melair

When Jim and I first started dating, we could not agree on our anniversary.  I considered our “first date” to be something all together different than what he considered it to be.  So, we decided we’d celebrate around Valentine’s Day each year and kill 2 birds with one stone.  Since we’ve been married and have a real anniversary, we typically don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day with bells and whistles.  Usually a card…maybe some flowers.  Just basics.

This year, we turned Valentine’s Day into an excuse to sleep and eat all weekend.  And while typically we don’t need an excuse, there was quite a bit more napping and decadent meals than usual.  This all explains why I am currently taking diet pills*.  Having A Valentine’s Weekend fat fest just before getting the new two-piece I ordered on-line was admittedly bad planning on my part.  Hopefully copious amounts of caffeine, vitamin B and Yerba Mate leaf will have me sun-bathing in public in no time.

We went to dinner per our usual date night routine on Friday night.  Saturday morning we went to eat brunch at a cute little dinner and I ate my body weight in corned beef hash.  Then napped.  Saturday night I made some 2 inch thick pork chops with baked sweet potatoes and a spinach custard I learned to make in the a fore mentioned cooking class.

Sunday morning we had friends over for brunch, another couple I’ve mentioned before, Gillian and Steve.  We’ve never done anything with another couple before, and really enjoyed having guests for brunch.  We made Belgian waffles with fresh blueberries and whipped cream, bacon, and hash browns.  As an “appetizer” (because the waffles take so long) I served toasted mini bagels with smoked salmon, cream cheese, capers, red onion, and lemon.  Gillian brought an egg dish that had cheese, mushrooms and thyme.  Yum.

After brunch…we napped.  Big surprise, huh?  Then, when we woke up, Jim went to the store to get steaks for dinner   And while he got the fillets ready, I made a salad with mandarin oranges, red grapefruit, pineapple, walnuts and a citrus vinaigrette.  He made us filet mignon and some penne pasta with a creamy Gorgonzola cream sauce.  Mmmmm…  He also bought spinach to saute, but that got lost in the shuffle somehow.  Plus, I mean…we could’ve used some more veggies=fiber, but it wasn’t like we were lacking for food.

And for dessert?

Hope you all made good memories this year too.

*Please no lectures on the diet pills.  Science has come along way since Dexatrim and Fen Phin.  No worries about me getting addicted either, as I am on day four and still can’t break past 1/3 of the recommended dosage.  They are keeping me from stuffing my face all day long though.  Laguna Beach, here I come.