A Date Night Etiquette Guide: What's Acceptable?

There it is, that gut-wrenching moment when he checks his phone, not once, not twice, but three times, and then lingers on it, completely uninterested in the dolled-up girl sitting across the table from him. I watched this happen recently when I out to dinner with Logan. We sat, enjoying each other and a glass of wine, when he discreetly pointed over my shoulder and said, "I feel bad for that girl over there. He's not even paying attention to her." A quick glance revealed a young man on his cell phone, while the girl he was dining with poked at her food with her fork, not eating. That man sat on his phone through their entire meal. Ahead of me, the same instance with another couple, but with both of them playing on their phones the entire time. Logan said to me, "Why bother taking her out if you're not going to enjoy her company?" When we go out, we make the best of it! I don't have the luxury of a babysitter just lying around, awaiting my beck and call. I thought on this, and realized Logan made a fine point. But not simply why bother?, but more importantly, why be so unkind? Why make it so blatantly obvious you are not interested as to leave a girl sitting in silence, feeling self-conscious? I decided it was time to get back to basics, and go over some rules for date night. Whether you're on a first date or your twentieth, these rules will make your time and money worthwhile, as well as improve your relationship. Leave The Electronics Behind We are in quite the electronic age. We depend on our phones and tablets daily, whether it be a reminder to remove the casserole from the oven or for managing your own business. This is entirely understandable. But when on a date, turn them to vibrate and don't answer unless it is absolutely important. Be willing to sacrifice an hour or so of your time, otherwise the date is wasted. Show Some Manners There is nothing more unattractive than a date without basic manners. Place your napkin in your lap, don't eat like a glutton, and don't drink yourself into a giggly mess. Honestly, ladies, don't do this, especially on a first date. Showing you can hold your liquor in public is hardly attractive. Don't swear every other word. Be kind to your server. Express your pleases and thank yous. If your order is incorrect in anyway, be kind in your approach to the staff. Unless you're at an art gallery, or something akin to this, don't let your eyes wander around the aimlessly. Focus your attention on your guest. Ask him/her questions, more so if it's a first date, and make an effort to connect and get to know each other. This, after all, is the point of a date. What To Order On A Dinner Date This can easily leave you wondering, certainly not wanting to appear rude for salivating over that succulent picture of lobster displayed before you. I have the benefit that Logan will come right out and tell me how much he has budgeted for a meal. Depending, he'll tell me "Let's try to keep it around $10-$15 a plate" or "If you want the lobster, go ahead." No problem! Lobster it is! But not all dates are quite this forthright. I personally wouldn't be so forthright as to ask what your spending limit is, because this can put the payer of the bill in an awkward position. If they have not come out and told you to order whatever you like, then a good rule of thumb is to ask what they are having. If they say they're having a burger, you know to order something a little less expensive. If they are going for steak and potatoes, consider it the median price range. If they want the whole shebang, steak and lobster and cocktails, go ahead and indulge along with him/her. But be sure to keep those cocktails to a minimum. Who Pays The Bill This can often be an awkward moment of contention on a date. Whether you're at dinner, headed to a movie, or going somewhere else, you never want to be caught by surprise. My rule of thumb has always been whoever asked should pay. If he has asked, but left it a little unclear, don't hesitate to be upfront about it. "Should I plan to purchase my own ticket?" This is discreet and inoffensive. If the lady has asked, but come time to pay the bill, he offers, let him. He is trying to be gentlemanly, and refusing to let him will only be a shot at his pride. Simply say thank you. The End Date What happens at this point is purely between you and your date. But just a little advice, if this is a first date that has not gone as well as you would have hoped, continue to be kind. Walk the lady to her door, thank her for her company, and say goodnight. That's it. If it went great, great! But have a little respect for one another. If they want to invite you inside, they will. If they don't, don't invite yourself. That is about as unattractive as proving you can hold her liquor, only to learn you cannot. Again, thank her for her company and, if you want, ask if you can see her again. If you're on your twentieth date and the babysitter is waiting, head on in and enjoy the fact that the house is quiet and you didn't have to put the kids to bed! XO, Steph Image courtesy of Stef Lewandowski Editing by NewlyMynted Graphic design by NewlyMynted

