The Target: My brother and sister-in-law

The Situation: Unable to celebrate Valentine’s day due to an evening class professor who threatened nobody was to miss class.

The Time-frame: 2 hours, entrance to exit

The Menu: Caesar Salad with Lemon-Pepper Chicken.
Sponge cake with Three-Berry topping, whipped cream, and Starfruit garnish.
Huckleberry wine.

The Challenges: Two very friendly puppies. Doing the dishes to add to the surprise.

Execution: After getting slightly lost between the grocery store and the house (the Hill can be incredibly twisty-turvy), made it to the house at about 5:45. 15 minutes of working time lost. Entered the house (using the key, no breaking and entering here) and subdued the puppies with petting and a bit of toy tug-o-war.

Entered the kitchen, cleared working space, and washed my hands (ooh, apple-y hand soap). Trimmed up the two chicken breasts (almost a pound each!) and got them started poaching. I wanted to prepare a dinner that would require no reheating if they got home late, but would be flavorful no matter what temperature / time it was eaten. Starting by poaching the chicken ensured that it was cooked through and wouldn’t lead to February-15th sour stomach.

Rinsed the three types of lettuce- Romaine, Butter, and Red Leaf. The Romaine lettuce offered the traditional Caesar salad crunch and slightly sharp flavor. Butter lettuce has a smooth mouthfeel and gentle flavor. Red Leaf was mostly for color, but added to the crunch. Tore the lettuce into large pieces- small pieces are great for side salad, but for dinner salads large pieces of lettuce feel more filling and look better on the plate.
Added the croutons and a bit of shredded Parmesan cheese, tossed the salad, and set it aside.

Cleaned off the dining room table. This was one of the parts that worried me the most- not because it would be difficult, but because I wasn’t sure about moving the paperwork and stuff on the table. I ended up putting it all into a convenient box or right on the computer chairs, so it would be easy to find.

Took the chicken off the heat, poured out the water, and began low-heat grilling it to get the caramelized color and lemon-pepper flavor. As the chicken was grilling, I rinsed and sliced strawberries, tossed in blueberries and raspberries. Two tablespoons of sugar into the bowl, and then let that sit as I turned the chicken and set the table.

Crystal wine glasses were easy to find, and red and pink dishes were easily accessible (yay for Fiestaware!). Knives, forks, spoons, and dessert plates all no problem. However, this is a table for six, and setting it for two presented the challenge of either placing the settings at one side or other of the table or end-to-end. I ended up placing the settings to one side and put the food all to the other side in order to maximize table space while creating a more “intimate” feeling. Placemats were red-and-blue striped napkins, with red candles in silver candleholders.

Sliced the small loaf of french bread, and wrapped it in dark-blue napkins with red pinstripes. Onto the table that went, as did the bottle of Huckleberry wine- a favorite of the targets, as well as pink for the holiday. Pulled the chicken off the stove, and put it to chill in the fridge.

Unwrapped the sponge cake, and dumped now-juicy-and-sweet fruit over it. Sliced the starfruit very carefully, and spread it out as garnish. Four fluted strawberries finished the presentation. Did the same for the chicken over the salad, and both of those went to the table with napkins loosely covering them. Small bowls of extra Parmesan and Caesar dressing onto the table as well.

At this point, it was 6:55. Dishes and coralling the dogs brought me up to 7:18. Only 12 minutes to get out of the house (thank goodness their class didn’t end early!). A touch of whipped cream on dessert, turning off the lights, and I was out of the driveway by 7:22.

The conclusion: I didn’t get arrested for breaking and entering. I didn’t burn anything, and the next morning, the targets both assured me it was a pleasant surprise. I’ve been invited over to help finish off the leftovers. :-D

Things to consider: Remember to find and set out the corkscrew. Whipped cream is a dangerous thing, because it can fall before people get home. Dogs can get underfoot in the kitchen, but offer great moral support.

Mission Successful. This is Guerrilla Cupid, signing out.