Valentine's Day Dinner Recap

Thought I would share a bit about our Valentine's Day Dinner. As much as we enjoy going out for brunch, lunch or dinner, we have come to find that we most enjoy making food and enjoying mealtime together. No one can beat our pancake, bacon, hash browns, omelette brunches. We decided for Valentine's Day to recreate the lovely meal we had for New Year's Eve this year.

1) I threw in four big baking potatoes at about 5:30.
2) Made buttercream frosting following recipe from here and quickly frosted the cookies I baked Sunday night.
3) Did prep work to prepare asparagus spears, grated carrots, filet mignon. Started cooking marinated mushrooms with another great recipe from Talkin' Chow Playin' House.
4) Prepared baked potato toppings: butter, sour cream, monterrey jack and cheddar cheese, onions & crumbled bacon.
5) Unloaded the dishwasher and cleaned up everything I could to that point.
6) Pulled the potatoes from the oven and debated whipping up some hot crescent rolls. Too much food, nixed the rolls notion.
7) The Man arrived. I finished simple table setting.
8) Turned on burners to quick cook carrots, asparagus and steaks. Man pours chilled drink.
9) To carrots I stir in a couple of teaspoons of orange juice and dark brown sugar.
10) Twenty minutes later enjoyed a most fabulous meal with a most fabulous man. It was so good that I could only eat half of what was on my plate. But I got to enjoy it for lunch today which was excellent.

The best part was that having done this all once, it only took me half the time and effort as it did the first time. I leisurely enjoyed myself and every minute of putting the meal together. After dinner we did a bit of clean up and took a nice walk, chatting about the houses in the neighborhood as we wove our way up and down streets. Then we came back for tea and cookies and to share heartfelt cards and gifts. It was lovely.