Having a 2 1/2 year old and a husband in the medical profession can make getting out to a restaurant for a Valentine's Day date difficul...
Having a 2 1/2 year old and a husband in the medical profession can make getting out to a restaurant for a Valentine's Day date difficult to say the least! Since he has to work this weekend, my husband and I decided to celebrate yesterday instead and instead of rushing around to get ready, get Fi adjusted to a babysitter and then go out, we decided to celebrate Valentine's in with a fantastic meal and some much needed downtime together. I have to say, I'm a big fan, I might vote to keep this as our annual Valentine's celebration!
Of course I had to cook and before you think less of my husband for "making" me cook, remember I have a food blog and I absolutely LOVE to cook. Not to mention its one of my favorite ways to show the people in my life I love them. Still, I didn't want to plan recipes that would keep me tied to the kitchen half the evening. Pasta is one of our favorite dishes and this one has a fantastic creamy Gruyere-based sauce that's more than a little addicting! Mushrooms are another favorite so those had to be added in and I finished the meal off with these amazing little chocolate pudding cakes topped with caramel sauce and soft whipped cream.
Since this morning is actually Valentine's Day I decided to make a special treat: Chocolate Dutch Baby with fresh strawberries. It was the perfect way to send my love off to work this morning. Later today Fi and I have a date to make some super-easy Strawberry Hand Pies, can't wait!
Happy Valentine's Day everyone, however you're celebrating!
I didn't tweak the recipes I used too much, so here are the easy links for you to follow to check out the deliciousness. Have I mentioned lately how much I love the amazing variety of food bloggers out there?
Mushroom Florentine Pasta (She Wears Many Hats)
Warm Chocolate Pudding Cakes (Martha Stewart)
Chocolate Dutch Baby (Two Peas & Their Pod)
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