STS: Happy Valentine's (aka Love) Day

You've gotta love this day...For me it's the day to pause for a moment from life's daily grind to eat lots and lots of chocolate (guilt-free) and of course celebrate, rejoice and thank God for the love I share with my husband, family and friends.

  

I know Valentine's day can be awkward for those that are single, just dating or going through a rough patch in their relationship (been there, done that)...And if we allow ourselves to get caught up on the commercial pressure (and somewhat phoney) aspect of it all, expectations can run high and the "love/romance" factor will suddendly (and sadly) be measured on extravegant gifts, restaurants, roses, etc, etc., instead of being focused on how we're treated on a day to day basis.

Now please don't get me wrong! I love a little romance (okay a lot) with my husband Sam...Nothing beats sharing a good meal (in or out of the house), some intimate conversation, accompanied by a few good (belly) laughs...Feeling his strong embrace and the delicate (yet firm) softness of his lips, whether pressed against my forehead or my lips (swoon).  

However, what I find really romantic is that Sam still opens doors for me (car, restaurant, etc), he washes dishes even after a long day of physical labor, and if I happen to be working on the computer or on a project in the kitchen, he refuses to go to bed (even if he's literally falling asleep on the couch) without me.

Sammy, I love you and thank you for all that you do!

Bottom line folks...

On this day of love and everyday...Whether you're with your significant other, family or friends don't forget to LIVE every moment - LAUGH everyday (and most importantly) - Love beyond words!

Thanks and have a great day!

1 Corinthians 13:4-8  Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.  Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. [source]

Lunching NY Style at Zinger's Delicatessen

    

Thanks to the invitation to a blogger's event by Carly from TilsonPR, I had the pleasure of lunching NY style with some great ladies (and a gentleman) at Zinger's Delicatessen in Boca Raton, FL the other day.

And when I say "I had the pleasure of lunching..."

What I really mean is...I had the pleasure of feasting like a celebrity (that's how we were treated), on homemade potato pancake latke tots (served w/sour cream and applesauce, nice & crispy without being greasy, these were really, really good!) potato and spinach knishes (DE-lish!), beef barley soup, matzo ball (the biggest I've ever seen) soup, and some amazingly tender and flavorful (made on the premises) pastrami, brisket and corned beef.

Although I was not moved by the egg and tuna salad...Their white meat chicken salad on the other hand, had a "breast was just picked off the bone" type of freshness, which I found truly enjoyable.  Everything was accompanied by freshly baked (soft) rye and whole wheat bread, fresh cut fries and pickles.

Oh, and did I mention the dessert?!? I tell you, they did not disappoint.

There was the creamy, rich NY cheesecake (yum!), buttery flavored rugelach and the rich marzipan taste from the rainbow cookies (my favorite).

Seriously folks, if it weren't for the modern look of this place, my experience at Zinger's was reminiscent of my former New York days, (over 20+ years ago...yes, I'm aging myself) when I worked in the predominately Jewish garment district, where I was introduced to many of these Eastern European dishes from delis that were established before I was even born, and are as much of a comfort food for me as a bowl of rice and beans or pasta.

Besides the good food, I had great company and really enjoyed meeting fellow bloggers, Amanda from anti mom; Caroline from smarty pants mama; Leanette from teach me 2 save and last, but not least Zippy from champagne living.

I've already told my sister and others to go to Zinger's and I  look forward to going back with my husband, so that we can try out some of their other menu items that I couldn't fit into my belly, like the coney island square knish (totally screams NY to me), the rueben, the rachel, etc, etc.

Thanks and have a great day!

*Note: I was not compensated (just well fed) for this review.  Therefore, the opinions expressed are entirely my own.

"I like to eat and I love the diversity of foods".  David Soul [source]

Strawberry White Hot Chocolate Frosted Tree of Love Cake

Anyone that knows me, knows how much I love the semisweet and bittersweet tastes of dark chocolate, and when it comes to white chocolate, well...

What can I say, I totally dislike white chocolate.  A mere derivative of chocolate, white chocolate, just doesn't cut it for me.  In fact, I dislike it so much that whenever I'm eating Ben & Jerry's New York Super Fudge Chunk (one of my faves), I spit out the white chocolate chunks (am I gross?).

Therefore, it came as a big surprise when I found myself quite intrigued, and very curious to try the Strawberry White Hot Chocolate made by Darla at Bakingdom (If you haven't already, you ought to check her site out, you'll be glad you did).

With the temperatures in the chilly 50's this past weekend...Yes, I know that's nothing compared to the truly cold temps some of you are experiencing in other parts of the country, right now. 

Trust me, as a former New Yorker, I know what it's like trekking through sleet or snow to the subway to get to work, while it's 20 degrees (or below) out...It can be downright nasty, and that my dear friends is one of the main reasons why I live in S. Florida.         

So, where was I? Oh yeah, it was chilly outside and with the necessary ingredients on hand, I was more than ready to sip on some hot chocolate, which by the way, was really, really delicious.  The fruity, sweet hot beverage totally hit the spot, and I was really looking forward to sharing some with my man Sam when he got home from work.  

When suddenly I had a light bulb moment (I love when that happens), and instead I baked a white cake, layered with dark chocolate ganache and covered it with a frosting I made using the leftover strawberry white hot chocolate.   

And for further kicks, in light of Sam's love of trees and Valentine's day just around the corner, I decided to have a little fun and made the "Tree of Love" decoration for my honey.

The cake and I could hardly wait to see his face when he got home. ;-)        

Ladies and Gentlemen...Sam loved it all (score)!!

This frosting is so delicious!

I've made strawberry cream cheese frosting before, but let me tell you, this one totally takes the cake (no pun intended).

The light and airy, velvety sweet strawberry goodness just sort of melts in your mouth.  

MMMM...its' so dreamy, you'll just want to pile on an extra serving on the side of your cake.

Trust me...That's what we did. ;-)

Thanks and have a great day!

"Love is like swallowing hot chocolate before it has cooled off. It takes you by surprise at first, but keeps you warm for a long time." - Anonymous [source] 

Strawberry White Hot Chocolate Frosting

Inspired and adapted by Bakingdom's Strawberry White Hot Chocolate 

Yields approximately 4 cups  

Ingredients 

1 lb. strawberries, hulled

1/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 1/2 cups milk (I used coconut milk)

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup white chocolate, chopped

8 oz. cream cheese, room temerature

1 cup butter, softened

2 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Pinch of salt

a few drops of food coloring (optional)

To Prepare (hot chocolate):

1. Slice the strawberries, then toss in a medium bowl with the sugar and lemon juice.  Cover and set aside for one hour.

2. Stir the strawberry mixture to evenly coat everything, then transfer to a blender or food processor.  Process until completely pureed, then press the strawberries through a fine mesh sieve to remove the seeds.

3. Transfer the mixture to a medium saucepan, add milk and cream and whisk until blended.  Cooking over over medium heat add the white chocolate, whisking constantly until it just barely begins to boil, about 10 minutes, remove from heat.

4. Reserve about one cup into a bowl, cover with saran wrap, touching the top to avoid a film from developing and put in fridge to cool.

5. Pour the remaining strawberry goodness into your favorite mug and top with marshmallows or whipped cream and enjoy.

To Prepare (frosting):

6. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese, butter, salt and extracts for about 3 minutes on medium speed.

7. Stop mixer to scrape sides, add cooled strawberry mixture and sugar and beat on medium speed until completely smooth and blended for about 2-3 minutes (if using food coloring, add during the last minute).

Frost your cake and enjoy!