My Love Affair with Food

I'm on the left

It's Valentine's week, yes, week, and I don't have any tutorials to share like other bloggers. But, I've been checking out a lot of different ideas from recipes to crafty gifts to makeup looks. There is always so much fluff on the internet come v-day. I love it. I think there are two types of people, those who love valentines and those who really aren't people at all. I've always been a big fan of this holiday, whether there is any true merit to it or not. I just like the idea of taking a day to celebrate love, and chocolate, and flowers, and hearts, and fluffy stuffed animals, and pink and red and... My love affair with food?

I've been dating my beau Steven for 2 years (and two months on the 14th) and if there's one thing I would say really bonded us in the beginning, it would be food. It's what brought us together. We were chatting one night on facebook when I mentioned how hungry I was. He showed up at my dorm with a delicious buffalo chicken pizza he made himself. Clue #1 he was a keeper. So, in a lot of ways, I associate him/our relationship with eating. As much as I love going out with him, I most enjoy the nights in that I am able to cook with him or try out some crazy new recipe on him. (He is the biggest critic, but I just keep trying). What better excuse than Valentines Day to cook for my sweet beau?

"I wish I had an elephant for you to ride, but here's a small one to make you smile"

I've rounded up a few recipes I'm thinking about trying out this week, keeping his tastes in mind along with my level of chefs-pertise. We recently did a big grocery shopping trip, so I was excited to find a recipe for Spicy Lime Tilapia from Womens Health Magazine. We have a LOT of tilapia to use, as well as limes, and Steven and I both enjoy spicy foods. This recipe sounds like a win for our Valentines dinner. It seems very simple to follow, and at only about 177 calories a serving, it saves room for a more indulgent dessert. Bring on the chocolate fondue!

Or Molten Chocolate Pudding Cake? I found this recipe from Fitness Magazine and I am very tempted to try it. Steven and I love chocolate lava crunch cakes from Domino's and I would love to be able to make my own at home. For some reason I think of this as a more difficult dessert to pull off, but this particular recipe is probably the easiest I have seen. How could you go wrong with molten chocolate? If I can find some heart shaped ramekins in the next couple days, that's a sure sign I have to do this. But, if not for valentines day, I will for sure try them in the future. I just can't pass it up.

I painted this heart dish recently in tribute to my beloved foods.

The other dessert I am considering is Chocolate Cannolis using another recipe from Womens Health Mag. I've actually never had a cannoli, so it might be weird to just make them, especially an alternative kind like this. The recipe calls for wonton skins in place of normal cannoli shells. But I'm looking for something fun, different, and decadent for this week, and these might fit the bill. If Steven knows what's in cannolis, I doubt he'll like or even try them. So for now I am on the fence about it. If all else fails, I'm just going with the chocolate fondue. I mean, valentines day kind of insists on chocolate covered strawberries if nothing else.

What foods make your heart skip a beat? Not literally, that's a health hazard. Do you have any special recipes in mind for Valentine's Day, or are you a love-hating hipster who doesn't recognize such cooperate ploys?.. Just teasing, you know I love you.