Valentines Day ( OK Girls, Some Help Please )

[oakville smoker]

Well here comes the do or die holiday for guys  LOL
Express your undying love for your significant other and it had better be good enough for her to claim bragging rights with her girlfriends

I have already bought roses, 2 dozen at regular price because I refuse to be extorted on the 14th
Even Costco jacks the price of roses on the 14th now !
One Christmas present this year was 100 bucks of lingerie, no real need for any more of that

Since the DBS arrived, the food has really kicked up at our house on a regular basis, especially on the weekends
Yesterday was ribs and pulled pork, Saturday was smoked GB lasgna with home made pasta I cranked out in the morning

Now I have to come up with something really good for Sunday that will exceed expectations
We could go out but I think both of us would rather stay in
Breakfast in bed I guess could start the day, need to think of something for dinner
Seafood?  Prime rib maybe ?
To boot, Daytona is on Sunday afternoon, no worries the wife is a race fan

Help a poor guy out here if you can

[pensrock]

Breakfast in bed I guess could start the day

Thats a great idea if you can get her side of the bed close enough to the stove.  ;D ;D ;D

[oakville smoker]

Pens

You are full of bright ideas !  That could work although it might be easier to move the stove.
I can see you will be lonely V Day   LOL

[KevinG]

I take it you didn't see the post on bacon flavored envelopes and lip balm.

[seemore]

How about a couple of bacon-wrapped filet mignons lightly smoked and then grilled to perfection?  Perhaps top those filets off with lightly smoked blue cheese?   Or, instead of putting the blue cheese on the steaks, make some blue cheese potatoes?  A nice side salad and a bottle of wine to round off the dinner, and then perhaps a dark chocolate mousse for dessert?

[seemore]

I just thought of something else:  a burgundy/mushroom sauce to top the filets!
And some fresh strawberries to complement the dark chocolate mousse.
Or how about that flan that Ronbeaux made?
Mrs

[Caneyscud]

Ok, last time I checked I'm not a gal, but I am a soppy romantic at heart!   ;D

Why just dinner - start out with a breakfast

Heart shaped red velvet pancakes - cook low, so don't brown too much.
Stack and layered with cream cheese/butter icing.
Surrounded with whipped cream,
Powdered sugar sprinkled on top,
Served with two sauces - chocolate sauce, and a raspberry coulis
Served with what else - champagne tinted pink with cherry juice and a cherry dropped in for good measure


Dinner

Start with
Brie en Croute topped with some Pear preserves, and garnish with mint leaves.

Next
Shrimp Parfait

Whip heavy cream until stiff
fold in 2 tablespoons kethup
some horseradish
dashes of hot sauce
salt and pepper

Boil peeled shrimp in lemony water

Layer shrimp and the cream
Garnish with lemon slices
Can use crabmeat and scallops as layers also

Main meal

Green Beans l=orange
Potato/leek au gratin
Smoked crown rack of lamb (be sure to add the little frilly hats to the ends of the bones - nice touch)

Dessert one of two choices

Chocolate dipped strawberries decorated with white chocolate drizzles
Champagne

Or

Nothing says Valentines like a cheesecake.
New York style cheesecake decorated around the bottom with raspberries
Heart on top outlined with raspberries
The heart filled in with melted chocolate
Sprinkled with powdered sugar for effect.
Serve sliced with raspberry coulis
Champagne.

[oakville smoker]

Caney

Who da thunk
Can I come to your place for V Day ?   LOL
Breakfast sounds like a plan

Mrs Seemore
Your idea sounds darn yummy too

[seemore]

I know....Caney had me at Red Velvet pancakes!!!!!!!
Caney, better send the recipe - Mr will have to cook some up!
Mrs

[deb415611]

Wow,  you don't need us girls - you have Caney :D   

I'm seconding the recipe request for the red velvet pancakes. 

For dinner i like June's bacon wrapped filet & a nice salad idea.  If you do the filet I would cold smoke the day before, wrap in plastic wrap & in the fridge over night. 

