Divine Dinners / Home Sweet Home

I tried something new this weekend and it was therapeutic. I booked a session with "Divine Dinners." Divine Dinners is a specialty shop in Summerville owned by mother/daughter duo Sandy and Robin. The concept is novel and shops like theirs have been popping up all over the country during the past three years or so. Napp and I watched a Food Network special about a similar franchise. However, Divine Dinners is not a part of a franchise.

Here's how it works. You choose 6-12 different dinners from the Divine Dinners Web site and book a date to come into their shop to assemble the meals. Robin and Sandy shop for all the ingredients (they can also do special requests, for example, I requested whole wheat pasta for one of the dishes and they got it for me without an extra charge). When you get into the shop, there are several stations set up with the recipes, ingredients, and necessary equipment ready to use. You follow the instructions and make your meal. Then you go to the next station, and then the next until all the meals you requested have been assembled.

The beauty of it was this. I got to prepare six meals in a fun atmosphere without any distractions and I had lots of counter space, a luxury I do not have at home. Not only that, everything was measured for me, the recipes were planned and I didn't have to clean a single thing! I brought my dinners home and with one exception all went into the freezer. The exception was eaten for dinner that night. It's definitely cheaper than eating out and healthier than purchasing convenience food from the grocers freezer. The verdict is still out on whether or not we'll try it again, but I really enjoyed the experience. If anyone who lives in the Charleston area is interested in learning more, there is a link on my Web site. If you book a session, please tell them that I sent you. The picture above is of the "Cheesy Broccoli and Rice Stuffed Chicken Breast." I prepared it there and baked it at home. No cooking takes place at the shop. Just the meal preparation.

I'll let you know how the rest of the dinners turned out after we eat them. The chicken dish above was quite tasty. In addition to the chicken, I prepared the following meals:

• Beef Satay with Peanut Sauce
• Aloha Pork Skillet
• Parmesan Crusted Talapia
• Shrimp Spaghetti
• Chicken and Pesto Tortellini

Now for a Sunday update. We have decided on a church home...well, not 100% but we found a church that we have decided to visit regularly and if all goes well become members. The church is Riverbluff Church. I already know many women their from MOPS. Zayden did really well in the nursery. Xylie, who usually loves church, really misses our church in Corpus and has no interest in getting involved in another. It broke my heart this morning to see her sadly sitting on the floor while her classmates were dancing and singing during "song time" for her age group. I think that after we attend regularly and she makes some friends she'll love it just as much as she loved Bayshore Bible Church. I've written it before and will write it again...moving is tough on the whole family. I'm so happy that we are finally at a place where we can put down some roots. We'll probably move from this apartment next year, but we are not anticipating anymore major moves.

Moving so often has impressed one thing on my heart and that is the concept home. I was recently asked "where is home?" This may not be politically correct, but in truth my forever home is in Heaven and I plan to expound on that thought later when my brain cells are not so tired. In all honesty, my home on this planet is wherever my husband and children are. I am not writing that to appear noble. It is the truth. We have moved so much and have made so many lifelong friends in the process and I have become attached to many cities, but as long as I am with Napp and Xylie and Zayden I am home. They are the loves of my life.That doesn't mean I never miss the places and faces of our former abodes, but it does mean that I am blessed beyond measure. And I need to cling to that more often.