The MEvening

The "MEvening" is an essential part of being a great hostess.  The MEvening is all about shamelessly taking time to treat yourself well and to be alone.

Ways to use "MEvening" in a sentence:

"I'm sorry, (insert name of friend who just invited you to a party tonight), but I think I'm going to have a MEvening."

"What a long day!  I think I'm going to have a MEvening."

What you'll need:

The house to yourself.

Ingredients for a decadent, yet simple dinner for one.

An entire bottle of wine.

Dramatic lighting.

Comfy, yet stylish pajamas.

A good (or good bad) movie or television show to watch.

The house in tip-top shape, including your bed made.

Step One: Change into pajamas.

I like to wear my American Apparel black yoga pants.  People often mistake these sweatpants to be actual pants - they kind of look like skinny jeans.  Pair with a really soft t-shirt and cute cardigan (weather permitting).  

Step Two: Create dramatic lighting.

Wherever I've lived, I've NEVER used the overhead lighting.  I light my home by way of lamps, candles (plain white, never stinky), the oven light, white christmas lights (mine are currently stuffed into a vintage gumball machine) and my neon open sign.   

Step Three: Open bottle of wine.

For us semi-unemployed arts administrators living in Williamsburg, Trader Joe's Wine Shop in Union Square is a hop and a skip on the L train and ... well ... dirt cheap.  Please do not feel the need to finish the entire bottle, I often don't - but who's judging if you do?  It's the luxury of knowing that you COULD.  (Stay tuned for a post on "Little Luxuries").

Step Four: Cook dinner.

I just walked in from the Union Square Green Market (and Whole Foods - shhh) and here's what I'm preparing for dinner tonight (it's not a MEvening, technically, but it could be) : 

Yukon gold potato salad w/ a dressing of olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, grainy mustard and tarragon (s&p to taste).  

Spinach salad w/ babybellas, cherry tomatoes, white onions and avocado (on sale at Whole Paycheck) w/ a balsamic and rosemary vinaigrette

A sourdough baguette from the green market w/ a creamy reggiano that the woman gave to me for $5 even though the chunk really cost $6.50, because I had asked for a $5 piece (note: every classy woman is a good hustler).  

But here's my classic MEvening meal - it's simple and sophisticated:

Half a bag of whole wheat pasta (that's right, I said half the bag - indulge!)

Half a jar of Newman's Own tomato and basil pasta sauce "doctored" with onions, garlic and fresh spinach. (A side bar on Newman's Own - I love this brand.  Especially the Fig Newmans [which are way better than the classic fig newtons].  I had a craving for them last night and purchased a package - it ran me $6.  That, my friends, is what we call a rip-off.  anyway...)

1/2" round of goat cheese.

Assemble in large bowl.  Crack lots of fresh pepper over the whole thing.  

Step Five: Consume.

Curl up on the couch with your big bowl of pasta (or whatever else you whipped up) and watch your good (or good bad) movie or television show.  If you have a sweet tooth and require dessert, try sorbet - it's cold, its sugary and it's low in fat!

Step Six: Bedtime.

You're going to bed at a decent hour and that's an order!  Wash the dishes, wipe the counters, wash your face and brush your teeth.  Crawl into bed with a book.  Fall asleep after one page.

MEVening complete.  

Additional notes on the MEvening:

A MEvening for two is a WEvening. Double the recipe, make your friend bring the wine, lend them pajamas.

The MEvening can also be transferred to a MOIning (for your solo brunches) and a SELFternoon (for your solo afternoon outings to a museum or Bergdorf (more on that in "Little Luxuries").