Cozy valentine's day & flavorful recipes to brighten your weekend

A valentine's day celebration and anniversary joy

Welcome, friends, to a weekend brimming with love and delicious possibilities! It's Valentine's Day, and a special one for me as it marks my 28th wedding anniversary. We’ve found our own way to celebrate – enjoying a quiet, cozy dinner at home with a decadent chocolate dessert, like a rich Chocolate Lava Cake topped with Chocolate Ice Cream. We learned long ago to avoid the crowded restaurants and instead celebrate earlier in the week, reserving Valentine’s Day for a peaceful evening in.

New recipes to delight your family

This week on the blog, I’m excited to share some family favorites! First up are these incredibly tender Buttered Steak Bites and Mushrooms. The secret is in the cut and the cooking method – they’re melt-in-your-mouth delicious. Next, we have Roasted Red Potatoes, a staple in our home for the past fifteen years. They’re unbelievably simple to make and boast crispy edges and fluffy insides – perfect for dipping!

Elevate your steak with homemade sauce

No steak dinner is complete without the perfect sauce! My Homemade Steak Sauce is tangy, subtly sweet, and just a touch smoky. It combines the best qualities of A-1 and Heinz 57, all made from scratch in just a few minutes. It's a game-changer for burgers and steak alike.

A refreshing winter salad

Sometimes, you just need a burst of freshness, especially during the colder months. My Winter Salad with Cabbage and Brussels Sprouts is just the ticket! It’s vibrant, crisp, and a welcome change from heavier winter fare. I find myself making it again and again, and I encourage you to give it a try this weekend.

Warm and comforting slow cooker oatmeal

Start your mornings off right with a batch of Slow Cooker Oatmeal. This recipe is a family favorite, packed with creamy oats, sweet bananas, berries, a hint of brown sugar, and warm spices. The best part? It’s hands-off – just set it and forget it for an hour, and you'll have a crave-worthy breakfast waiting for you.

Party-ready loaded baked potato dip

Transform a classic baked potato into a crowd-pleasing appetizer with this Loaded Baked Potato Dip! It's a creamy, cheesy, bacon-filled delight perfect for gatherings. Fluffy potatoes, melted cheese and butter, crispy bacon, and fresh green onions are mashed together and baked to bubbly perfection. It’s an easy way to elevate your snack game.

Sweet treat: old fashioned chocolate cobbler

For the chocolate lovers out there, you absolutely must try this Old Fashioned Chocolate Cobbler. It’s rich, decadent, and the perfect ending to any meal. It’s a chocolate lover’s dream come true! A truly simple recipe that delivers an enormous amount of flavor.

A kitchen essential: packit freezable bag

I have to share my FAVORITE kitchen gadget this week: the PackIt Freezable Bag. I've been using these for over ten years! I use it when traveling or when I'm out and about all day and want to keep snacks cold. My son uses them for school every day. They’re a world apart from traditional lunch bags with separate ice packs – a total game-changer for keeping Food fresh.

Movie recommendation: the wild robot

Finally, a must-watch recommendation: The Wild Robot. My college kids and I were captivated by this heartwarming story. It follows Roz, a robot who gets stranded on a wild island and befriends the local wildlife while learning to survive. The animation is absolutely breathtaking – it’s a true work of art! A truly charming and captivating film.

A message of love

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NIV Wishing you a beautiful week filled with those little things that bring a smile to your face!