Happy Valentine's Day! Robert took me to a romantic lunch at ......McDonalds. You would think he would have learned his lesson after taking me to Applebees on our Anniversary that year that almost resulted in divorce, but no. Anyway, it forced us to cook something to have a nice meal for the day.

So, we made this Baked Rigatoni with Beef recipe from the Cooking Light website. It turned out really good - Robert gave it a 10 which is the only 10 rating he's ever given something I cooked. Hmm, I own dozens of cookbooks, but as those who know mre know I am more of a cookbook reader vs. an actual cookbook cook. Anyway, we enjoyed the meal and had a nice day.

I haven't given up on my project on the book The Food You Crave. Mid-week last week we made Macaroni and 4 cheeses those cheeses being sharp cheddar, monterey jack, ricotta and parmesan. The big difference was roasting butternut squash and pureeing it as a key ingredient to lighten up the calories and sneak some vegies in. Surprisingly Robert liked it more than I did. I thought it was a little too sweet. But learing and trying is the point.