Happy Valentine’s to me! I bought three new books at Barnes + Noble with giftcards from Matt’s dad for Xmas. Well, technically Matt and I bought each other the gifts 🙂
This 150 Healthiest Foods book is awesome!!! I just picked it off the shelf and really liked what he had to say. I’ve been reading Nicholas Sparks since The Notebook so I got the new one on that (although his first 2 books were by far the best). And Michael Pollan rules and so does food!! (I like to think the title means Food Rules and Dogs Drool and not so much ‘rules’ as in commands
)
While we were in B + N we ran into Diana and Dan!!!!!!!!
And then we followed each other over to EarthFare and got to chat up food talk while we kept crossing paths when we shopped.
I’m trying a new milk – a local creamery. It was less expensive than the EarthFare Organic milk, and while this milk isn’t organic, it is local and if EarthFare sells it it’s bound to be good.
I also found two new yogurts to cheer up my 5-days-a-week lunchbox!
And two baby squashies!
We almost got EarthFare soup + salad bar for dinner….but Diana convinced me my original Valentine’s idea was worth doing. And I’m so glad I did it!!
Baked tofu hearts!!
Cut dried block into slabs
Matt cut one big heart by hand, but we decided the cookie cutter was a much better tool and size
How much would kids love this!?
We baked them at 375* for about 20-25 minutes (after spraying with cooking spray) and made the BBQ sauce in this recipe. We baked them dry though and added the sauce as a dipper.
We also roasted the squashes for lunches
And sweet potato cubes for dinner!
Lots of pans!
I made the night special with a POMpagne – POM and seltzer.
Matt loved it!! Haha
Dinner turned out so great!!!!
Tofu with BBQ sauce dipper
Sweet potatoes with maple syrup dipper. These were the BEST sweet potatoes we have ever cooked!! 400* tossed in a little canola oil and roasted for about 30 minutes. They were perfect pillows of marshmallow!! These were also organic sweet potatoes, so maybe they had more flavor than the ones I’ve been used to?
The last menu item was some steamed napa cabbage with mustard, cidar vinegar and pecans
Gotta have a little sumptin’ for dessert on Valentine’s!
We did a chocolate tasting complemented with some Sandeman Port that I was sent to review (still loving my wine review job, but only had a thimble size due to last night’s overdose!)
Matt and I both LOVE port! This one was beautifully thick, rich and sweet and did not have much of that nutty taste that often accompanies ports. I really loved it – it was very much like a dessert wine. Matt missed the nut a little, but his palate isn’t as important 😉
The featured chocolates included….
VeggieGirl Vosges Peanut Butter Bonbon, VeggieGirl Futter Butter Organic Vegan Caramel Confections. Liz is too generous and obviously loves to fill me with chocolates!!!! And lastly some Gail Ambrosius Dark Chocolates filled with Wisconsin Crave Brothers Mascarpone that I was sent from Cheese Cupid for Valentine’s! These have the creamiest chocolate filling – must be that cheese. And the dark chocolate was awesome. I heart dark chocolate!!
They were each sooooo good for different reasons. If I had to pick a favorite though, the Vosges combo of sea salt and peanut butter with dark chocolate was just deeeee-vine!!!
Going to snuggle on the couch before bedtime <3
Andrea says
Dinner and dessert look so delish! I hope you like the skyr. I fell in love with that type of yogurt in Iceland. It’s got a real tang to it.
Emily Eats and Exercises says
I love dipping kinds of dinner. Yours looks perfect for the holiday.
That Siggi’s yogurt is my favorite yogurt I’ve ever had. It’s obscenely expensive (at least around me) so I don’t buy it often, but the texture is so think and creamy. Mmmm.
Michele | aka Raw Juice Girl says
Kath, I am so glad that you appreciate local foods/items and don’t just focus on organic. I’m not a “milk person” but I hope your enjoy the milk you picked up. Can’t wait to read your thoughts and see the comparison between the local and the organic you normally buy.
