abandoned her at the groomer! And isn’t Grace and Frankie wonderful? We binge watched both seasons over 2 weekends and now are sad there aren’t any more until Season 3 comes out!

      Take care and enjoy your new little friend…

      Maitri

  3. Such a perfect tribute to the power of friendship and sharing. And as you write, often you don’t know where or how that you may happen on those connections, whether you’ve known them a long time (or not). But it’s also true that sharing meals and fellowship (and taking the step to invite someone, or a group) is the way to make the connection happen.

    I’ve found being brave enough to invite a potential new friend to coffee, lunch, or a drink — has been a powerful way to create new connections in a relatively new place (and definitely, there’s no point in waiting to be invited, even as a basically reserved person!)

    • Thank you Lisa honey, and yes, you’ve no idea where the connections may come from or how but they are a blessing however they come. And I am so glad that you are making friends in Asheville too. Even though you have your husband you still need friends. Good for you! Here’s to making connections and finding the joy in them! 🙂

      Hugs,

      Maitri

  4. Terri Myszka says

    Maitri, you and Noni may enjoy the series Call the Midwife on Netflix, I loved it. It’s not a Frankie and Grace ( I love that series also) but a completely different genre set in the 50’s London, and it has comedy, drama, love….great series!

    • Hi Terri!

      I have seen one of the Call The Midwife episodes and didn’t care for it a lot but my daughter is wild about it so I guess I should give it another try! 😀 I typically love British series. One of the things we’ve both seen but want to watch again is Rosemary and Thyme, have you ever seen that show?

      I hope you are doing well. You are always in my thoughts and prayers.

      Love,

      Maitri

  5. Begging you here to publish recipes or links to recipes. I’m so tired of my chicken curry stew although guests adore it, I’m in a cooking slump! Mouth watering over here. Friend on couch!

    • Hey honey I always put the recipes on Facebook! If there is a specific one you want let me know and I will email it to you! I will include the links from now on! Hope you are well! 😀

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