A Valentine's Day Redo: A Romantic Evening at Home with La Romanella Pasta

When I think of Valentine's Day I can't help but feel a little sad then giggle about one of the first few Valentine's my husband and I had when we first were married. It was about 10 years ago I tried to create my version of an Italian restaurant for my husband. He was working as a chef at the time constantly cooking at home and work. I wanted to surprise him and have a big Italian dinner ready for him when he arrived home from work on Valentines. I decorated the dining room to make it look like my version of a romantic Italian restaurant. I used sheets to make a cute little enclosed area, had a hand written menu with what I was serving, picked out the perfect movie, had candles lit, it was perfect.

When he got home he was sick! He had the stomach flu from work. Throwing up, dizzy, so sick it was sad!! He came in saw all my stuff said it was beautiful, that he was sorry and then went to bed. I sat there alone eating my spaghetti, bread, appetizers and watched a movie by myself. Saddest Valentine's Day ever lol.

We have had many great Valentine's Days since then but I have not attempted to cook a romantic Italian dinner for him since that failed attempt. I thought this year would be perfect to make him a dinner like that again since he is now a stay at home Dad that cooks and cleans all day while I work.

We love spinach and artichokes in our house so I found a recipe that I knew would be perfect for making a Valentine's Day redo. I adapted the recipe to our tastes to make it even more special. I headed to Smart & Final to do my shopping since I knew that had La Romanella Pasta Sauce that I like. I picked up items for my Baked Ziti with Spinach, Artichokes, Olives and Pesto for the main dish and Salami-Ricotta Crostini as an appetizer. Since I was planning a big hearty dinner I decided to have dessert be simple and light. I bought a First Street Vanilla Pound Cake, banana pudding and bananas. One of my husbands favorite things to eat are bananas.

Baked Ziti with Spinach, Artichokes, Olives and Pesto

Ingredients:

• 1 pound La Romanelle dry pasta (Ziti or Penne Rigate)
• One 26-ounce La Romanella  jar tomato pasta sauce
• 1/4 cup basil pesto
• 3/4 cup cottage cheese
• 6 cups  loosely packed  spinach leaves
• One 6.5 oz  jar artichokes, drained
• 1/3 cup finely chopped black olives
• 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Cooking Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Use a 3-quart baking dish and lightly grease with butter. Bring a large pot of  water to a boil then add pasta and cook according to the package directions. Before draining, save about a 1/4 cup of the pasta water to the side for use in the recipe. Then, drain pasta.

While the pasta cooks, heat the tomato sauce and set aside. In a small bowl, stir the basil pesto and cottage cheese together, and then set aside. Add drained pasta to a large bowl then add spinach, drained artichokes,  olives, hot tomato sauce and about the 1/4 cup of the pasta water. Then, toss.

Add about half of the pasta and spinach mixture to the baking dish. Then, spread the cottage cheese and pesto on top. Scatter about half of the shredded mozzarella cheese on top of the pesto and cottage cheese mixture then add the rest of the pasta on top of that. Press everything down into the baking dish then scatter the rest of the mozzarella cheese on top.

Bake in the oven on 350 degrees for  about 30 minutes or until cheese has melted and the sauce is bubbling. Let the baked ziti cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. 

Salami-Ricotta Crostini

Ingredients:

1 Baguette cut into 1/2 inch slices

1 1/2 cups of La Romanella Ricotta Cheese 

15 slices of your favorite salami 

1/4 cup of Olive Oil to brush the bread with for cooking

Cooking Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees (if you are making the Baked Ziti the oven will be at the right temperature to bake them at the same time.) Brush the tops and bottoms of the sliced baguette and sprinkle the top side with salt and pepper. Place on a cookie sheet or baking pan for 15-20 minutes in the oven, turning the pan around in the oven half way through. 

Once cooled add the La Romanelle Ricotta Cheese on top of the Crostini slices, sprinkle top of the cheese with salt and pepper. Cut the slice of Salami in half and place both pieces on top of the cheese. Serve and enjoy! 

