A Practical Valentine

Not two words that usually go together, right?

Despite the bad reputation Valentine’s Day often gets, I’ve always been fond of it and enjoy doing mostly fun, silly things on the day. Since it’s so close to Christmas and Todd’s birthday is in March and mine in April, we usually concentrate on cards and smaller gifts. This year, though, I had the idea that we could kill two birds with one stone (though a lot more romantically than that phrase suggest).

For our last Valentine’s Day before the wedding, we gifted each other our wedding bands.

It turned out to be a very, very good idea, especially in hindsight.

I’d ordered Todd’s ring and it came in the night before, just in time to wrap it up along with his cards and chocolates. I gave him one set in the morning before work, and planned to give him the ring and the other set of card and chocolate that night.

Todd’s gifts

Now, Todd doesn’t often buy me flowers, it’s just not his thing. In the 5+ years we’ve known each other, he’s sent me flowers exactly twice. Once as a thank-you for helping out with a project we were both volunteering on (just before we officially started dating), and once for Valentine’s Day 2011 (or was it 2010? It was during my last cellphone contract, so one of those). So when he gave me a stripey sock monkey and 2 cards that Thursday morning but said I had to wait until I received a signal to open the second, I didn’t immediately think it meant he had sent me flowers.

We love the Pier One commercial with the singing sock monkey, this little one that now rides around on my purse prompts lots of renditions of that little ditty.

Well, he tried to.

Around 1:30 I got a text apologizing for the flowers not arriving. You see, 1-800-FLOWERS had sent him a confirmation email on Wednesday saying that the order was being prepared for shipment, despite 2 florists telling them on Tuesday that the item he ordered was out of stock (it was a martini-glass vase filled with roses)–that last bit we found out when he went to track the order and found it had been canceled. Not subbed for a similar item, canceled.

This, of course, put Todd in a foul mood and, after trying to be zen about it, eventually made me feel rather guilty in a third-party sort of way. In the way of if I didn’t like to make a big deal out of holidays then he wouldn’t have felt compelled to try and send me flowers sort of way. Irrational, but sometimes my brain runs that way.

The long and the short of it is that we both tweeted about the snafu, but they reached out to me, not him, and when I explained that it was a little late to fix things and I was more concerned about Todd getting his refund processed (because, no, that didn’t happen immediately) they said they would follow-up with him and never did. But on Monday I did receive these:

Make-Up Flowers courtesy of 1-800-FLOWERS that I didn’t ask for and didn’t really enjoy.

Not what he’d ordered and way too full of lilies for my sinuses to handle, I was actually reluctant to sign for them. This was 1-800-FLOWER’s way of apologizing (the card even mentioned that the delivering florist was not responsible for the delay, hah!) but neither Todd nor I were very impressed.

The point is, as screwed up as his surprise turned out, it was good we were having a relatively low-key Valentines because knowing that the rings were the real gifts meant that all the rest was just icing and easily ignored. I’m still not quite able to think back on the flower debacle and laugh, but trying on my new bit of sparkle does make things easier.

His and hers unmatched wedding bands.

Todd was still set on the tungsten carbide high-polished band, so I found a vendor with positive reviews via Amazon and crossed my fingers it wouldn’t somehow be subpar since it was only costing $39.95. I needn’t have worried, Todd was thrilled by it and it fit just right. Since my ring was going to be a local purchase, we headed to Marks and Morgan that Saturday evening (when we’d last gone shopping we had the best service there). I thought I knew which ring I wanted, but when we got there they showed me another and, oh, I had to make a decision after all.

In the end I went with a sterling silver openwork band with diamonds and lab-created sapphiresÂ (the link is from Kay, their sister-store, because M&M doesn’t really have an online store to link to). It’s reminiscent of my engagement ring but not too matchy-matchy and well-priced at $159.

I can’t say how often Todd tries his band on (though he joked about doing it when I gave it to him), but I fully admit I slip mine on every 2-3 days to admire the sparkle. After all, it fits differently than my current ring, so I have to get used to the wider band, right?

That’s totally my story and I’m sticking to it.

Wouldn’t these make great covers for our wedding vows? Tempting…

Aren’t those little books absolutely adorable? I found them (Don’ts for Husbands/Wives) via Paper-Source when I was shopping for stocking stuffers. They’re full of all sorts of out-of-date yet charming suggestions for how to have a happy married life.

