I’ve been co-habitating with the BF for eight months now and take it from the girl who loved having her own apartment: living in sin rules! Despite the few things we don’t always agree on (the air conditioner: he likes it on, I like it off. The shower squeegee: I never remember to use it, he always does. Weekend mornings: he likes to get up early, I like to sleep in) we pretty much always see eye to eye on food. He’s cooked me breakfast more times than I can count, but I’ve probably got a few more dinner notches under my belt.

So, to all the girls, er, women, who live with their boyfriends or are newly married: who does most of the cooking in the household? Do you ever worry that if you make a habit out of cooking every meal, you’ll suddenly morph into a 1960s housewife? Or do you like to unleash your inner Betty Draper once in awhile?

I’ll admit, I consider myself an “independent woman” and it might sound cheesy, but sometimes I do like to have a martini ready and waiting for the LOML. Okay, so I’ve only had a martini ready and waiting once in the last eight months.

Behold the cheese & antipasti plate. The perfect way to help your guy unwind after a long business trip (wow, I really have morphed into a 1960s housewife).

Betty Friedan aside, an antipasti platter is an easy way to do something nice for whoever you’re co-habitating with, especially since you get to share in all the eating. Plus, it’s just as yummy as any you’d order at a four-star restaurant.

I went with three cheeses: Boursin’s Shallots & Chives, a soft cheese by St. Almay’s that was the most expensive and the least tasty, and a muenster. In hindsight, if I wanted to save some $$, I could have gone with some less expensive cheeses– as far as presentation goes, they all look good out of the plastic wrap. I also got a prosciutto and mozzarella log which is always a crowd pleaser. Salami is a must.

As for the veggies, I grilled some asparagus tips and yellow onion. The roasted red peppers came out of a jar, I thought they were pretty gross, so next time I plan to do them myself. One thing I forgot to get was marinated artichokes, but I don’t think I’ve ever walked into a store and not forgotten at least one item on my mental grocery list. Luckily, I did remember sliced french bread and bagel bite crackers for all the cheese.

Another nice touch are some bar snacks:

On the left are wasabi peas from Trader Joes’s, in the center are kalamata olives, and on the right some almonds. I like to pour olive oil on the almonds and sprinkle them with sea salt. Actually, I learned this from the BF.

Finally, when it came to cocktails, I had Ketel for martinis and Chimay in case it felt more like a beer night. My parents always have frosted beer mugs or martini glasses in their freezer and it makes an afterwork drink all the more appetizing.

The spread was a hit. It was met with a huge smile and a lot of thank you’s, which made me feel nothing like a pre-Feminine Mystique housewife. That said, maybe in the year 2009, I should feel a little guilty about channeling my inner Betty Draper. But I think it’s okay to let her out only once in a blue moon, because even though he’s hot– who’d really want to live in sin with Don Draper?

*Sara resides in Los Angeles, CA. She’s an aspiring writer, a middle child without a middle child complex, and a huge fan of carbohydrates.