I added a few romantic touches with white candles, red place mats, a chocolate rose, box of Valentine's candy, sparkling cider in wine glasses, Valentine's Day decor and little pink marshmallow hearts. I pushed the dinner table into the corner of the dining room to give it a cozier feel. It is a simple set up that made a big difference in feeling like it was a romantic night in. 

My husband LOVED the dinner I made and the effort I put into to making the dining room romantic. He even said I should do that more often! He cooks way more than me and I am lucky for that. I will definitely be making more of an effort to create a romantic evening in our own home. We finished up dessert then snuggled up on the couch to watch the movie we rented. I am so happy I decided to redo the Valentine's Day from 10 years ago and have it turn out perfect!

You can find more recipes and information about Smart & Final by visiting them on their Facebook and Twitter pages. 

You can create your own Romantic Evening at Home with Romanella products from Smart & Final this Valentine's Day and also enter the 2013 La Romanella Sweepstakes. When you buy any 1 La Romanella product and enter your register reward online at SmartandFinal.com/LaRomanella2013 to be entered to win a Weekend in Las Vegas or a $50 Smart Cash card! Dates of Promo 2 / 5 - 3/6

Grand Prize Details:

WIN 1 OF 4 WEEKEND TRIPS TO LAS VEGAS!

Purchase any La Romanella item and enter your register receipt information for a chance to win one of four (4) Grand Prize weekend trips for two to an Italian-inspired resort in Las Vegas!

The package includes:

-Roundtrip economy air transportation for two from gateway city nearest the winner’s home to Las Vegas

-Two nights accommodation for two at an Italian inspired resort

-Meals and other entertainment activities

Additional Prizes:

Win one of (10) $50 SmartCash Cards® Like cash, only smarter!

One Grand Prize will be awarded each week between February 6 and March 5, 2013. In addition, three

SmartCash Cards will be awarded each of the first two weeks; and two SmartCash Cards awarded each

of the last two weeks between February 6 and March 5, 2013. No purchase necessary. See rules for details.

Sweepstakes valid February 6-March 5, 2013.

*I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Smart & Final #CBias #ChooseSmart #SocialFabric All opinions expressed in this post are my own.

Madly Madagascar on DVD now for Valentine's Day

Your favorite Madagascar pals are back in an all-new adventure! Alex's favorite holiday, Valentine's Day, brings hilarious surprises and excitement for the entire gang. Melman plans a big surprise for Gloria, Marty tries to impress a new friend and everyone wants to get their hands on King Julien's love potion. You'll fall in LOVE with Madly Madagascar!

My son adored this movie!! He calls Madagascar " Move It Move It" I tell him the name but he tells me No Mom its Move it Move it and does a little dance. Too cute! I liked watching it with him. All the favorite characters are in the movie, he loves the Giraffe. This is a really cute movie to watch with your kids for Valentine's Day. You can find this movie to buy at Walmart.

Here are some super cute Madly Madagascar Valentines:

Deciding what to give your friends and family for Valentine’s Day can be a tough job. However, this handy guide will make this Valentine’s Day a breeze! Here, we’ll provide helpful suggestions of fun and unique gift ideas that kids and grownups alike will enjoy this V-Day!


PERSONALIZED LOVE COOKIES

Looking for a nice way to send your love to your friends and family this Valentine’s Day? Consider baking them special love-themed cookies to send to them at work, school, etc. Kids will appreciate a fun, extra treat to share with their friends at lunchtime, and mom and dad will love the heartfelt sugary snack made from scratch. Simply look up easy sugar cookie ideas, use a heartshaped cookie cutter, and then frost in white, red or pink with personalized messages. You can even use Pinterest for more awesome decorating ideas!


COUPONS FOR A FAMILY NIGHT IN

Homemade coupons are always a hit with moms and dads, and this Valentine’s Day we suggest creating a coupon for a night in with your family! These cute coupons are simple to make – all you need is some colorful construction paper and markers. Parents can help kids write out a personalized coupon promising to spend a fun night in with their families. You can even list suggested activities for the night in such as playing board games, watching movies or cooking a family meal.


EVERYTHING RED GIFT BAG

Make a unique gift bag for your family and friends this V-Day! All you need is a plain red bag, and then fun, red items to fill the bag with (e.g., lip gloss, candies, toys, jewelery, PJs, etc.). You can make each bag unique by finding something red for each member of your family or your friends – try to find things that are meaningful to them or fit their personality for an extra special touch!


