Summertime Peach Cobbler

GAHHH, why isn't EVERYTHING made out of peaches?! It's the peak of summer and I cannot think of a single food that I love more.

I love peaches.

SO SO MUCH!

They're a real peach.  I guess that's where that saying comes from.

You can grill them, you can put them in salad, you can make my very favorite desserts out of them.  You can bob for them. You can eat them with a man named Bob. They'd even brighten up some corn on the cob. (Sorry, I momentarily channeled Dr. Seuss there. I'm on a peach sugar high). Anyway, there is really nothing that a peach can't make better. Even RK, who claims that he has always disliked peaches, now loves them. They are perfect. We are in love. WE are a real peach.

I am also in love with this cobbler recipe. It is SO simple. Nothing fancy. It just focuses on the flavor of the peaches and the simplicity of a perfect pastry topping. Just use very ripe, fresh peaches and you will have the perfect summertime dessert! Rich's grandmother's china is optional, but encouraged.

Ingredients:

For the peaches
8 fresh peaches, peeled, and sliced into thin wedges
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

For the pastry
1 cup flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
6 tablespoon chilled butter cut into small cubes
1/4 cup boiling water

For the topping
3 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Flaky sea salt (optional)

Method:
In a large mixing bowl, combine peeled and sliced peaches, 1/4 cup white sugar, 1/4 brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice, and cornstarch. Toss everything together until the peaches are coated evenly. Pour into a greased baking dish and bake in an oven preheated to 425 degrees for about 10 minutes.

While the peaches are baking, in another large bowl, combine flour, remaining sugars, baking poser, and salt. Using your fingers or a pastry blender, cut in the chilled butter and blend until the mixture resembles course meal. Stir in the boiling water until just combined.

Remove the peached from the oven and top with spoonfuls of the pastry topping. Sprinkle the entire cobbler with the cinnamon and sugar mixture. Bake until the topping is golden and the peaches are bubbling, about 40 minutes.

Remove the cobbler from the oven and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. This is totally optional, but I did it and it was delicious.

Serve warm with vanilla bean ice cream!

Juice: Day 4

Today I lived in my car and this juice was a perfect on the go snack in the coolest grown up sippy cups ever! (Thank you Cindy Kieth!)

Day 4:
1 apple
3 beets
3 large carrots
1-inch piece ginger

Happy Juicing!

Juice: Day 3

This weekend I learned two things:
1. There are things to drink that are more fun than juice.
2. Juice makes my body feel better on Monday morning.

Happy juicing!

Day 3:
2 cups blueberries
2 kiwifruit, peeled
16 strawberries
2 cups mint leaves

30 Days of Juicing... Starts NOW!

Say what?

Now, before you get your panties all in a bunch.... I am NOT in any way, shape, or form even hinting at a juice cleanse. Have you met me? I would rather die. And juice cleanses CAN kill you. Buttttttt, seeing as I have decided that it is fall now (have you heard?) and I was less than kind to my body this summer, I thought maybe a little nutrition and T.L.C. might be nice. This is not a cleanse, a weight loss plan, or anything of the sort (yuck!) it is simply a way to try some new juices that are vitamin and nutrient dense! Plus, these juices sound seriously delicious.

You see, I was perusing Williams Sonoma earlier, as I do, and came across their plan for 30 days of juicing. I am not an idiot, I know that it was a ploy to sell me a juicer that I already have, but that made it all the easier to avoid the sales pitch (though I have been begging Richard for a Vitamix since forever and if Santa ends up bringing me one instead I may go back up the chimney with that sexy silver fox.) But rather than worry about that, I have begun obsessing over a new plan that I will most likely fail at. I am not very good at committing to things (Rich cover your ears), but, again, considering what I put my liver through over the past few months, I thought that this was a very good idea. And for the record, I make no promises some Kettle One won't find its way into one of these juices. After all, my liver has come to expect a certain workload and I wouldn't want it to think it has let me down.

