Sharing the Love || Happy Valentine's
Happy Valentine's cuties! I hope you all have a wonderful day filled with love from friends and family. I got to celebrate a day early with a few of my close friends. There is nothing like good friends to uplift you and make you feel special. And this is exactly what these friends did for me yesterday. Here are a few shots that captured the moment. Not to worry about recipes I will add links at the bottom if any of them catch your eye.
The Table || I loved having the large azalea plant in the middle before starting the meal. It gives beautiful height and really dresses the table. After we all sat I took it down so we could chat. Because really, this is all we wanted to do. Oooh and did you notice my fabric design on the table? Just did a little runner with some extra fabric.
The Meal || Leek soup. I wish I had a recipe for you but I just do it without measuring anything....You basically cook the leak in chicken broth and then puree it with a blender and add some parmesan cheese.
Halibut in Papillote. Its so easy and has such beautiful presentation. Its also nice for dinner parties because you prep it before the guests arrive and then just pop it in the oven. I used this recipe here. The recipe even comes with a video that shows how to fold the parchment paper properly which could be baffling to someone who has never done it before. I learned to cut the paper in the shape of a heart (how fitting!) to make it easier to fold, but the principle is the same.
Hummus. I didn't make it this time around but I do love Ina's version here.
Dessert. Flourless chocolate cake. I had a heart cake pan for the occasion. It has proven to be such a good investment over the years. I probably use it twice a year and I have had it for at least 12 years. I used this William Sonoma recipe for the cake here.
Little gifts of love || Here a few of the beautiful treats that were exchanged. Did you notice the sweet mama bird with her baby declaring their love for each other? Lucky me for having such a sweet baby girl to make me such sweet and beautiful things. One friend brought heart shaped bird feeders for everyone, which I thought was priceless. She followed this DIY. I can't wait to see the little blue jays and cardinals we get with it.
Go forth and love and be loved. Virtual kisses !!!
[ all photos by me for ML ]