The day after Kendrick and I got engaged, we drove back to my house in Los Angeles and sat in my backyard with a Brides magazine, cooking burgers and staring at the ring on my left hand and drinking sparkly drinks and just generally wondering at our new reality. And at one point, I remember, Kendrick looked at me and said, “Can every day really be like this?”
And I knew exactly what he meant. It wasn’t about the burgers or the California sun or even about our engagement; it was about the fact that it was nothing more than a Monday afternoon, but it felt like a celebration. Not of our engagement; of us. Of our life.
Ever since that day – and I think about it all the time – I’ve tried to consciously look for ways to incorporate those mini-celebrations into even the most ordinary of days. Take the afternoon off to go see a matinee, or drizzle chocolate balsamic on some strawberries, or drink a glass of prosecco with dessert. Just because.
What you see in these photos is a pretty good example of how I try to operate when it comes to our evenings: keeping things simple, but adding little upgrades wherever I can. The Ecco Domani wines pictured here, for example, aren’t about being fancy; they’re about taking a second to recognize that a day doesn’t have to be extraordinary to be special.
Course 1: Kendrick’s Favorite Deviled Eggs, with a little twist: I marinated them in Ecco Domani Merlot for about an hour. It sounds super weird, I’m aware, but the flavor of the red wine blends really nicely with the citrusy yolk mixture (click here for the recipe). I think it would make such a cool hors d’oeuvre for a party.
Wine Pairing: Ecco Domani Merlot, with cherry and blackberry flavors (especially good with tomato-based pasta dishes and poultry).
Course 2: Perfect-est Roast Chicken with White Balsamic-Glazed Asparagus. The chicken is seriously unscrewupable and you have to make it. To make the asparagus, just cut off the tough ends, drizzle with some lemon olive oil and a little white balsamic vinegar, sprinkle on some sea salt, and roast at 400 for a few minutes.
Wine Pairing: Ecco Domani Pinot Grigio, with tropical fruit flavors that work perfectly with chicken and fish.
Course 3: And finally, just because they’re delicious and super-simple: sorbet cups. They’re SO easy (I promise; we’re talking like thirty seconds apiece), and adding a glass of prosecco is such a lovely way to upgrade a weeknight dinner. (Recipe coming up.)
Wine Pairing: Ecco Domani Prosecco, a vibrant, crisp prosecco with a screw-on cap (THANK YOU) that keeps it fresh longer.
In case you missed it, don’t forget to check out the (pretty spectacular) giveaway I’m doing with Ecco Domani this week, full of beautiful ways to upgrade a night at home with some good food and wine.
This post was created in collaboration with Ecco Domani.