So, here I am. I am going to blog EVERY DAY with a new juice recipe. I am serious. It's happening. You are welcome to join us... Richard and I, that is. I am not sure if he is as motivated as me, but as my husband he is well versed in that all too true idiom, "happy wife, happy life..." so he really doesn't have a choice. He did, roughly a year ago, but he chose me, and now WE chose juice. (See what I did there?)

Here it is. Day 1:

Day 1:  2 pints blueberries 2 pints blackberries Seeds of 3 pomegranates

Believe it or not.... it was delicious.

Summer Grilled Salad & Join a CSA!

Summer how I love thee. Let me count the ways:

Barbecues (Rich concurs)
Bikinis (Rich loves the even more than me)
Sun dresses (Rich may know what these are)
Self tanner (please note: not sun bathing. I am a ging after all.)

And of course peaches, plums, berries, watermelon, corn, 'maters (southern husband, I can say this) summer squash...... actually..... ALL SUMMER PRODUCE!!!

garden harvest!

Oh, summer produce. We are so lucky to live in California where our summer is year round and our produce is extra wonderful and easily accessible. However, if you love summer produce, but hate getting up early on Sunday morning, grabbing your hand woven reusable hemp bags, and braving the unkempt masses who keep trying to hand you a flyer so you'll "come check out their band, do what Richard and I just did... We joined a CSA!  And it has been seriously awesome. What is a CSA you ask? It is community supported agriculture. Every Thursday morning we wake up to a box filled with organic and seasonal fruits and vegetables right on our doorstep. Even better, the farmers know they can count on you to make a purchase, so you're helping lower the cost of seasonal organic produce, all without having to go see anyone's "band." The company that we go through is called Farm Fresh To You. Unlike a lot of CSA's there's no long term commitment, so can cancel at any time, let them know what you like, and if you are the tenth caller, we'll throw in a snazzy watermelon phone (Rich says that joke is funny to people who are old enough to remember the Sports Illustrated football phone. I am not one of those people). Seriously though, if you go to their website and enter the code 6164 you'll get $10.00 off when you check out! That's it. Infomercial over. (I'm obsessed.)

Between our CSA and our garden we have been super spoiled this summer. And with all of this bountiful produce we've had to get creative with what we eat so that it doesn't all go bad! This grilled salad is perfect for that! You can pretty much take whatever veggies you have in your fridge and add them to my super simple (sibilant) salad recipe!

Summer Grilled Salad

Ingredients:
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
 2 ears of corn
1 onion, sliced
1 zucchini
1 yellow summer squash
A few leaves of kale
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup of cooked quinoa
Goat cheese (optional)
Chopped basil
Salt and pepper

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Juice and zest from 2 lemons
3 small garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 small shallot, minced
Salt and Pepper


Method:
Preheat your grill to medium high heat and prep your veggies! Slice the onion and squash. I kept the squash in large pieces for easier grilling. I left the peppers, corn, and kale whole. Toss everything with a little bit of olive oil and a dash of salt and pepper.

Grill your veggies until everything is slightly charred. The kale grills super fast, the corn will take 10 minutes or so. Once everything is grilled, set vegetables aside until cool enough to handle. This is a good time to make your dressing.

To make the dressing, combine lemon juice, zest, shallots, garlic, and mustard. Slowly whisk in the olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Once the veggies are cooled, chop the squash, bell peppers, and kale. Remove the corn kernels and toss all of the veggies together with the cooked quinoa and the dressing. To serve, top with chopped basil and goat cheese if you like.

Fig and Honey Ice Cream

I am getting a late start today. The Mr. and I hosted trivia last night (I know, we're super cool) and the two-ish (read: "five")  glasses of wine that I had to cure my stage fright really took their toll. Ugh. I do not deal with hangovers well. Not at all. 

I made a grilled cheese for breakfast because I am a 12 year old (that drinks "two-ish" glasses of wine on a Wednesday night) and have been getting to know the comfy side of our couch really well. I don't know what has happened to me in my ripe old age of 27, but when I was in college, for that semester, I knew nothing of this mopy, alcohol induced depression. I was a young, spring chicken that could throw back a few margaritas at night and run 3 miles in the morning. Who am I kidding. I hate tequila and rarely get my heart rate above whatever my resting heart rate is. But you get the idea... Hangovers suck. Almost as much as running. 

