May 4th - Scampi

I’m going to be completely honest with you all… When I started making dinner, I was not happy. I was actually really annoyed.

Someone (okay, fine, I’ll name drop, it was my boyfriend) had promised me takeout tonight from my favorite Italian restaurant here in Denver. I was so excited when he brought up the idea I cried. (I’ll admit, there were a lot of other factors at play… It’s been a really tough last 4 days.) And then someone (okay, fine, still my boyfriend) decided to go downstairs and start working out at 6:30pm. This Italian restaurant is notoriously delicious but also notoriously slow and I was just not in the mood to have a 10pm dinner. Call me crazy.

And that is how we have arrived at me angrily chopping garlic and red onion at 6:45pm, post workout, already hungry.

My friend sent me a recipe about a week ago for Alison Roman’s shrimp scampi and I’ve been waiting for the right night to cook it. I finally picked up all the ingredients yesterday, and Austin’s impromptu workout had created a need for dinner. Shrimp Scampi it is.

As I start melting the butter, stirring in the garlic and onion, I finally begin to relax a little. This is my night. I wanted takeout, but that’s okay. This is still a lovely night.

By the time I add in the shrimp, I’m really starting to enjoy myself. Wow. Why don’t I make complex dinners every night?! I take a quick peek at the dirty dishes beginning to pile up in the sink behind me and remember. Maybe I can make Austin clean them.

Austin comes up the stairs, sweaty and grinning, and leans over the buttery white wine sauce that I have bubbling over the stove. Austin, who is usually the judgiest of all judgy cooks, gives a “mmm” of approval. Looks delicious, he says, and begins to wash one of the dishes… without even being asked!

I finish up, toss in the pasta, and squeeze lemon over the entire thing. I can’t wait and sneak a taste before I plate it. Holy crap. Way, way better than takeout. Maybe better than anything I’ve made before.

It wasn’t the night I was expecting, but it was a great night nonetheless.

I did a slight website revamp - added in some new work, changed up the order of the home page - and made this gif. Felt good to do some easy animating again!