A Valentine's Surprise!

Ok. So, after all of the "we don't really celebrate Valentine's Day that much" posts..... I've realized that we really do.

In a laid back kind of way.

Except for this year wasn't really all that laid back.

And involved me receiving this...

Completely unexpected! But almost as exciting as receiving my dream camera. In fact, I've decided that all I need in life to be happy is my camera and my new phone.

Oh... and Kev.

And family. And friends.

And caramel macchiatos.

And almond butter.

And Trader Joe's.

And I can't forget pizza. Or beef tenderloin. Or caramel cupcakes.

Ok. So, maybe I'm a little more complicated than I originally thought.

But still.... I am LOVING my new phone. At least the things that I know how to do on my new phone.

It seems to be just as complicated as I am.

( Which is sarcasm.... because according to my list above... all I need to be happy is food and electronics with the occasional family member and/or friend sprinkled in)

Anyway....

Kev is pretty much the best "surpriser" EVER! He gets me every single time. And for some one that doesn't care much for surprises.... I LOVE LOVE LOVE his.

Except for that I always feel so sorry for him because it takes me forever to even notice that there is something different in the room. Or that he is trying to surprise me. So, by the time I figure it out... I'm sure he is ready to cram whatever it is in to my face and call it a day.

But this time... he went out of his way to make sure I realized what was going on.

He set up a bar stool directly in my path of walking in to the room. And put the phone on the bar stool. And even stretched his arms and legs out from his recliner and yelled "ta-da" or "wah-la" or "voila" or whatever he said with his eyes wide open and a big smile on his face.

And it still took me a minute. Because I couldn't figure out why the bar stool was in the middle of the floor... and was about to just walk around it. And I thought that his "ta-da" was him welcoming me home from a long day of work - which I thought was super sweet - especially at 10:30 at night.

Even the several texts he sent me while I was at work never led me to believe any thing was going on.... even though the texts were about my Verizon account.

(I'm telling you.... I'm oblivious. I have a one track mind.)

But then I saw it. And I realized what was happening. And I was thrilled!!!

Now I can do so much more when I'm away from home. Like read blogs. And search recipes. And tweet!!

Speaking of tweeting.... I need some one to teach me the ropes. I want to be obsessed with it but need to get it figured out.

( I love how I WANT to be OBSESSED with something)

But then again... I guess I should learn how my phone works before I try anything else.

Oh. And I definitely need a new case. I can't be a good tweeter without a pretty case. One with polka dots and my monogram.

You know... just the basics. Nothing too complicated. :)

And don't worry about Kev. He got himself one too. For Valentine's Day. Because couples with matching phones are cute.

I feel so hip now. And young. I may even start watching MTV again. If they ever create a cooking show. "Sixteen and cooking"... it sounds like a winner.

Valentine's Day Eve

Holidays are so much fun when you are a kid.

And then you grow up. And lose interest. Or don't have the time. Or feel like the celebration is not necessary.

Until you discover how much you enjoy cooking food. And creating dinner parties.

And then the holiday becomes important again. And special. And necessary to experience in your life.

At least this is how I feel about Valentine's Day.

And lucky for you... you can read about our last two Valentine's Day celebrations here and here.

Bless your hearts if you do.

We celebrated on Sunday this year.... because #1. I was working Monday night. And #2. I find it much more fun to create a big meal together when it has been a nice relaxing day... more importantly when Kev has had a nice relaxing day OFF of work.

Even if he did spend 27 hours working on the house and the yard.

Kev started off our celebration with some delightful drinks. Light, pineapple-y, and totally refreshing. He called it a Malibu Breeze. I need these drinks in my life. On a regular basis. And I plan on having them served throughout the summer. Out by the pool. Whether Kev has to work that day or not.

Except for I have no idea how to make them. So, I am at his mercy.

It is like I always say..."Every one needs lot of pineapple in their life".

Except for that is the first time I've ever said that.

I blame it on the drink(s).

Next, he started on the beef tenderloin. Which just happens to be my new favorite cut of beef. And Kev definitely knows how to cook it perfectly. Perfectly medium.


He pan seared the beef and then baked it for about 17 minutes.

Perfection in every bite.


But due to the fact that we don't really eat much red meat these days.... and perhaps the other fact that beef tenderloin is pretty expensive.... this entree will only be served for special occasions.


Lucky for me, I can come up with a special occasion just about every week.

And like I always say "good food is worth the expense".

And I really do ALWAYS say that. Every time I look at my grocery store receipts.

