Few holidays garner such visceral responses.

Our early childhood saw us delighted with glue, scissors, red paper hearts, and lots of glitter.

Then we might have experienced fewer Valentines in our sacks at school than others, or maybe the ones we were given were not the prettiest of the bunch and amounted to getting the rejects.

Later, we pined for romantic Valentines complete with a hand-holding sweetheart.

No sweetheart? Well, then, we started disliking Valentine’s Day. “Happy Singles Awareness Day” became our slogan. Groan.

“I hate Valentine’s Day” can often be heard. Too bad.

I’ve had my share of being single for this festival of romantic love. It is tough. It does not feel good in the heart.

BUT – we can expand our view of this celebration by making a big deal out of ALL the forms of love we find around us. Honor family love, deep friendships, new friendships, and honor the friendless.

Today, I’m sharing two of my favorite ways of saying, “I love you!” One is a pastime that morphs with the seasons, and another is a special treat. It is my way of giving you something of myself that may brighten your day.

Cards made using Iris Paper Folding

This art form uses the layering concept of a camera’s iris and this heart card is the first one I learned. The finished card’s look is infinitely variable and requires just few supplies and a pattern:

Supplies:

3 sheets of printed craft paper with complementary colors/designs

1 sheet of heavier weight craft paper for the card face plate

Blank card and envelope – 5 inch x 6.5 inch/12.7 cm x 16.5 cm white, ivory, or colored

Scissors are a must and a paper cutter if you have one.

X-ACTO craft knife

Cellophane tape and double-sided tape

Small heart sticker or jewel sticker

Steps

Prepare the papers:

Cut the pink heart frame into a 6-inch x 4.5 inch or 15.24 cm x 11.43 cm rectangle.

Cut your personalized-color fold-able sheets into 3/4 in or 1.91 cm strips using cutter or scissors – you will need 2-3 strips of each color.

Print two copies of the pattern.

Using the crafter’s knife, carefully cut out the heart shape from one pink frame. *Make sure to use something to protect your table surface! I use the thick pressed cardboard found as a backing to packets of square craft paper.

Place and center the heart shape under the pink frame and trace around it’s shape with an erasable pencil.

Using the craft knife, carefully cut out the heart. *Protect your work surface! Save the heart shape for future use on a different kind of card.

Tip: Color your second pattern with highlighters to make placing your three colors/patterns easier.

Put the resulting frame, with heart shape cut out, FACE DOWN over the whole second pattern and secure with a bit of painter’s tape at two corners.

Fold the edge of each paper as shown in the following photo.

Using your first color, cut a piece of the strip a bit longer than the area needed for space #1. The folded edge will go toward the center of the heart. Secure each piece with tape at the end.

Note: I use a piece of tape that’s almost 1-inch long and tear that piece in half. Use these smaller pieces to tape the strips onto the heart’s frame back. Don’t allow any tape to be exposed to what will be the card front.

Continue taping trimmed pieces, following the flow of the pattern 1-2-3-4-5, etc.

NOTE: The point of the heart can get congested with extra paper, so trimming pieces to a point can help with that.

When all pieces have been placed, peel back the painter’s tape for the big reveal!

Next, using the double sided tape, picture frame the BACK of the card you just created. The tape should be placed as near the card’s back edge as possible and go completely around the card.

Fold the blank card stock in half, and carefully center your card over the blank card, lowering to the surface and pressing down all edges.

Select your heart sticker or jewel and place in the center of the iris.

Voila!

Since there were no Christmas cards from me this year, my Valentine’s Day cards will be mailed to family and friends. It’s a gift they will treasure, and each will contain a note of appreciation and love.

Scones that love you back – Still a favorite recipe that is also an excellent way to say, “I love you!” or, “I appreciate you!”

Just download and follow the recipe. What a perfect Valentine’s touch to breakfast on the 14^th – or any day!

Who can you craft a card for? If not a romantic love, there’s someone who needs a special note of caring from you. Who will it be?

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In love and health – I truly appreciate each one of you!

Deidre

Last November/December on our holiday trek to Williamsburg, Virginia, we kept returning to a great restaurant – Amber Ox – just to continue our explorations of their flavorful and expertly crafted meals and drinks.

It was at the Amber Ox, I first experienced eggs cooked in a Shakshuka Sauce. Savory, spicey, and delicious – especially when sopping up the sauce with their amazing fresh baked bread.

Shakshouka/Shakshuka is a Maghrebi dish of eggs poached in a sauce of tomatoes, olive oil, peppers, onion, garlic, and spices. When the sauce is hot and bubbly, eggs are cracked into an indention made in the sauce, covered with a lid, and left to cook to the desired doneness.