So, here I am at 2:30 getting my life together. There is bolognese sauce cooking on the stove and I am joyfully eating this fig ice cream that I just made. Holy F is it good. It tastes a little bit like fall.... which I am ok with... but I felt it necessary to give you a heads up that it may induce pumpkin pie cravings and the odd need to put on a sweater. Speaking of which, I should probably get dressed. Time to make something of this day.

Ingredients:

1 pound ripe black mission figs, stemmed and quartered
¼ cup honey
2 tbsp. light brown sugar
1½ tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 stick cinnamon
½ cup sugar
2 egg yolks
1½ cups heavy cream
½ cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Method:

Bring figs, honey, brown sugar, juice, ½ tsp. salt, cinnamon, and ⅓ cup water to a boil in a 2-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, until figs break down and mixture is thickened like jam, about 35 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

Meanwhile, using a hand mixer, beat sugar and egg yolks in a bowl until pale yellow, about 5 minutes. Add remaining salt, cream, milk, and vanilla, and beat until combined. Pour into an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. After churning, alternate layers of ice cream and fig sauce in a storage container, and then freeze for at least 6 hours to set.

Inspiration from Saveur Magazine

Strawberry Buttermilk Ice Cream

There are some really great things about getting older. You get a new sense of freedom and responsibility, you become more comfortable with yourself (which I think is a good thing, anyways...) and if you really want to- you can eat ice cream for breakfast, lunch, and dinner... which at this point, I am going to have to seriously start considering because our freezer is about to explode.

With this heat wave in LA I have pretty much deemed my oven out of order! It's hot outside.... and when you live in a charming 1940's building- it's even hotter inside, making our oven, stove, and even using hot water completely unacceptable. The good news? This ice cream is also no cook. That's right. So stay full and stay cool...

Ingredients:

1 pint strawberries, washed, hulled and halved

1 2/3 cups heavy cream

3/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract

Pinch of salt 

Method:

Combine everything in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth with just a few small chunks of berries in the mix. Scrape into your ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Serve right away, soft-serve style, or transfer to a quart-sized container, cover tightly, and freeze until firm.

Watermelon Sorbet

I may be slightly obsessed with making ice cream right now.... I can't stop and I won't stop. The weather in LA has been hellishly brutal and the only way I have been able to deal has been in front of the kitchen AC unit, elbows deep in cream and sugar.

This summer, making ice cream has become to me what pie baking is in the winter. I don't always succeed, but it is an absolute necessity. Also, like pie, the sugary bastard has a way of sticking around a little longer than it is welcome if you know what I mean. If you don't know what I mean.... I mean on my ass. Ugh. So, today, rather than painfully putting the delicious strawberry-buttermilk ice cream that I was about to make directly into the freezer with out any guilty spoonfuls, I decided to try something a little different and lot healthier.

*please note that when I say healthy.... I am talking in relative terms here. There is still sugar in this recipe. I am not God. 

I am not the biggest fan of sorbet. To me it is the less smooth and much less creamy distant cousin to my very close friend, ice cream. But, my ass and I decided that giving sorbet another shot probably wasn't the worst idea for us. Since eating watermelon with a spoon (seriously....cut it in half, grab a spoon, and watch your life change) has recently become one of my favorite past-times, I decided to start there. If I had known sorbet is quite possibly the easiest thing on the planet to make, maybe I would have started getting to know this side of frozen treats a little bit sooner. But, I will live with no regrets and start now!


Watermelon Sorbet

Ingredients:
4 1/2 cups of watermelon puree
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons lime juice
Fresh mint


Method:
Puree the watermelon. Cut watermelon into chunks, put it in a blender and turn the blender on. That is all you do. If you are feeling crazy, make some extra. It's juice and it's delicious. If you're feeling like I usually do on a saturday... make a cocktail with it. Back to the sorbet......