While the beef was cooking... I worked on the mushroom parmesan risotto.

We had never had risotto before ( at least I don't think we have) and I chose it because it sounds fancy and hard to make. But it really isn't. And basically it "tastes just like rice". Which is what Kev said after I built it up to be such an important side dish.

I have a tendency to exaggerate sometimes. But only every once in a while. :)

Regardless, it was delicious! And even better with all of the fresh mushrooms stirred in.

We also had roasted broccoli ( my new go-to vegetable) and the rest of the cheddar garlic bread from Great Harvest.

(Actually, just the rest of the loaf we had been eating on all week.... I have a freezer stocked full of it in case of emergencies)

This meal was so yummy! But so rich and filling. I only ate HALF of my tiny piece of beef... and I still got the meat sweats!

I seriously woke up the next morning craving a simple salad.

Who have I become?

For dessert I kept it simple. Just about as simple as you can get.
It seems that these Munchkins were a favorite of Kev in his youth. He had (randomly) mentioned this information to me weeks prior... and I stuck his comment in the back of my brain and made sure I went to get them as his "Valentine's Day" surprise.

I grew up on Krispy Kreme and was not aware of the Munchkin. Or that they came in multiple flavors. Or how to even order them to ensure a meaningful gift. So, when I nervously ordered 24 and the lady behind the counter just started throwing in random flavors... I panicked.

But, luckily, they were exactly as Kev remembered. Except for that he said as much as he appreciated me getting them... he likes my desserts much better. It seems I have spoiled him a little.

He is too sweet.... and definitely knows how to melt my heart. And how to get me to make him desserts every week.

Which, as it comes to no surprise, I would be thrilled to do.

I hope you all had a wonderful Valentine's Day!

A Day Of Rest

But not really.

Kev never rests.

I blame it on his restless leg syndrome. And strong work ethic.

He is always on the move. Always has a to-do list. Always has a plan for the day.

Sunday is his only day off from his "real" job. It is his one day to act as house manager/plant cultivator/Kim's assistant.

Which I'm sure makes him wish he was at his "real" job.

That is why a picnic was in order. To enjoy the gorgeous weather. And for us to get to spend at least 30 minutes together before his chores started calling his name.

As you can see, he was in too much of a hurry to even stop chewing for a decent picture.

He probably had just spotted a weed that needed to be pulled.

(I used to be the weed puller. Because I thought it was a one-time job. No body told me that they keep growing back so you have to stay on top of it. I think I became allergic to weeds....because my eyes glaze over when I see one)

Nothing like left over pizza, grapes, and diet Mt. Dew to fuel your day.

And finally he had time for a smile.... (even if it was forced)

Today I have big plans for him. As soon as he gets in from working in the yard.

I have asked him to be my personal weight-lifting trainer. I've got some leg muscles that need some tough love. I've got a calendar full of races this year... the first one is in only TWO weeks!

AND I have been accepted in to the Foodbuzz Featured Publisher program. Which means there is a contract to read. Some "widgets" to add to the blog. And I may or may not "need" a twitter account by the end of the day.

All things that fall under the category of Kev's responsibilities. Mainly because I have a love/hate relationship with the computer. And reading contracts.

As for my responsibilities today.... well, at this very moment I am listening to the dishwasher run. I am making sure I stay close by in case it needs me. Plus my legs have to take some abuse in the weight room. So, it's important that they stay rested for now. Oh... and I am cooking dinner tonight. Something along the lines of beef tenderloin and mushroom risotto.

I should probably go take a nap.

Little Bites Of Love

I decided to start our Valentine's Day celebration last night.

With a tea party.

Minus the tea.

It is an obsession that I have. Eating little bites of food. On small plates. In a fun setting.

And, truth be told, I just really needed a reason to try these....

Jenna's Cheddar Wafers.

They are perfection. And extremely delicious. And addicting. My plan was to make them. Serve a couple. And then freeze the rest per her instructions.

The freezing part was supposed to be my way out from not eating so many.

Except for they haven't made it to the freezer yet. And they may not ever. Because I just sliced up some organic white cheddar cheese to put on top of the wafers..... and my eyes have officially rolled back inside my head.

The only change I made was to substitute Pepper Jack cheese in place of the cheddar. Because it has become a necessity to have a little bit of "kick" in every thing that I make. Except for there is not a lot of cheese to begin with in the recipe.... so, they are definitely not too hot for the calmer palette.

I am picturing these delights to be wonderful at a shower... baby or wedding. Both of which I will be attending quite frequently this year.

