OMG look what Ben gave me for Valentine’s Day!!!
A freaking iPhone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AHHHHH!!
Last night, right before we sat down to exchange gifts, my man quickly got up and dashed into the other room. A few seconds later he slowly emerged, holding something behind his back.
"Close your eyes!" he cried.
So I did.
"Open them!" he cried again.
I slowly opened and in front of my nose was…a pamphlet.
A pamphlet? What the heck it this? It’s red. It says "getting started"… Is he trying to send me to rehab??
"Open it!" he cried even louder!
So I did. Then I cried.
"An iPHOOOOOOOOOOONE!!!!!!!!"
We’ve been holding out on getting iPhones until Verizon started carrying them, but still – I literally had no idea he’d do this.
I feel so hip. So now. So…I don’t even know! Wheee!!!! I can’t wait to download a million apps! Let me know which ones I HAVE to get!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Want to know what I gave him? A Turkey Fryer.
No really – a friggin’ turkey fryer. 
Ok, so it’s not REALLY for turkey, rather for using to brew homemade beer in (his favorite past time) but after the iPhone, I was all…
"Ummmm – here’s your turkey fryer?!"
Ugh.
I feel as though I made up for it with the card. It was the first one I saw at the store and it so perfectly sums up our relationship that I laughed out loud for like a minute when I picked it up – and so did Ben when I gave it to him. 
"Ooooobabyyou’rehomefromwork!Iloveyousooooooomuchmuwahmuwahmuwah! Ijustwanttocuddleyouandkissyouandsqueeezeyouforeverrrr! LETSSNUGGLE!!!!!"
Ben’s all "Ummm, I love you too – but can I take off my coat?" HA every night, without fail. I know – I annoy myself too, but what can you do?
Ohhhhh, I know…
In other news, Trader Joe’s Night once again came early this week. I was tired, TJ’s food is easy, and the only other option was to make this big Entree Salad that I had on the menu – however I’ve eaten two giant salads for lunch the past two days, and the thought of eating another piece of lettuce made me want to hurl.
Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Butter & Sage to the rescue!
I’ve been dying – dying – to try this since the day Trader Joe’s opened.
I adore my go-to Sweet Potato Gnocchi recipe, but you’ve got to, you know, make it. This is all ready to go. All you have to do is heat & eat!
PS how much do you love that orange swirl package design??
The gnocchi come frozen with the butter/sage sauce, and at first glance I thought it looked like a TON of butter.
I like butter as much as the next girl, but I don’t like my food drowning in it. You understand.
The directions say to heat the block over med-low heat for 8-9 minutes. This wasn’t doing anything after 4, so I popped a lid on the skillet and turned the heat up to med-high.
Slowly the gnocchi began to separate into big chunks, so I turned the heat back down to med-low and let them defrost the rest of the way. For the last minute, I turned the heat to high and let them sizzle to get a nice crust on the outside!
Sometime I feel like letting butter really sizzle, sizzles out some of the calories. Just a theory.
These were amazing!!! The taste was kind of a mixture between sweet potato gnocchi and mac & cheese – and there definitely wasn’t too much butter. Just the right amount, actually!
The gnocchi were very tender – much more tender than your average gnocchi (some may call them soggy) but I didn’t mind at all.
The flavor was sooooo rich and homey.
However, the package says there’s 3 servings in there but when I weighed them it was more like 2.25. Just FYI in case you’re thinking it’ll feed more than 2.
On the side I made some more pan-fried Brussies.
Same seasonings and technique as last night!
Mmmm – tender and roasty.
Reminded me of Fall! 
Grade: Trader Joe’s Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Butter & Sage – 9/10.
I’d give it a 10 out of 10, but the misleading serving size annoyed me, and the gnocchi might not be firm enough for some.
Well I’m off to do some housework tonight. Friday is usually my cleaning/laundry day, but I’ve been gone the past two weeks. I’m so behind!
See you!
~~~~~
What’s the best gift you’ve ever given? Ever received?
I’m going to say I was very, very thankful when Ben’s parent’s gave us a big chunk of the down payment of our home as a gift. No matter how old you get, your parents never really do stop taking care of you, do they? 
I love Trader Joe’s Sweet Potato Gnocchi, but I agree it definitely feeds more like 2 than 3. When we had it, we mixed it with normal TJ’s Gnocchi. This made it for closer to 4 or 5 people.
