Happy Valentine's Day!

It's birthday time.  We've been doing this for a few years now,  so it's harder to find new, make ahead recipes.  I've made all the cheese courses at some point.  I've made all the canapes and first courses that don't have caviar, truffles, or foie gras. Mainly because I don't want to shell out $100 for one ounce of anything. What if I mess it up? All of the best desserts have been made. So the options are,  buy either truffles,  caviar, or foie gras, or repeat a dish.  Or maybe mix it up.  There are, after all, a great many main dishes that we haven't tried.  

So this year,  there will be 3 repeats and 3 new dishes.  It takes some pressure off, honestly.  There was less to make ahead though - which puts some of the pressure back on.  And then there's the issue of foie gras.  We'll worry about that later. 

Thus far, the prep has consisted of brioche. This bread is so delicious.  And easy to make.  I really wonder why I don't make it more.  I only needed part of one loaf,  so we have already consumed the second one.

I roasted some tomatoes yesterday... let them go a little too long and made tomato chips.  That's what I get for trying to do school with the kiddos and cook at the same time.  I think some of it is salvageable.  Oh well, there are some extra tomatoes. 

Fed Ex came. So that was exciting. 

D'artangnan was having a sale, the timing of which could have not been more perfect. However,  due to sale prices the one thing I wanted to order fell below the minimum order price, so I had to buy 2 items. While we're splurging let's just go big. 

We also went shopping yesterday.  I hate grocery shopping.  Truly.  I would rather clean out my chicken coop than go to the grocery store.  This particular shopping requires going to multiple stores, because who knew lobster was falling out of favor? Publix was the only store who carried them, but did not carry multiple other required items.  

The kids proceeded to name them.  

Maybe I'll relay my story of the first time I made lobster.  I didn't have TK quality instructions.  It goes much more smoothly these days. They do still try to escape, though.