Dessert -- a flourless chocolate cake made with really good quality chocolate would be good with some berries & whipped cream. 

[classicrockgriller]

When you wake up in the morning, load her in the car and take her to Jack-In-The_Box

And let her have her choice of any Breakfast Item on the menu.

Get some extras for lunch so you won't have to drive back.

IF she is still hungry at supper time how about some ABT and leave the seeds in.

She'll be sure and tell her friends about that one.

[Caneyscud]

Alright guys get to cooking these for those beautiful gals of ours!

Red Velvet Pancakes

First time I made these I got the idea from red velvet whoopee pie recipe.  I added a couple of things to it to make a more pancakey batter.  I will warn ya, I don't measure too accurately when making pancakes.  I mix to what consistency I want.  I like thin/dense pancakes so my batter is usually pretty thin.  

1 1/4 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar or brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs
4 tablespoons canola oil plus 1-2 tablespoons extra for griddle
1 cup buttermilk - adjust to make the consistency of batter you want
1 ounce red food color
2 to 3 Tbsp cocoa
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon white vinegar

Cook lower so they don't brown as much


Then I found this recipe – looks easier.
Red Velvet Pancakes

1/2 of an 18.25 oz box Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe Red Velvet cake mix (about 2 cups)

2 large eggs, beaten
2 Tbsp oil

1/4 cup + 1 tsp water

3 Tbsp butter
Combine the cake mix, eggs, oil and water in a mixing bowl until just thoroughly blended (don't overmix). If batter seems too thick, add more water. Cook the pancakes in a non-stick pan over medium heat. You want to cook these a little slower than regular pancakes because you don't want them to brown too much.
To make these (or any pancakes) lighter, separate the yolks and whites. Combine the beaten yolks with the other batter ingredients; beat the whites to soft peaks and gently fold them into the batter.


For the Whipped Cream Cheese layer filling:
1/4 pound cream cheese, at room temperature
1/3 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup heavy whipping cream

Use an electric mixer on medium-high speed to whip the cream cheese until smooth. Reduce the speed and stir in the sugar, salt, and vanilla extract, and beat until the mixture is smooth and well blended. With the mixer on low speed, add half of the cream. Use a rubber spatula to remove any unmixed cream cheese from the bottom of the bowl. When the mixture is smooth, gradually add the rest of the whipping cream. Increase the speed to high and whip until soft peaks form. Should be the consistency of a dense whipped cream topping. Set aside.

[Caneyscud]

Dessert -- a flourless chocolate cake made with really good quality chocolate would be good with some berries & whipped cream.  

Oh, yea, that's good too!  And if you don't want to make one yourselves, I recently found that Trader Joe's has a killer one already baked!

[Tenpoint5]

OS,
I still hold true to the K.I.S.S. principle. (Keep It Simple Stupid) All you have to do is go down to the corner store and buy one of them cheap $.49 cards. Then on a piece of paper write down all the reasons that you Love her and all the reasons you think she is "That Special Woman for You". I can guarantee that gesture will get you farther than slaving over a stove cooking any special meal ever will. The meal will only last for a day. Your thoughts and letter will last for years tucked away in the back of her jewelry box. Am I wrong Ladies?

[deb415611]

OS,
I still hold true to the K.I.S.S. principle. (Keep It Simple Stupid) All you have to do is go down to the corner store and buy one of them cheap $.49 cards. Then on a piece of paper write down all the reasons that you Love her and all the reasons you think she is "That Special Woman for You". I can guarantee that gesture will get you farther than slaving over a stove cooking any special meal ever will. The meal will only last for a day. Your thoughts and letter will last for years tucked away in the back of her jewelry box. Am I wrong Ladies?

Chris is right,  K.I.S.S. is a good concept, it's more about the thought and that you are thinking about her than what you buy.  Personally I don't want all the expensive roses, I don't want something that I hinted for, I want something that means something and that doesn't mean expensive or extravagant....

In my case my husband doesn't cook so if he created a nice, elegant simple meal it would be right up there with the writing of "the reasons that you love her"