Friday Nights at Home in Alexandria
Come Friday night I’m ready to relax and enjoy a much-needed evening at home. Since the pandemic my husband has been making homemade pizza dough and we still have our Friday night pizza night almost every week. Typically, we will put on some music and open a good bottle of wine while he makes the pizza and I tinker around the house and set a fun tablescape for the evening. There isn’t anything fancy about the evening, but I love grabbing some Trader Joe’s flowers or something from the yard to fill a favorite vase. And I’ll break out one of my many block print tablecloths and other items I have on hand, to pull it all together.
Now that summer is here, we move to our backyard patio for dinner and grill pizza. Our backyard is truly the reason we moved to this home five years ago. It’s a little slice of heaven to retreat after the busy weekdays end. Filled with lots of trees, hostas, and wildlife, it just gives me a ‘mountain home vacation vibe’ perfect for recharging. Taking time to enjoy their surroundings and slow down is what I hope our clients do in their homes, too. It should be a place to relax and reflect – even if it’s just a simple pizza night.
I’m sharing my family’s pizza on the patio night along with some of my favorite resources, and hope it inspires you to enjoy an evening at home. Maybe tinker with a creative tablescape or find a new wine or vase for your flowers…anything that will bring you a little dose of joy after a long, activity-filled week. You deserve it!
Pizza Recommendations
When we visited Middleburg, we stopped into Middleburg Books and came across Salad Pizza Wine from the Elena Restaurant in Montreal. This cookbook contains our favorite pizza dough recipe, and we have a hard time finding anything that beats it. Even the pizza in Naples, Italy didn’t quite compare! We love the naturally leavened Neapolitan pizza dough recipe using sourdough starter, and use organic flour. After being gluten-free for over a decade, I didn’t think real pizza night would ever be something to enjoy again. But this recipe uses organic flours and it has not been an issue. The crust is thin, but not too thin with just the right amount of crunch, and any sauce and toppings work perfectly.
This past Friday we kept it simple using what we had in the pantry and fridge: Rao’s sauce from Costco, fresh mozzarella, Italian seasoning, and fresh basil from the patio. All the amazing pizza kudos go to my husband, Greg, and I’m grateful he enjoys making it as much as I love putting the table together!
Wine Recommendations
When we went to Calistoga, California a couple of years ago my sister recommended a fun winery, Tank Garage Winery. They don’t take themselves too seriously and the wines almost always exceed our expectations. The artsy labels and names are always fun, too. Typically, we love a full-bodied red, but I encourage you to try one of their sparkling roses or whites in the summer. The beautiful bottles also look great on the table and spark conversation!
Tablescape Recommendations
Years ago we took our girls on a road trip to the North Carolina Mountains and along the way stopped in at Furbish Studio in Raleigh where I happened to pick up my first fun and colorful block print tablecloth. Since then I’ve recommended this many times over to clients and friends. I also have found great ones, like the runner I used this week at Marigold Living and locally at Ally Banks in Georgetown and the softest linen napkins at Manse. For glassware I love the Estelle Colored wine glasses that I have in smoke and the tortoise tumblers I got from House of Hackney and Anthropolgie a couple of years ago.
I hope you’ve found some of these suggestions helpful. Cheers, and go enjoy a fun evening filled with simple joys this week!
Please comment below if you have great resources for tableware and what simple things you do at home that bring you joy!
