countdown is on

valentine's day is almost here. 

i'm a little scared but mostly excited about the three-course meal deliveries. it's actually all i can think about! my days are now filled with planning my route to avoid rush hour traffic, writing grocery lists to make sure i don't forget anything, tallying up prep lists to stay organized, and finding fun craft supplies to give everything a festive flair.

this is just a quick reminder that orders have to be in by february 11th, just so i have time to buy all of the supplies. and if you've placed an order but haven't finalized your selection then it's time to get that in too, please & thank you.

i also feel a bit discriminatory. as a single gal myself, i shouldn't be ignoring that entire sector of the population. so if you'd like to order this for 1, then far be it from me to deny you your valentine's day wish. just cut the price in 1/2 and we'll make it work.

unfortunately, since i have so much cooking & baking to do to get ready for tuesday, i won't be heading to the market this sunday. i think it's best for my mental health if i just focus on saturday & then go into intense valentine's day preparations. don't worry, i have lots of festive things planned for the market this weekend too, including: heart-shaped short bread cookies with chocolate messages piped on top, fancy little lemon/ginger/blueberry cheesecakes (gluten-free), cinnamon heart cupcakes, lots & lots of chocolate and everything will be getting a bit of a valentine's day makeover... don't worry, no bacon cupcakes this week.

and for those of you not ordering in & planning a night on the town, think 308 south by tarek's on quinpool road. i'm not sure if i've ever blogged about this before, but i supply them with all of their desserts. for their prix fixe menu on valentine's day i'm making a special little heart-shaped red velvet cake drizzled with dark chocolate, served with a cream cheese sauce and fresh berries. it's big enough for two & designed for sharing....rrrrrrromance.

okee dokee time to hit the kitchen. baked beans, white bean & kale soup, roast pork dinners, curried chicken & chickpeas, vegetarian pot pies & seafood chowder await.