After breaking my arm and realizing that our winter ski trip to Lutzen, MN would not be happening, I was in a funk. Rusty reads my moods so very well. He realized I needed something to look forward to, so he suggested inviting guests for a Valentine dinner. He offered to cook, and he knew I would be busy creating and organizing the details.
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| Door decoration, made mostly with duct tape. |
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| Hearts for the mantel. |
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| Mom, do you remember this pretty table runner you gave me for Christmas many years ago? It has beads and sequins stitched around each of the paisleys. |
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| Roses and candles were abundant. |
We had three different hors d'oeuvres and champagne for starters. (Hear the crooners dinging love songs in the background.) Then the fresh green salad course, followed by Rusty's fabulous Hot Browns. This recipe was developed by the Brown Hotel in Kentucky. It has a thick slice of county toast as a base, and is layered with oven-roasted turkey, lots of mornay sauce, crisp bacon crossed on top with garnishes of tomatoes and parsley. It was beautiful and tasty. Cline pinot noir was a good match.
I was so busy compensating for my broken arm that I didn't capture a picture of the entree or the pretty table setting.
Between dinner and dessert we took a short break to play a game. Each person had the name of a well-known couple on his/her back. By asking only Yes-No questions, they had to figure out the name of the couple.
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| Rusty had the hardest one for yes-no responses: Adam and Eve. Think about it. |
Dessert was served on my grandmother's red plates with coffee in the matching cups and saucers. (again, no picture)
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| Home-made, heart-shaped, red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting. |
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| Delicious. |
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| My beautiful friend, Chris, gave me this pretty Valentine apron made from Norwegian linen. So special! |
I hope our lovely guests had as good a time as we did! We certainly enjoyed their company!
We missed Lutzen in 2014 because of Rusty's knee replacement. We missed it in 2015 because of my broken arm. Maybe we'll get there in 2016?
The house, the food, the hosts ... all amazing and so filled with love. We walked into a fairy tale setting ... with candles glowing and appetizers beckoning! The meal was amazing ... made better by the story that accompanied Rusty's choice for the entree. And the valentines cake .... really, with one arm you are 100x the baker I could ever be, Di. I think that the only thing that surpassed the food and the games was the conversation ... far-ranging, intelligent, and humor ... lots and lots of humor. We are grateful to have been your guest!
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