* I was sent a free copy of this movie for my review.

Go 49ers! Super Bowl!

Today the 49ers will play in Super Bowl XLVII in New Orleans against the Baltimore Ravens. Super Bowl excitement is a buzz in my house and Sam's up in Washington. Her hubby is a die hard 49ers fan! Its awesome to have the 49ers going to the Super Bowl this year, as Nor Cali residents they are our team!! 

I love that the quaterback is from Turlock, a town in Nor Cali. The coaches of the Baltimore Ravens (John Harbaugh) and the San Francisco 49ers (Jim Harbaugh) are brothers, which marks the first time two brothers who are NFL head coaches have coached against each other in Super Bowl history. Crazy for their parents that will be happy no matter which son wins and then have to comfort the one that loses. But how awesome and a proud moment for the parents of those men! 

Found this on Pinterest! http://pinterest.com/frugalfamtree/football-party-ideas-mealstogether/

I will be working :( but my husband and son promised to save my some football treats and have fun but not too much fun lol.

Happy Super Bowl! Many women I know call this Happy Shopping Day since they know their husband or boyfriend will be busy all day so they hit the mall! lol

Put Me In The Story Valentine Elmo Book Sale

Put Me In The Story  makes personalized children’s book in two platforms (iPad app, and website – for personalized print books)!

Beginning Sunday, February 3, in celebration of Elmo’s birthday (he’s turning 3 ½, again!), they are offering 30% off Elmo Loves You and any Put Me In The Story print books (offer ends 2/15 – more info below).

Elmo is turning 3½ and your child is invited to the party with Put Me In The Story! Give them their very own personalized message from Elmo in a book they will treasure all year long.

Put your child in the story now
with this special sneak peek of Elmo Loves You!

For the first time in personalized form, this bestselling children’s book from Sesame Workshop will captivate your child and have them telling you all the things they love.

Enter promo code LOVE30 and save 30% on your order,
offer valid through February 15, 2013.

Ella's Kitchen: Sweet Treats for Little Valentines Review and Giveaway

My favorite little Valentine is my son! He's a sweetheart and a cutie pie! Sometimes he can be a picky eater and I want to make sure he is getting enough fruits and veggies. He will eat anything in smoothie form. He loves to drink pouches no matter what sort of veggie is in it he will eat it up. I love to give him these on days when he has not eaten what I think is enough and times he wants a snack and we are on the go.

For Valentine's Day we thought it would be perfect to get him sweet treat that are good for him too! Ella's Kitchen has been a brand of pouches we buy often. They have easy on and off lids, a wide variety of flavors and my son will eat them. Ella's Kitchen products are organic, no preservatives or artificial ingredients ever!!!

His favorite is the Sweet Potatoes, Pumpkin, Apples and Blueberries He asked for more please and said it was delicious!  

He really liked the Cheesy Potatoes. I can see this being great for  on the go. He says hes hungry when he sees fast food restaurants, I can hand him this instead! 

 They have also made fruit bars and cookies. We will have to look for those in the store for when my son starts up soccer later in the year.

Plus I LOVE that this company was created by a Dad who wanted his daughter to have healthy on the go food choices. My husband is a stay at home Dad now and I have found he comes up with ideas for parenting our son that I had not considered. Yeah Dads! :)

I can see these being super cute as a Valentine treat instead of candy for the little Valentine on you list. A red paper heart with a little message on it as a gift tag.

GIVEAWAY
To help celebrate Valentine's Day we are hosting a Ella's Kitchen Giveaway for you to win a Food Pouch Prize Pack. (your exact selection may vary from the one I received)

Enter in the Rafflecopter form below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway




*Limited to US residents 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts Feb 1 2013 and ends on Feb 10, 2013 at 12:01 am EST. Winner will be emailed and has 72 hours to respond before another winner is selected. I was not paid for this giveaway or post. The opinions on this item are 100% mine and may vary from others. The sponsor is responsible for providing the prize. I was sent a product to review for this post.