Happy Valentine’s Day!!! 😀
Erin (Travel, Eat, Repeat) says
What a great dinner! Sometimes I wonder whether it’s “better” to buy organic, or buy local. It’s not always possible to have both, so which do you choose?
Kath says
I think local wins, so long as you don’t live next to a pesticide field or cow factory 🙂
Stef says
i’m sitting here pondering what to have for dinner and i think i’m going to steal your idea of tofu hearts! (of course i’ll give you credit!!) what a fun day, you got some great books. and such a romantic evening!
Hillary [Nutrition Nut on the Run] says
Absolutely love the heart tofu. I just polished off my dinner with a couple pieces of dark chocolate too – mmm!
Food Makes Fun Fuel says
Oh my god, that tofu is too freaking cute!
And I never even heard of that book on the left; I’m going to look it up!
Ally (Exercise and Pies) says
aww, what cute tofu hearts! happy valentines day! my boy and I did a fancy dinner out last night so we are staying in too 🙂
Diana says
So nice running into you randomly! Let’s do earthfare dinner soon! Oh and let me know how you like the milk. I have that on my must-try list, so I’m very curious. 🙂
Oh and your tofu hearts are adorable! I’m so glad you decided to make them – they made for a great post and an awesome meal!
Jessica @ How Sweet It Is says
I just bought The Last Song today! Can’t wait to start reading it. 🙂
Estela @ Weekly Bite says
You are so right… That would be the perfect meal for kids!
I just started to like port. I never did, but then I had a taste of the good stuff and was a changed woman 🙂
Danielle (Coffee Run) says
Happy V Day 😀 I love the tofu hearts! I’ve never thought of making tofu into any shapes besides boring rectangles…
Lily @ Lily's Health Pad says
I’ve never thought of using a cookie cutter to cut tofu! What a great idea. So cute!
Allie (Live Laugh Eat) says
I KID YOU NOT….I was gonna make tofu hearts for my stir fry tonight!!! But I wanted eggs instead. I also didn’t have a cookie cutter so it would have been awkward with my less than stella knife skills.
Let us know how The Last Song is–I wanna see that movie!
Katie @ Health for the Whole Self says
Very cute idea with the tofu!!!
Do you often prep foods for the week over the weekend? When I’ve seen roasted veggies with your lunches, I’ve often wondered if you were taking the time to roast them mid-day, or if they had been made beforehand.
I’m trying to get more into the habit of preparing food for the week over the weekend, so I appreciate when you share your strategies in that regard! Thanks! 🙂
Kath says
Yep! I try to prep at least some form of veggies to use for the week since they are hardest to prep in a rush
Jessica says
The Last Song is amazing…I read the whole thing in one night, BUT I have to tell you that I have personally read all of his books and I HIGHLY recommed you read The Guardian….It is by far the best second comes The Rescue…
not a Sparks fan at all…can you tell…
enjoy
Kath says
I’ve read them all!
Tiffany says
Ohh all of those books look so interesting! The 150 healthiest foods looks the most intriguing, but I do love Michael Pollan too! And I saw that Siggi yogurt in the store today, but was hesitant to buy it. I know you didn’t like the Yoplait Greek, but I had to try it for myself, so I picked up one of those. I’d be interested to hear your opinion of the Siggi, though. the tofu hearts are so cute! happy valentine’s day!!
Laura I. says
If that’s the same Homestead Creamery milk I’m familiar with, it’s located in Wirtz, Virginia–which won’t be too awful far from you in Charlottesville. They’re famous locally for the ice cream they sell at their store, too–it’s supposed to be quite the treat.
Heather @ Get Healthy With Heather says
I love all the veggies in your dinner! Looks amazing and delish… Plus the tofu hearts are just so adorable. Your book store trip ended with books I would totally pick up too! Plus I’ve read the 150 foods book and really enjoyed it. Hope you do too!
