This afternoon’s recipe – chocolate “peanut butter cups” without peanut butter – was a blast to make!
Almost as fun as Pandora’s “Love Songs” station, which is currently playing “Dreaming Of You” by Selena. Ahhh middle school.
The whole recipe, including all four versions, will be up in the next few days! I have a hundred photos to sort and edit first 🙂
While Matt and I made chocolates, pork tenderloin, drank Jefferson wines, baked bread, shredded cheese and chopped veggies, this lion came to visit. He was disappointed we were throwing a Valentine’s party and not an anniversary part for Lillis Billis the cat!
Matt and I made another pork tenderloin stuffed with bleu cheese and dates for my Jefferson Wine project
Of course wine was involved! We shared a small glass that just had to be poured 😉
We also made Kelsey’s Pimento Cheese [one of my FAVORITE recipes!!] to dip with veggies
And Matt made bread – funny shapes!!
Party time!
We had a handful of friends over for a potluck feast. I just love potluck dinners! Food made by other people is so much fun. In addition to our appetizer, tenderloin and chocolates, we had black beans and rice, arugula salad, coconut brownies, edamame dip, chocolate goat cheese!!
I had quite the feast of Jefferson Meritage and plates of delicious foods. I also tasted all four of our chocolate flavors
And had one of Cara’s funny brownies (which were awesome!)
Oh, and of course, beer. Paired with Matt’s new chalkboard paint keg sign!
I’m full of chocolate and gulping homemade lemon seltzer for hydration.
Good times, Good night!
missy says
looks like a great time. i love the ugly brownies and the funny shaped bread. 🙂
Evan Thomas says
Can’t wait for the recipes! All the food looks delicious. You guys really know how to cater a party.
Stacy @ Every Little Thing says
mmmm those coconut chocolates (and brownies) look amazing!
and i love the new chalkboard keg sign!
Jil @ Big City, Lil Kitchen says
Ohh those brownies look delicious – “ugly?” pshh – no way. Can’t wait to hear more about the chocolate!
Valerie @ City|Life|Eats says
What a fun dinner!
Katy (The Singing Runner) says
Everything looks amazing! I’m drooling over the chocolate! 😀
Gina says
Chocolate PB cups without PB, now this recipe I’m very interested to see 🙂
Averie (LoveVeggiesAndYoga) says
all those cups look awesome!!!!!
ive been making homemade PB cups for about 2 years now and i love them! they happen to be the highest viewed recipe on my site…so easy, can hardly even call it a “recipe”..haha!
Can’t wait to see what’s in the middles of yours!!!!
🙂
J3nn (Jenn's Menu and Lifestyle Blog) says
LOL, funny shape bread!!
Everything looks beautiful, and delicious!
Love your visiting lion. So cute! 🙂
Do you use your 35mm lens all the time? I got the same lens for xmas, now I”m building a light box!
KathEats says
Yup! It never leaves my camera 🙂
Sarah @ The Strength of Faith says
What a fun party!
How is Karen feeling post-chemo? Thinking about her!
Kat @ Cupcake Kat says
I can’t wait for the chocolate recipes. I love the brownies (is there a recipe for them some where?). Such a beautiful spread of food!
stacey-healthylife says
Sounds like a fun night. Love the idea of pot luck, makes everything less stressful. The brownie sign is funny.
Hannah says
As someone who eats at least half a block of chocolate everyday, I whole-heartedly concur with the title of your post and am enamoured with your little cups 🙂
Lu @ Done Dieting says
That pimento cheese makes me happy. I love to dip slices of cucumber into it. Yummy!
lynn @ the actor's diet says
wow cara’s “ugly” brownies look like a batch of mine on a really beautiful day!
Aylin @ GlowKitchen says
Love the disclaimer on the brownies
Jasmine @ Eat Move Write says
Hehe. Love the brownies sign. I can sympathize.
I’m really going to have to try making my own chocolate cups WITH pb.
Michelle (The Runner's Plate) says
Pork tenderloin is my favorite cut of pork.
Everything looks delicious!
lauren @sassy molassy says
1. I want to try BOTH of matt’s current brews.
2. I purposely browsed through the O magazine at the grocery store today to look at your spread. Nice work! THat must be SO EXCITING!!!
Allison @ Happy Tales says
Ha! Being full of chocolate is not a bad thing! We made brownies for dessert and are currently in a chocolate-induced food coma. Yummmm.
Laura @ Sprint 2 the Table says
that pork looks heavenly! you guys are the most creative couple – love the beer-chalkboard.
congrats on your big O-mag debut!!!
Kate (What Kate is Cooking) says
Haha, I should print that card for my brownies… happens every time!
Justeen @ Blissful Baking says
The food looks delicious!!! I can’t wait for the recipes for the chocolate cups!
VeggieGirl says
OOOH chocolate heaven.
Simply Life says
what a fun party!
