Every year, each of us eats about a thousand meals. Together, we can turn many of those meals into something meaningful and memorable—shared time. A single bowl of pasta, with two forks. A spontaneous picnic on a sunny hillside some Sunday afternoon. A potluck housewarming party. With a little thought, a meal together becomes a chance for a special occasion, three times a day.

‘Food can look beautiful, taste exquisite, smell wonderful, make people feel good, bring them together, inspire romantic feelings. -Rosamond Richardson

Food is a sustenance for the body, but its preparation and enjoyment are sustenance for your relationship. A day spent strolling at the farmer’s market among the flowers and vegetables can be a romantic event, but so can an evening walk to the grocery store. A quick and simple breakfast of toast and coffee can be a celebratory meal if you take fifteen minutes to talk and savor it together before you head to work. And when you have a little more time, you can:

Recreate a meal from a favorite restaurant.

Buy a food you’ve never had before, and learn to cook it together.

Take your favorite sandwiches to a place with a view.

Enroll in a dessert-making class or wine-tasting course.

Try a dish from a part of the world you want to visit.

Make a recipe from your childhood, while you relive your memories of the people you shared it with.

We enjoy early mornings on the porch, fresh corn, going barefoot, blueberries and strawberries and raspberries, sleeping without nightclothes or covers, the long evenings and the texture of the low western sun on fields that are still green. -Donal