In a small saucepan, bring ½ cup watermelon puree and the sugar to a simmer and remove it from the heat. Add the lime juice and zest and allow the mixture to cool for 20 minutes. Add the 4 cups fresh watermelon puree to the melon-lime mixture, and then freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. 

You can also pour the watermelon mixture into a shallow metal pan and freeze until ice crystals form around the edges, about 30 minutes. Stir the ice crystals into the center of the pan and return to the freezer; repeat every 20 minutes until all the liquid is frozen.

**Next time I make this (which will probably be this afternoon because I am a fat kid) I will most definitely add fresh mint into the sorbet, not just on top. When you puree the watermelon in the blender, add a few springs of mint for ann extra refreshing treat!

Summer Peach and Basil Ice Cream with Mascarpone

A couple's first minor appliance (see: crock pot, toaster, electric wine opener) purchase together is a big deal. Making a decision to buy something with your significant other says that not only can you agree on at least (this) one thing, but also that you see your relationship withstanding at least the limited warranty period of said item... So, for Rich and I, that special day where we took our relationship to the next level by putting a $50 price tag on it, came just after the three month mark. And with that purchase, not only were we ready to bet $50.00 dollars our love would last at least twelve months (barring user error or an act of God) we were also committing to gaining the "new couple 15" together... with our very own ICE CREAM MACHINE. 

We were really serious about eating ice cream... not as serious as we were about each other, though, because we got engaged 5 months later. Our ice cream maker didn't make it through the engagement (or it's own warranty period), but being the dreamboat that Richard Keith is, the week of our wedding I came home to a brand new, much nicer, commercial grade ice cream maker. You know, one of the ones that you lust over in Williams Sonoma.... Which of course made me want to make ice cream even more! 

So, with the monsoonal heat wave kicking in, it's time for my newest flavor...

summer peach and basil ice cream with mascarpone

With the hot weather in LA the past couple of weeks and my boarder line unhealthy obsession with peaches (I don't know if my mother deprived me of them as a child, but I just want to eat 9 a day) making peach ice cream was is a given. Right now there are about 10 in our fruit bowl at all times, causing me to be turning everything edible into some sort of peachy creation. They're being grilled, chopped, baked.... and I realized today that it was time for them to be frozen, too!

Ingredients:

4 medium sized, ripe peaches

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 cup basil leaves

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup whole milk

3/4 cups sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

4 egg yolks

1 cup mascarpone

Method:

For the peaches: 

Preheat oven to 400 F. Bring a 4-quart saucepan of water to a boil. Drop the peaches in and boil for about 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and plunge into an ice bath. Rub the skins off the peaches and discard. Slice the peaches in half with a pairing knife. Remove the pit and discard. Line a 9×13-inch baking dish with foil. Lay the peaches pit-side up in the dish and sprinkle with the brown sugar. Roast for 30 minutes, until soft and glazed. Let cool and puree in a food processor or blender until smooth. Set aside.

For the ice cream:

In a 4-quart saucepan over medium high heat, combine the basil, cream, milk, sugar, and salt. When the sugar is dissolved and the mixture has just started to steam, remove from heat, cover, and let steep for 30 minutes. Strain through a fine mesh sieve and return to the saucepan.

Return to just a boil over medium-high heat. Take 1 cup of the hot cream and slowly drizzle it into the mascarpone, whisking until smooth and no lumps are left. Slowly drizzle the remaining hot cream into the yolks, whisking constantly. Whisk the egg mixture into the mascarpone mixture, and then return everything to the saucepan. Heat over medium-high for about 5 minutes, until slightly thickened. Pour through a mesh sieve and cool over an ice bath.

 

Cover and refrigerate until well chilled, 3 hours or up to 3 days. Churn according to your ice cream maker’s instructions. Spread half of the ice cream into a shallow, 2-quart dish with an airtight lid. Top with the peach puree and then layer the rest of the ice cream over the puree. 

Strawberry Basil Hand Pies

Since turning 27 (and immediately becoming older, more mature, and grown-up) I have had a few revelations:

1. My hangovers now SUCK. Way worse than ever. I mean, waaaaay worse. Pizza has stopped saving me, which is probably a good thing because....

