This week's meal includes Mac & Cheese, VK Leafy Green Salad, and Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting. It's the ultimate comfort meal. After traveling last week to Portland, Maine, a comforting meal is exactly what I need to recharge.

The Mac & Cheese is classic, creamy, and cheesy. The cheese sauce is made from gruyère cheese and cheddar cheese. It's topped with homemade breadcrumbs and baked until it is hot and bubbly inside and crispy on top.

My VK Leafy Green Salad is simple but delicious. It is the perfect companion to the Mac & Cheese. The salad consists of soft leafy greens with a classic vinaigrette: fresh garlic, champagne vinegar, dijon mustard, and olive oil.

Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting is a pumpkin cake packed with pumpkin flavor and warm fall spices. The cake is topped with cream cheese frosting that isn't too sweet and pairs perfectly with the pumpkin cake.

We had such a great trip to Maine and ate so much delicious food. It was really inspiring, and I have so many new ideas for Valentine Kitchen.