Saturday, February 12, 2011

XO Valentines Day Get Away OX



Hi friends! 

Is everyone enjoying a romantic Valentine's Day weekend? 

We are! 

We decided to start our V-Day early with a night away at a romantic bed and breakfast, a wonderful dinner, and a day to ourselves.  It was fantastic. 

Friday: 

Let's breeze through because there is a lot to get to.  

Here was breakfast…...

1/4 C Kashi Go Lean, 1/4 C Kashi Go Lean Crunch, 1/4 C Kashi Berry Blossom, Frozen/Fresh Berries, Pom Chobani, Vanilla Granola, Dark Chocolate Almond Butter Drizzle


Lunch was eaten at work:

Spinach Salad with Grapefruit, Blueberries, Cucumbers, Snow Peas, Cranberrie

 Eaten with the other 1/2 of my veggie wrap from the day before.

I was so happy to leave work and head straight out to our B&B to start the fun.

I came across a Groupon the other day for a good deal on a new Bed and Breakfast in Grantville,  The Red Umbrella.


We pulled up to the most charming Federal Style house built in the early 1800's.  It was entirely renovated this past year and transformed into a gorgeous abode.

Our room was pleasantly cozy.  Everything you would imagine a B&B room to be….







We settled into our room and exchanged our traditional V-Day cards and Lotto tickets.


 We didn't have much time to relax before we needed to get ready for our 7pm dinner reservation.  I decided to dress for the occasion with a brand new dress that coordinated with the holiday.



Before we left, we came downstairs to enjoy a glass of wine and some cheese and fruit by the fire.




 Toly told me early that day that he had made reservations at a restaurant I've been wanting to try for months now.

Confit is a French Bistro that I've heard amazing reviews on.  I don't think either of us had truly eaten French food before, so I knew it would be a innovating experience.

 Confit is BYOB so Toly picked up a bottle of Rosa Regal to bring along.

To begin our meal, I started with a signature salad….


For my entree, I knew I wanted to try the Crepes, which is what they are famous for.  I ordered the Vegetable Crepes with came stuffed with roasted asparagus, peas, squash, tomatoes, and mushrooms with goat cheese.


Sadly, when these came out, there were cold.  I took a few bite and realized that they were just not good cold.  The waitress took them back and came out with fresh ones that were warmer, but still not as I would have expected.

To be honest, Confit was just not what I expected.  I had an image of a quaint, romantic candle lit bistro but it really tuned out to be a busy, crowded, loud, and chaotic affair.  The staff were running around all night like they were running a marathon and didn't at all give off a personable feel.  I think the worst thing that can happen when going to a really fancy restaurant is to not feel like you are an important guest when you are there.  Remember to me, fine dining is more than the food, it's all about the experience.

Regardless of the sub par service and food, I was holding out that dessert would make up for it all.  I ordered the Dacquious which was a traditional french torte filled with a chocolate ganache, hazelnut cream, and almond meringue.  It sounded heavenly.

It looked heavenly.


It tasted good but it didn't blow my mind.  Maybe it was a little too sweet for me? 

I hate to be such a downer on dinner but I don't think we'll be going back.  I'm still happy we tried it and I'm even more thankful that Toly actually took into consideration a request I made months ago all to make me happy.  

This morning, we slept in and it felt amazing. 

We woke to the smell of fresh home cooking coming from downstairs. 

It didn't take long for us to get ready and head downstairs to see what the glorious smells were.  When we walked into the dining room, a lovely display of fresh fruit, coffee and muffins awaited us. 


We enjoyed our fruit and coffee while the main dishes were being finalized.

Baked Egg Casserole, Apple French Toast Casserole

All was wonderful! 


 Another couple was staying and joined us for breakfast.  It was great getting to know them and we ended up having a great morning of good conversations.


Anna and her husband Tim own the Bed and Breakfast and truly made us feel right at home.  I was so impressed with this place.  The cleanliness, the service, the food….I give the Red Umbrella 4 stars!!!