How do you decide what to give for Valentine’s Day?

Review | The Complete Gluten-Free Whole Grains Cookbook by Judith Finlayson

Nibbles

Some folks thing giving up gluten-bearing wheat, barley, and rye means a lifetime sentence to rice side dishes. Now, I happen to like rice in all its various forms and flavors, but even I’d get tired of it if that was my only grain option!

This is, of course, not the case even if you just expand your horizons only as far as oats and corn. And then there’s quinoa–a pseudo-grain (really a seed) that is becoming quite popular and is tasty source of plant protein, millet–a cost-effective option but you might have to look for it in health-food stores, and wild rice (another seed); chances are you’ve heard of more than a few of these, too.

In The Complete Gluten-Free Whole Grains Cookbook, the author also digs deeper into other grains like amaranth, buckwheat, Job’s tears, and sorghum–all of which might be tough to find in smaller cities, at least in raw material form. I find amaranth in my new-favorite gluten-free cereal option (Mesa Sunrise), and buckwheat I can find in mixes and soba noodles (not that we’ll be seeking those out any time soon after the last reminder that their flavor is somewhat of an acquired taste), and sorghum in flour-form that I use in my gluten-free baking.

This book is actually an update of Finlayson’s The Complete Whole Grains Cookbook from 2008, an update made necessary by her realization that she “wasn’t [her] optimal self much of the time” while on a diet that included a lot of wheat, even in its whole-grain forms. The symptoms she describes are very similar to many of the stories I’ve encountered learning about the Low-FODMAP diet, so it does make me wonder if she’s heard of it or not. Of course, Low-FODMAP recognizes that it’s the fructans in wheat, barley, and rye causing the issues, and not the gluten, but gluten-free is easy short-hand these days, widely recognized and, in marketing terms, a goldmine buzzword.

And seeing as I’m following said Low-FODMAP diet, the book was a treasure trove of inspiration for interesting main and side dishes as well as baking recipes, even if many had to be altered to eliminate the onions and garlic.

I feel I should warn you–the pictures and descriptions below might make you very, very hungry.

One Sunday when our gaming friends weer over, I prepared her Zucchini Fritters (p.50) but opted to cook them on my electric griddle instead of deep fry them. While crispy-fried deliciousness is not something I’m against, it was easier to prepare them this way and they were just as tasty.

Zucchini Fritters from The Complete Gluten-Free Whole Grains Cookbook

Zucchini Fritters–griddled instead of pan-fried but still delicious!

For that same group I also turned out these amazing Oatmeal Shortbread Squares (p.198) which were a snap to prepare in my food processor. At first I wondered about cutting the 8-inch pan of shortbread into 25 servings, but these shortbread squares are so very rich and buttery–one friend called them cookie dough cookies–that a small square is enough, even though you’ll likely go back for seconds.

Oatmeal Shortbread Squares from The Complete Gluten-Free Whole Grains Cookbook

Oatmeal Shortbread Squares–these are dangerously simple to prepare, serve with coffee or milk to cut the richness

You know what’s really gratifying? Preparing foods that are a step away from the norm (gluten-free, vegan, whatever) and having someone say they wouldn’t have known the difference. My guests went so far as to say if the manufactured gluten-free foods tasted as good as the ones I made them, gluten-free wouldn’t have nearly the bad reputation it did. And that, my friends, is a mark totally in favor of cooking from scratch, just in case you needed the motivation.

Of course, it wasn’t just entertaining we used this cookbook for, Finlayson’s recipes also figured highly into our weeknight meals. When tracking down the millet for her Curried Sweet Potato and Millet Soup (p.72) I was astonished to find that it was so inexpensive and am looking forward to using it more.

Curried Sweet Potato and Millet Soup

This soup started out incredibly liquid but once the millet cooked it had turned into this wonderfully rich, creamy and filling soup. Since I’m still short a good source for lactose-free plain yogurt (come on Whole Foods, build faster!) I topped this soup with shredded cheese instead.

Southwest Turkey Stew with Cornmeal Dumplings

I converted her Southwest Turkey Stew with Cornmeal DumplingsÂ (p.115) into a crock-pot meal. Just put everything for the soup in together and let it go 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low, them mix up the dumpling batter and drop it on about 20 minutes before you’re ready to eat (switch up to high if you had it on low, before). We also decided that next time we make this–in the slow cooker or not–we’ll leave out the optional chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, the stew was more than a little spicy between it and the fresh jalapeno!

