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kellienoelle

Valentines Day Menu/Plans

kellienoelle
10 years ago

Valentine's Day is upon us, and while I am typically pretty dismissive of it being a Hallmark Holiday, I am reluctant to ignore it completely. We had plans to be out of town but Pax has other ideas for us. So now I find us at home with no chance for a dinner reservation. I want to make a nice, but relatively simple dinner. Found a recipe for tenderloin and lobster that I am thinking of trying out, headed to the butcher to see what I can find. Pair with a veggie, chocolate and a nice bottle of wine and I think we'll be set. What does everybody else have planned?

(anybody have a simple dessert recipe for a non-baker that I could try? Or should I just do it the old fashioned way and buy one?)

Comments (24)

  • jmc01
    10 years ago

    If i can shovel a path through the snow to the grill and then shovel a standing area around said grill, we'll be having hamburgers. I'll set the table with candles. Simple yet elegant!

  • mtnrdredux_gw
    10 years ago

    Yes! A friends just served these, and they are fabulous.

    Don't skip the salt!

    Here is a link that might be useful: Choc Pistachio Sea salt

  • Sueb20
    10 years ago

    Simplest dessert for a nonbaker, I think, is chocolate covered strawberries. Yum. There is something sort of romantic about them, I think.

    I will be on a plane to warmer weather at dinnertime. My Valentines day dinner will be around 9 pm, probably, in whatever restaurant has a table at our hotel, with DH and 3 kids.

  • debrak2008
    10 years ago

    We are going out for dinner tonight to a new German restaurant in our area. I told the kids (17 & 20) I am not making dinner. Instead I made them cookies with extra chocolate!

  • tinam61
    10 years ago

    Your menu sounds nice. On the morning news they showed lobster and sirloin filets, salad, rice pilaf and I do not remember them showing a dessert! Maybe because there was also a box of chocolates?

    I normally plan a nice dinner for home, which I think is really more romantic than a restaurant with lots of other peeps. LOL But after being snowed in yesterday, hubby decided he's taking me out.

    tina

  • mtnrdredux_gw
    10 years ago

    Another good idea with strawberries is to serve them with two dips. You dip it in the sour cream first, then brown sugar.

  • joaniepoanie
    10 years ago

    We are celebrating tomorrow with our favorite meal at home. DH has been working late and even though he is working from home due to the snow, he could be on the phone late like last night. I will make his favorite dessert. Need to dash out tomorrow to get him a little something...couldn't find what I was looking for the other day. He sent a lovely bouquet of lavender roses and other flowers just before the storm hit. We never go out on VD...

  • Annie Deighnaugh
    10 years ago

    I've started this new cleanse class and knowing it was starting, we went out to dinner to my favorite Italian restaurant a week early so I wouldn't feel restricted or guilty.

    If you're looking for a super quick dessert, one of my favorites is coffee ice cream drizzled with maple syrup and chopped walnuts or salted peanuts. I serve it in a margarita glass so it looks extra fancy.

  • blfenton
    10 years ago

    I'm making sausages which my DH loves and I absolutely detest. However I will choke one down. For dessert I bought a single serving of sour cream lemon pie for DH.

  • ellendi
    10 years ago

    Out to dinner at a favorite local restaurant.

  • kellienoelle
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thank you for the dessert suggestions. I took the easy way out and went to a local bakery and picked up a couple of cookies. Of course now I am kicking myself for forgetting about a lemon cake that I dream about at another local bakery. And my diet only permits limited splurges so I blew it.Or I could go get a slice and just gorge completely

    Debrak - can I tell you how jealous I am, when I was trying to figure out where I wanted to go I fixated on a German restaurant so NOTHING ELSE WOULD DO. And of course they are booked. Oh well.

  • cat_mom
    10 years ago

    "Fancy" dinner at home; well the dinner itself will be fancy, we'll be in our PJ's, and will eat in the kitchen instead of the DR so we can watch the Olympics while we eat!

    Had planned to pick up some smoked salmon this afternoon, but we will be attending a wake. If timing works out, we will stop at the store, if not, we surely won't go hungry.

    We will have Champagne, domestic caviar w/ toast points, salad, king crab legs, Brussels sprouts, some sort of potato (maybe roasted--I have a bag of teeny-tiny new potatoes just itching to be roasted whole or halved). I haven't planned a dessert, but if we aren't too full, I might try a chocolate soufflé recipe from a local chef that was in our paper the other day. I usually make Julia Child's recipe, but this one seems super quick and easy to make, and more importantly, only serves two, so I won't be gorging on leftover soufflé over the weekend (too much indulging during and after the holidays!).

