things I wish I had remembered earlier

1. To take photos of last night's dinner at Jenn's house. The menu included cheese-stuffed mushrooms, seared scallops over spinach and saffron rice. We finished with two desserts from Dean & Deluca (so rich -- we were full after two bites!). The wine throughout the meal was Clos Du Val 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon, Stags Leap District -- not exactly what you'd typically choose for a meal of scallops which were seasoned primarily with sesame oil, but hey, it was good.

2. Not to leave the scallops on for so long. They were a little too chewy. My fault entirely. (By the way, I am completely amazed by the size difference between raw scallops and cooked scallops. They shrink so much!)

3. That staying in and cooking with a friend is often much more fun than going to a restaurant. It's also cheaper. And sometimes, you learn something (like how Jenn's recipe for saffron rice is the best thing ever and I probably would've fought her dogs for the leftovers, but that would've been embarrassing, especially since I probably would've lost).