I think we can all agree on one thing, nothing says Happy Valentine's Day like a new washer and dryer!!! Unless it's a new vacuum!!! How is it appliances know to die right before a holiday?? Over the years I've received a new refrigerator for Mother's Day, a lawn mower for our anniversary and even a furnace for my birthday!! Lucky for me appliances are the mister's love language!
Valentine's Day is not even a Hallmark Holiday around here...although I do have to say the mister had me going the day before...he called me from Global Headquarters to ask if I wanted to run up to Northgate Mall with him and go to Alana Estate Jewelers...I had to check Called ID to make sure it was the mister I was talking to! Never, in all the years and years of marriage to the mister, has he ever asked me to go to the mall, let alone a jewelry store! I decided to play along, because I do love a good mystery! The mister picked me up, it was a sunny day and I do believe everyone had left work early to go play in the sun as the traffic was worse than usual. The mister, uncharacteristically, was in a very cheery mood and he did not have one incident of road rage, even though it took us 1 1/2 hours to get to the mall. And then I watched, with my own two eyes, as the mister willingly walked into the mall of his own free will. It was a thing of beauty right there! We made our way to the jewelry store, when he finally told me he had seen a TV commercial and that's how he knew about it and then the mister walked inside without seizing! There must have been a higher power at work because I was seeing things I'd never seen before...the mister asking the saleslady to show me pieces...asking me to try things on, joking with me about maybe I should by TWO!! I had finally had all I could take...I mean, I KNOW the mister and he was either suffering from some sort of delusion or I was! I was truly worried, so in my best Florence Nightengale voice I asked the mister if he was okay... when was the last time he had anything to eat...was he a quart low on fluids? He assured me everything was fine but I wasn't buying it, or anything else, nope, my antennae were on high alert! We left the jewelry store and the mister was on Cloud 9...and every jewelry shop we walked by he asked me if I wanted to go in and have a look...seriously unnerving! We went to dinner, the mister could not have been more pleasant and I decided it was time for me get in the game so I told the mister that just him asking me to go to the mall, to a jewelry store was gift enough.
The mister said, a very distinct sigh of relief, "Reeeeeeeally? What are you up to?"
Me: "Me? What am I up to? What are YOU up to?"
The mister: "I'm not up to anything, I was trying to be nice!"
Me: "You're never nice!"
The mister: "It's the new me. I decided to be nice for a day."
Me: "One whole day? Then what, you're back to your normal self?"
The mister" "Yep, Happy Valentine's Day!"
True to form, the next day, Valentine's Day, the mister showed up at 8:00 at night with two boxes of cheap chocolates for Moi, his diabetic wife. I asked he if was trying to kill me and he just laughed and then volunteered since it was so late the chocolates were two for one. Aaaaaand the mister was back to his normal romantic self!
This very yummy dessert takes all of about 20 minutes to make. Crushed graham crackers with melted butter and a little sugar, go into the bottom of the serving dish, making the 1st of this 3 layer dessert. The 2nd layer is whipped up in a matter of minutes with cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk - I sense I am reeling you in here, yes? The 3rd and final layer is the easiest, a tablespoon of canned cherry pie filling is put on top or raspberry or blueberry or whatever makes your heart skip a beat!
Cherry Cream Cheese Dessert - Adapted From Melody Mellinger via Taste of Home
For the Crust:
3/4 cup crushed graham cracker crumbs (about 12 crackers)
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted
For the Filling:
1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 can (21 oz.) cherry pie filling
In a Zip-lock style bag, combine the cracker crumbs, (I put the whole crackers into the bag and crush them, no mess) sugar and butter and your your hands to mix together. Divide crumbs among 8 dessert dishes, about 4 rounded teaspoonfuls in each, press into bottom of dish.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth. With mixer running on low, gradually add sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice and vanilla. Mix until well incorporated. Spoon 1/4 cup of the cream cheese mixture into each dish. Top with a tablespoon of the cherry pie pilling. Makes 8 desserts.
Since I do like celebrating Valentine's Day, with or without the mister, I invited some of my leeeeetle friends over to make Valentines and have some dessert...they loved sparkling punch with extra sugar cubes and edible glitter, the hot cocoa, which we call Sludge because it's so thick, was eaten with spoons while they swooned, and they loved the Fairy Bread, too! Sugar cookies were enjoyed by all but the Cherry Cream Cheese desserts were the favorite...one little munchkin said, "I know I'm still a kid but I have an adult palette so I love this!" Cute little creatures! All things considered, not even Hallmark could have improved on this Valentine's Day!