Happy Valentine's Day

Love is what I do.... I totally 100% believe in Love!!!.... so having said that.... Valentine's Day is a very special day for me.  It's the day you get to be ooey gooey and make dovey eyes and sounds to your loved ones.... and that includes your significant other, your children, your Mom's, your Dad's, your dear friends, your Grandparents... the list is endless... the point being.... you get to openly show your deepest love to those you love.  It's typically a day of happiness.... however... for many it is a deep day of sadness over loves lost, for those my heart is truly sympathetic for the others, my heart celebrates with yours!

Last year Valentine's Day was the WORST day of my life.... EVER!!!!  I was lying in a hospital... 1 day post major surgery... the love of my life was in New Jersey attending the funeral of a VERY, VERY, VERY beloved Uncle... two of my daughters were at my bedside, so they weren't having a good Valentine's Day either... one daughter was not only 3000 miles away and worried about her Momma, but also without a soul to comfort her or be with her through this tough time in our family.  It just SUCKED!  SERIOUSLY, SERIOUSLY, SERIOUSLY SUCKED!  But here it is a whole year later... and while I am still in bed... sick with a cold, along with the rest of my family (we all feel absolutely miserable... and this is day 5!!), I feel soooooo blessed to just be in bed with a dagum cold and not like I was last year.  So.... that makes this Valentine's Day way better than last year and hopefully next year it will be SPECTACULAR!!

I have been working on my special Valentine's menu for the last 2 weeks.  Pouring through all my favorite cookbooks, taking notes, trying to whittle it down to a main theme.  Joe was out of town this week, we had a wallop of a snow storm,  Lauren and I were not only snowed in, but we were hunkered in bed together trying to take care of each other and both of us feeling horrid and miserable.   So looking forward to cooking my special Valentine's dinner was the only thing I could half way concentrate on.  I figured I wouldn't feel as spunky as I usually feel, but by Saturday I would at least feel good.  NOPE!!!  Not only did I not feel a bit better, my whole family were dropping like flies too.  Yet none of us wanted to cancel... we were all determined to gather and enjoy the evening together.

My original plan was to start with a Cheese/Fruit/Nut Appetizer, followed with A Trio of Soups served in 2 bite size bowls (Butternut Squash, Cream of Artichoke, Coconut Curry Chicken), then a Mix of Berries with Creme Anglaise (to cleanse the palate), then a small Caesar Salad, then on to the main course of Roasted Shrimp/Grilled Steaks with gorgonzola sauce, and with Mushroom, and Pearl Onions sauteed in butter, French Style Green Beans, and Roasted Potatoes, and finished off with Red Velvet Cake!  That was plan A!!  A pretty aggressive dinner.... but.... I thought I would have 2 full days of cooking to prepare.  As the days went by and neither Lauren or myself were getting better, but instead getting worse... I had to bail and go to Plan B... which I had to devise on the spot at 3:00pm Saturday.... because I had not even gotten to the store yet and dinner was to be served at 7:00pm.  It took all the energy I had to get out of bed and to the store at 3:00pm.

Plan B was... Cheese/Fruit/Nut Appetizer, followed by individually and artfully arranged Shrimp Cocktails that Joe (God Bless him!!!!) put together for me, then Caesar Salad w/french toastettes, then the main course of Lasagna Rolls and French Bread, and ending with the Red Velvet Cake.  A much smaller and simpler menu.... but.... we were all happy to be up right in chairs at the table with a home cooked meal in front of us.  There were a few bottles of good wine enjoyed throughout the dinner and after dinner we all relaxed huddled under blankets on the really super comfy couch and watched the Olympics.  It was actually a very good Valentine's Day celebration.

The biggest surprise of the evening was the Red Velvet Cake.  A few weeks ago when I was getting my hair cut, my hairdresser and I were engaged in the conversation about our Valentine's plans and I told her about my having a dinner party with the girls and their fellas.  She told me about her Mom's famous and special Red Velvet Cake and that she would send me the recipe via email.  Her Mom actually sent me the recipe herself and being sick and wanting this cake to be a really special surprise, I didn't have time for a trial run with this recipe until the late afternoon of the dinner.  It is truly an AMAZING cake and I just had to post the recipe for my blog readers.  Please give it a try.... you will definitely be glad you did. I was shocked at the frosting recipe and the method in which it is made.... but.... WOWZER, WOWZER, WOWZERS...... it's my new all time favorite icing/frosting!

Red Velvet Cake

1/2 Cup - Shortening
2 - Eggs
1 tsp - Vanilla
1 tsp - Salt
1 tsp - Baking Soda
2 Tbsp - Cocoa Powder
1 Tbsp - Vinegar
1 1/2 Cup - Sugar
2 oz - Red Food Coloring
1 Cup - Buttermilk
2 1/2 Cup - Flour

Cream Shortening, sugar and vanilla.
Add eggs, one at a time.
Make a paste of the cocoa powder and red food coloring, and add to sugar mixture.
Add flour, salt and buttermilk.
Add vinegar and baking soda.
Divide batter into 2 cake pans (greased and floured)
Bake at 350 for 25-35 minutes or until cake tester inserted in middle of cake comes out clean.
Remove cakes from pans and let cool on racks.  Split each cake in half crosswise.


Red Velvet Cake Frosting

5 Tbsp - Flour
1 Cup - Milk
1 Cup - Sugar
1 Stick - Butter
1 Stick - Margarine
1 tsp - Vanilla

Cook flour and milk (over double boiler) until thick.  Let cool completely.
Beat sugar, butter, margarine, and vanilla until fluffy and light.
Combine flour/milk mixture with the sugar mixture and beat for 3 minutes.

Frost/ice between each layer, around the sides and top of cake.  Refrigerate and serve chilled.