Valentine's Day Meal

Valentine's Day is about chocolate. At least it is for most women. While at a wine tasting event last year, I discovered this lovely wine from Boekenhoutskloof, in South Africa. It's actually a blend of several types of wine: syrah, grenache noir, cabernet sauvignon, cinsault, voignier. It was expensive but absolutely delicious.


Before we started cooking, I made us some dessert. Puff pastry in 4" squares. Egg wash. Chocolate candy (in this case, Mounds and some truffles by Nestle).

Pull up the corners and then the sides to close; give the top a little twist to be sure it's sealed. More egg wash. 400 degrees for 15 minutes to melt the chocolate and brown the puff pastry.

Our dinner consisted of baked potatoes, topped with butter, real bacon bits, and blue cheese dressing; rib eye steak grilled outside on the balcony in the snow; and green beans.

Add a little candle light, some crispy sour dough bread, the wine. It was yummy. (Note the cute barbeque tongs.)

And here's the dessert:

Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day came two days early. David surprised me with this lovely bouquet on February 12 along with a couple pieces of his Aunt Elsie's home-made candy (that was a real sacrifice on his part, I'm sure). The most amazing thing? I took this photo today, February 17th, and they are still gorgeous.

Noro Sock Yarn

In a fit of avarice, I purchased an assortment of Noro sock yarn, over the internet. It wasn't "sight unseen"; it was "touch untouched." This is the scratchiest, lumpiest yarn I've ever used. My gauge swatch hand washed to a somewhat softer consistency, but knitting with this yarn is just not pleasant. To me knitting is a tactile experience. I certainly hope this stuff (70% wool, 30% nylon) washes to a softer feel.


Did I say lumpy? Yes, I did. Whoever spun this yarn was not at all consistent. It's difficult to see in this photo but I'm grateful that the biggest chunks of barely spun yarn didn't end up on the bottom of the sock. And some parts of it are basically lace weight thin. I hope these hold up in the wash.

But it IS pretty. Right? Now I have to knit the second sock.