Valentine's Day

Hubby and I aren't big on celebrating Valentine's Day.  It's a simple affair, really.  We exchange cards between ourselves and the kids, and we always get them a little box of chocolates.  Haven't gone out to dinner in years, between the crowds and reservations and (often subpar food) we just gave it up.

Besides, when your significant other can cook like THIS, why would you want to go out?  Especially if this masterpiece is followed up by Marscapone and Fudge brownies??

 Steak with a mushroom wine sauce, baked potato, crab legs and asparagus.  

Surprise Afternoon Brownies

I was driving the Little Kid to daycare before work last Thursday when I got a call from the Big Kid's afterschool program.  With the incoming snowstorm they were going to close early, so he wasn't going to be able to go there.  I swiftly took the afternoon off and called the school and asked that they put him on the regular bus to the house.

Surprise afternoon off!  I felt a little bit like a kid headed on vacation, myself.  And a little quality time, just him and I.  I got to the house early and tried to think of something fun that we could do together.  He loves to cook, so I settled on brownies.  The only chocolate in the house was a bag of chocolate chips.....with a brownie recipe on the back!

Preheated the oven...then headed outside to meet the bus.  His expectant little face...watching for his mom...is the first thing I see as the bus pulls up.  He was quite nervous with this change in his routine, but was thrilled to have Mom all to himself for a couple of hours.  He readily agreed to brownie-making, as long as he could eat some that day and watch "Ultimate Spider-Man" afterwards.  Agreed, buddy.

This was a strange recipe, like no other brownies I'd ever made.  It called for melting half the chocolate with butter on the stove, and then adding everything else directly to the pan on the stove.  But I can't complain with how they came out, and the smile on the Big Kid's face!

On An Ordinary Sunday

This Sunday....Today= a perfect day, from a culinary standpoint, anyway!

Sunday started last night at 11:30pm, when Hubby and I spontaneously decided to throw together an Overnight French Toast to be baked in the morning.  Why not?  I got it in the oven this morning, sprinkled with blueberries and streusel topping, while he whipped up some of our favorite Strawberry-Lemon Syrup.  (An old Cooking Light recipe)  The result was a custard-y french toast, perfected with the syrup.  And there's leftovers for tomorrow!

Dinner for tonight is already in the crockpot.  I don't know why we don't utilize this method of cooking more often, the "set-it-forget-it" mentality can't be beat on a Sunday.  Plus again, the promise of leftovers on Monday is fantastic.  Tonight's menu is Sweet and Sour Chicken over brown rice.  The boys helped by draining pineapple chunks, washing veggies and even a little chopping.  (I did the chopping, they threw the seeds into the sink.)

And if this cooler weather prevails this afternoon, perhaps there's a little time for a batch of brownies from a mix, or perhaps cookies?  This Sunday Streak is going strong!

Guest Blog by Brian - A little square of heaven

As anyone that has followed this blog should be aware I love to spend hours in the kitchen pretending that I know what I am doing, and once in a while even pull something off.  Tonight was one of those nights.  I toiled over oven, stove, toaster oven (and what a great toaster oven it is - thanks to my In-Laws), and microwave trying to turn out a restaurant style dinner instead of braving the over-crowded restaurants on this Valentine's Day.

The goal was to plate an exquisite Surf and Turf meal, NY strip steak, lobster tail, sweetened brussel sprouts with bacon, baked potatoes, and dinner rolls.  The lobster gave me some trouble but in the end I think, if I may say so myself, that I achieved a delicious meal for our at home Valentine's celebration.

Now with that said, and keeping in mind that I have had other successful meals come out of that kitchen, I must now admit that I have been outdone.  Of all the dutch babies, pies, cakes, cookies, steaks, chicken, lobster, salmon, shrimp, french toast, pancakes, waffles, and all other sorts of gastric pleasures that I have produced none have compared with the brownies that were baked by our Blue Plate Specialist.

I'm sure there will be more posted here regarding said brownies, as there should, but for now know that I have doffed my chef's hat (no I don't really wear one) to the champion of all things gooey and chocolatey.
 
But in defeat, oh boy did I have some unbelievable eats!