Baking: Super Secret (except not really, because I’m posting it online) Cornbread Recipe: Guaranteed to win the heart of anyone born south of the Mason-Dixon line.

I’m not what you’d call a Southern woman – I don’t have big hair or a sexy drawl, and I’m often caught wearing white after Labor Day. In fact, having lived in 18 homes in 9 cities in 6 states from Texas to Alaska has left me with little to no regional identity.

But when I married a Southern man (born and raised in Houston, TX – my sweetie didn’t see snow ’till he was 20 years old), I knew there were a few things I’d better get good at fast, and making cornbread was one of them.

Dessert in a Cup

Confession: I didn’t actually make this myself, but it was so creatively delicious I just had to blog about it.

It came from Bit of Swiss, the surprisingly impressive bakery connected with our local grocery store. We’ve been eyeballing their display for quite a while, so as part of my surprise Valentine’s dinner Jon decided to give it a go. (Good call!)

Surprise Valentine’s Dinner

As I mentioned in my earlier post, my sweetie surprised me today with some lovely flowers and the makings of a perfect Valentine’s Day night in – steak, wine, and chocolate. Yum! This was a real treat for us, as we’re usually cooking on a grad school budget.