Pinapple Coconut Muffin Recipe

The main reason I baked these muffins is that I had leftover crushed pineapple from our recent Vietnamese beef fondue party. The more romantic reason I tell my husband Lulu is that I'm always thinking about him and I want to please him all the time. Given his sweet tooth, Lulu always enjoys a hot cup of fruity white tea and a few sweet treats, so I think he'll fall for it .

The muffins are flavored with pineapple, coconut and lemon chocolate chips.

Blackberry Muffin Recipe

When we first got married I had a lot free time, but ever since Aria came into our lives, I'm not able to be as attentive to Lulu and have decreased the number of romantic gestures I make. So this weekend I brought him breakfast in bed. 

I made little blackberry muffins and baked them in heart-shaped molds. Lulu greatly appreciated them but he made one remark I found amusing. He thought the blackberries made it look like the hearts were "bleeding". He teased me and said "Is there a hidden message here?"

Valentine Dinner Ideas

If you're planning to cook up a storm for your sweetheart to celebrate Valentine's Day, you might search for red, pink-colored or heart-shaped dishes. You could start with heart appetizers, a heart-shaped pizza and finish with heart-shaped chocolate cookies. This might sound cheesy but I think whether the menu you've planned is simple or super complex, your sweetie will appreciate the effort that you put into it.

Lemon Tiramisu Recipe

Lemon tiramisu is a great dessert to end a very romantic dinner. Yesterday, I served my Valentine a dinner that is reminiscent of our recent trip to Rome. Instead of the traditional ladyfingers in between the layers of mascarpone cream, I used chocolate chip biscotti instead. I flavored the mascarpone cream with Meyer lemons, which paired wonderfully with theItalian chocolate cookies.

We looked at the photos of our trip to Italy, while feeding each other from the dessert cups. My favorite place was, of course, the Vatican (thanks for the link, Bill!) with its magnificent frescoed ceiling in the Sistine Chapel. Oh so romantic!

Ratatouille Stuffed Beggar's Purse Recipe

I’ve made beggar's purses using crêpes as wraps in the past. They look incredibly elegant, but are not difficult at all to make. You could also simply fill the crêpes and fold them in half but I thought tying the purses with parsley stems was a nicer touch for Valentine’s Day.

This time, I filled them with ratatouille and Brie cheese. To the traditional ratatouille ingredients, I added sweet potatoes for a little firmer consistency. If you’re not serving this to vegetarians as I am, the beggar’s purse would make a great companion to steamed fish or a stuffed salmon filet.