Friday Night Dinners - Three Weeks In

Three weeks into our Friday Night Dinners Initiative, I'm calling it a success. We started with a proper friday night for the first one and we've been compromising ever since for friends, like us, with kids or for those who live further away. So while they aren't technically fridays, I'm sticking to the premise of Bonnie Stern's book and keeping the meals very simple.

It's amazing how after a few days of cooking for people - all the stress of hosting just melts away. I still have a little hesitation about when to start cooking and how long after arrival of guests the meal should be served and how often to offer drinks or what to have on hand to offer but I'm getting a lot more comfortable.

I want to get to the point where it's absolutely effortless. I want people who come to my house to feel totally comfortable, enjoy a great meal, and want to come back. Having a house full of people is really good for Petra too, she's so vibrant and excited when other people, children especially, are around. Friday night dinners are becoming something that we really love and can build family tradition around.