Delicious Valentines

Ever since I saw the first hearts in the store this year I started to get a little excited about Valentines Day! I just knew it was going to be a good one. I was so excited I, little miss no-frills, even decorated a little (if you really want to see some decorating, look here. That is the work of my amazing college roommate, who incidentally also did the temple drawing you see above). The day after I hung this heart on our front door I spied a young couple on the sidewalk in front of our house kissing for some time. I guess some do not need much prompting to get in the mood!I endeavored to do a lot of baking in the first two weeks of February to get Valentines in the air. I picked up Martha Stewarts mag and made pear and raspberry tarts. It was a 5-hour endeavor on Superbowl Sunday. They were really quite beautiful and tasty. I also made her chocolate ganache-filled tarts with merigue hearts. That took two days and were not as tasty because I made them in my mini tart pan and the crust was too thick so there wasn't much room left for the ganache and I only used half of it (but I did pour some over some bananas and berries in a bowl--ooeee!) Sorry our camera's been unreliable lately and never is having a good day when you need it. So these are Martha's photos, and of course mine looked just as good ;). On Valentines morning I put out this candy dispenser with a note "Tell someone you love them or say something nice and you can share some candy with them." It was hilarious to hear there gruff voices race and mumble through the niceties: "Uh, you're a good friend." "Hhhmmm, I like you." Boys need all the encouragement they can get to express things VOCALLY! (Does it show that lately I've really been feeling like the lone female in the household?)

Very early in the month Clint began telling me a surprise was coming. He really outdid himself on this one. He planned for a couple of weeks and cooked for a couple of days and made me the best romantic dinner ever. After the kids were in bed I was invited to dress up for dinner. There were candles and a white rose and a 5 course dinner: 1) a spring mix salad with raspberry vinagarette, and crusted bread with cracked pepper in oil and bree. 2) A strawberry and avocado dish with lemon-honey vinagrette 3) Pasta alfredo with butter sauted mushrooms and shrimp. 4) pepper crusted steak strips which he prepared on the grill--while it was snowing and 5) A flourless chocolate ganache cake. Did I mention I was on a diet? Well Clint asked me to please not count calories that night. I'm always amazed at the effort Clint puts into being a good husband and father. Honey, you done good.