2. That one slice of pizza from last week.... now likes to make itself right at home on my ass. That is NOT it's home!

3. I have learned that it is that time in my life where I can no longer have everything I want. (At least when it comes to food. In the rest of my life, however, 27 is an ideal age to get EVERYTHING I want.) 

So, with all of my external ass checking and internal soul searching I have learned to just accept that dessert and I are now on a break. In fact, we've gotten a divorce. Yeah, it was that serious.  

But then I realized that there are two things in life that I love even more than dessert... and they are WINE & CHEESE. So in my breakup with desert I've learned how to live footloose and fancy free and enjoy being "single." Because now, this "single" girl, has regular trysts with her two favorite suitors, wine and cheese. (Or "vino y queso" if I'm feeling a little extra slutty).

So, just when I thought I'd finally moved on from desert and was embracing my inner Samantha (she liked threesomes, too, right?) along comes a recipe that just sweeps me off my feet and makes me rethink everything. I mean EVERYTHING. 

Not only are these little pies desert, they go really well with wine (a glass of rose) and cheese (any and all). So now I'm all confused, my world is turned upside down, and thanks to these little pies, this little ginger is ALL HANDS...

Strawberry Basil Hand Pies

Ingredients:

For the crust-

You can make your own crust. I don't. There is perfectly good pie crust at the market that takes 1/48374 of the mess and work and self loathing. I hate making pie crust. It is not something I am good at and I like being good at everything.

For the filling-

3 cups strawberries, hulled and quartered

2 Tablespoons sugar

1 Tablespoon cornstarch

1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

You will also need:

1 egg

Sugar for dusting

garden berries

Method:

In a saucepan, combine all of the filling ingredients and heat until thick and bubbly, stirring constantly. The filling should take about 8-10 minutes to get really think. If you stop stirring it will burn or turn hard and nothing will be good. 

Once thick, remove from heat, cover, and set aside. 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

On a floured surface, roll out pie dough to about 1/4 inch thickness. Using a biscuit cutter, the rim of a glass, or some other circular thing you can find in your kitchen, cut dough into about 4 inch circles. 

Using a pastry brush (or your finger) dab egg wash along the outer rim of 1/2 of the pieces of dough. 

On each egg washed piece of dough, mound a tablespoon or so of filling right in the middle. Place a non egg washed piece of dough on top, making sure the two pieces of dough are "glued" together. Then take a fork and crimp the edges of each pie. 

Repeat this until you are out of dough.... I had leftover filling and a spoon and made that work. Don't judge me. 

Place pies on a parchment lined baking sheet. Brush each pie with egg wash, poke a few holes in the top to let the steam out, and dust with course sugar. 

Bake 18-22 minutes until the crust is golden and the filling is starting to ooze out. 

HOW TO: Pack the Perfect Picnic!

I have this kind of creepy obsession with picnics. This is news to nobody. It all started about 4 years ago when I went to Cinespia for the first time. (For those of you who live somewhere with a little more substance and purpose than Los Angeles, Cinespia is summer movie screenings at the Hollywood Cemetery and they are awesome.) Actually, my obsession started the second time I went. The first time that I picnicked with ghosts and tipsy hipsters, my Trader Joe's shopping bag of pre-packaged goodies was put to shame. I went home, purchased a proper picnic basket, educated myself on cheese and the importance of other incredibly yuppy snacks, and the rest is history. Some may be a little embarrassed by my picnic enthusiasm, but those who are lucky enough to be eating out of my basket (hmmm... that could be phrased in a less weirdly sexual way) are nothing less than thrilled. I just really love picnics.

1. My first Pic-Tip (that's a cuter way of saying picnic tip, obviously) is that any outing can be the perfect time for a picnic! Especially this time of year. Rich and recently went sailing and before the boat was booked, I was already thinking of snacks to pack.

2. Pack a pretty basket. It doesn't matter if you pack it heavy, that's what boys are for. If you are a cooler kind of chick, fine, so be it. But I think picnic baskets should be just that.... baskets.

