Friday, February 14th, 2014

Happy Valentine’s Day Hot Stuff

P1290496Happy Love Day! I’m celebrating Valentine’s Day with Belle and Conor (and Seamus) today because they’re all home for a second snow day… Will we survive? I don’t know. It’s really iffy at the moment. I’m thinking the only way to keep us all from getting stir-crazy and turning on one another is to have activities. Yesterday we were actually snowed-in, so I cooked, but today the sun is shining, so I’m keeping the oven off and taking a REAL snow day, meaning we do fun stuff. So right now, the schedule looks like this:

We stop watching Kung Fu Panda.

Change out of the sweatpants uniform we’ve been wearing since Wednesday night (and perhaps I put a bra on for the first time in 2 days).

Face the disaster that is the kitchen. I baked and cooked all day yesterday—my reflex reaction whenever we’re hunkered down during a natural disaster and there’s a chance we might lose power—so although we have pumpkin bread, gluten-free chocolate chip brownie cookies, and sausage-spinach-white bean- gratin aplenty, it looks like a bomb went off in my sink.

Don snow gear.

Go sledding!

Eat lunch.

Eat Candy.

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Watch some Olympics.

Make the kids go outside one more time before the sun sets.

Drink hot cocoa.

Figure out dinner. To be honest I don’t love the idea of going out for Valentine’s. Around these parts it’s all cheesy theme meals with sensual entrees and pink cocktails. No thank you. But do I want to cook? Not really. It’s a pickle. So instead, I will just imagine what my dream Valentine’s Day dinner would be, one that someone made for me:

First, either a big gluttonous platter of raw oysters or some smoked salmon with little toasts. Then the filet mignon with cognac dijon sauce that I had once in Paris at the restaurant Chez Georges. Perfectly cooked asparagus. A nice piece of runny cheese. Lots of champagne. End it with a bowl of berries topped with fresh whipped cream. That’s the dream. The reality? I heard someone mention Thai take-out. Hmmm. I’ll keep you posted. Until then–lots of love and don’t forget to treat yourself!
XOXO