Engagement Anniversary

Hope your Valentines Day was magical... or at least you got to eat frosted cookies and chocolate.

Last year on Valentines Day Chuck proposed to me at my favorite thinking spot

It was the best Valentines day to date.

This year we didn't plan anything big, it was Sunday and Chuck has been working like an animal,

We went to church and took an incredibly long and luxurious nap.

When I woke up there was a surprise for me on the table.

A big ole fat bag of Ghirardelli Chocolate squares (peanut butter, Carmel and mint... oh my!) and lavender essential oil. Chuck bought it for my labor and delivery. Not only is it fitting because purple is my selected pregnancy color, but it is supposed to produce feelings of calm and relaxation when you smell it.

It is the perfect gift, and I love I have no clue that he bought me stuff!! Surprises are fun and I am amazed with how much we see each other and talk everyday that he is still able to make secret shopping trips ;)

My contribution to the day was no surprise but still something we have both always wanted to learn how to do.

We made sushi rolls

Thanks to a couple instructional videos and the Asian food section at Cub Foods.

It was really quite easy. First we selected our fillings. Avocado, carrot, cucumber, sesame seeds and imitation crab (we opted against raw fish because I am prego... however it is a common misconception that sushi means raw fish. It is the preparation method of the rice and seaweed roll that gives it it's name, no matter what you stuff in it).

This type of sushi would commonly be called a California Roll.

The real trick is getting the rice right. You need short grain Sushi rice, and after it is cooked it is drizzled with a mixture of:

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1 1/2 Tbl. Sugar

1 tsp. Salt

Then you fan it off and let it dry and get real sticky.

Next you take a sheet of seaweed paper... or Sushi Nori

Place it on your bamboo mat (which was $1.67 at the grocery store). We covered ours with saran wrap for easy clean up ;)

Wet your fingers with water, and press the rice in a thin layer on top of the seaweed. Then in the middles you make little rows of your toppings.

Then you roll halfway... SQUEEZE (but not too hard like I did or all your stuff will squirt out the ends). Then roll the rest of the way and SQUEEZE.

Garnish with Ginger (the pink stuff)

and WASABI (the green paste)

But be careful with the wasabi... it packs a punch. The first roll we ate we both put too much on and went temporarily blind, good times.

You can also dip them in soy sauce if you so desire (and I did)

These are Chuck's handy work. They were de-Lish and fun to make.

So happy to be married to my very best friend and enjoy making fun memories, it will be exciting to share them with our kiddies someday.... but it might be awhile before we start giving our baby wasabi.

Love Ya'll!