After breakfast, we got cleaned up and checked out.  With no real plans for the day I knew I wanted to make sure we did things that both of us were going to enjoy.

Hollywood Casino is about a mile down the road from the B&B, so naturally, I asked Toly if he would like to go for a little.


We spent less than an hour here and probably should not have gone in the first place.  It wasn't a good experience for either of us but that's okay.  You win some you loose some. 

After driving around, stopping at a farmers market, and doing a little shopping, I started to get hungry for lunch. 

You may recall one of my FAVORITE breakfast restaurants is The Hershey Pantry.  Well, turns out they have a delicious lunch menu as well. 

We stopped for a light lunch. 

I ordered the special salad for the day. 

Grilled Portobello with Chic Peas, Tomatoes, Cucumber, Blue Cheese and Balsamic 

Toly had the Crab Florentine Chowder which I helped him with. 


One lunch was over, we decided to go see an afternoon movie.  We saw, Just Go With It.  It was cute and pretty much exactly what I thought it would be. I did think it was cool that Dave Matthews was in it. So random!!!

After the movie, Toly and I stopped at Wegmans to pick up dinner.

We were both feeling a delicious and romantic seafood dinner.


Grilled Mahi Mahi, Crab Cake, Roasted Rosemary Mushroom and Roasted Asparagus

It was wonderful!  We split the fish and crab cake which ended up being the perfect amount of the both of us.



Overall, it was an incredible Valentines Day and I'm so lucky to have the best man in the world to spend it with. 

XOXOXOXOX 

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16 comments:

  1. What a fun weekend! We always exchange gifts and do a nice dinner, but we don't usually make too much out of Valentine's Day. It looks like you had a great time!

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  2. Boo to not enjoying Confit, we <3 that place! We have reservations for Monday night...I will have to let you know how it goes for us. YAY for enjoying the B&B!

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  3. that stinks about the restaurant, but at least you've been now!

    The B&B looks so cozy :) What a fun little weekend getaway!

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  4. Aw :) What a special Valentine's day treat! Gotta love groupon! Sorry dinner was kind of a bummer, but breakfast looks like it made up for it! Apple French Toast Casserole? YUM! Hope the rest of your weekend is fantastic!!

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  5. Hi, Lauren! I absolutely LOVE your blog! I've read for awhile, but now I'm doing all of this blogging stuff myself, so I thought I'd comment and say hello. That apple french toast looks incredible!! All of your food looks amazing as always! :)

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  6. What a beautiful celebration! Glad you guys had a great time with Toly!

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  7. What a wonderful weekend of love! I have been wanting to stay at a B & B with Ryan. We need to make it happen. I'm sorry that the crepes weren't that great...often those busy restaurants disappoint. Thank you for sharing, sweet friend. I hope you have a wonderful Sunday. Rest, rejuvenate and spread some love!

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  8. Aw, you two are just too adorable. I love the card & lotto ticket exchange, I think it's such a cute idea!

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  9. Awww ! I love you and T! And what a beautiful and romantic weekend!! how sweeeeet and FUN!!

    How you are continuing to have a great Sunday!!

    lovessssssssssssssssss!

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  10. What a beautiful site! Very antiq-usih feel.

    You guys are gorgeous! (as is the house). Happy (early) V-Day to you both! :)

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  11. hey Lauren, i'm having a great time scrolling through your blog! looks like you two had a great Valentine's weekend (with great food too!) looking forward to reading more! :)

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  12. Anna, Innkeeper Red Umbrella B&BFebruary 14, 2011 at 11:50 PM

    Lauren you look fabulous in that red dress...now we just need you to be holding a Red Umbrella! We truly enjoyed having you and Toly as our guests. You are a delightful couple loving and living life. Your blog is inspiring. Thanks for sharing. We hope you are able to join us again at the Red Umbrella Bed & Breakfast. (I can make crepes - they would be warm.)

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  13. It sounds (and looks) like you had an amazing Valentine's weekend! Happy Valentine's Day (a day late)!

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