Puppy Print PJ's, Cheese Day, and a Whole Lotta Other Stuff

Well it's about that time again. Time for our annual 'Cheese Day'. What's a Cheese Day, you ask? Well there's something I may need to explain first...

Isaac and I aren't your normal everyday couple.

We don't like doing the same routine, mundane things that most couples do. We like to make up new fun things to do. One night, many years ago, we had a conversation about how much we like cheese. I'm not sure why we decided to talk about such things but I'm glad we did because this is what came of it: We decided that it would be fun to have a meal that was cheese EVERYTHING - cheesy foods, cheesy romantic music, cheese colored plates and napkins- you name it, we had it. The first year that we did it, we had so much fun eating all our cheesiness that we decided to do it every year.
This year, we were so preoccupied with the wedding that we forgot all about our cheese day and decided it was better late than never. So here is the Mac and Cheese Carbonara that I prepared. It was pretty yummy but I couldn't stop thinking about the $30 we spent JUST ON CHEESE (thanks Bobby Flay). Here's the recipe if you're interested. I also made cheesy garlic bread and lava cakes for dessert but they aren't pictured here.

Isaac- so excited about Cheese Day

The day after Cheese Day just happened to be exactly one year since the day we got engaged, so what did we do? We reinacted our engagement. We drove to Peoria, had a yummy (but expensive) dinner at Johnnie's Italian Steakhouse, and rented a movie (instead of go to one like we did last year). Isaac even pretended to re-propose. I can't believe it's been a year already. Is it just me or did it feel like that year went at lightning speed?

Oh yeah! And after alllll that, Valentine's Day rolled around the corner two days later. Since our whole weekend had been taken up with Cheese and Anniversaries, we decided to down play our Valentine's Day. Afterall, we have a wedding to save for.

Being with Isaac for 5.5 years, I've realized, the way to this skinny man's heart is through his little belly... who woulda thought? So I decided to test my baking skills with this Williams-Sonoma cake. Isaac loves yellow cake with chocolate frosting- so I decided to give it a go. Little did I know, this is the most labor intensive cake I've ever attempted to make in my life! For example, in between each layer, you have to brush on a rum, sugar syrup mixture, before you even add the chocolate buttercream... and don't even get me started on the chocolate buttercream (it took me about 40 minutes just to make the buttercream alone!) HEAVY SIGH.

ANYWAYS... It's no Cake Boss, but it's the best I could do. Isaac loved it, and it actually tasted pretty yummy too. So it was worth the trouble.

(In case you're wondering, Tains is a nickname. It's a long story)

Isaac, bless his little heart, bought me puppy print pj pants, and some very delicious smelling lotion for Valentine's day, and was planning to come meet me at work to surprise me with my gifts, but ended up getting a flat tire in the mall parking lot and just happened to have left his phone at home. Poor thing. After calling me from a strangers phone, I swung by after work and picked up my thoughtful, stranded little guy.

An eventful weekend it was. Glad I could spend it with my other half; the man who loves to do strange things just as much as I do :-)