Soo many aps!! Settlers of Catan and Words with Friends are my favorites. I also really like the twitter app, even a little more than the actual site!
ah that is awesome! have fun with the new phone. my favorite app is qrank- a daily trivia game that you can play against your friends. my name is jessielu – add me if you’d like!!
Wow congrats on the iphone! My husband and I just got Tmobile MyTouch phones, and I love mine! It’s the first droid I’ve had. LOVE.
And I’ll need to add that gnocchi to my Trader Joe’s list!
Yay! An iPhone! I’m completely addicted to mine. Watch out if you ever get an iPad – I’ve seriously gone app-crazy between both of those!!
I’ve said for years the best gift my husband ever gave me was my bread machine. I LOVE that thing! The best gift I gave him was tickets to see They Might Be Giants in Minneapolis 2 years ago.
Welcome to the iPhone family!!! It’s the best. Mine is never out of reaching distance, and I’ve had one since they first came out waaaay back when!
I have given my husband that same card! At least it was the same graphic on the front! How funny!!!!
Awww, what a perfect gift. You are going to be obsessed!
I love that gnocchi. I need to get more actually.
i’m so jealous of your new phone. i’ve been waiting for verizon to get it too. also intrigued by the turkey fryer for beer. my hubby brews beer and i’m thinking he might need one! did you read about that somewhere?
It brews the beer much faster than on the stovetop. It took almost 2 hours to get one of his batches to boil in the HUGE pot he uses!
The other great thing about using a outdoor cooker/turkey fryer for brewing beer is the smell stays outside. Unless you have a huge exhaust fan, the boiling wort can really stink up a kitchen.
Would love to see a post chronicling one of your husband’s brewing days. As a homebrewer I’m always looking to see how others do it.
Here’s the last time he brewed: http://iowagirleats.com/2010/05/02/chewy-gooey/ I’ll have him take pics of the whole process next time!
that gnocchi looks goooood! i wish there was a trader joes in hawaii.
welcome to the iphone world! i love words with friends, angry birds and bejeweled blitz!
and i love that card!!!!
Yay! Congrats on your new love (iPhone). Your blog now just got a whole lot more interesting because now we get to hear all about your favorite apps!
I’m so excited for you! Someday, SOMEDAY, I’ll join the IPhone fam too. haha
I think my favorite gift was either a big chunk of a down payment for our house, or the cruise my parents brought us on this past Christmas. One practical, one fun = perfect balance between the two sides of the family
That card is hilarious! I wish I found it to give my bf for vday haha. I practically squeeze him to death every weekend because I have to go without seeing him all week.
Okay, so onto the important stuff…like iPhone apps! These are my fave/most used apps: google (for blog reading!), weather channel, US weekly, shopsavvy (uses your camera to scan bar codes and it tells you what other store’s prices for that product are), Pandora, and IMDB.
My husband has been OBSESSIVELY talking about starting to home brewing beer. It is literally 98% of conversation now. Ben have any tips for a starter?
Grab a kit to get started easily! The first batch he brewed was from this kit: http://www.homebrewers.com/product/10449/Rogue-Dead-Guy-Ale-Beer-Kit.html. He’ll just need some supplies from a local brewing supply shop (under $50 and there should be one in your area – there is here!)
Yay for the iPhone! I seriously don’t know how I lived my life without mine. Apps to get: Facebook, Pandora, Chase is great if you bank with them, Redbox, Target, Groupon, Sephora, Urban Spoon and so many more!
Oh and Cardstar is a MUST. Let’s you put all of those annoying discount cards in and the cashier can just scan them right on the screen! You can get rid of those tacky key chain cards and free up space in your wallet.
Secrets for iPhone gives some helpful tips.
Ooo and Angry Birds, but be prepared to become completely addicted until you beat it
I got a Kindle for Valentine’s Day and I’m loving it. I donate about 40 books a year to our local library so this will cut down on all the books I have sitting around waiting to be donated.
get unblock me(swear by it)and angry birds will legit keep you up at night. addiction…by the way, i’m eating tj’s habanero salsa and veggie stix as i type this–so it’s trader joe’s night for me, too(but i work next door to mine, so it’s more like “i just came in to get my boss some cashews, oh look, salsa” night).
