If you couldn't already tell from my posts this week, I love Valentine's Day! I get the whole argument that you should show people you love them every day (and I try my hardest to!), but it's nice having a dedicated fancy date night in the middle of winter when a lot of people choose staying in over going out. I don't have my outfit picked out just yet, but I definitely have my nails done! If you've met me, you've probably noticed that my nails are always red; I love how classy and feminine it is. Well, I finally tried something different! I painted an ombré look for the occasion, and I totally love it! A fiery red subtly transitions into a girly pink, making a perfect color palette for Valentine's Day! Best of all, you can do it yourself and avoid paying salon prices. Though I'm definitely an advocate for a good manicure once in a while...
With only 3 days until Valentines Day, it's time for everybody to get out and start buying chocolates for the people you love. I don't know where you usually shop for your chocolate, but it feels like I've gotten into quite the Malley's rut over the years. Don't get me wrong, Malley's always tastes great, but I feel like I've had it enough times to know what filling is inside each piece of chocolate just looking at it. Time to mix things up a bit! Last Valentine's Day, Howie bought me these gorgeous hand-painted truffles from Lilly Handmade Chocolates in Tremont that were almost too pretty to eat! Almost being the key word. With exotic flavors like Tiger Lilly - molasses, coffee, candied ginger and cocoa nibs, all coated in milk chocolate - they're too delicious not to indulge. Visit the store and support an incredibly talented local business...and of course load up on chocolate for all the people you care about. The store is open from 12pm-8pm through Valentine's Day!
Valentine's Day is only 4 short days away! That means you guys have to get cracking on coming up with a Valentine's Day gift for your sweetie. Howie and I don't usually buy each other gifts, but rather food or wine-related gifts that we can enjoy together. Last year he took me out to a fancy dinner at Chinato on East 4th Street and bought me a wine and chocolate pairing from Lilly Handmade Chocolates in Tremont. If you haven't been to Lilly, you must try it! The chocolates are handpainted and absolutely gorgeous! I got Howie some Malley's chocolate, and made him a phenomenal after-dinner dessert: Layers of Love Trifle. What is it, exactly? Layers of Bailey's infused chocolate cake, chocolate mocha mousse and crunchy Heath bar bits. I add the Bailey's and espresso after the cake cooks, so you get the benefit of a dessert, coffee and after dinner cocktail rolled into one. I could've named it Heaven on Earth instead of Layers of Love Trifle, but had to do the latter because there's nothing NOT to love about this recipe!
Valentine's Day was great this year because it was full of surprises! Howie and I tried Chinato, a fantastic East 4th Street restaurant that I hadn't been to before, a new type of wine, French Pinot Noir, which I didn't know existed, a new brand of chocolate from Lilly Handmade Chocolates in Tremont, and a new dessert recipe I invented: Baileys-infused chocolate cake with a chocolate mocha mouse and Heath bar bits. Any day that involves you and a loved one consuming Italian food, wine, chocolate, and then more chocolate, coffee, and Baileys afterwards is bound to be an excellent day!
Valentine's Day has always been one of my favorite holidays. I love the romantic dinners, flowers, and cards...but my favorite part is without a doubt eating as many sweets as my heart desires for the entire day! My love for this day and all of the sweets that go along with it began when I was younger. My mom would bake my brother and I our own massive cookie hearts in our favorite type of dough, and it made me look forward to the holiday every year. Now that I'm older, I like to bake all the people that are special to me something delicious to carry on the tradition for Valentine's Day. I promise my Italian Buckeyes and Nutella Heart Cookies are better than any storebought chocolates!
