I always know spring is near when I start hearing radio and TV commercials advertising fish sandwiches. I love fish sandwiches and the commercials make them sound so good, especially when I’m driving and hungry.

It’s a special day in my house today! We are celebrating our 8th wedding anniversary! Luckily, I have a husband who remembers every detail, special occasions and favorite flowers of distant relatives.

Making date night happen can be hard, can’t it? Going out for a nice meal sounds great, but that cost really adds up. And if I’m going to eat out, I want to take my time and enjoy it – which is tricky with packed schedules. That’s just one of the reasons that I made this goal for 2011: plan ahead and make more well-rounded meals at home.

While grocery shopping a few weeks back, my daughter commented that she wanted to eat more fish. Well, this is not the typical tween comment, so I figured I better act fast! Salmon is her favorite, so when I searched on the web site and found Chili Garlic Salmon, I was pretty excited. It looked simple enough for a weekday night, yet created quite an elegant dish that included the fish and a green vegetable. The recipe serves two, but I found it could easily be doubled for a family of four.

  I have always adored shrimp.  Even as a child I loved shrimp.  I remember going out to “fancy” restaurants as a young girl with my grandparents and I always ordered shrimp.  Oh, and then there are artichokes; another favorite of mine.  I was fortunate to grow up in a family that ate a wide variety of foods – including artichokes.  And, cheese – who doesn’t love cheese?