Romantic Dinner Ideas

We are going to stay in for dinner on Valentine's Day. So I started searching around for dinner ideas. Something at home, but special. I thought I would share some of the ideas I came up with.

1. King Crab Legs with Roasted Carrots and Twice Baked Potatoes

Baked King Crab Legs

I have not used this King Crab Leg recipe, but it gets amazing reviews. I usually steam mine with beer, lemon, cajun seasoning, etc. But baking them would make things easier since I always have problems with not having a big enough pot.

Roasted Carrots

I have made these carrots many different times. The recipe has two recipes in it. One sweet and one savory. I have had both and love them both. And my girls love them too.

Cheesy Twice Baked Potatoes

I made these on NYE and we loved them. 

2. Reversed Seared Filet and Garlic Butter Shrimp

Reversed Seared Filet (Steak)

Filet is my favorite. And when one of our friends introduced us to the reverse sear method, I am hooked. If I have steak at home, this is how I want it. Now you can pair these two dishes with the above sides or add in some grilled/oven baked asparagus.

Garlic Butter Shrimp

Shrimp and steak go well together. And I am all about the garlic and butter. This would pair so well with the reverse seared steak.

3. Seafood Pasta with Roasted Veggies

Seafood Pasta with Roasted Veggies

I have never had this pasta but it sounds amazing. It has all the makings of a good seafood dish that I love. And it is pasta. Who doesn't love pasta? 

4. Brown Butter Scallops with Parmesan Risotto

Brown Butter Scallops with Parmesan Risotto

I love Pinch of Yum's recipes and there is a reason this one gets almost 5 stars from over 90 reviews. She always has the best risotto recipes and this one is killer!

5. Fig Ravioli with Brown Butter and Crispy Prosciutto

Fig Ravioli with Brown Butter and Crispy Prosciutto

I love raviolis and this combo sounds really good. I haven't tried it, but it has great reviews.

6. Nobu's Miso-Marinated Black Cod

Nobu's Miso-Marinated Black Cod

This dish is a favorite from Nobu and while I haven't tried the recreation, I sooo want too. Doesn't this sound amazing?

7. Carbone's Spicy Rigatoni Vodka

Carbone's Spicy Rigatoni Vodka

I have made this and it is everything. It definitely lives up to Carbone's original one. I added pancetta to it and we all devoured it. I also only had red pepper flakes instead of calabrian chilis, so I added red pepper flakes. And I added less to the sauce and then added more to Rory's and mine after it was done cooking.

What are your dinner plans for Valentine's Day? Are you staying in or going out?

13 Pinterest Recipes We Recently Tried

 It's no secret that we have gotten bored with what we eat during this pandemic. We have tried many new dishes and some we have had on repeat. 

Below are 13 Pinterest recipes that we have recently tried and what we thought of them.

Autumn Sausage and Veggie Sheet Pan Dinner

We really liked this one since you can change up the veggies in it depending on the time of year. We did make this one with the onions, butternut squash and brussels. This dish definitely feels and tastes like Fall. We will be making this one again.

The Very Best Roasted Carrots (2 Ways)

This is a two for one recipe. You get a savory and a sweet carrot recipe. I can't say how the sweet ones are, but the savory ones were really good. My girls even asked for seconds.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

My friend Missy created this recipe and I love trying anything she puts up on her blog. I made this exactly like the recipe stated and while we all really enjoyed it, the girls complained that the broccoli was still too crunchy. So next time I make this, I am going to roast the broccoli in the oven for about 15 to 20 minutes first and then add it in. 

Easy and Perfect Grilled Salmon in Foil with Lemon and Dill

How classic is this dish? The flavors are pretty classic and ones that we love. I made this and while the flavors were there, I thought it needed to be more "crisp" on the outside. I like when I grill salmon on cedar planks, so the salmon has more texture to it instead of being so moist. But that is probably just my preference.

Coconut Lime Shrimp

I have made this four times now and we love it every time. Three of the times, I made it with shrimp and once I made it with cauliflower and chickpeas. They were both amazing combos. I pair ours with brown rice. This dish is flavorful and healthy. I definitely recommend making this one.

15 Minute Lo Mein

Again, this is a dish that I have made several times now because it is so versatile. I change up the veggies every time and it comes together quickly. Everyone in my family loves this dish and we make it at least every other week (when I can find the ramen noodles).

Lemon Butter Cheese Ravioli with Garlic Basil Breadcrumbs

This is a dish I saw another blogger make and I had to make it. I think you need to be very picky with the cheese raviolis that you buy and I would cut the garlic basil breadcrumbs in at least half. 

Tuscan Lentil Soup

My MIL made a lentil soup for us a few months back that we really loved. So I searched on Pinterest for one and this is the one I found that had great reviews. The soup was really good. The girls even tried a bit of it. We even had the leftovers which were even better as they sat in all their juices. BUT the leftovers really made the house stink. Ha. So beware of that.

