One of things we’ve been a LOT of this winter is baking. Baking is one of those activities that is universally enjoyed by everyone in my house. My daughter and I could spend hours in the kitchen mixing up batters and doughs if given the opportunity. In February we had a lot of fun participating in King Arthur Flour’s Family Fun month by getting in the kitchen and making donuts. It will probably come as no surprise to learn that my daughter is a donut fanatic. Isn’t every kid?!

This is a quick post today since I am currently gearing up for a new television appearance (this morning!) in Connecticut. When I was in Cooperstown earlier this month my Dad and I revisited our favorite Lemon Pudding Cake. This time I made it with Meyer lemons and adored the result. The lemon flavor was light and a little more vanilla-y. I made the mistake of using a metal pan when I think a glass one would’ve been much better! The bottom was a tiny bit too solid, but the flavor was still great.

It is time to think spring. I am ready to put this winter and all of the snow days and icicles behind me. Luckily, a pretty little package of Ball Heritage Collection Spring Jars arrived recently and put me right in the mood. The cheery green color of this vintage-style jars are perfect for spring. If I hadn’t been the mood for more marmalade I might have used them as flower vases for our dining room table and pretended it was summer!

I had all sorts of posts planned to write over the weekend but my time vanished into thin air. Between snow days and…more snow days I am playing the role of the pied piper, entertaining the children all day long. Needless to say, during my down time I find myself dreaming of spring and have started to sketch out my garden plans on paper. In April Uncle Will is going to come visit and help me get started. We both inherited the gardening gene from our parents and love nothing more than to get our hands in the dirt to cultivate flowers and food.

I am all about a great chocolate dessert for Valentine’s Day, but I rarely have time to make something too involved. Instead I keep it simple and make brownie tarts. They are just brownies flavored with a little hazelnut extract and baked in round tart pans. But they are so pretty and decadent, they’ve been upgraded just enough to be perfect for a romantic holiday meal.

I’ve made many a soufflé from scratch but sometimes it is good to know how to hack them, too. This foolproof method of making souffles out of a boxed brownie mix always works like a charm. The soufflés come out airy, moist and rich and you don’t have to spend a lot of time making the batter from scratch. I prefer to top mine with a little caramel sauce and ice cream, but you could use whipped cream too.

Since we’ll be in Cooperstown on Friday we are celebrating Valentine’s Day a little early this year. Per our Valentine’s Day celebration tradition, this year I made a decadent dessert. It all started with my daughter’s new found love of coconut and my eternal love of chocolate. When you put the two together you get this sinfully rich chocolate coconut pie.

To create a little excitement while we slog through the winter doldrums I like to change up our dinner routine. Any break from the norm on evenings when the sun has set by four o’clock is a good way to lift the spirits and keep a smile on our faces. This winter I’ve tried everything from breakfast for dinner, testing new cuisines (more on that soon!), and revisiting our beloved sandwich maker. We received our panini press as a wedding gift nearly a decade ago and it has held up like a champ. I use it all the time to make our favorite pressed sandwiches, grilled cheeses, and even grilled vegetables. Last week I dug it out of the basement for the first time since we moved to make some dinner sandwiches on a particularly cold evening.

I thought I’d pop in with a few Valentine’s gift ideas this week and next. I don’t go crazy with Valentine’s Day like I do with Christmas, but I do enjoy the sentiment of a sweet romantic gesture and a small extra-thoughtful gift. One of my favorite Valentine’s gift ideas is simple: flowers and chocolate. Each year I challenge my husband to find me some unique chocolate treat. He does his research and has brought me little boxes from La Maison du Chocolat, Chocopologie, and See’s in the past. This year I plan to reciprocate with a little chocolate of my own.