Cynthia (It All Changes) says
Awww silly cheesy tofu but great!
Lisa says
ahh- i JUST bought (and ate!) the maple vanilla stonyfield today! it was good, just a hint of maple, but i tasted more vanilla than maple. still enjoyable, and not too sugary tasting.
how are the siggis? I have to try them soon!
Mara @ What's for Dinner? says
Looks like a lovely meal 🙂 Pun intended there…
happy v-day!
Brittany says
Buying local is typically more important to me than organic. And, in many situations local companies do things organically but simply don’t have the means to get organic certifications. The carbon footprint is smaller and your money is going back into the community. Win-win situation.
I love the tofu heart bites- so cute. Happy Valentine’s Day Kath!
Kaite@ Two Lives, One Lifestyle says
I love to dip roasted sweet potatoes in honey but I want to give maple syrup a try!
Elise Allen says
Cute diner but I hope you didn’t waste the rest of the tofu!
Kath says
Of course not!!! It was all on Matt’s plate
caronae says
Perfect valentine’s day Kath! Yay! I love local milk more than anything in the world. It always tastes so fresh and clean. I’m a wee bit jealous of your stoneyfield maple vanilla yogurt — haven’t seen it in stores in nyc yet! And the tofu hearts? Absolutely wonderful.
GurlOnA"Diet" says
yum! what a cute idea! what did you do with the tofu pieces AROUND the hearts though?…lol
and the organic/ local produce goods are so expensive…gah…><
Kath says
Matt ate them!
Sam (Merit to the Carrot) says
Cutest dinner I have ever seen, Kath. Seriously. Between the baby squash, hearts, and sweet potatoes…. I’m smitten!
lynn (The Actors Diet) says
what a cute dinner! happy valentine’s day!
Tara says
Oh So cute! I really want to read those books. Keep us updated!
Katie says
You got a kabocha!!! I just ate roasted kabocha for dinner, and I AM STUFFED!!! I went to college in Madison, but Gail Ambrosia was not there then….sigh.
Heather @ Health, Happiness, and Hope says
What a great way to spend the evening Kath! Those tofu hearts are so adorable! 🙂
Karla says
I sort of love Nicholas Sparks books!
Your tofu hearts are just too cute!!
Jenn (www. j3nn.net ) says
Love the heart-shaped tofu! So cute. I made a heart-shaped dinner tonight that I will reveal later today. 🙂
Jenn
Angela (the lady loves to eat) says
What a perfect valentine’s dinner! I love the heart shaped tofu, what a great idea!
Sportsgirl says
What a fun dinner! The chocolates look SO good! I am a big fan of dark chocolate too 🙂
Freya @ foodfitnessandfreya.wordpress.com says
Oh wooww, there is SO much incredible food in this post! Squash, sweet potoato, bbq sauce, maple syrup, pecans, mustard vinegar thing, PB dark chocolate….you literally could not have included any more of my favourite foods in this post 😛
What a great day!!
Sheila says
Off topic here-sorry- but I can’t find, in your OpenSky store, the amount of wheatberries (pounds) that come for the $8.79 price given.
Kath says
I don’t know – try calling Open Sky customer service or emailing them. They’ll usually reply in a heartbeat and I’ll have that fixed.
christie @ honoring health says
That looks just like the Homestead Creamery milk from the dairy in VA, I didn’t know they had a dairy in NC, too! When I “did” dairy, I used to buy their milk all the time at Kroger and Whole Foods and we even visited their ice cream shop a couple of times when we visited smith mountain lake a couple of summers ago. Even though it isn’t organic, they don’t use antibiotics or hormones so you are all good there.
Kath says
That’s the one!
Hannah says
What a perfect day of food! I love the Vosges Peanut Butter Bonbon bar (and even reviewed it on my blog :P) but haven’t tried the truffle-like version. Your dinner looks so wonderful, and let us know what you think of the Siggi’s! It’s super, super, SUPER thick and filling – I love the acai one!
