Spreading the love

Happy Valentines Day everyone!  Or if you're a V-day hater...screw that stupid Hallmark holiday!  (I like to cover my bases.)  We're never really set in how we celebrate, if we choose to celebrate.  Given how much I've run the Mr. ragged over the past 6 weeks, I think the best Valentines gift I can give him is the gift of rest.  Nothing planned, nothing that needs painted or done after a long day of work, just a dinner of chicken cordon bleu burgers, rent a few flicks (Dream House and In Time...no chick flicks) and have our traditional treat...old school homeroom cupcakes.

There is something about the light white cake dyed pink with vanilla buttercream and of course imperial cinnamon candies just like you'd have for elementary school parties while waiting with baited breath to see if that boy you have a crush on put a valentine in your shoebox valentine caddy.  You could always tell if they liked you as a friend if you got the one that said "you're tops" over "be mine."

Plus I like the idea that a bunch of grown manly men are going to be walking around the Mr's work today carrying pink cupcakes.

The recipe was simple.  But first I must point out what is on the back of the box...

I mean really, I'm not going to pour it down my gullet but telling me to not eat raw cake batter that's like telling a drowning man to ignore the buoy to his left. Anyhoo...

The Duncan Hines white cake mix required 3 egg whites which was a plus but it called for 1/3 cup of oil and I of course subbed out unsweetened applesauce for the oil.  I added a few drops of red food coloring for the pretty pink hue and added 1/4 cup of white chocolate chips.  I baked 12 cupcakes at a time for 19 minutes.  I've got the nutritional info for the cupcake base alone for a total of 24 cupcakes so that you can add whatever icing or topping you want.

Nutritional information for cupcake only (sans frosting):  Calories  105  Total Fat 2g  Sat Fat 1g  Mono Fat .5g  Poly Fat .5g  Sodium 134mg  Carbs 20g  Sugars 11g  Protein 2g

I make it pretty clear to the Mr that it's the other gestures during the year that count, not the ones made today.  You shouldn't have to have a day to tell others you love them and it shouldn't only be one day.  So I asked if he would do one romantic thing for me per month and I wasn't going to tell him what so he'd have to use the noggin.  I love that last thing he got me.

In the beginning of my DIY shenanigans, I commented one morning that I couldn't go to sleep for 3 hours because my mind was racing with all of the projects I wanted to do.  I said I wished I'd had a notebook next to the bed so I could've written them down and gotten some sleep.  Two days later, I got this mini notebook and pen for me to write down my projects.

It meant a lot he remembered that and I love checking things off the list when I finish them!  I look forward to the next romantic gesture.

We don't usually decorate for the holiday but this year our house looks quite festive thanks to Layla at The Lettered Cottage.  I won a giveaway for some Valentines Day banners and they arrived today (sadly after my cupcake shoot) so I put them up along the patio valance and fireplace.

Aren't they adorable?!  I only had the point and shoot so it's a little dark but you can go to the post I commented on to see them in their properly lit glory.

So all in all, it's going to be a good day full of love, exercise, yummy food and movies.  Just another Tuesday night in the SATW household!

Do you celebrate Valentines Day or is it just another day?

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