2. Use jars to pack food. They are pretty AND you can eat right out of them. Again, they may be heavy, but see above. Plus, if you have leftovers, they can go right into the fridge when you get home. 

3. Put sauces and dressings on the side. Nobody likes a soggy salad. 

4. SALADS! Nothing better than a crisp snack on a hot day! Plus, salad possibilities are endless. For this picnic I made a roasted beet salad, a Brussels sprout salad with shallots and dijon, and a caprese salad.

5. This kind of goes with the jar tip.... but pack in food in clear containers! That way you can see what is in everything without having to open each container up. Plus, lets be honest.... it looks pretty. 

 6. Pack your plastics! We always use plastic dinnerware and govino glasses! They are not breakable, but they cut down on waste. I do buy disposable flatware, but made from corn, not petroleum. You may as well be friendly to the planet!

7.  Please, please, don't forget the cheese plate! Every good dinner party has one.... so every good picnic should, too! And make sure to pack your cheese knives- plastic ones are less than helpful. A few of my favorite picnic cheese that everyone will enjoy are manchego, camembert, and gorgonzola!

8. Remember some carbs. Salads are great on a hot summer's day, but we all need some carbs..... especially when there is alcohol involved, which, let's be honest.... what's a picnic without a few adult beverages? In this picnic I packed some quinoa tabbouleh, a baguette (key!) some crackers and some strawberry-basil hand pies!

** note- things you can eat with your hands are perfect for a picnic! Cookies are of course wonderful, but try hand pies in your next picnic! They are easy, delicious, and sure to impress!

9. BOOZE! Summer + day drinking are like two little tipsy peas in a pod....just perfect together. (Just remember a wine opener or look for a screw off top.... you don't want to bring the goods and not be able to drink them!)

10. These guys.... are awesome. I want one.

Happy picnicking!

Pea Shoot Salad with Strawberries and Shaved Cucumbers

I'm not going to lie.... spring is actually my least favorite time for seasonal produce. There are obviously a few winners: artichokes, asparagus, and every kind of citrus you can dream of. But come summer, my little farmer's market shopping heart is singing from the rooftops!  My freckles are beginning to pop up and my allergies are raging..... this can only mean one thing- SUMMER PRODUCE! Yippee! With the temperature rising, the hubby and I have started frequenting all of our local farmer's markets on a more than regular basis. And while I'm not up to my elbows in perfectly ripe peaches just yet, a few summer favorites have already started popping up... and a few new favorites!

How am I just now finding out about pea shoots!!!!

I love green peas. They taste just like green peas. We are a match made in heaven!

As you can imagine, pea shoots taste like the peas that they grow. They are sweet, crunchy, and so so tasty! Apparently you can replace most lettuces with them, add them to stir frys, or.... make this amazing salad. This was my first rodeo with my new favorite green, and it will certainly not be my last!

Ingredients:
3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp organic honey (local if you have allergies!)
1 cup strawberries, hulled and sliced
1/2 cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
1 bunch of pea shoots
Almonds & goat cheese

Method:
Pour the honey and balsamic vinegar into a small saucepan and reduce by 1/2 over low heat. Let cool. If you don't feel like making a reduction, Whole Foods sells a great balsamic reduction. I once bought it by accident.... best accident ever.

Toss the pea shoots, strawberries, and cucumbers together and drizzle the balsamic reduction on top. Top with almonds and goat cheese. I clearly was all out of goat cheese, but I really wish that I wasn't.

Rich told me this was one of his favorite salads of all time. That actually means something.... he is not as hyperbolic as I am.


***There are so many Farmer's Markets around town... LA Times Farmer's Markets is a great website if you want to venture away from the overwhelming Hollywood Farmer's Market on Sundays!

Happy Valentines DIY....

I am having a really hard time writing this blog because all I can manage to do is sit here and stare at our FILTHY apartment. I feel I should also point out that according to Richard, "this is not filthy by guy standards." So I guess I should more accurately say, our apartment looks more like the back room of an arts and crafts store.

