Valentine's Dinner 2019

 It's the day after Valentine's and I have been absent for a while. This has been a very busy week, and I haven't had to time to sit and chat with you, shame on me! One of the reasons was because I knew that I would be working on Valentine's Day, and so I needed to get everything possible done ahead of time. The other reason is that I am making a three tier wedding cake this week also. So, a little busy ;)

 Wednesday I made my three desserts, and prepped the dinner. I cut and pounded out the chicken for paillards, made two pans of au gratin potatoes to toss in the oven the next day, made pitchers of tea, and set the table before bed. Oh, and baked nine layers of strawberry wedding cake. Can't forget that!

 I set the table with my Johnson Bros red transferware British Castles. I use this so often, but it just beautiful and fits so many occasions- Christmas and Valentine's especially. I used paper napkins because I just knew there was going to be a lot of red lipstick (mine, for example) and I just didn't want the horror of getting it out of my antique napkins. Pick your battles, I always say. I also used the Ruby Flash goblets I bought at my Grandma Tommy's antique store back when I was a teen and dreaming of having dinners like this. I set out my homemade cards and a treat.  The chalkboard hearts on clothespins were found at Walmart and used for my namecards.

I had to show a picture of my butter dish. I have several that I use at different times, but the old milk cow is one of my favorites. For dinner I made a Barefoot Contessa recipe for chicken paillards  crusted in seasoned panko crumbs mixed with fresh chopped thyme, lemon zest, and grated Parmesan cheese. I am going to have to share the recipe with you because it was a big hit and very easy. I made 6 pans of chicken (I had two cast iron skillets going) in 30 minutes. I had bread and salad as sides, along with some amazing potatoes. The taters are sliced thin and layered with cheeses and then topped with a creamy sauce filled with chopped fresh sage and garlic. I changed the cheese from Fontina (smells like stinky feet!!) to smoked Gouda (YUM), and the chopped garlic to roasted garlic cloves. I have never been fond of scalloped or au gratin potatoes because they are often bland, or even soupy. Not these!! Would you like the recipe? Of course I didn't get any pictures of the supper food. I cooked it and we put it in our faces ;). But the picture below has a lot of happy and full people. Devin and Pop are finishing seconds while Seth is on thirds.

 But on to the good stuff! Well, one great, one good, and one just sad...The great was Port Soaked Cherry Brownies with Port Ganache. Yeah. You chop dried cherries and boil them in port. Then you make the brownie batter on the stovetop and stir in the cherries. It looks like delicious tar! While these are baking you cook down 1/2 cup of port to only 2 tablespoons. It smelled a bit like burning hair by the end and I was a tad worried, but it tasted like thick cherry syrup! You stir that into hot cream and melted chocolate for the ganache frosting.

 Look at the deadly little chunks of black death! They were so moist and good, but I should have made them half this size. It was an Olympic feat to get a whole one down, but I managed it and some of the other desserts too.

 I was so proud that I hadn't gotten any new Valentine decorations this year. Then moma wanted to go to the Cellar Door Antique Store in Springdale. She had a gift card burning a hole in her wallet, and I always love to go. I found the gorgeous handmade runner below with the heart border in a basket full of linens for 50 cents. The antique heart cookie cutter, and one I got shaped like a bunny, were $1 each. What a satisfying and frugal shopping trip. And I came right home and put out the runner and used the cookie cutter in my second dessert...

 I had made a layered raspberry cream cake for church not long ago and had an extra layer. I make them with a buttermilk cake filled with whole raspberries. I froze the extra layer with the plan to use it at Valentine's because of the pretty color. I cut it into heart shapes.

 Then I topped them with piped whipped cream and a fresh raspberry. But the best part was that my soon-to-be-daughter-in-law Belle had given me a package of the sweetest little cocktail picks at Christmas. They are red, green, blue, yellow, and white. But they are shaped like arrows with hearts for the fletching. That was back in December, but my mind instantly paired the little red arrows with a Valentine dessert.

And they looked adorable piercing the hapless little berries! This dessert was the favorite of the I'd rather not die by chocolate group.

And last is my sad dessert. It had such potential, and I was so excited about it! I was going to make meringue kisses, one of my youngest son's favs. He also loves dried strawberries. I had the seemingly brilliant idea to crush the berries into powder and use them to both color and flavor the meringue. And then I thought it would be cute and yummy to pipe them on a piece of dried strawberry. It looks like a winner, doesn't it?

 However, when the meringues baked they browned so much more than they usually do. And the berries on the bottom were almost black! Why? All I can think is that the berries were already dry and the meringue bake to brittle dryness, so perhaps the berry bits went overdone? Look how sweet and pink it still is in the center. The thing is they didn't taste horrible. They tasted a lot like strawberries I have roasted on a sheet. But they looked so unappetizing that they didn't really get eaten. Sigh. Best laid plans of mice and Sammi...

But all in all it was a success, with folks eating so much their bellies ached. I consider that a good supper! And yes, I remembered to wear my sweet little Valentine apron. I actually had it on underneath another apron while I fried chicken. I'm afraid it's too sheer to be very utilitarian! And now it's Friday, and time to clean up what remains of our party so I can start frosting about a million or so layers of wedding cake.

 Did you have a happy Valentine's Day? Just in case no one said it to you yesterday- I love you and appreciate your visits to come see me. And you know what's even better? Jesus loves you! For him, every single day is Valentine's Day, and you are his dearest love. Just think on that for a bit, Dear Reader. It's the sweetest Valentine you could ever get...