HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

The kids are all in bed, have been for going on 2 hours, and Rick just headed to bed as well (he's been getting up too early all week), so I am finally getting caught up on my blogging! There hasn't been too much going on this week.

I always like to fix something a little nicer for dinner for Valentine's day. So tonite I made one of our favorites - Penne w/Ricotta, Lemon, & Asparagus. I have actually been craving this for awhile, but was not going to pay $4/pound for the asparagus, but I got lucky and it came on sale this week. It's really pretty simple, but I just don't make it as often as I'd like. Even the kids like it - asparagus and all!


And this year, I also tried out a new dessert recipe. This recipe for Molten Chocolate Mini Cakes comes from The Pampered Chef. However, it did not turn out at all how the picture in the Pampered Chef Season's Best Recipes book shows. Maybe because I did not use the Silicone Floral Cupcake Pan - I just used my regular old, boring cupcake pan - oh, and I think I must have cooked them about 1 minute too long. See, they are really supposed to be this pretty chocolate looking flower, with a liquid chocolate filling. How that works is a mystery - I think it's pretty cool that you just mix up 1 batter and the inside stays liquid, but that did not work for me - but they were still SO good! Very rich and did I mention how yummy they are? and easy! Yes, they were a lot easier than I thought they would be! I will definitely be making them again (sans Silicone Floral Cupcake Pan again) and aiming for that liquid filled center!

And yes, as you can see from the pictures (though it doesn't show up as good as I'd hoped), we did eat off of our China. Rick and I did at least - no fine China for the kids! I LOVE my China! We bought 1 place setting when we got married, and over the years Rick has surprised me with another place setting now and then - I think we now have 6 settings - halfway to where we'll eventually be - someday! I remember hearing a story sometime about someone who died and here was her beautiful this and that and china, things that she never used because they were too nice, and she wanted to wait for that extra special day to use these things and well, that day never came, and then it was too late. So I try and use my China and other nice things more often and even sometimes just for fun.