This post is going to my first blog that's literally dinner for two. It's also going to be a three course meal! It's also going to be the first time I have made any of it except for the brownies (I got lazy, the brownies are box made).
Anyway, I'm not going to go into the recipes, I'm going to give you the links and just let you know if I did anything differently. Like I said earlier in the post, this is the first time I've made any of it other than the dessert (though I'm mixing it up this time). Since everything I'm making is new though I'm going to at least tell you all about whether or not we loved it and/or how I came up with the menu.
Appetizer:
Roasted Red Pepper Soup from my girl Sweet Love & Ginger
Reason behind making this: For one, it's been cold all week. Second, I hadn't really thought about needing an appetizer until I saw her blog about what she was doing for Valentine's Day and decided what the heck. FYI this is in fact the only thing I stole from her for the night. I asked Francis what he wanted for dessert and well, he chose the same thing.The Verdict: I wish I had a better blender! It was really hard for my blender to do make it smooth and I got annoyed and gave up. As for the actual soup, it was good! A little too cheesy for my liking so I might cut back or double everything else but otherwise it was delicious. I could totally have this with a salad for a meal one night. It was also super easy to make (other than the blender issue).
Dinner/Entree
Bacon Wrapped Lime Shrimp with Couscous and Broccoli
Reason behind making this: So there is this little place in Saratoga, NY, Burlington, VT and Lake Placid, NY where you can try all different Balsamic Vinegar and Oils. I love this place, one because it's like a wine tasting shop-- you can try everything before you buy it and two because it has unique flavors. It wasn't until recently that I realized their website has recipes for each type of vinegar or oil you may buy! I mean does it get any better than that? I bought this Chipotle oil over the weekend and found this recipe and knew we had to try it. FYI- We used this oil for homemade pizza Sunday night- added it as a dressing, and it was the best homemade pizza we have made.The Verdict: This also came out pretty good, it was a lot of work and a little difficult to try and maintain everything I was trying to do by myself-- especially since it was the first time. I also should have gotten larger shrimp and not used Francis' favorite bacon which is maple flavored, it definitely took away from the lime. I think I might like this just as well as a stir fry without the bacon.
Dessert
Turtle Brownie Cheesecake Bars
Reason behind making this: Francis loves turtle brownies but I really wanted cheesecake brownies, so I decided to mix it up and put them together. I found this really cool and pretty simple looking recipe off of my favorite recipe place, Pinterest.The Verdict: uhm amazing. Of course, I'm not surprised. I am a baker-- warning though, I used a boxed brownie mix because I really didn't think I had time, on a work night to make all these in 2 hours. Anyway, it was great, I have leftovers of these and can't wait to go home and have some!
Enjoy!
