the fondue tradition.

growing up in our family, one day each week, my parents ate fondue.

it was the "big kid's" meal, the one we aspired to eat.

i don't remember my parents really going out on date nights often (if ever), and i think this may have been their version of a date night:

a little wine, some fondue, and a movie.

this is a tradition jj and i have adopted.

we used to have fondue nights with our roommates at missouri mansion with the same basic components: wine, fondue, television.

one time, we even mixed cheese fondue into the equation.

but i always go back to "old reliable"- chicken and beef in peanut oil, with various dipping sauces.

i like having this reminder of growing up.

it makes living in a strange new city feel a little bit more like home.

the smells are the same, the components are the same, and it helps me feel like i've come home a little bit each time.

sometimes it's exactly what's needed after a long week of navigating a new city.

and by navigating i mean attempting to find my way to and from work each day.

let's not even get started on what happens when i stray from that course.