The kids were at school, so I was able to set the table during the day.
Nothing fancy, just more special than an average weeknight meal.
I dug through my stash and used what I had.
Baby helped me make dessert.
I found small heart cake mixes at our local Grocery Outlet for $1 each, including the paper baking pan.
Sold.
I bought three.
(She just inherited these boots and refuses to take them off.)
The cake was red velvet, of course.
It came with ingredients for a chocolate glaze, and then we added sprinkles for fun.
I had big plans to make fancy cocktails, but in the end, I went the easy route.
Champagne and pink grapefruit mimosas.
Because it fell on a weeknight, I didn't get crazy with appetizers, since The Dad wouldn't be home until after work.
I did a couple different cheeses, salami, and apples, with heart shaped crackers.
The log of goat cheese had cinnamon and cranberries and it was flippin' delicious.
He had secretly brought home boxes of chocolate for the kids a few days prior, so I put those at their place settings.
The Girl was concerned that he and I didn't have anything, so she added treats from her school Valentine bag.
So sweet.
Candles lit and waitin' on Dad.
The kids planned the menu.
They insisted on artichokes, and then went from there.
They added penne with tomatoes and garlic butter sauce.
Steak, so I did bacon wrapped filets, that I actually already had in the freezer.
And bread, of course.
The only thing I had to buy for the entire meal was the artichokes....and the cake mixes.
I love it when that happens.
I haven't said this for a minute.....
Here's dinner on my plate:
And the fam around the table...
They were pretty gosh darned excited when I told them they each got their own cake.
With bites from Mom and Dad, of course.
And actually, they were pretty dang good.
I'm not a cake person, at all, and DEFINITELY not a box cake/frosting person, but they were totally worth the $3 I spent.
Ha.
And for the record, no one ate an entire cake.
We still have a few hunks left in the fridge.
These two proceeded to argue over who's cake had more sprinkles.
Ya know, 'cause these are the important things in life.
All in all, way better than paying a stupid amount of money for a fancy Valentine's Day dinner out on the town, if ya ask me.
I like our tradition.
And on that note, happy flippin' Friday.
It couldn't have come on a better day.
