Valentine's Day Debacle

As military spouses, we know we won't always spend the holidays with our loved ones. Last year, the Hubs was deployed, and our sentiments were sent via care package. This year, I thought, would be perfect.

Ha. Hahaha. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. What's that saying? Oh yes, the best laid plans… 

Valentine's was a disaster. Almost from start to finish.

See, we began ok. Hubs handed me a small gift bag, and I knew he'd taken my rather obvious hints. Normally, we don't exchange gifts for these occasions (instead, we save and travel somewhere together, make a few memories), but this year we decided to be different. Sure enough, the bag contained two of my favorite pieces from FreedomBirdsJewelry. I LOVE HER STUFF! Seriously peeps, if you haven't checked her out, doooooooooooo it…      

This was the also the last thing that was good about Valentine's Day. 

I had a whole meal planned, including appetizer, entree, and dessert. I began with a Roasted Cauliflower and Aged Cheddar dip. It sounded delicious, looked delicious… 

It was not delicious. Also, a total pain in the buttocks to make. 

First, I struggled as I tried to figure out my new food processor. Then, I started the cooking quite a bit late. Then, it tasted… not good. 

AND THEN. Hubs and I had an argument.

It happens.

By the time we resolved the issue (something silly, of course), it was too late to think of cooking the rest of the meal. So, we ate peanut butter and jelly. And argued some more.

BUT! Instead of letting one crappy night ruin our weekend, we slept on it and moved forward. Stuff like this happens to everyone. Plus, Valentine's Day comes with so much pressure to get everything just right. It's silly really. We should be showing our love for each other all the time. 

So, the next morning, we boarded a train to Munich (awesome surprise from the Hubs!), and spent the day wandering with some of our fantastic neighbors. 

We saw the sights, laughed, ate, and drank… no pressure, no schedule. 

It was awesome.

Then on Sunday, we stayed home, slept in, walked our dog, and finally cooked the dessert we should have had on Valentine's. 

These Chocolate Raspberry tarts turned out fantastic! I didn't manage a picture of the final product because we ate them too fast, ha. As soon as I perfect this recipe 100%, you'll be seeing it here, of course. 

Let me end by saying this: Lesson learned. Valentine's shouldn't be about perfection, and getting it all right. Simply, it should be about enjoying time with your loved ones all the time, not just a couple days out of the year. 

Next year, we're going back to our tradition. No required gifts or dinners. No required anything! I plan to show my love for the Hubs any chance I get. 

And I'm happy about it. 

Show your love whenever you can, peeps! You never know when it's your last chance. I'll be back soon, but right now I've got a movie date on the couch with my Hubs. 

Thanks for reading, everyone!

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