We’ve been on a celebration run with Christmas, NYE, NYD, our anniversary on January 15, my birthday just the other day, and then yesterday was my DH’s birthday! Today feels like such a great, relaxing NON-event day or planning event day (LOL)! But, then along comes Valentines Day so soon (for me)! After all of above, we absolutely do NOT go out for dinner on VDay! I have a killer recipe that’s fairly easy to make for dessert: Bon Appetit’s Winter Spiced Molten Lava Cakes that everyone loves. For dinner though, probably steaks on the grill that DH can take care of, my yummy Wild Rice Pilaf, and a bagged Caesar salad. No (more) gifts, though! I hope that I don’t sound like a Scrooge, I just get so partied/celebrated out by this time every year (LOL)!

We never did go out to dinner on V day. Sorry, we don't stand in lines to eat. We will be up at camp anyway and all the restaurants are closed on Mondays except for Dennys and the truck stops near the interstate. No thank you. Oh I just remembered the Chinese buffet about 25 mins away will be open. Maybe I'll see if the hubby wants to go for an early dinner before every one gets out of work. It depends on the weather. I have to buy my hubby a card yet. We don't do the gift thing. My hubby already picked up chocolate for the grands.

Friday we are going to see a band and on Saturday friends and us are going bowling then back to their house for dinner. Sunday I'm baking v day cookies with the grands.

LynnNM I know what you mean. This is the first week I did almost nothing in a while. Feels good. Our anniversary is on January 11th.

Well, if you're talking concrete, you could make a heart shaped dragon's breath brazier in the backyard for a proper wok. I think you might be able to get a pink wok, but probably round for functionality. I can just imagine heart shaped carrot coins and bits of meat and purple daikon and all that... But maybe not by Monday. :)

I bet you could make heart shaped piroshki, schnitzel, any kind of terrine. For color, you could make duck breasts or tuna steaks. Use the trimmings in some kind of molded "stuffing".

Or break out the heart baking dishes and go French with coq au vin or boeuf bourguignon. You could cut hearts out of pasta sheets and make a stacked lasagna.

Panacotta? Savory bread pudding? Quiche?

Steaks on the grill at home, and probably watch a movie. It will be laid back and low key.

Well, I'm not sure. We're having steaks on the grill tonight. And Ive got some baby spinach I need to saute or I'm going to lose it...bought for salads originally.

We haven't gone out on Valentines in the last few years. We don't have enough restaurants in our community to handle the busy evening ;) Monday will be busy EVERY PLACE and we haven't been eating or socializing in restaurants to any extent at all....not in the last two years.

Superbowl is Sunday. I was wondering if DH would like to go to a nice lunch on Saturday but haven't asked him yet. He'll have flowers for me on Monday, other than that we have no gifts or other special plans. We've just now made it through the holidays, half dozen family birthday including his, had our New Years Day quietly together....we probably will not do a full out holiday again until Easter ;)

I bought chocolates last week for my crew. We usually don't eat out that day because of all of the other people.

We never eat out on V day. Hubs has already suggested grilling filets & enjoying a good bottle of red wine. That said we are going out for breakfast the day before at our favorite Cafe.

We don't go out on Valentine's Day normally. My husband sends flowers, buys me a gift or two, and I make a heart shaped flourless chocolate cake for dessert, with raspberries coulis and rasperries and whipped cream on the side. Dinner will probably be rack of lamb, roasted potatoes, something else that is green and a salad. Pinot noir with dinner. Bubbly with dessert.

My sons will receive a box of their favorite chocolates and a large batch of chocolate chip cookies.

It's close to impossible to buy my husband a gift.

Usually Valentine's Day means pizza night. I am a kid at heart and still love pizza. Even though the one that I buy is whole wheat and stuffed full of veggies. I might try to make some heart-shaped appetizers and desserts. It's work day for DH and I go to work early Tuesday morning so we will not be partying hearty.

We don't exchange gifts for most occasions and Valentine's Day is no exception. I might buy a bouquet of flowers for the house but that would just be something I do every so often as it gets closer to spring.

I forgot to answer the part about what I'm doing. That would be receiving the repairman and hoping he can fix my built-in freezer on the day. If so, he can be my valentine. :) For real, it'll probably be lasagna if the freezer is fixed. Otherwise, some less grand way of using up that which is thawed....

Function: it’s good to find another soul who understands ;~)
Thanks!

I'm having a little lunch party with 3 women friends. I'm making the Quiche; another will bring the leafy salad; and the others will bring dessert - and whatever. (They always do!) 😄

I'm actually looking forward to having a bit of 'party'. We can eat and sit and talk for forever and no restaurant to make us feel as if we've overstayed our time.

