Love and friendship was in the air...

Yesterday was a day dreaded by most single women in this world. Not me though; depressing is New Years. You spend all this money on a sparkly outfit and an expensive pre-set menu, and then you watch your friends smooch their loves at midnight. This year, I spent New Years at home with my parents and then headed to Asheville on New Years Day to visit my favorites...and that was perfect for me.

Valentine's Day though? Come on, gals! We have lots of people who love us. My Time Management Trainer said that we should have 4-5 kinds of relationships in our life. That means that missing out on the boyfriend/husband relationship shouldn't make us feel not loved...we have coworkers, friends, family, pets, etc...who care about us! So, chin up!

I decided during my Senior year of college that I would always love Valentine's Day. In college, I had invested in a relationship which turned out to be a complete bust, and, by Senior year, I was jaded by all things sentimental. On Valentine's Day, I joined about 10 sorority sisters at an unromantic Japanese Steakhouse where we had a blast. I still regard that night as one of my favorites in college (see above picture).

This Valentine's Day, I decided to continue the tradition of celebrating friendship. I had 5 friends over for a dinner party on Saturday. I will say that on Saturday afternoon I was worried that I'd gotten myself in over my head. I prepped more than a TV chef before a show, chopping everything and putting the chopped items in bags and containers for later.

Then, at 7:45, I was freaking out because no one had shown up. What if I ended up like Carrie Bradshaw on her 40th Birthday at the restaurant alone (Sex and the City, of course)? Never fear, everyone arrived, and the night continued seamlessly...we even played Balderdash...my favorite!

I got the entire menu (minus the brownies) from Martha Stewart Living (2/10). You'll have to confirm with my friends, but I thought it was pretty darn delish. The sandwiches call for a lot of Gruyere which is expensive. I did half regular Swiss and half Gruyere. So here is the menu, and a plethora of recipes:

Warm Potato and Frisee Salad
Prep Time: 10 min. Total Time: 55 min.

8 baby Yukon Gold potatoes, halved
3 T. red-wine vinegar
2 T. minced shallot
1 tsp. Dijon Mustard
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 head frisee, trimmed
4 fresh chives, cut into 1-inch pieces

Place potatoes in a medium pot of salted water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until potatoes are fork tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain. Meanwhile, whisk together vinegar, shallot, and mustard. Pour in oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper.

Toss warm potatoes with 3/4 of the vinaigrette, and let stand for 30 minutes.

Toss marinated potatoes with frisee and remaining vinaigrette. Sprinkle with chives.

Croque-Monsieur
Prep Time: 5 min. Total Time: 35 Min. Calories: Who Cares

2 T. unsalted butter, plus more for bread
2 T. all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup grated Gruyere cheese, plus 8 slices
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
8 thick slices rustic bread
12 slices ham
Dijon mustard, for bread

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour. Add milk; bring to a simmer. Cook, whisking frequently until sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add Parmesan and Gruyere. Whisk until melted and smooth.

Butter bread. Arrange half of the slices on a rimmed baking sheet. Top each slice with 2 slices Gruyere and 3 slices of ham. Spread mustard onto unbuttered sides of the remaining bread. Place on top of ham, buttered side up.

Preheat broiler. Heat a grill pan or skillet over medium to medium-low heat, about 5 minutes per side. Return to baking sheet. Spoon 1/3 cup sauce over top of each sandwich. Broil until tops are bubbling and brown, about 3 minutes.

Caramelized Pears and Red Onions
Prep Time: 5 min. Total Time: 45 min.

2 firm, ripe red pears, such as Bartlett, cored and quartered
2 red onions, each cut into 6 wedges
1 T extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Drizzle pears and onions with oil. Season with salt and pepper, and toss. Spread mixture in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast, turning pieces occasionally, until golden brown, about 40 minutes.


Mrs. Barker's Brownies
1 box brownie mix, and ingredients needed according to box

Cream cheese filling:
2 8 oz. packages cream cheese, softened
2 tsp. cherry juice
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup chopped cherries

Mix cream cheese filling ingredients together. Prepare brownie mix according to box directions. Grease a 9x13 inch casserole. Pour 1/2 brownie mixture on bottom. Add cherry cream cheese filling. Top with remaining brownie mixture. Bake until a knife comes out clean. Let the brownies cool completely before cutting them.

(Cherry juice can be used instead of water in the brownie mix. I forgot this fun tidbit when I was making them on Saturday.)