Valentine’s Day is an opportunity to have some fun, and bring joy and a smile to everyone you encounter. Do all that and send that special person two valentine cards: The first has to be serious because love and relationships really are important, but make the second one really funny and dumb. Lighten it up.
As adults, we spend so much time being serious. I don’t know about you, but I could use a day filled with nothing but Valentine’s vibes. It’s a time to fan out a beautiful tablecloth, place a vase with red roses on top and fill your home with the aroma of a home-cooked meal, including dessert. Then laugh and love with those you love and who love you.
One of my treasured childhood memories was watching my mother create a valentine mailbox while I wrote out individual valentines for all my school friends. I loved collecting the red envelopes and treats, and taking them home in my very own valentine mailbox. I would spill them out and read the scribbles of all my friends as well as the messages on the heart-shaped candies as my sisters joined in.
We remember our childhoods with nostalgic affection and gratitude for the fun we had with all those cards. The chocolates weren’t bad either. As we grow older, we won’t be creating cardboard mailboxes and sending love messages to random people. We can, however, put down our phones, look people in the eye, hold their hand and tell them we appreciate their friendship.
This is the one day we are allowed to tell friends … P.S., I LOVE YOU!
Here’s the recipe for my husband’s favorite chocolate cake. I will bake it for dessert with our Valentine’s Day dinner. It’s simple but delicious!
Simply delicious chocolate cake
1 3/4 cups flour
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup cocoa powder
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. espresso powder (optional)
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup hot coffee
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Mix dry ingredients first, then add wet ingredients. After ingredients are well mixed, add hot coffee.
- Bake 20-25 minutes. Makes three 9-inch round cakes.
- Serve with a dusting of powdered sugar.