Katherine: Unemployed says
so I just want to be friends with you and eat at your table every day. I know that is so creepy coming from a blogger but your posts are always so elegant
Vanessa says
I’m so jealous of your dinner parties!! They always look so delicious and fun! i love Matt’s beer chalkboard. His brews always sound so awesome!!!
Katelyn @ Chef Katelyn says
I love homemade peanut butter cups! so simple, and so delicious:)
Lauren at KeepItSweet says
What a fun and delicious spread!
Jess (Sweet Potato) says
Chocolate goat cheese?! That just blew my mind. Must find out more about said chocolate goat cheese…
Katie says
I cant wait to have a house one day and have people over and entertain : ) it’s something I love, my mom loved doing that growing up : )
The brownies look amazing even though they are a little messy, love the not she wrote with them !
Glad you and Matt had a great night! : )
Lauren says
You guys throw the best dinner parties. Everything looks sensational.
Christie {Nourishing Eats} says
Yum, everything looks delicious. I am particularly intrigued by chocolate goat cheese!!!
Baking 'n' Books says
I was thinking the same thing – do tell! Did you eat the tenderloin though? Or just your plate?
megan @ blackberries for jam says
What a phenomenal spread! I really really want to make blue cheese stuffed pork tenderloin now. Paired with Matt’s Chocolate Oatmeal Stout!
Holly @ Couch Potato Athlete says
Those cups looks so good and so do those brownies — ugly??? No way — you should see my brownies, ha!
I love how the pork looks on the platter with the herbs (rosemary? not sure). What a fun night!
Deborah@fromskinnytohealthy says
Wow! That looks like incredible food! Chocolate goat cheese???!?! YUMM!
chelsey @ clean eating chelsey says
You all sure know how to eat! Everything looks fantastic!
A Teenage Gourmet (Sami) says
The pork presentation is very beautiful!
Jessica says
I feel like most of my cooking warrants a “We’re ugly because…” sign!
Emily @ Perfection Isn't Happy says
Your potluck food looks like something you’d get a nice restaurant! My “pitch-in” dinners never turn out that way 🙂
Sarah (Running to Slow Things Down) says
Looks like such a blast! And everything looks fantastic. Your pork tenderloin looks absolutely mouthwatering. 😀
Mary @ Bites and Bliss says
I’ll be dreaming about those chocolate cups later! Glad you had an awesome time.
Katie @ peacebeme says
Love the chalkboard sign. That would even be cool to write a food menu on for your guests.
Ann @ Day by Day says
You really know how to present food beautifully! I love the rosemary layered between the pork slices. And the note with the brownies made me laugh. A lot of my food turns out ugly but delicious too! Your blog always makes me want a glass of wine.
Camille says
Is it bad that I think the food looks amazing but all I can think about is how adorable that cat is? Yep, it is 🙂
Anne (butter and bear) says
Can’t wait for the recipe for the chocolate cups. My little ones would love those!
Anne @ Baking Me says
Looks delicious! I have never had chocolate goat cheese, but it sounds good. Love the chalk board!
gina (fitnessista) says
chocolate goat cheese?! did i read that correctly?
i have to find/make some of this…
happy sunday, friend!
Maddie (Healthy Maddie) says
The chocolate cups look fantastic! Looks like you guys had an amazing spread.
Ann says
I love seeing your dinner parties – it’s wonderful that you have such a great group of friends who like to cook and eat and drink wine! Your stuffed tenderloin got me thinking about pork, so tonight for our Valentine’s dinner I’m making pork medallions with balsamic honey glaze (post coming tomorrow on my blog!).
Meagan says
I never thought of writing a brownie note like that – I’ve always needed a way to explain “ugly” but “Delicious” food – THANKS!!
Eating Bird Food says
Sad I missed the v-day party, even sadder I missed out on your chocolates and Cara’s brownies.
Kiran says
Everything looks so delish! and the chocolates, my oh my 😀
claire says
Man you have the BEST food at your dinner parties!
Lisa (bakebikeblog) says
my oh my – what a delicious array of dlights!
Meg says
Want to know what goes perfectly with the “Love” station on Pandora? The “Love Stinks” station. It’s hysterical what they come up with to play!
That chocolate goat cheese looks incredible and definitely has my interest piqued!
Christin@purplebirdblog says
I had a peanut butter cup fail turned win today… white chocolate truffle sandwiches were born! 🙂
The Robertsons of Mumbai says
Funny – I was singing that Selena song today, too, as I was in Corpus christi visiting my brother, and her grave is in th cemetery behind his apartment complex…
Charise says
Love that beer chalkboard! Your basement is turning into a little brewpub! 🙂
I love that you guys have little dinner parties all the time – I don’t have many friends here into food as much as we are. Often times “my kind of food” scares them off, so we do more parties with party snack food rather than dinner parties with full meals.