For Valentine's Day...

I decorated the table for a fun breakfast before school (just like my mom always did) and the house was clean.  And then we had a fun breakfast, read cards, ate sweets and all rushed to get the kids to school on time...and it started to get less clean.

I gave everyone jars of mini donuts topped with a "Donut you know I love you" label.  I've been planning it for months.  A good friend and I thought of it and I have been giddy about it ever since.  My hubby grinned so huge when he read the label and started laughing.  He then asked how long I'd been planning it.  And then he told me I was cute because I get so excited about fun things.  

Then I tried to take normal pictures of one particular nut, which was ridiculously hard.

 

And then some of his big sister, which was almost as hard (the teensy composition notebooks I gave to all of them were a giant hit).

I wrote notes to the kids and put them in cute little herb sachets from Bed Bath and Beyond.  And half way through stitching hearts and such, I realized it would have been easier to have first penciled my artwork instead of winging it.  It would have saved me some unpicking and crazy looking hearts. Live and learn.

For dinner, I shared a cheese and chocolate fondue feast with the family.  I shall add my favorite cheese fondue recipe.  It recommends dipping small, roasted potatoes, which sounds yummy but I've yet to try.  We always use a nice bread like ciabatta or French bread and/or apples and grapes.  But the bread is BY FAR and hands down... my favorite.  For the chocolate, you just melt 2-3 Toblerone bars and add cream to desired thickness.  Yummy. But not healthy or cheap. 

Cheese Fondue Recipe

15 ml	(1 tbsp)	Olive Oil
150 ml	(3/4 cup)	Diced Onions
340 g	(12 oz)	Softened Cream Cheese
375 ml	(1 1/2 cups)	Whipping Cream (Heavy Cream)
375 ml	(1 1/2 cups)	Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
160 ml	(3/4 cup)	Grated Gruyere Cheese
1 ml	(1/4 tsp)	Nutmeg Powder
1 ml	(1/4 tsp)	Garlic Powder
To Taste		Salt and Pepper

1. In a medium pot, warm the olive oil and brown the onions until tender (3 to 4 minutes).

2. Gradually add the cream cheese, cream, Parmesan and Gruyere cheese until the mixture is smooth and all components have melted.

3. Add the garlic powder, nutmeg and salt and pepper and once all the ingredients are warmed up and well mixed, transfer the mixture into your fondue pot.

4. If your mixture is too thick, add more cream. If the mixture is too runny, add cheese.

5. Light the fondue burnerand adjust the heat to maintain the cheese fondue warm but not too hot.

After our feast, the kiddies played and played and played without a whine or fight or bicker.  It was amazing and almost unheard of.  My hubby and I chatted the night away (which is also (almost) unheard of with four kidlets running around).  It was a very, nice evening.

  By the end, we had made a giant mess. I have spent the morning sweeping, mopping, wiping chocolate drips and sticky spots, cleaning out fondue pots and pans, washing dishes, putting away toys and games, picking up candy wrappers and cookie crumbs, and blogging in between because I'm sick of cleaning.  I think it's going to take me awhile to recover from the festivities.  But it was worth it.  I love it.  

I hope yours was delightful as well.  I know each family has their own traditions and activities to celebrate.  I have a friend who always does pink milk and pink food.  My sister-in-law never fails to do cute things for her hubby.  I have another friend who was planning on making heart-shaped boiled eggs.  And yet another who always plans big, fun family activities every year.  I love how each family is different, and how each one is trying to make life a little special and a little more bright.