One corner of the living room is piled high with different colored tulle from my latest DIY project. The coffee table is covered in pearls and scraps of twine from making bracelets for my darling flower girls. The kitchen.... as usual.... has 3 different stovetop creations cooking away and the dining room table is piled high with sad looking Valentines Day decorations that are about 24 hours past their prime... which after the drinks I had at dinner last night, is also how I feel at the moment (more on this later.) Okay, in hindsight, maybe I went a little overboard this year....

But come on, a holiday that celebrates love with obnoxious pink and red sparkly hearts and cheesy sayings to fill your darling's head with? Please. I LOVE this day.... and 2 hours ago anyone that would have walked in off the streets would have taken one look at my (our) apartment and could have said with certainty one of two things: A. I robbed a hallmark store or B. At one point.... Cupid MUST have lived and /or died here.... or something along those lines.

yes, I did cut out all those hearts by hand. 

My (our) apartment looked like a scene out of any man's worst nightmare... paper hearts strung from every corner, red and white dollies (heart shaped, duh) covering every inch of space visible to the human eye, and valentines piled high on every surface...... what can I say? I'm a romantic.... and I am also someone who will take any opportunity to decorate, throw a party, or plan a totally cheesy expression of my undying love for my VERY patient and sweet fiancé.

So 3 paragraphs later we are going to get to my point (it takes longer to get there with every blog I write... which based on the other long-winded blogs I read, means I'm in danger of officially becoming a real blogger.) To my point... I swear!

A breakfast worthy for St. Valentine himself.

On the menu:
Caramelized onion and bell pepper omelets with melted jack cheese.
Heart shaped bacon bites
Fresh mixed berries
Heart shaped toast

Yes.... "heart shaped" was indeed typed twice up there..... I already admitted that I went over board, but hey..... the way to a man's heart is with food (even if that same food will slowly kill his heart), no matter what shape it may be in.

How to charm his socks off with heart shaped bacon bites:

Begin by cutting each strip of bacon in half. Then, on a lined and rimmed pan (unless you want bacon fat flooding your oven) take the 2 halves of bacon and form hearts. Each half strip of bacon will be on side of the heart. 

Bake in a 400 degree oven for 18-20 minutes.

...more heart shaped perfection.

indeed.

his and hers mugs hand crafted by yours truly.

Now, I know what you are thinking "Gosh, Sarah, you are the best fiancé ever.... how does Richard ever live up to this high standard of romance and creativity that you have set?" Well, let me tell you....

My darling fiancé proved his love to me with a stunning bouquet of broccoli flowers that he grew himself (gosh, I love him) and the most fabulous Valentines dinner date. He is a charmer. 

freshly picked form our garden. 

We had dinner at Fig and Olive and it was fantastic. Now, I am not the biggest fan of dining a la prix fixed menu, but I must say that the food definitely lived up to the hype. Everything was wonderfully prepared and the service was amazing. 

For your viewing pleasure and to get your mouth watering......

 I started with a braised veal tenderloin carpaccio with caper mayonnaise, shaved mushrooms, and pine nuts. Unfortunately I was so hungry I didn't stop to take a picture of this amazing dish.

For my main course I had a grilled free- range chicken breast marinated in fresh thyme and white truffles and served with leek confit and truffled mashed potatoes.

2 cucumber martinis later and a very full stomach later......

I am a girl who rarely finishes her plate and I may have well licked it clean last night. I even had a few bites of Richard's grass fed Filet mignon. Every single bite was to die for. I think I still smell of truffles. 

And while I've mentioned my aversion to pre-fixe menus,

the one bonus is, they INCLUDE desert. Which means you

have to eat it, right?

 

Yes, that is a plate with 3 different desserts. 

A heart shaped chocolate soufflé.

Lavender and honey madeline.

Amaretto ice cream. 

oh my. 

So, to sum up this years Valentine's Day, my first and last with my fiancé (next year he'll be my husband, yay) in one word... over-indulgence. Does a hyphenate count as two words? Either way, Valentine's Day is a holiday of excess. Excess food, excess wine, and excessive romance. And I for one, excessively love it.