Everyone once in a while a lady needs to take a social Saturday off and have a night to herself. And what better way to take an evening vacation than with an easy to make, do it yourself Italian dinner?

That’s what I was thinking as I opened Teresa Giudice’s "Skinny Italian" and settled down for a weekend of introspection and good eating. And this cookbook has a few appetizer recipes that will totally get the job done on any solitary evening in.

This was a simple meal, with a few quick recipes that were much more cathartic than a hassle to make, and it all took about 20 minutes. There’s a lot of good things to say about this book, but I must repeat that some of these recipes are just so simple that it’s hard not to want to make them all the time.

I started with the basics. While normally I might have a glass of wine or, if I’m feeling saucy, crack open a beer, but tonight I whipped up Dina’s Virgin Mimosa, which is exactly what you would imagine a bubbly drink sans the champagne would taste like.

These are what former Real Housewife Dina Manzo was drinking when she first met Teresa, as she was pregnant at the time. This might be a no-brainer kind of drink, but I honestly would have never thought about making one out of the blue if it wasn’t mentioned in this cookbook. It’s light and refreshing, and exactly what is needed on a night when you want to relax without a buzz.

Then I moved one to some one-person appetizers. Though Giudice’s recipes call for enough ingredients for a crowd, I pared everything down for my night in and started by testing out her Balsamic Garlic Bites.

I can understand if you might initially be a little skeptical about this one—that’s a couple of big flavors in one little dish—but rest assured, the combination of the balsamic and the saturated garlic doesn’t make the punch you might assume. Each flavor is still present with its own little bite, but neither is particularly overwhelming. It was a nice little treat, and after drizzling some olive oil on top, I knew I would definitely serve these at a party in the future.

Then I pulled some salad fixings out of the fridge and made myself a little bowl with some Sexy Italian Salad Dressing. Remember to mix with your hands. I never would have realized how great a salad can be if I hadn’t started to do this.

For the final touch on my lady’s night meal, I made myself some Bruschetta Classica. It was a fresh zest of tomato on my healthy, tasty meal, and the added herbs brought out all the right peppery and oregano flavors that I needed to bring this dinner home.

Altogether, this proved to be a substantial, tasty little meal for one person. And though you might not think that a night to yourself should include cooking your own food, with this handful of recipes from "Skinny Italian," you might change your tune. They’re quick, easy, taste great and leave you satisfied.