Thursday - Happy Anniversary!

Pate de campagne
Brie
Baguette
Toasted chickpeas (recipe in the comments)
Roasted asparagus and cherry tomatoes
Strawberries

Prosecco
Dark chocolate
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M and I have a tradition of having a fancy indoor picnic on Valentine's Day. As we were out of town on Valentine's this year, we have moved the celebration to our anniversary celebration. This is the 13th anniversary of our first kiss - and, surprisingly, it remains the anniversary we celebrate most seriously :) For a long time, we used to go on a mini vacation each year around this time, but the arrival of Mr. T has changed our flexibility a bit. Regardless, we are happy to be celebrating! This sort of picnic is super easy and amazingly festive, with almost no clean up. What a way to enjoy an evening!

Note: We made the chickpeas for the first time tonight. they're awesome. We had them at a tapas place in Ann Arbor and I had them in a salad last week at a restaurant and thought, "we really need a home version of these healthy, protein packets!" They totally rock. Try them.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Super easy
Chopping: None
Time: 40 minutes for roasting
Make ahead: I'd do the chickpeas in advance.

Reaction
J: "The best celebration!"
M: "Decadent as always - especially because of the company."

Monday

Saffron orzo with shrimp (recipe in the comments)
Zucchini and red onion

Hot tea

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Today was the first day of a new semester and M started teaching two new courses today! They both went wonderfully, so we were looking for a semi-celebrational dinner. This fits the bill. We got this recipe from a Giada cookbook (of Food Network fame)my mom brought during a fall visit to Buffalo, but we have changed both the ingredients and the preparation extensively. That said, the deeply saffron infused orzo is hers and it makes the base of this dish. Saffron is very expensive, but the price drops dramatically if you buy it at an ethnic grocery store, like an Indian grocery. At our supermarket it was over $14 for .1 oz and I paid $6.40 for 1 full oz at the Indian grocery. This doesn't use a whole ounce so you have extra for other dishes or even doing this again! This was an excellent meal to kick off the new semester!

Prep notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Parsley, lemon, zucchini, onion
Time: 45 minutes
Make ahead: This is best fresh, but keeps very well. If you haven't had it fresh, you'd think leftovers were amazing :)

Reaction
J: "Thank you for bringing the inspiration, Mom!"
M: "Saffron decadence."

Tuesday - M & J's anniversary

Beef Daube Provencal (recipe in the comments)
Egg noodles
Roasted asparagus

Hot tea
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Here's the good news: this is the best beef dish I have ever eaten and certainly that I have ever made. Here's the better news: this recipe is so straightforward it's fail proof. Here's the best news: it's made in the slow cooker so your whole house smells wonderful when you come home and all you have to do is boil water for noodles and pop some asparagus in the oven. A fantastic, elegant dinner with almost no effort. This is especially true if you do the prep the night before, so even your morning is hassle free. It's perfect for holidays (we've done it for Easter and it would be amazing at Christmas), guests, special occasions, or when you just want an extraordinary meal. When we make it for more people we add an appetizer, a salad, and a dessert. Tonight we have a more scaled back feast and will have plenty of leftovers tomorrow - it's a gift that keeps on giving.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Moderate, the prep is more intense than our usual crock pot fare (about 40 minutes)
Chopping: Garlic (crushed), chuck roast, carrot, onion, rosemary, thyme
Time: 40 minutes the night before, 25 minutes (mostly unattended) right before you serve
Make ahead: Crock pots are miracle workers in your kitchen

Reaction
J: "The best."
M: "Fantastique."