I haven't made this quiche in many, many years, so I hope it turns out OK... Quiche Lorraine from Wisconsin in the 80s.

We will grill a steak and make a Key Lime pie from our Key Limes. We stopped going out years ago. And don't buy gifts, just cards. He doesn't buy roses because I have rose bushes in bloom right now.

I'd forgotten.....but your enthusiasm makes me think lasagna w/ spinach! ♥ My husbands current favorite. We'll see......maybe a bouquet of lilies or a new orchid for me.......hhhmmm.....wheels are turning.

So, I was just thinking, a little bit of beet or pomegranate would make for pretty pink popovers.... You can make them without yolks to make them even prettier. :) I might try that. Maybe some lemon curd from the yolks....

No plans...no valentines. I may buy myself some chocolate, or not.

We don't buy into Hallmark! When we were still working, I would sneak something onto his desk at work or into his truck for a surprise.

The women in the office always encouraged him to buy wonderful chocolates for me, cause they knew I would send them back to the shop after sampling a couple. That expense got old!

We show our love every day, not just February 14th.

Feb 6th is our official Valentine's Day, it's the date we first met.

Surf and Turf on the grill with dipped strawberries for desert!!

If it warms up some I may dig a hole for my tulips out back. Thought about doing it yesterday but got lazy and then the wind began to blow.

My daughter is with her boyfriend in Colorado right now. They're having brunch at the Stanley hotel tomorrow. I'm so jealous! We have talked about going and staying there for years, just for the fun of it. I'm a Stephen King fan and she just likes scary movies.

V day is also our 27th anniversary. We were hoping to celebrate it a day early with a Chiefs SB party and victory but that plan didn't work out very well this year.

I went shopping this morning and Aldi still had 1 lb. whole lobsters for $11 so I bought a couple. We might have lobster rolls if DW wants to bake some NE style rolls. If not we will just steam them and I might grill some bacon wrapped Fillet Mignon from our own beef to make it surf and turf. I did also buy a bouquet of flowers and some chocolate covered strawberries for her so I should be safe for a day or 3.

We are shopping for a new car for her to drive so that is going to be her VD present and anniversary present for years to come :-)

Happy Anniversay, LoneJack!!!

I bought these same rib eyes to have on VD again.

Been making this chocolate cake for DH for many years. It's small...only about 6"x6"...but has 4 layers. I used the same cake pans to make chocolate chip cookie hearts for our grandkids.

Happy Anniversary, Jack and spouse!

Yes..... Happy Anniversary Mr. & Mrs Lone Jack!

Thank you Cindy, Chloebud, and kate!

Those Ribeyes look very well marbled. hope they taste as good as they look.

Happy anniversary, Mr and Mrs Lone Jack.

We used to raise our own beef. Such a big difference from what you buy at the store. So much better.

Happy Anniversary, Jack and Mrs. Jack! I'd bake the rolls for lobster, definitely!

I usually just ignore Valentine's Day, much to Elery's delight. However, he says he's going to make Lobster Bisque and I have some "exotic" mixed mushrooms in the fridge, so I might make some pasta dish or another. I cook every day, so that's not unusual, LOL.

I did buy him a couple of new thermal waffle weave shirts that are supposed to be here tomorrow, and he bought me a new Kindle, because "it's bigger than the other one". I only use the Kindle to read, but he's sure he can bring me over to the dark side and make me use new technology. Of course, he bought me a new cell phone for Christmas and I haven't turned it on yet, so he may not be successful, LOL.

Annie

Since I wasn't allowed to host my daughter's birthday dinner today because of the Super Bowl, it will be tomorrow on Valentine's Day. We have three big flat-screen TVs downstairs but none in the dining room and the three men would have been bummed. We don't celebrate Valentine's day otherwise in any way. Call us unromantic which we are.

I grew up in an anti-Hallmark holiday house, but I am now firmly in the celebrate as many things as you can, without going overboard camp (and by going overboard, I mean stressing yourself out.) As I write this and think of what changed, it was my children's preschool. They had a way with holidays and creating magic I whole heartedly enjoy and want to keep sharing with family and friends.

PS Happy birthday to your daughter, lily.

The only thing that is certainly happening tomorrow, is my work group is going to lunch. Believe it or not this is the postponed celebration for the holidays; when COVID numbers are high, medical center people don't get to have a get-together. I don't have a sweetie, and I've had many years of gifts of flowers, jewelry etc. that I can do without. It's someone else's turn. I'll be happy to celebrate myself tomorrow evening, knowing I'm loved by family, friends, and even myself.

