Cassie and I spent yesterday afternoon baking heart-shaped sugar cookies to bag up and give her classmates for valentines. I did the mixing and she did the rolling, the cutting, the baking and moving them to the cooling racks. She did an AWESOME job!! We made big heart cookies so each classmate would need only one. We placed each in a cellophane goodie bag and tied off with red ribbon. She then wrote her classmates names on the outside of the bags. They looked really cute!!! So off they go with her today to be enjoyed with the kids lunches, I guess.
I have friends over for a pre-Valentines’ dinner tonight. It took me forever to figure out what to make though. Some coming over don’t eat red meat or pork but will eat fish, the others don’t care for seafood and like red meat and pork but all of them want to eat light. So what did I decide on? CHICKEN! Actually, gumbo. I wanted to make a filling, comfort food that had a little spice to warm us from the inside out. So I made a Chicken and Shrimp gumbo. Gumbo is a New Orleans dish that kinda has a stew consistency that you serve with rice. I used chicken, chicken andouille sausage, shrimp, okra, onion, celery and bell pepper. A really, good gumbo can take all day to simmer on the stove, so I made it yesterday so all those spices and flavors have the proper time to blend together. I’m making a brown wild rice to serve with it and a big salad on the side. For dessert I made a Red Velvet Cake with a Cream Cheese Icing. For Valentines’ Day it is just the perfect cake. When you cut into it, it just screams Valentines, with that gorgeous red color and ever so subtle chocolate flavor.
I have friends over for a pre-Valentines’ dinner tonight. It took me forever to figure out what to make though. Some coming over don’t eat red meat or pork but will eat fish, the others don’t care for seafood and like red meat and pork but all of them want to eat light. So what did I decide on? CHICKEN! Actually, gumbo. I wanted to make a filling, comfort food that had a little spice to warm us from the inside out. So I made a Chicken and Shrimp gumbo. Gumbo is a New Orleans dish that kinda has a stew consistency that you serve with rice. I used chicken, chicken andouille sausage, shrimp, okra, onion, celery and bell pepper. A really, good gumbo can take all day to simmer on the stove, so I made it yesterday so all those spices and flavors have the proper time to blend together. I’m making a brown wild rice to serve with it and a big salad on the side. For dessert I made a Red Velvet Cake with a Cream Cheese Icing. For Valentines’ Day it is just the perfect cake. When you cut into it, it just screams Valentines, with that gorgeous red color and ever so subtle chocolate flavor.
Whatever you are doing for Valentines, I hope it's wonderful. If you are single treat yourself to a decadent day. If you are married with family, hopefully you are getting the Valentines love thrown laid on you by your spouse and kids. But either way....love yourself. Treat yourself to something special. The love has to start at 'home', so to speak. LOVE YOURSELF first 'cause you are special. God made you special, unique and beautiful and the fact that He made you in the first place is reason enough to celebrate! Make sure to show Him some love today too!
Happy Valentines Day!!!!