Ally says
OMG I just got that healthy foods book from the library! I actually squealed a little when I saw it on the page.
Stacey says
I love Micheal Pollan! I had no idea about that book though 😀 Glad your Valentines Day turned out great!
Lauri says
Love the Tofu hearts idea!! Is the milk you bought from EF pasteurized? Hope you guys had a LOVELY V-DAY!!
Chelsea (Chelsea's Chew and Run Fun) says
Those tofu hearts are way too cute. I love the dipper selection you’ve got going on with dinner. Also, sea salt peanut butter filled dark chocolate just sounds dangerous to have off-hand.
I bought “Food Rules” yesterday as well. Michael Pollan had some good earnings yesterday!
Shannon says
I never would have thought of making tofu hearts! So clever! Although, in my case, it would not have been romantic at all. My husband would find it to be torture to eat tofu…in any form.
amanda says
I was wondering what I should do with some tofu I purchased…now you gave me an idea. I have never put it in the oven before ( i am new to using tofu)
rachael says
I love your tofu hearts! My hubby and I drink seltzer out of wine, champagne, or martini glasses almost every night. Half the fun of drinking is the glassware right?
Amanda says
another great book to recommend (I finished it yesterday and was disappointed only that I finished it)…Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman. It’s 2/3 Secret Life of Bees and 1/3 Midnight in the Garden of Good & Evil, and 100% delightful!
Katie says
TOFU HEARTS!
So adorable!
Heather @ Side of Sneakers says
I love getting new books!! Um tofu hearts? HOW CUTE!!!
Teri [a foodie stays fit] says
That’s the same milk we buy and we love it!
I LOVE the tofu hearts!
Jessica says
Food Rules does indeed rule! Love it. And heart shaped tofu makes me happy.
Amanda @ Cakes and Ale says
I’ve gotten kind of into dessert wine recently. I tried a medium-dry sherry recently that was great with creme brulee! I also like muscato d’asti, which is like a thicker, sweeter champagne almost!
In Australia, we called dessert wines “stickies”, which is such a perfect descriptor!
Heather (Heather's Dish) says
you guys are so cute…i love the tofu hearts and the POM spritzers! sounds like a fabulous evening 🙂
Jessica @ The Process of Healing says
LOVE the tofu hearts!!!!
Gena (Choosing Raw) says
Awesome, awesome looking vegan dinner. YUM! Happy belated V Day to you and Matt, and big hug from NYC!
Nicole (dishin') says
Awesome dinner, so festive!!
Lisa @ Early Morning Run says
Food Rules is on my list of books to buy. I love Michael Pollan books and this should be in every home in America. So simple, but so often overlooked!
Sounds like a great day!
Carolyn says
Cute idea with the tofu!
Melody says
I have that 150 Healthiest Foods book. LOVE IT! Jonny Bowden is one of my favorites. I trust his nutrition advice over any other author I can think of. Enjoy!
Katherine says
When you roast squash in slices like that, do you eat the skin too? I’ve always wondered if that was ok to do.
The tofu was adorable and dinner looked amazing!
Stacey@http://stacey-healthylife.blogspot.com/ says
Great idea for the tofu cutting it into heart shapes, nice bite size.
Alison says
darling dinner idea!
Erica says
Homestead Creamery is awesome! I live maybe 20 minutes from that farm – the people are so nice. If Earthfare has it, you should definitely try their ice cream.
Christine (Blisschick) Reed says
The juxtaposition of the Pollan book and tofu is interesting, as one of his main rules is to eat Real food.
I’m reading a book by an M.D. exhaustion expert called Spent. It’s an amazing work. His sources are all impeccable. You might be interested in his page or so on tofu and how utterly horrible it is for us. The way it’s processed makes the protein practically unavailable but releases carcinogens.
We should really only eat fermented soy, and further, Asian cultures, use soy only as a tiny condiment — not as a protein source.