My wonderful valentine!

Let me be the first to admit... I hit the husband jackpot. Sometimes I don't say it nearly enough, but Hubs is one of the most thoughtful and appreciative people I know (I'll leave it at that because I know he does have a reputation to uphold!)

Because Valentine's Day fell on a Tuesday this year and we have to get up before the sun, we decided to wait until the following weekend to celebrate Valentine's Day. On Tuesday afternoon Hubs showed up at home with a beautiful bouquet of flowers (tulips are one of my favorites) and groceries. Lots of them. 

 

He had a plan. 

Even though we decided to put the Valentine's Day celebration on hold for a few days, he decided the day couldn't go by without acknowledging it. So, he got to work ... in the kitchen! Yes, Hubs LOVES to cook and I will say, he is damn good at it. 

He told me to get lost while he slaved away on his signature dish. A little while later I turned the corner and was smacked in the face with the most wonderful smell. The smell of vodka cream sauce (from scratch) was simmering on the stove and as he handed me a glass of wine, I knew he was in his element. 

At this point, I feel the need to tell you the story behind this meal. You see, vodka cream pasta holds a special place in our hearts. When Mike and I started dating, he mentioned to me that he wanted to learn how to cook. So for his birthday that year, I bought him a few cookbooks. One of the books was a Rachel Ray cookbook that included her "Won't be Single for Long Vodka Cream Pasta" recipe. I guess he liked the title of the recipe and thought he would put it to the test because this was the first meal he ever cooked for me. As it turns out, Rachel Ray knew exactly what she was talking about because Hubs scored the girl AND found that he had a knack for cooking!

Over the years he has perfected his presentation and Valentine's Day dinner was no exception. The meal was absolutely wonderful. And then, as if the meal itself wasn't enough, he also had dessert planned.

Typically I'm not much of a dessert person, but I have a soft spot for  cheesecake and he knows it! Of course, Hubs couldn't just buy cheesecake...no, he had to make it look AMAZING! It had strawberries, blueberries, blueberry sauce, mint and chocolate hazelnut pirouettes... (you're hungry now aren't you?!?!?)

After dinner he surprised me with a brand spankin' new camera bag that I've been looking at for months.

As planned, we celebrated again over the weekend with a couple's massage and dinner reservations at Fire & Vine.

Over the years, I've said that I don't need a day marked on the calendar to show and tell people I love them (a "Hallmark holiday" of sorts). But I sure was thankful for that day this year. With our schedules being so crazy lately, it gave both of us the chance to relax, recharge and spend some quality time together AND we got to eat great food! 

We hope each of you had your perfect Valentine's Day!

Ciao for now...

(I've posted the recipe for this delicious vodka cream pasta under the Simply Food tab. Enjoy!)