Making Our Own Traditions as a Couple

* Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Ragu. All opinions are 100% mine aka Carmen's. :]

Growing up, my boyfriend & I had different family traditions & experiences because we came from two distinct backgrounds. Fred grew up watching Mexican soccer with his father. You know the kind: goooooooooaaaaaaaaaal. I, on the other hand, vividly remember sitting on the couch watching the Olympic Games with my dad. I always rooted for Australia & the United States. Although Fred & I come from various ethnic backgrounds, we've established our own traditions from food to music to sports.

We've been together just shy of four years which means this is our first summer Olympics as a couple. I grew up as a big Olympic fan & was excited to share that part of my life with Fred. We watched the Opening Ceremony together & I felt like I was holding back tears the entire time. There was a mix of nostalgia, memories, hopes of the future & what's to come.

In celebration of the Olympics & nearly four years together, we set up a little around the world snack platter to try out some goodies from all over the globe. Our feast included my easy vegetarian dinner, Penne Pasta with Veggies, with rainbow penne pasta, broccoli, & mushrooms, topped with Ragu Homestyle Thick & Hearty Roasted Garlic Sauce* from USA.

We had roasted seaweed from Korea, & washed it down with some fizzy soda from Mexico. For dessert, we had a little mix of hazelnut cookies from Turkey & vanilla sandwich cookies from Japan. We washed it down with coffee from Germany. It was a sport & food-filled delight.

That's what homestyle means to me. It means quality ingredients, food made with love, laughter around the table, & memories you can hold close for years to come. As I'm making the switch to eating more consciously, I can appreciate that Ragu Homestyle Sauces come with no artificial flavors, no artificial colors, & no high fructose corn syrup. 

Everyone has a different idea of homestyle. Fred's version is comfort food, something that makes you feel better no matter what type of day you're having. Although these homestyle characteristics may vary per person, they still shine through all across the world, no matter where you're from. That's what makes this world such a beautiful place. We all have our own traditions & we can grow up continuing to establish our own.

We enjoyed the afternoon together switching between watching men's soccer & women's rugby. We had food in our belly & warmth in our hearts. We've reached a point in our relationship where we've been together long enough to identify habits & create traditions. I can only hope four years from now, we'll be able to watch the next Olympics & enjoy some delicious food & memories together.

What does homestyle mean to you? What traditions are you creating? :]

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* Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Ragu. As always, all opinions are 100% mine aka Carmen's. Learn more about my disclosure here. :]