Dinner out, or dinner in? What does your nesting routine include when it comes to meals? Lunch meetings for work cause me to prefer dining at home for dinner most of the time. That said, I do enjoy going out for dinner from time to time.
Dinner in is nice because I enjoy quiet conversation that is not competing with music, kitchen clatter, and the conversations of others. At home, no music, or quiet music is the dinner backdrop. We’ve made the food, so kitchen noises are not an issue. And only people invited to dinner are a part of the conversation, so no extra human voices are filling our air.
Dinner in provides foods that we are in control of preparing. Portion management is easier at home. Any leftovers are easily packaged for later enjoyment. And, when an ingredient runs out, I immediately add it to the running grocery list.
Dinner out is a wonderful respite from making dinner at home. Choices abound in nearly every city. Options for carnivores, omnivores, vegans, vegetarians, allergen-conscious, and gluten-free eaters, can be found more readily these days too. Two friends search restaurant websites in advance of choosing a place to eat in order to discover which menus and menu items will work best for them.
Dinner out often results in enough food that I can bring home leftovers that become another day’s lunch. In fact, one day at lunch I realized that the portion served was really three meals for me: lunch at the restaurant and two dinners at home.
Dinner out provides menu items that I do not have the ingredients to prepare at home. This variety brings delight, and occasional disappointment. Nonetheless, having someone else prepare a meal and perform all of the clean-up duties is a nice treat. Our family dinner out meal-rating system is: did you like it? Would you order it again?
Meals are a part of every nesting experience. Choose your meals to serve and support your nesting desires. Choose (or loose) the leftovers from your meals as a part of your nesting habits too. Whether you eat dinner in or opt to eat dinner out, you are nesting.
Nesting: is a blog about the objects and experiences that create a sense of home. Without home, it is difficult to maintain health, find joy, or to be productive during our workdays. Enjoy the Nesting series of blogs as you search for your deep sense of home. –Jana
Jana Kemp