  • kellienoelle
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Cat mom - funny you mentioned the PJs. On the main side a new thread was started and "dressing" was mentioned and I was thinking that perhaps I should forgo my typical PJs for real clothes. But your dinner in PJs watching the Olympics just sounds so much nicer!

  • Annie Deighnaugh
    10 years ago

    One year I made dinner at home, set up a table in front of the fireplace and of course served artichoke hearts among other things...

    One of my favorite desserts....molten chocolate baby cakes which I make with dark Belgian chocolate...yummo!

  • gsciencechick
    10 years ago

    The storm is over, and roads are getting better. I went to workout and then stopped at the supermarket. People are just out of control today with driving since they have been cooped up for most of the week. I picked up some pinot noir, and last night I cooked some salmon in parchment, goat cheese mashed potatoes, and steamed carrots. I am very happy to stay home!

    At the supermarket there was a woman making fresh chocolate-covered strawberries, so I bought a half dozen for us.

    We did not get any cards or gifts.

  • maddielee
    10 years ago

    We just drove past a McDonalds that is offering table service tonight.

    Servers actually coming to your table, taking your order and bringing your food to you.

    Candles on the tables.

    We did not stop there, but the place looked packed.

    Hope people remember to tip.

    ML

  • tishtoshnm Zone 6/NM
    10 years ago

    I had thought about making old-fashioned bolognese sauce, fresh pasta, salad and gluten free heart shaped cake pops but this day was a doozy, the 2 older kids will be at youth group, the 2 younger had too much sugar at school and Dh will not be home until at least 7. My best plan now is once I pick the older 2 up from church this evening is to try some of local apple brandy we bought last weekend and get a good night's sleep.

  • lynninnewmexico
    10 years ago

    We always get a bit over-celebrated by Valentine's Day. With the Christmas Season, New Year's Eve, our anniversary on January 15th, and then our birthdays on February 4th and 8th. By Valentines Day we're a bit weary. We still celebrate . . . but at home here. We had an incredible birthday dinner last Saturday night at Pappadeaux . Tonight I'm making this for our romantic dinner here:
    Beef Tenderloin Medallions with a Cognac Cream Sauce, roasted asparagus, mini tarts filled with Feta cheese and caramelized onions, a great bottle of wine and for dessert my Winter Spice Molten Lava Cakes with semi-homemade rum-ginger ice cream ( and coffee). All sound like they take a lot of skill and time but they're actually fairly simple and easy to make and the tarts are from Trader Joes.
    Happy Valentine's Day to you all!
    Lynn

  • dedtired
    10 years ago

    This day has not been so romantic, dealing with the tree guy and the plow guy, plus plenty of shoveling myself. House is a mess inside. I made a meat loaf because I had to use the ground beef rather than waste it so that was dinner along with some leftover broccoli. We will wait for the weekend to celebrate. SO did bring me roses, a cupcake and a card. Sweet.

  • lynninnewmexico
    10 years ago

    ((((Dedtired))))

  • cat_mom
    10 years ago

    We decided to come straight home after the wake, and skipped stopping at the store to pick up smoked salmon.

    We did eat in our PJ's :) and are enjoying the Olympics. No dessert--I'll count my third glass of champagne as dessert!

    Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

  • gsciencechick
    10 years ago

    The storm is over, and roads are getting better. I went to workout and then stopped at the supermarket. People are just out of control today with driving since they have been cooped up for most of the week. I picked up some pinot noir, and last night I cooked some salmon in parchment, goat cheese mashed potatoes, and steamed carrots. I am very happy to stay home!

    At the supermarket there was a woman making fresh chocolate-covered strawberries, so I bought a half dozen for us.

    We did not get any cards or gifts.

  • melsouth
    10 years ago

    DD2 came home from college with her boyfriend to visit his ill family member.
    DD3's boyfriend had to work.
    DH had a rough week, so we weren't planning to go out.
    I ordered pizza, and daughters made a chocolate chess pie.
    "Be Mine," I said to the pie.

  • User
    10 years ago

    Two forums,with the same thread! From the other one:

    Due to work commitments DH and I celebrated Valentine's Day, which is also our anniversary, having dinner and seeing Art Garfunkel in concert last Saturday. Valentine's is also the day(s) our children were christened, so two of the three came home for a family dinner to honor that occasion.

    Adding that we also go a little overboard with Valentine's Day because it is so much more than that for us....cards, candles, chocolates, jewelry, gifts for the kids. Since youngest child was not with us this year (because of their ages someone is usually missing, often all three) the older two packed up their brother's box and sent it to him.

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