sweet nothings

So Valentines Day for us was Saturday night, we ran Saturday morning then spent the rest of the day just relaxing. Once it hit about 330 we decided to get up and start preparing our appetizer. Well let me tell you that the recipe came from Rachel Ray’s 30 minute meals and let me tell you there is no way that she could do all that in 30 min! NO way! I mean Kelly & I both worked on this meal and we couldn’t do it in 30 minutes!

For those of you who missed the entire menu:



1st course: Toasted Ravioli with a red dipping sauce


2nd course: Blacked Pepper covered Beef tenderloin with a masala cream sauce


Sides: Grilled Asparagus with Sweet Potato Fries and a garlic mayo dipping sauce


3rd course: Dark Chocolate Truffle Cupcakes



Anyway I did the baked ravioli appetizer while Kelly worked on the sweet potatoes.

Rachel also lied about her timing.. she says to cook for 3-4 min on each side of the ravioli. Well after 3 min on one side they were little blacken charcoal balls and I was MAD! I threw the first batch away and didn’t photograph these. In fact I probably could have lied and acted like I am Rachel Ray and they were perfect first time around… but I am not RR & I fail sometimes.. so why lie! Here is my second batch.

The streaks.. the golden steaks as I will lovingly call them! Kelly says I was taken by the butcher.

So I go to Wal-mart (mind you I don’t buy the meat, Kelly does. I feel like that is his manly job.  So he always does it & I have no clue!) Well I looked and looked at Wal-Mart for the steaks and I couldn’t find the exact title that RR had in the book and I began to get stressed  annoyed!
So I call Kelly & need to know what to do about this steak situation..

Well he tells Wal-Mart will be cheaper.. and was pretty busy at work and couldn’t talk, so I was left to make the tough decision alone! Well I just wanted out of the mad house that was Wal-mart and I wanted to make sure I got the exact right thing so I peaced out and headed to Bentonville meat & seafood.. which I may add I LOVE! It has fun gourmet stuff and like to walk around pick out things I can use for my next creation. So I go in tell the nice old man behind the counter that I want 4 1” beef tenderloin steaks? I think that I have sucker written on my head, but I guess no one clued me in cause when bill the butcher hands me my stuff back the price he prints off says 40 BUCKS! %)*&%)&)({(_+_)….40 dollars are you kidding me? Am I buying a cooked Ruth’s Chris steak cause that is the only way I should be spending 40 flippin dollars!

Well me and my budget just about threw up in the floor. I mutter something that sounds like thank you and walk to the register. As I head hope I curse myself and think how I could have gone to the Actual Ruth’s Chris for as much as I have spent!

So back to the romantic valentines dinner..
Here are the Golden Steaks..

So good you could eat it raw?

One of our sides..

Kelly did the steaks & the sweet potatoes, I was in charge of the appetizer, asparagus, & cupcakes.. which by the way were amazing! Thanks jenni for sharing your book! They were dark chocolate & super easy! I feel that since they are dark chocolate I feel healthier when I eat them.

Please excuse the haze of smoke in some of the pictures… the skillet steaks we a little smoky..

 

This is our wonderful meal!

I am now obsessed with marsala sauce. I have never had it before and now I want it for every meal! Which is part of the reason that tonight I will make a marsala chicken for dinner!

Our romantic gifts...
Kelly got me an Itunes gift card

I got him a big bag of dark chocolate m&m’s & a big family size supply of gum since he complains I never have any. Which I still won't have any cause I gave it all to him and he will forget it! :)

Happy Monday.. I have 3 days and I will be on the mountain!! I hope this week flies by!