Let's face it: The whole cooking-for-your-loved-one thing throws a monkey wrench into the February schedule of checking out winter sales, hiking at Runyon and getting caught up on celebrity gossip when you should be writing some sort of business memo.

Traipsing through Century City mall on a blustery evening, we made it to the Godiva store. Though highly distracted by the hand-dipped mutant strawberries (each the side of a baseball), we wanted to know how to make Valentine's Day more about the lovin' and less about fussy preparation.  

We asked domestic diva Katie Lee Joel (soon-to-be cookbook author, Huffington Post food blogger, wife of Billy…and remember her from Top Chef?) about her favorite ways to Donna Reed her Valentine's Day. And yes, 'tis possible without spending hours in those Louboutins over a hot stove.  

She grinned, cocktail shaker in hand. "Chocolate and alcohol." True, it's a perfect combination, and after that first molten cocktail, your partner certainly won't care whether you left the chicken in the oven for an extra couple of minutes. 

Joel keeps it simple—and her easy-breezy dessert trifle requires no baking. Just pop by Trader Joe's and pick up a few readymade ingredients, booze together some cloying choco liqueur with a hit of the bubbly, and go ahead. Channel that inner Donna Reed.  

Godiva Chocolate Raspberry Individual Trifles 

1 (1 pound) pound cake 
1/4 cup Godiva Original Chocolate liqueur 
1 quart raspberries 
2 cups whipped cream 
3 Godiva Chocoiste Dark Chocolate Raspberry bars, coarsely chopped 

Using a serrated knife, cut pound cake into 1-inch cubes. Place in a shallow dish and drizzle with liqueur. Let sit 5 minutes to allow liqueur to soak into cake. 

Divide one half of the cake cubes among six martini glasses. Top with one half raspberries and one half whipped cream. Sprinkle with one half chopped chocolate bars. Repeat layers using the remaining cake, raspberries, and whipped cream. Top each with remaining chopped chocolate bars.