It was a pretty chilly Valentines Day Sunday 02/14/21, and so we had the wood stove going all day.

The height of the day was working together to fix a special dinner that we enjoyed with a bottle of 2018 Josh Bourbon Barrel Aged Cabernet Sauvignon.

I popped the bottle of Josh early in the afternoon so that we could sample it right after uncorking it. We took another sip about a half hour later, and then poured out full glasses after that. The second sip showed a difference, but it took quite awhile after that for the wine to smooth out noticeably. At 2018, I think it's a little young to be enjoyed enough to warrant the price unless you have a more sophisticated palette than I do.

For dinner, Sue had requested I fix scallops, and she would make the desert, though she wouldn't tell me what it was going to be.

So, when we had been out shopping a few days ago, I bought some large, fresh sea scallops. I splattered some lemon juice and herbs over them and set them aside to marinate while I got the broccoli ready for steaming in a cardamom and parsley broth.

Things moved pretty quickly from there. While I got the thin spaghetti noodles going, I I cooked thin pieces of prosciutto and garlic in the skillet, and put that aside. Then I quickly sauteed pieces of Belgian endive, and Italian escarole in garlic and olive oil, and set that aside. Then, in went the scallops until they were almost done, and added all the rest of the ingredients with some other herbs, and a splash of white wine.

And for desert, Sue had made a batch of really yummy Limoncello Cream Cupcakes served with ice cream. Glad she made a batch of them because we enjoyed them for days after.

Dinner prep underway!

Valentines Day card that Sue made up for Mia.

Prep work is done so while I sautee the scallops, Sue relaxes with her wine in the window seat.

Relaxing Valentines Day dinner by a roaring fire in the wood stove.