Starting with Valentine's Day

So the hubby and I do not make too much of a fuss about Valentine's Day. It's the end of the present giving season that is Christmas, Befana, and our anniversary - we decide to forgo present getting on Valentines. But any excuse to go out for dinner works for me. We chose Cowbell this year and they were doing a wonderful prix fix for the day.  It started with a pomegranate and champagne cocktail. For starters I had the Jerusalem artichoke soup, which Hubby taught me are not just regular artichokes but are a root vegetable looking like (but not tasting like) ginger. Hubby had the steak tartar and for main he had the venison, braised and grilled w/honey & pomme puree. I had the lobster on risotto with cucumber & pommegranate seeds. It was delightful and some how wonderfully stereotypical ordering the lobster when out for Valentines. Girls always dream of that really - and not eating it on a beach in New Brunswick (which was actually better lobster :-)) Dessert was raspberry mousse with chocolate ganache that was really gummy and odd  but the marmalade ice cream  was incredible.

Wednesday Feb 16 After talk to to the hubby over dinner about how easy risotto and polenta are to cook, he agreed, quite easily, to give me a lesson in polenta which really does only take 5 minutes. I wrote it all down but have not attempted it on my own just yet. He often makes things look a lot easier than they are.

Sunday, February 20th was Barak's First birthday party at Gymboree. And I was in charge of making a cake for the grown ups. I really debated how to go about it as it was the grown ups so I didn't want to make the kids jealous as they were having sugar free/gluten free cup cakes. (which did look great but I was skeptical and did not try them) Sorry K. but here is your Monkey's cake. What I re-discovered about myself with making cakes is that, as I wrote essays in University, I did my best work when I just did it with out editing myself. All the decoration beyond the basic icing was done on Sunday morning and a completely different idea than when I started. It worked out well though because K made the cupcakes with Green icing and jungle critters on top. I think I had seen her toppers before but I did not consciously try and match her. It just worked out very well.

Tuesday Feb 22  was our last opera at the COC until May, Nixon in China, by John Adams. Short strokes on how we felt about it? OUCH! I admit that some of the more contemporary pieces are not entirely to my taste, I usually enjoy them. And did enjoy this until the final act. There was no point to it and the music was just 5 people on stage singing discordantly to on another with no action. None, except they put on their jj.'s and got ready for bed. And that was odd in itself, to watch what Mr. & Mrs. Nixon and Mr. & Mrs. Mao where to bed. We were glad when it was over.

Thurs Feb 24th A trip to the Cheese boutique for Lisa's good-bye present and some treats for us. Bleu Elizabeth from Quebec, partly chosen for it's name and because I wanted to be more brave about blue cheese and Comfort cream, of course.  We sampled with Organized Crime Viognier, a great food wine.  The Bleu Elizabeth was really nice. Not tooooo Stilton like. Strong flavours with out the after tastes. I would definitely get it again, for a cheese board.

Mon Feb 28 - I have decided to give Yoga another go and went to my first drop in class. The teacher Andrea remembered me from the 5 week course I did in the summer, which was really sweet. It was hard but I remembered a lot and felt tired but great afterward. I meant to go again the following but wasn't feeling too well. But I do plan to go again. And get space set up at home. I'm being inspired by my friend Fickle Feline and her P90X experience.