Yes! TJ’s sweet potato gnocchi! I had that last week and mixed in some diced chicken with it — fab! I’ll agree with you that it was much softer than I anticipated but I loved it. There was more than enough of the sage and butter sauce to coat the chicken, flavoring it, too. I recommend it next time you try
And happy i-Phone-ing!
iPhones really are as great as everyone says they are. I’ve been loving mine for 1.5 years! I could live without it, but why would I want to?
What a sweet gift!!
I love the card–although it would probably be the opposite for my husband and I.
I really want to try making my own gnocchi. I’ve been eying your recipe for quite some time now!
I’m not a big gnocci fan, but I’d love to give thise a try! I debated on the iphone myself today but was so turned off by the horrible customer service I got when I called Verizon. Glad you LOVE it! Great gift!
love my iphone!
), mint.com – those are my favs that havn’t been mentioned
Evernote, awesome note, shopper, redbox, iperiod (I can never remember
Great gift, I’d love an iphone!
I love the card you got Ben!
Okay this is going to sound SO corny but Im sharing it
. My boyfriend (of 7 years) just recently joined the Marines so we are really learning what it means to have a long distance relationship- the best gift I have ever recived was a love letter ( hand written, all the way from Japan) I got in the mail. I wasnt expecting it and since I got it ive carried it everywhere I go with me. Its a really little thing but it meant the world to me! And once I got a puppy in 4th grade and that was the next best present 
haha
I’m super jealous of the phone! We’ve had Verizon for years and I’ve always wanted one… maybe soon.
The best gift I gave was a really big gas grill to my dad. We all went in together and gave it to him for his birthday a few years ago. The best gift I ever got was a painting from my husband. I saw it at the store and came SO close to buying it but he talked me out of it. Then for my birthday I came home and he had bought it and hung it up while I was at work. So sweet!
Wow! You are one lucky chick! I can’t wait to hear how you like your iPhone. I have Verizon & have been waiting, too, but I haven’t pulled the trigger just yet.
I was *just* looking at this gnocchi in the Fearless Flyer today & thinking of you! Now I’m definitely going to have to pick some up!
Sweet gift! I gave up on Verizon ever getting the iphone after 2 years of rumors, so of course after I got my Droid in November now the iphone if out. Oh well…
In a funny twist, my hubby and I got each other the exact same thing for V-day this year–a Nook Color! I had his hidden in the closet for a week, when he came home friday and handed me one! So, I took the other one back, since I feel we only need one (if the kids ever let me use it!).
I’m adding that gnocchi to my TJs list for this weekend. My friend and I are making the 2+ got trip to Des Moines just to go there!
My honey got me a waffle maker for my birthday last year. AND pearl earrings. He’s the best.
Congrats! On to the list… Hipstamatic, Map My Run, MOG, Words With Friends, Whole Foods, Your Favorite Airline(s), Slacker, I Am T-Pain, JamBase, Instagram are the ones I use most. Enjoy!
Sign up for App Advice on Facebook; they will promote an app that might be free for a limited time, etc. You can also download AppAdvice in the App store but it will cost $1.99. I would also search in the App Store in the Top 25 section as well and go from there as well.
What a great gift. In addition to some of the apps already mentioned, I like Shazam and TuneIn Radio. I keep all my recipes on Dropbox and use the app to pull them up when I’m in the store or visiting someone. I use Shopper for my grocery list. Fooducate is kind of interesting and you’ll want to check out In the Kitchen from the Food Network, Epicurious and Cook’s. Oh, and one more, ithermometer is kind of handy if you forget cooking temps like I do.
Oh WHERE to start with the apps… Theres a cool app called “Fast Food” that lists a TON of popular fast food places and all of the nutritional facts on the menu, Starbucks app, Cut the Rope, Cover Orange, there’s just too many to list – I love browsing the free apps in the app store under the categories!!
You got an IPhone and I am the last 27-yr-old to NOT text… (true, I receive them but cannot send them.) Someday!
Best gift? A significant chunk of change for our (future) business. OR getting a flight home for the holidays!
Ahhh thats so exciting! Im obsessed with my IPhone, so much so that every time I stupidly break one, I have to replace it hahaha!
