Happy Valentine's Day :)-

I don't care if Valentines Day is some super-overcommercialized-made-up-by-Halmark-as-a-marketing-ploy-day-that-makes-all-the-"single"-people-supposedly-feel-bad-for-themselves.

I think having an entire day dedicated to slowing down so that we can stop and say "I love you" to ALL those people who matter most to us (yes the "significant other", but also close friends and dear family) is a wonderful thing. Especially in todays world where those 3 small words simply don't seem to hold the same special meaning they once did. Or we're just "too busy" to say them...lol.

So for the past few years Hubby and I have always taken some extra time figuring out how best to express such love for one and other. Here's what we came up with this year :)

I decided that I would dedicate this weekend to preparing several of B's favorite dishes. What's that old phrase...the surest way to a man's heart is through his stomach? Well folks, I've got it covered this weekend. Here's what the menu looks like:

Friday evening
Pan seared NY Strip steaks, perfect baked potatoes and steamed broccoli paired with White wine and anglefood cake with strawberries for dessert.

Saturday Morning
Homemade buttermilk pancakes, My Special Hashbrown potatoes, sausage links, and scrambled eggs (the way B likes them, not me...lol)

Saturday Dinner
Chili con Carne cooked slowly all day in the crockpot served with white wine and cinnamon rolls. Hand dipped chocolate covered strawberries, and chocolate covered cashews/almonds with Champagne for dessert :) Mmmmm... bubbly

Sunday Breakfast
French toast smothered in powdered sugar and drunken apples.

Sunday Dinner
Slow cooked center-cut roasted pork tenderlion with carmelized sweet potatoes, country green beans (made with ham and slivered almonds), and a butterscotch pudding pie for dessert.

I really thought about all this food and am proud to say that I bought all the necessary ingredients (minus the bubbly) without going over our grocery budget! It's truly amazing what you can buy with no-so-much....I love it! Not to mention we'll definately have enough leftovers for B to take for lunch this week, and some to freeze. It's like a 3 for 1 special!

Now, B did great this year too! When I woke up this morning and wandered into the livingroom with our darling daughter he says to me "You don't get out much by yourself." To which I'm thinking "WHAT?!?! What a way to start our special day....what ARE you talking about crazy man?!?!?". Thank goodness I just kept my mouth shut and listened. He followed up with, "so I think you deserve a nice, relaxing afternoon at the (drumroll please....) SPA. And then I was thinking that it wouldn't be as much fun to go alone, so you should invite a friend, and I'll watch the kiddos."

Holy Batman!!!! I couldn't BE more excited!!!!! I'm going to go get a massage, spa pedicure and facial, all with Sis (she's who I'm taking) while the Lil Pooper hangs out with dad! This is awesome! It really is a very classic gift idea, but truly couldn't be more appropriate for this year. I love my Hubby!

Happy Valentine's Day to all my friends (especially if you're reading this...lol), my loving family, and my cutie-patootie Lil Pooper!