Yummy Thursday - Anniversary Recipes

Wow! Seriously can't believe another year of wedded bliss has flown by just like that.  They weren't lying, having a kid definitely helps with that.  A year ago we celebrated our anniversary in a bit of a daze, as it fell just one week after we flew home with Libby, and were just starting to learn the true meaning of "SLEEP DEPRIVATION."

This year we celebrated our anniversary at church for six hours, Day One of our summer Vacation Bible School.  After a grocery run and getting stuck in road construction, we spent about an hour and a half at home this afternoon before Tim had to leave again for his meeting tonight.  And it's "one of those meetings" that typically goes 3+ hours.  I'll consider myself very blessed if I'm still awake when he gets home.

Needless to say, our "actual" anniversary meal was nothing to rave about.  I missed lunch in all the craziness of VBS, and Tim... well, Tim will eat anytime... so we had a take-and-bake pizza (and not the good kind) at 4:00 this afternoon.  I will probably be following that up with a glass of wine tonight once Libby goes to sleep, I have everything ready for another day of VBS, and it's time to turn on The Bachelorette and fold laundry.  Not one of our finest anniversary dinners.  But that's life.

LAST NIGHT'S dinner, however, was super.  Knowing how crazy our week would be, we took a little extra time to make something special and (try to) relax before Monday rolled around.  We decided to "eat in" because we are saving our pennies (and our 10's and 20's) for yet another trip to the sunshine state in October.  SERIOUSLY can't wait.  Especially during crazy weeks like this one ;)

We started with our go-to for special meals: filet mignon from the meat market in Hutchinson.  They are so mouth-wateringly yummy and sooooo reasonable.  Two restaurant-sized filets cost me less than $10.  I've gotten them three or four times now and I just season the top and bottom, brown them a few minutes each side in a hot pan, and then finish them off nice and slow in the oven or on the grill so they stay tender.  Does anyone have a great filet recipe they'd like to share? It's not something I've ever really looked into because the cut of meat is so delicious on its own, it doesn't need much else done to it!

A lovely dinner salad as well... I'm sure you don't need a "recipe" for that :)

And some AWESOME mashed potatoes.  I threw these together quick with my bacon-loving husband in mind.  I made a really small amount because they were just TOO decadent and I didn't want leftovers.

• 3 small-medium Yukon Gold potatoes
• a small handful of chives fresh from the garden, chopped.  Or if you can't do that, maybe 3-4 green onions?
• 2 slices thick-cut bacon
• 1/4 cup (shredded) of the world's most amazing sharp white cheddar cheese that someone special in your life shipped to you directly from the University of Washington - OR - any nice flavorful cheese will do
• about 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup milk
• salt, pepper, garlic powder (I bet fresh garlic would be awesome but I forgot until the last second

Peel potatoes (if you're a peeler) or leave them on if you're cool like me.  Cut the potatoes into thirds or quarters.  Boil in salted water until soft enough to prick with a fork.

Meanwhile, dice the bacon into small chunks and fry in a small pan until brown and crispy.  Cool on a paper towel.

When the potatoes are soft, drain the water off and add the milk and sour cream to the pot.  Mix well with a hand mixer, potato masher, or other utensil of your choice, to your desired mashed-potato-chunkiness. I like chunks, myself.  You?

Stir in the cheese as soon as the potatoes are mixed so they are still hot enough to melt it.  Then stir in the bacon, chives, and seasonings.  Mow down.

So.... a nice steak, a nice salad, and a heap of potatoes.  What could be better? I'll tell you what could be better.  Two words.  SALTED.  CARAMEL.  Caramel is another of my hubby's culinary loves.  As ice cream is one of mine, caramel ice cream sauce has become a staple in our house.  I've never made my own until yesterday.  I don't know why, it's simple enough, but so is buying a bottle for $2 at Wal-Mart.  However... Wal-Mart caramel sauce got NOTHING on this caramel sauce.  Dear Smuckers... we are never, ever, ever getting back together. As Tim put it, "This tastes like those caramels that you get at the coffee shop or gas station that are 3 for a dollar, only melted up and poured over my ice cream." Why yes, Tim, yes it does.  That, my dear, is what homemade tastes like.

Here's the recipe I found:
http://www.browneyedbaker.com/2012/05/22/homemade-salted-caramel-sauce-recipe/

Y.U.M.  His with chocolate chips.  Mine with cashews and coconut.  Perfect end to a perfect meal.  A few bites of heaven before a week of madness :)  Love you, Hubby.  Here's to many more... years together AND jars of caramel sauce.