~Valentine’s Treat 7~ A Strawberry Menu “…Sit on a cushion, and sew a fine seam, and dine upon strawberries, sugar and cream.” ~From the Mother Goose nursery rhyme “Curly-Locks” Happy Valentine’s Day! We started celebrating yesterday… We started the day with Strawberry Milk and I made a loaf of Strawberry Breakfast Bread This got rave…
Date Night With Jeff
Repurposing Idea ~ Romantic Vintage Handkerchief Table Coverlet
by Melissa • • 10 Comments
Valentine Treat 5 ~Vintage Handkerchief Table Coverlet~ Jeff and I went thrifting together last week… I was searching for something specific that day… Vintage handkerchiefs! I found 24 of them! Vintage handkerchiefs + A sewing machine and thread… = A romantic table coverlet! photographs by Melissa Placzek Just go to your nearest thrift store and…
Date Night with Jeff~Another Fabulous Dinner at The Port
by Melissa • • 5 Comments
Date Day with Jeff~Breakfast & Coffee at Caribou
by Melissa • • 6 Comments
So, how many of you have tried the new breakfast sandwiches and oatmeal at Caribou? We got around to trying these breakfast offerings this past week on a date day outing, and thought they were pretty darn good. We both tried the Chicken Apple Sausage Daybreaker… Chicken Apple Sausage Daybreaker: Apple-seasoned chicken sausage and eggs…
Roast Goose with Prune & Foie Gras Stuffing
by Melissa • • 8 Comments
I’ve decided to concentrate more on cooking and sharing healthy recipes with you this year and every once in awhile featuring a decadent recipe. We still plan on making lots of “Julia” creations, but will be balancing the buttery recipes with sprouty ones 😉 Jeff and I made this roast goose on New Year’s Eve…
Welcoming the New Year
by Melissa • • 5 Comments
Jeff and I are busy cooking from Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking this evening. We’re sipping good wine and making roast goose with a prune and foie gras stuffing…and doing a lot of laughing and reminiscing. We’re looking forward to the new year. This will be the beginning of the 12th year…
Relaxing Ritual~ Reading to Each Other
by Melissa • • 4 Comments
We all know the many benefits of reading to our children before they can read to themselves. Once they do start reading, it’s still fun to read bedtime stories together and sometimes enjoy a longer book like Harry Potter, Little House in the Big Woods, Anne of Green Gables or Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.…
Current Crush~ All Things Julia Child
by Melissa • • 4 Comments
Date Night~ Sarah’s Restaurant Red Wing
by Melissa • • 4 Comments
Tonight we went to Sarah’s Restaurant (formerly The Norton’s) for a fabulous dinner. We enjoyed relaxing, live guitar music… the bar Before dinner drinks…Manhattans New French Bakery Baguette Winter Salad… chopped greens with caramelized onions, Nueske’s bacon, sliced pears and goat cheese dressing Saigon Sub… Black Forest ham, smoked pate, cilantro, jalapeno, purple onion, julienne…
15 Years
by Melissa • • 8 Comments
“There is no greater risk than matrimony. But, there is nothing happier than a happy marriage.” Benjamin Disraeli 1870 (in a letter to Queen Victoria’s daughter Louise, congratulating her on her engagement) This past Saturday Jeff and I hosted an intimate anniversary party at one of our favorite places. A gorgeous building called The Sanctuary.…