It is definitely a year of blessings! I am HEARTING 2011!

And then just because I can't let the cheddar wafers get all the attention.... I picked up some bite sized treats to try from Trader Joe's.

Who knew that frozen pre-packaged foods could be healthy. No additives. No preservatives. Just yumminess.

We had chicken dumplings....

Lemongrass Chicken Stix.... ( great lemony flavor!)

And a crowd favorite.. Spanakopita...

I also had some honey and fruit chicken salad in mini phyllo cups.

And since we only ate about two of each... ( except for the wafers)... it looks like I will be taking a couple of days off from cooking next week. Kev just informed me that our fridge is miserable because it's belly is so full.

And I haven't even started on our Valentine's meal for tonight!

Pizza! Pizza!

I can't make a trip to Whole Foods without getting some fresh pizza dough.

One regular. One whole wheat.

I bought some on my birthday and discovered that making our own pizzas at home was just about the greatest thing ever.

It not only brings back memories of our young romance at the local Little Caesar's Pizza.... but of my birthday parties growing up where we would have "make your own pizza" as the dinner theme.

There is just something about having a multitude of toppings to choose from. And being in control of where they are placed. And making my most favorite meal in the world.

Have I mentioned how much WE love pizza?

Which is fitting as we fell in love next to a pizza oven. Discussing how my over abundance of toppings made the pizza hard to slice.

Who needs their pizza sliced anyway? I will take the whole pie with a fork. Thankyouverymuch!

The other thing that I love about making our own pizzas is that it puts both of us in the kitchen together. I'm in charge of the toppings. Kev is in charge of the dough.


I decided to go pretty basic with the toppings. Even though I love just about any vegetable on a pizza.

And I got all of our toppings from Trader Joe's.

These three sweet red peppers were ONLY 99 cents.


That is a fantastic deal... for those of you who are in to that kind of thing.

I cut them in to strips. And then cut them in half.

And then I decided to caramelize the onions. Just to give them a little different flavor.

Fortunately, we both love onions and eat them in just about every meal. That way our onion breath cancels each other out.

Unfortunately for others, we love onions and eat them in just about every meal.

Which is why there is always a pack of gum at the ready.

Just in case our guests want to sing karaoke or play a whispering game.

You never know what a guest is going to want to do. All ONE of them that visits each year.

Our toppings bar....

If you haven't tried FRESH mozzarella on your pizza.... then what the heck are you waiting for?

It is the right thing to do.

The dough maestro....

That man can work magic with his hands.

He should teach classes.

It brought back fond memories of me sitting on the edge of a long stainless steel table watching him roll hundreds of dough balls getting ready for a busy Saturday night.

And yes. I was just sitting there watching. It is what I do best.

I'm sure I was keeping him entertained though. With my one-sided discussion on which 80's hair band had the biggest (therefore the best) hair.

There is a reason Kev is so quiet. He has never been given a chance to speak.

My pizza. Extra thick with too many toppings.... including onions, red peppers, tomatoes, and cheese....haphazardly thrown in an unorganized fashion.

Kev's meticulous pizza with equal amounts of red peppers, green peppers, onions, pepperoni and cheese.

But that's not all folks. Because Kev got the fabulous idea to make CRAZY BREAD!! Just like back in the day.

The day when we lived off of Little Caesars and ate it at just about every meal.

He rolled out another fresh dough.

Cut it in slices and baked it.

And then I brushed garlic butter on the top...

And sprinkled freshly grated parmesan cheese...

IT.WAS.TO.DIE.FOR!!

At least I thought so! Or maybe it was because I haven't had such rich buttery goodness in a couple of months...

But let me just tell you that I ate a TON of those heaven sticks. Way more than necessary.

In fact, I ended up making myself sick! I haven't been that full since the Food and Wine Festival at Epcot back in October. And considering that I eat pretty healthy most of the time... well, the bread sticks just did me in.

Who knew that crazy bread would be my kryptonite?

Lesson learned. Just because I could eat ten of them at nineteen doesn't mean I can eat that many now.... at the old(er) age that I am.

But they sure were worth it!!

The Best News

On January 2nd, I changed my status on Facebook to say " 2011 is going to be a great year!"




And I had a VERY big reason for that.




And then this year has continued to surprise and amaze me. The good news just keeps on coming.



Which is why I have had a permanent smile on my face lately. And not because I am trying to disguise the wrinkles on my forehead.



