Life as We Know It: Cupid strikes again

This weekend started out like every other weekend. We have a little tradition in our relationship where I cook Friday night dinner and we sit, enjoy dinner, and catch up on our week together. It is very special to me, since Matt and I only see each other on the weekends. I love to cook for him, and on Friday, I tried a new recipe for WW Vegetable Lasagna! It was delish, and it didn't feel like I was eating "diet" food at all. If you want the recipe, just email me.

On Saturday, we met up with Kim and Brad for a hike in the Austin Greenbelt. If you've never been to Austin's greenbelt, then you are missing out on true beauty within this amazing city. This protected "belt" of land is sprawling throughout the midsection of the city, and has many different trails, with various difficulty levels, and lengths. Matt and I try to do different paths, so we can try them all. Well on Saturday, we had no clue that this trail was going to be so difficult.... well, not difficult, just plain hard. Kim and Brad (our fitness gurus) were champs, but Matt and I are a bit more out of shape, and we had to work for it!! It was so much fun to hike with BK! Kim and I were dying laughing the entire time, while Matt and Brad probably laughed at us behind our backs. It was a very fun time!!

Matt leading the path (you can barely see him in the distance)!

HA! Kim and I "holding" up the rock urban assault wall

The boys find the perfect rocks on one of the breaks.

So here goes, I am about to be full on mushy, ridiculously in love, crazy about my man...I'm about to be that girl. Matt has always been wonderful to me, truly treating me like I am a princess, making sure that I always feel so very special. We have some of the best date nights, at some of the best restaurants around Austin and San Antonio. Matt's love for fine dining has translated into amazing dining experiences for the both of us. As you can tell, we both share a love for food. I show him my love by home cooked meals, fancy breakfast, or some new sweet treats that I like to invent.

This Valentine's, Matt wanted to try something very different. Instead of a reservation at the hottest restaurant in town, Matt wanted to turn my home into the place to be. He wanted to COOK me dinner. We have been dating for two and half years, and he has not once cooked for me. I say this with love, because Matt would much rather go out, than cook...he loves going out that much. But the fact that he wanted to cook for me, not only made me feel so unbelievable special, but it also made me a bit nervous. Could he cook? What in the world would he cook? Would he burn my house down? Reminder to check insurance on the house before Matt cooks... HAHA!! All jokes aside, I was excited, albeit nervous, too. I have a control issue, and he was going to be using MY kitchen to create the meal.

Well, the day had come, and Matt gave me the menu......drum roll please......

Cesar Salad with a homemade Parmesan Crisp

Porterhouse Steak (Ribeye for Matt, Filet Mignon for me) with a Bleu Cheese Crab topping

Fresh Maine Lobster

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Green Beans with shitake mushrooms and caramelized onions

NOW I was excited (and HUNGRY). After our hike, we ventured to Whole Foods for the main ingredients. What fun, because we both love Whole Foods. It was hard to stick to our plan, because we wanted everything. Once we got home, Matt got to work in the kitchen, and I took my spot on the couch, as I was instructed to not enter the kitchen, unless asked a specific question. After I realized that Matt wasn't about to ask me any questions, I decided to get a little dolled up for the evening, while he cooked.

With very little guidance, Matt presented our first course. WHAT A SURPRISE, the salad was delicious!!! The Parmesan crisps turned out amazing, and the dressing was a hit.

After our opening course, Matt had to get back in the kitchen to start our entree. Below is a picture of him cooking the steaks, checking the tempretures, to make sure he is cooking it exactly how I like it, medium rare. So sweet!!