My fave apps are Fring (syncs fb, twitter etc), What’s App (its like BBM but for all smart phones!) Nike GPS ( syncs all your runs, tracks your distance speed, and cheers you on!) ESPN score center so you can always keep track of your favorite teams! Groupon, Living Social, Words With Friends, Yelp, and of course like everyone else Angry Birds, Cut the Rope and Cover Orange… gotta get em hahaha
All your TJ’s nights make me miss having a TJ’s 3 blocks away! There are no TJ’s in Colorado!
I’m addicted to my iphone and soon you will be too!
Let’s see…
Angry Birds
Cut the Rope
Words With Friends
Shazaam – tells you what song youre listening to
Flixster – to check movie times
Awesome gifts for both of you! My favorite gift was the vegan cooking class my boyfriend got me for Christmas!
I am taking a year-long leave from work to stay home after having our first baby last year, and even though I’m not busy in the sense that I’m running in a million directions all day long, I get very little “me time”. My husband came home last night and told me he was taking the next day (today) off of work to watch the baby and was sending me to the spa for the whoooole day. He never, er… rarely, fails to remind me how lucky I am
Yay for an iPhone! You’ll be addicted to it in no time! I loooooove mine! Apps to get…angry birds, words with friends, allrecipes, big oven, twitter…and the list goes on! Enjoy!
oh, so jealous! I’d love an iPhone, but it will have to wait until later! I’m sure you’ll get tons of use out of it!
Gnocci! I die. I am so happy verizon finally has the iphone!! Except I just got my droid which I love so I’m not complaining:)
no iphone here, they’re very addictive (as is your blog!).
had a beautiful arrangement of flowers when i got home and i gave my husband the gift of mexican food, my specialty.
best gift ever? top of the line scuba gear
What a great gift! My favorite “gifts” have been the trips we’ve taken, we aren’t big on exchanging actual presents for holidays, but we like to go to shows a few times a year and go on a vacation 1x a year. Key West was my favorite-favorite and my favorite show we saw was a tie between Hal Sparks and Joel McHale
Check out the Urbanspoon app. You shake your phone, and it gives you nearby restaurant suggestions.
What an awesome gift!! You are going to love the IPhone girl!
What exactly is gnocchi? Texture, flavors, and such?
They’re amazing potato dumplings-pasta-ish type food. You will never be the same after you eat them!!!!!
download “Words with Friends” – it’s scrabble! I’m totally addicted. (username: terilynz if you want to play
I also love Echofon for Twitter and TeuxDeux for a simple, but totally useful to-do list.
LOVE that card. heh heh heh
Congrats on the iPhone!!! That gnocchi looks amazing! I really need to get that the next time I’m at TJ! Yum!
LOL,my boyfriend and I are exactly the same – I bombard him with stuff as soon as he comes through the door,and all he really wants is to quietly sit and watch some tv.Poor guy.
You are a seriously lucky lady for getting such an awesome present,but then again,you seem to take care of your love really well,so I think he wanted to spoil you a little bit extra.
That gnocchi looks scrumptious!I think I’m going to try your recipe this weekend,since our shops don’t sell prepackaged meals like this.
I got the feeling you guys didn’t do much for Valentine’s Day based on a previous post. Then I see this! For Valentine’s Day you guys come this strong with gifts????????? My wife got a card. I got nothing. Sheesh!
My favorite app is fooducate. You scan your packaged goods and it arrives at a grade. Great tool to help me avoid junk!
Sweet potato gnocchi – must try!!! IPhone – I desperately WANT!!!
I LOVE giving gifts!! Hmm…best gift ever given – I made my Dad a scrapbook for Christmas several years ago that documented the Boston Red Sox over the years and intertwined pics of him and I over the years, mostly sports related – All ending with the grand conclusion – he and I at my wedding in 2004 and the Sox (finally) winning the World Series in 2004. I loved watching him look at every page!
Best gift ever received? That is hard….Nothing is popping into my head…most recently I received a Pandora bracelet that I loved for Christmas from my husbanh and he had also purchased a couple charms with meaning – one specifically I loved b/c it represented my grandmother who had passed away only 2 weeks prior
I just got the Iphone on Verizon as well, so much better than my blackberry!
I love playing Angry Birds and I use my Kindle App all the time now.