Vegetarian Greek Lemon Soup

This soup was everything. I don't know what it is, but Broccyourbody makes amazing food. I made this and we had the leftovers two days later. It is sooooo good, holds well and is hearty, but yet light. Make sure you save some extra lemon for the top and definitely drizzle the olive oil on the top of it. 

Roasted Green Beans with a Spicy Mustard Dipping Sauce

This is another dish that Missy made and put on her blog. I have made this several times as our side and we love it. The girls have even used some of the dipping sauce. They loved it on roasted potatoes, the green beans and sausage. The sauce is sooo amazing. Make this.

Creamy Lemon Pasta

This is another Broccyourbody recipe and it was really good. She recommended pairing it with the pea dish below and that is what we did. You can basically eat them separately or combine them a bit which is what Rory and I did. The girls ate theirs separately. This pasta is decadent. It is really good, has the right amount of lemon to it and isn't overwhelming.

Famous Italian Chopped Salad

This salad is famous in LA. The Kardashians eat it (differently than above) and it was a huge hit on Broccyourbody's Instagram. I made it just as she stated and it was really good. I used a good quality salami and fresh parm and it made it soooo good. I made it just for Rory and I, but the girls ended up loving the chickpeas and salami in it so much that they ate part of ours. This is the perfect lunch/Summer dinner salad.

Peas with Shallots and Bacon

What a combo this dish is. I think the girls LOVED this dish so much. They love the pancetta and peas pasta that I make with shallots, so this was similar for them. They ate every last bit of this. And as I said above, we paired it with the creamy lemon pasta. We will be making this combo again.

So basically most of the dishes I made were a huge hit. Some we may never make again (the lentil soup), but they were at least tasty and not a total fail. Do you have any new recipes that you have tried and loved and wanted to share?

Girl Chat - Favorite Fall Recipes

It is time for our monthly Girl Chat and this month we are sharing our favorite fall recipe(s). I am going to share a few of my recipes that I have featured and made from my blog, but also a couple that I love to make that others have shared on their blogs.

Butternut Squash Soup with Pears and Bacon

Butternut Squash Soup

I found this recipe in a local grocery store magazine. This is a family favorite and we always add a bit more bacon to it because why not?! This soup is easy to make and is amazing as leftovers.

Sweet Potato Nachos

Nachos

I know I just posted this last week, but these are so good. They are perfect for a weeknight meal or even for tailgating or while watching college or NFL football. We will be making these often.,

Autumn Penne Pasta with Brussels Sprouts in a Light Ragu

SkinnyTaste

I found this recipe a few years ago and I always make it in the fall. It combines turkey and sausage with a lighter ragu and then you add in brussels sprouts and it is so good, hearty, but light.

Stuffed Shells

Stuffed Shells

These stuffed shells are so good, hearty and perfect for a little date night. I make these year round, but I love them during the Fall. I love making them on a Sunday and settling in with these, a veggie and a big glass of wine while watching football.

To link up - just grab our graphic, link up, and let's getting to chatting!  Make sure to stop by a few others linked up for an extra bit of girl chat! 

Danielle / Sparkles and Lattes - Bloglovin' - Pinterest - Instagram
Emily / A Little Bit of Emily - Bloglovin' - Pinterest - Instagram
Lindsay / Lindsay's Sweet World - Pinterest - Facebook - Instagram - Twitter
Lizzie / This Happy Life -  Bloglovin' - Pinterest - Facebook - Instagram
Sierra / Beautifully Candid - Bloglovin' - Pinterest - Instagram - Twitter

What's Hap-Pinning

I am in the midst of enjoying vacation. All the coffee I can drink, amazing breakfast and dinner prepared every night and lots of outdoors time. It is heavenly here.

Today I am linking up with Jenn and Jessi for What's Hap-Pinning.

I am ALWAYS searching for summer recipes and I have been pinning away in hopes of making some of these when we get back from vacation...because I am eating dessert every night without a care. At least I won't care until I get back.

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This pineapple salsa looks so good. We are always eating Mexican food and what better way to change up a side dish or appetizer with pineapple salsa. I can't wait to try this and add a margarita with it.

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These grilled shrimp tacos would go perfectly with the pineapple salsa above. I love how light and yummy this dish sounds. 

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I love cucumber salads. I used to make them all the time, but haven't as much lately. But we are growing our own cucumbers again and this salad is perfect for it. Plus we have some dill growing too. Super simple and it uses greek yogurt instead of mayo or sour cream. Yum.

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Not sure this is super healthy, but it has my favorite things. A caprese garlic bread. It would be perfect for a dinner party or pair this with some prosciutto, salami and pepperoni for an Italian style lunch or dinner.

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This is the fruit salsa that our favorite brunch spot gives us every time we go. The girls love it. It is so fresh and yummy. Now I can make it at home.

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I love Mexican corn, but it is no secret that it isn't that healthy for you. That is why this version is so much better for you. It doesn't use mayo. Instead it uses greek yogurt. Sign me up!

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I love a good piece of grilled chicken, but grilled chicken needs a good marinade on it or bbq sauce. This marinade looks pretty easy and most of these items I have on hand. I can't wait to try it.