Peppery Shrimp with Quinoa from The Complete Gluten-Free Whole Grains Cookbook

Peppery Shrimp with Quinoa–similar to fried rice but just different enough.

And I’m not the one one who has enjoyed cooking from her book, Todd took a stroll through the pages and found a couple recipes he wanted to try, like this Peppery Shrimp with Quinoa (p.126) and her Cuban-Style Hash with Fried Pantains (p.140).

Cuban-Style Hash with Fried Plantains from The Complete Gluten-Free Whole Grains Cookbook

Cuban-Style Hash with Fried Plantains–when you cut through the egg, the yolk flows down and creates a layer of flavor and richness with the spicy beef and rice below. So good!

Of course, when Fat Tuesday rolled around we just had to give her Jambalaya (p.107) a try.

Jambalaya from The Complete Gluten-Free Whole Grains Cookbook

Jambalaya: spicy rice studded with shrimp, chicken, and sausage.

Finally, another slow-cooked favorite of ours from this book was the Pork Pozole (p.146). Served with corn chips or warmed corn tortillas it was a messy, but delicious meal.

Pork Pozole from The Complete Gluten-Free Whole Grains Cookbook

Pork Pozole topped with shredded cheese (because everything is better with cheese)

The Complete Gluten-Free Whole Grains Cookbook is filled with 125 wonderful recipes, mouth-watering photographs, nutritional information for each recipe and plenty of tips for adding more whole grains to your diet, whether you’re gluten-free or not.

——————–

I was provided a copy of The Complete Gluten-Free Whole Grains Cookbook for purpose of review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own (except where noted when a friend expressed a thought or two about the food).

AlcoHOLidays | Banana Cream Pie Day | Banana Cream-Tini

Sips

You gotta love it when the holidays lend themselves so easily to a cocktail, right?

March 2 is Banana Cream Pie Day and I’m having trouble coming up with any objections to such a day existing. Banana pies and banana cream custards go back to the late-1800s, but the first written record specifically for the banana cream pie is found in 1906, courtesy of The Blue Ribbon Cook Book. Every pie maven surely has their own version of the pie these days, a favorite for pot lucks and spring holidays, and there are plenty of cocktail versions around, too.

Of course, I wanted to play around and come up with my own.

Banana Cream-Tini

2 oz Coconut Milk
1 oz Banana Liqueur
3/4 oz Vanilla Vodka
1/4 oz Butterscotch Schnapps

Combine all ingredients over ice and shake until rich and frothy. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and enjoy.

We’ve been using a lot of coconut milk in our house, lately, and had a hunch that it would give this drink a richer feel and flavor than regular milk without being as cloying as sweetened condensed milk or even Irish Cream would have been. My hunch proved correct and this is a delightful twist on the original. The coconut milk makes for a very opaque cocktail, of course, so this is a perfect candidate for serving in something decorative.

Garnish for a cocktail like this is tough. Banana would be the obvious choice but there’s little more unappealing (!) than a browning banana slice resting on the rim of your glass. While most banana cream pies are poured into a standard pastry crust that have been baked blind (unfilled), I suppose you could take a half-step to the left and rim your glass with graham cracker crumbs. Some demerara sugar might make a nice rim, too, come to think of it.

Bottom line, making a banana cream pie takes some effort. This cocktail? All the flavor and less than a minute of real work.

Not such a tough decision, is it?

Cheers!

Kiss-Cams Set to Capture!

Third Time Wife, Wedding Planning

Have I built it up enough? Are you ready to see how silly we looked in our engagement photos?

Please note: Neither am I fishing for compliments nor am I holding our wonderful photographer responsible for any of the below. Mr. Road Trip and I are absolute goofballs and ridiculously awkward (at least I am) so I’m more shocked when I think I look good in a photo as opposed to the alternative. Still, we had a lot of fun, so I have no regrets for the day–not even the copious amount of duck faces.

We started out our day Honey Lake Plantation–actually, no, we started our day meeting up in the Publix parking lot because it’s an hour from town to our venue and Kara lives south of town as it is, so we offered to chauffeur her around between locations just to make things easier. The drive time also gave us a chance to break the ice a bit more–never a bad thing.

The photos started in front of the chapel on the property, with me feeling very self-conscious and therefore very giggly.

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