Back on January 2nd, however, I was just sitting around minding my own business. Probably thinking about food. And thinking of ways to hide my piles of clean laundry so that I didn't have to fold them or put them away.



And I received a message from some of my FAVORITE people.



Dave and Laura.


If you remember correctly, they have been a couple for quite some time now. Even if ten years of it was as "just friends".



And then as fate would have it. May of 2009 began the start of something even more wonderful. And I never imagined... in all of my years.... that I could possibly see my sweet brother this happy!

On April 10, 2010, I was smiling so big that I sprained and paralysed some muscles in my face. At least, that is what I like to tell myself when I look in the mirror. And not that the fact that I'm getting older/only started taking care of my skin last month may have a little something to do with it.

There is something about seeing your little brother fulfil his dreams by marrying the love of his life that takes your breath away.

Which is what life is all about. Those special moments.

And what makes it even better is that I also gained an incredible sister. And this time I didn't have to share a room. Or share my toys. Or share the joystick to the Atari.

In fact, sharing with Laura is what I enjoy about her. Recipes, fashion tips, humor, food, gossip, life, and the tiniest of bathrooms in our joint hotel room in Orlando.

Good times all around.

Laura and Dave have also shared some important life lessons with me. One of them being the "Double-Decker Switzer"

It is a sleep system invented to prevent "the girl" from having to sleep on some "not so clean" sheets in a seedy hotel.

Very impressive! I only wish that I had been taught this sooner. Like back in 1992 when Kev and I stayed in a $30 a night place outside of Charleston.

I still have a rash from that trip.

And also the great life lesson of how to win "the most rascally looking couple" on Christmas morning.

Dave challenged me to it and I didn't think he would be able to pull it off.

I was definitely wrong.

But the most important "sharing" of all... was the news that I received on January 2nd! The news that I have been biting my tongue daily so to not shout it from the mountain tops.

DAVE AND LAURA ARE HAVING A BABY!!

There is nothing better than getting a text from your brother that says "I'm going to be a Daddy".

And it couldn't have happened to two better people! They are going to be amazing parents!

So, just in case you are not keeping track. That is TWO new additions to my family this year.

AND there is also TWO weddings. Which I haven't even mentioned because I've been too busy planning for babies and eating.

Yep. 2011 is going to be the BEST year! And I'm looking forward to every single second of it!

The Hair Of The Dog

I woke up with a hangover.

From all of the bread that I ate last night.

I not only ate it. But I dreamed about it. Read about it on another blog. And decided that if I ever have a wedding vow renewing ceremony that I will insist on having a bread table. Instead of candy or other sweets.

Then we can all run laps on the dance floor so that the carbs will not go to waste.

Except for I will not have a dance floor - because my body just can't dance.

Or a wedding vow renewing ceremony. It seems like an awful waste of money when we can just float around in our pool rafts this summer, eating BBQ sandwiches and drinking tropical drinks, and tell each other "I love you".

If I haven't said it before... I will say it again..... "We are simple folk."

But back to my hangover.

I didn't have time for it. I have important things to do today. Like get the gray in my hair colored and go to the gym.

So, I did what any responsible person would do.

I had the "hair of the dog that bit me". And ate some more bread.

Except for this time it was my other favorite. From Great Harvest. Low-carb Dakota bread.

I tried it for the first time on my birthday. It is full of seeds and nuts and healthy goodness.

And is just as soft and pillowy as the cheddar garlic.

I toasted it. Put a little butter on it. And added two eggs. Over easy.

It cured me right away.

And I need to mention that the eggs were "farm fresh". I got them yesterday during my grocerypalooza.

Eggs are one of the areas that I will NOT scrimp in. All because of something I read years and years ago. So, I usually buy some pretty healthy eggs. But these eggs not only blew my skirt up.... but off!! I could taste a difference.

At least I think I could. I was being mesmerized by the seeds on the top of the toast.

But it got me thinking. Maybe we should get some chickens as pets. They could live outside just as Kev would prefer. And they would save us money because I eat eggs just about every day. I could promise Kev that I would do all the work of taking care of them... and then "forget" all about them within a week.

Kev would have no choice but to step in. He would be so much better at it than me anyway.

And I would be able to eat fresh eggs for the rest of my life.

Sounds like the perfect situation.

Until Kev insists that he doesn't have the time or patience to take care of anything else but me. And the eleventy hundred plants that he has spread throughout the house. Plants that seem to keep multiplying. By the hour.

On second thought.... Maybe I should request a pet that will eat the plants.

And then I will just keep driving to Greenville for my farm fresh eggs.