Cooking tip: DIY disposable grease traps

When it comes to being a mom blogger who cooks, I'm the first to admit I'm no Pioneer Woman. I can make a mean batch of mustard greens, but I'm still an easy-recipe, no mess no fuss kind of cook. I do, however, have a few tricks up my ... apron sleeve? No, I don't own an apron. Oven mit! Yes. I have a few tricks up my oven mitts. One of them is disposable grease traps. I've tried many techniques for draining grease from beef and other meats, but this method is hands down the most practical and clean. Logan caught onto me doing this and now does it himself. 

When you drain your meat, line a cereal bowl with aluminum foil. Drain into the bowl. Let it set on the counter or in the fridge until it solidifies, then wrap it up and toss it out. Easy as that! 

This is something I've been doing for years now and it's full proof. My sink doesn't get greasy and I don't risk clogging my drains.

Happy cooking!

Steph

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Easy Southern Style Bacon Mustard Greens

Little by little I am learning the vast differences between city life and southern life. It seems greens are a staple food here in the south. I can't recall ever having had them in my life until recently. They are one of Logan's favorite foods.

I found myself scratching my head for a moment there, because I tried to make collard greens once and they were very tough, hardly chewable. For this, I went to his mother, a woman who grew up in a vegetable garden. She instructed me on the importance of the prep work involved in cooking mustard greens or collard greens just right. I quickly discovered I prefer mustard greens to collards because they have a spice to them, a flavor I enjoy. From there it was a matter of making the recipe my own. I know enough about cooking to know it's a matter of the palette and combining foods and spices that complement each other. And boy did it work! To quote Logan, "Don't ever tell my mother this, but I think yours are better." Even Regina thought so. She has now appointed me the mustard greens maker. What a compliment! Here is the Super Simple Bacon Mustard Greens Recipe (with nutritional info). Because I am a firm believer that everything is better with bacon.

Serves: 2
Prep: About 1 hr
Cook time: 40 min

Ingredients:
1 bundle (6-7 cups leaves) mustard greens (DO NOT buy the chopped pre-packaged bags of mustard or collard greens. Ever.)
10 slices bacon, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 mushrooms, diced

Prep Work:
Prepping your greens is the most important thing to getting them to cook just right. When you don't prep them properly, this is when they become tough and gritty to eat.

Fill your sink with cold water. Place your mustard greens in the sink and begin de-veining them. De-vein each leaf by pulling the leaves off of the center stem. The stem is what causes the toughness when you bite it, so remove it. This is also why I say not to buy the pre-packaged greens. They come chopped, so you have to de-vein each teeny tiny chopped leaf. Discard each stem and store your leaves in a large bowl.

Notice your sink water is most likely now brown and contains a lot of dirt. Drain it and refill it with cold water. Add the leaves back to the sink and agitate consistently for 2-3 minutes. Remove leaves and drain dirty water. Repeat this process until your sink water remains clear. It took me about three washing's. Mustard greens have very curly leaves which cause a lot of dirt to embed in them.

Now on to my award-winning recipe!

Cooking:
Saute bacon, garlic and mushrooms together in a large stock pot; drain any grease from the bacon. Fill pot with 1" of water and bring to a rapid boil. Return bacon to the pot, along with the greens. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 30 minutes. The greens will shrink down considerably.

Serves two as a main dish (Logan loves it all on its own) or four as a side dish with some stuffed pork chops.

I've also included the nutritional info for this recipe. As you can see, it is high in protein and low in calories. A great good-for-you meal!

Let me know in the comments below if you try this recipe. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

XO,
Steph

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