~The Perfect homemade Valentine's Dinner~

Hey everyone,

We've been super busy today ( I guess that's what preparing for Valentine's Day plus organising your bible study to lead on Monday does to you!)

So this is what your perfect homemade Valentine's Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner could look like. Not all of the recipes are ours because we've seen some great recipes from renowned chefs and bakers that we just had to share with you!

With that in mind let's start with the most important meal of the day- Breakfast.

Breakfast is a super time of the day to get creative. A pancake here and a pancake there with a splash of coffee in a cup may just be the ticket into your partner's heart.

Here is my recipe for heart shaped pancakes:

You will need:

100g Plain Flour

2 Eggs (can be medium or large)

50ml Semi Skimmed Milk

50g Granulated Sugar

Any toppings you fancy (I like Lemon Juice and Fresh Berries)

1 Metal Heart Shaped Cookie Cutter

Method:

• First off make the batter- In a large bowl add all the ingredients and mix well until you have a batter like consistency. If the batter is too runny add more flour. If the batter is too thick add a little more milk.

• Then put the heart cookie cutter in the centre of a pan and heat up some sunflower or vegetable oil (Olive Oil doesn't bode well with pancakes).

• Add about 2-3 tablespoons of your pancake batter into the cookie cutter and cook on one side until all the batter has settled and is no longer runny.

• Then remove the cookie cutter and flip the pancake over to cook the other side.

• Repeat until you've used all your batter.

• Serve immediately and enjoy!

With the pancakes, you can serve coffee, fresh juice or a smoothie. Also if you have a little vase some fresh flowers would be a lovely addition. Better yet serving your partner breakfast in bed is all the more romantic.

I know you're thinking, so I've made a great breakfast how do I top that with lunch and dinner?

Well like I've said over the past few days, it does not have to be fancy. My idea of a perfect valentine's lunch or dinner is to either go to a restaurant where homemade is key on the menu or actually a takeaway in Pj's and Netflix is my idea of chilled out romantic evening.

So for lunch why not do some baking together- maybe make a nice loaf of bread or cupcakes or even a heart shaped cake? Or go to your local delicatessen and pick up some things to have a pick and choose lunch. See what creative creations you can come up with. It could be slices of Mozzarella with baby tomatoes or pancetta on top of some poppy seed crackers. One place I know in London that sells some delicious produce is Eataly! It's an Italian restaurant, café and store all in one over two levels. It is absolutely breath taking and worth looking around the entirety of itself!

https://www.eataly.co.uk/

And for dinner why not skip straight ahead to dessert? By that I mean like a chocolate fondue with marshmallows, fresh fruit, and sprinkles. Or how about a soufflé? Or even some profiteroles? A glass of champagne with half a strawberry nestled on top of the flute adds some charm.

One recipe I've seen lately for profiteroles is by the lovely Rosemary Shrager. A renowned chef and baker who very much inspires me to cook and bake, Rosemary takes recipes and intensifies flavours, presentation and most importantly brings comfort for your soul. She's also helping lots of people design, create and make the most incredible kitchens to cook in!

Here's her take on profiteroles: https://kitchenswithrosemaryshrager.com/valentines-profiteroles/?fbclid=IwAR2SBvyxY_ScPOmm-Apk6kNPdeqxxBKHVeZo5r_oDUOXXNxqMxhFAnBu6a4

Don't forget to set the tone now- play some nice romantic music such as "You Send Me" by Aretha Franklin but more on that in tomorrow's blog.

[But if you really want to cook dinner, something quick and easy yet yummy is a good way to go]

Enjoy!

Love,

Lily