❤️

I have no plans for doing anything. I may go to a secondhand store tomorrow if I get some work done around here in the morning. I haven't been thrift shopping for a long time so that will a treat for me.

I think I have already eaten all of the chocolate in this house, and so I doubt I will be able to make anything appropriate.

May be I will make something with pork.

We need to honor the pig.

A few weeks ago, the first pig's heart transplanted to a human was successful, saving a human life.

dcarch

I decided to make heart shaped pizzas for dinner tonight. Why tonight? Well, a few reasons:

-SO likes pizza, but its not his favorite, so I thought I would make it tonight instead of tomorrow.

-I wanted pizza

-I may need my heart cake pans tommorow if all goes as planned. I plan on making a heart shaped cookies and cream mouse cake. But I have a set of 5 smaller ones too, so I may use those and make it 5 layer. Or is it 6? Anyway, i want options. So best to make pizza tonight so the pans will be available tommorow.

Tommorow I will either make heart shaped quesadillas or meatloaf. With heart shaped roasted or fried potatoes. Heart shaped pancakes for breakfast.

We are going in the morning to pick up the gifts he ordered for me, his gifts already arrived. I did go today and get him some other small things, a new charger cord for his phone, a ack of tank tops, some candy and some black and milds.

The pizzas....

Breakfast! Happy Valentines day!

Amylou - you are the Valentine queen! Would you believe it if I told you we had tuna casserole for Valentine's Day dinner? We did. Started years ago, before children. I was going to be away for a business trip on Valentine's Day and when I told DH that I would make him a valentine's dinner when I returned. He said "I'd even like tuna casserole (which he really loves) for Valentine's dinner if you made it for me." So before I left, I put a heart shaped foil pan of tuna casserole in the freezer for him with a mushy note. We've had tuna casserole for Valentine's day dinner ever since.

Awww, Nekotish, that's sweet.

Amylou, you ARE the Queen of Valentine's Day. Here it was much more low key. No heart shaped pancakes, unfortunately, I haven't had pancakes in a long time and now I want some and it's nearly 10 pm...

Annie

The freezer repairman was too young and too professional to tease with valentine's references, but I adore him for doing a lovely job on my freezer, and changing the water filter for me, while he was on the floor. ;) There was a burned out relay to the compressor. :) No lasagna, though. It was too late. Interesting concoction with bougie sausages and spicy pickles. It was really good, but not at all red/pink or romantic!

Happy anniversary Mr and Mrs Lone Jack!

We had our usual Valentine's Day feast of pizza. We had cherries and strawberries with ice cream for dessert. It was all delicious!

Unlike you Amy Lou our pizza was round in shape because it is restaurant bought. I didn't do heart-shaped anything and usually don't not even the strawberries. But I enjoy seeing your heart-shaped feasts.

DH & I are in a rental in Savannah for a 2 week break from our New England winter weather. We made Cincinnati Chili in honor of the Bengals in the Superbowl last night, and had it again as leftovers on VD. It's a challenge to cook in a kitchen that's not outfitted with the equipment you are used to using. I had to break the spaghetti in half and cook it in a shallow skillet with water and replenish the water once to get the pasta tender...

Well my dinner plans didn't pan out. SO requested that I make this mishmash dish with no name. It is essentially yellow rice, shredded cheese and "mexican" chicken with peppers and onions. So, since I couldn't really make that heart shaped, I improvised. Tiny heart shaped casserole to the rescue! This tiny little dish was big enough for his portion,and I was satisfied that it was heart shaped.

Don't worry. I wasn't stingy with the cheese, there is more underneath the chicken.

I bought myself a dozen roses today at Aldi. They were marked down from 9.99 to .99. Go me.

We are waiting till tomorrow to go out to dinner.

I told him I want boiled crawfish. It's season again and I haven't had any in a long time. He will get his favorite grilled platter.

Happy Mardi Gras! ⚜️💛💜💚⚜️🎉

In a rarity, DH and I actually cooked together! And lived to tell the tale lol! we have a tight cooking area, but DH took care of the steaks so he was safely out of the kitchen U. I handled the sauteed spinach and fingerling potatos. A little beaujolais we collaborated. I opened, he poured. Everything came out just right!

I want some crawfish Raven! I have to go into the office next week and might just have to go for lunch at Jazz Louisiana restaurant which serves them in season. It's only about 10 minutes from my office.

I seriously didn't remember who posted this thread, even though I love it...

I was looking for recipes on how to make ravioli.

But it fits so well, and we do this every year, so here you go. In case we look again next year.

https://slowthecookdown.com/ricotta-spinach-ravioli-with-a-kick/