After the introduction of Shakshuka Sauce, I was quick to spot jars of it in various stores. Yeeha!

But, I pretty much am cooking for just two people, and a Costco-sized jar of sauce was partially used, frozen, and thawed a bit to use some more … you understand the problem.

Well, once again, a recipe is born out of longing for a certain flavor profile with easier-to-access supplies.

Flashback to my first introduction to breakfast spiciness – Huevos Rancheros in Sacramento, California – when I was just beginning to develop a palate beyond middle-of-the-road American.

Huevos Rancheros meets Shakshuka!

It’s fusion, baby!

With a handy, ever-present small jar of salsa and a new staple in the fridge – a small jar of Thai Red Curry Paste – I can easily assemble some savory/spicy eggs.

After sauteing whatever veggies I have on hand such as:

Onion

Garlic

Bell pepper

Mushrooms

Spinach

Leftover cooked butternut squash

I add salsa and several dabs of the Thai Red Curry Paste. Stir to combine. Make indentations for the eggs. Crack the eggs into their nests. Add crumbly cheese on top, if desired. Cover with a lid and cook until done.

This morning I scrambled the eggs a bit in place in the pan and flipped sections over to cook uncovered on both sides.

So good.

This warming recipe is so versatile. I encourage you to try a little fusion at breakfast.

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In health –

Deidre

It had been several weeks since we last visited. After catching up about our lives, we decided to venture out for lunch in a quiet restaurant so our discussions could continue. 

As we were concluding our delicious repast and were about to go our separate ways, my friend wanted to share one more tidbit.  

A simple idea. 

A recipe so simple, so easy to do, but was sublimely delicious. I was intrigued. 

It all starts with a nice, juicy, free-stone peach.  

Wash off the fuzz. Cut in half and remove the pit. 

Pour about a teaspoon of maple syrup into the indention in each half. 

Melt a dab of butter in a sauté pan over medium heat. 

Smear the maple syrup from the center of each peach half, all over the cut edge. Place cut side down in the pan.  

Let the peach halves cook for about two minutes or until browning starts to happen on the cut side. 

Lift out of the pan, and place cut side up on the serving dish. 

Voila! 

Nothing left to do but enjoy the simple pleasure of crunching through the slightly caramelized maple syrup exterior and to bite off a still fresh mouthful of juiciness. 

We used our hands to eat this delightful treasure, although it merits fancy tearoom etiquette – it’s that good. 

So, whether you choose drip-down-your-chin-finger-licking simplicity or knife, fork, and napkin splendor, you’ll be glad you did it. 

Thank you, Carole, for this little gem of an idea!  

In health – Deidre 

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The Old Peach Tree

Under the old peach tree
Hearing the buzz of bees
Looking up at pink blossoms so sweet
Watching pink petals fall at my feet

Under the old peach tree almost fallen down
I can hear every sound as the sun goes down
I hear somewhere the song of a mocking bird
The sweetest song I ever heard

As I lean against the old peach tree
I think of things that used to be
This old tree brings me back to my childhood
And the many peaches I ate that were so good

Old peach tree I wish you could talk
Whisper to me some of your thoughts
But instead you fill my heart with your beauty
As I smell the perfume of your blossoms so fruity

I wonder how much longer you’ll be here
How much longer my heart you’ll cheer
I hope to lean against you many a spring
And feel the peace that you bring

Grace Riffle

Fairmont, West Virginia

1931 – 2021

Let me just get it out there: I am a card-carrying member of Cookies Anonymous. Are you with me? 

Trouble is, I hold a more important membership in an anti-inflammatory-is-this-doing-my-body-good-I-am-responsible-for-my-health group, and cookies don’t usually fit it. 

I always defer to the precepts of the responsible group with the long name. 

Maybe you have picked up on a trend over the years at foodtalk4you – I seem to be in search of a good-for-you cookie.  

Well, I may have found one that’s the best of all. 

Huzzah!  

I’ve made these three times now, and can confidently say they are delicious, good for me, and they always receive rave reviews. 

I like this one because it does not rely on a mix – even gluten-free – for the base, which means I have total control over sugar content. These cookies require just a few basic ingredients that are found in most cupboards, so let’s get right to it! 

Almond Flour Oatmeal Cookies 2.0  

Ingredients for the wet mixture:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature 

• 1/2 cup brown sugar 

• 1/4 cup or less Erythritol and Monk Fruit sugar equivalent 

• 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract 

• 1 large egg at room temperature 

Ingredients for the dry mixture: 

• 1 1/4 cups almond flour 

• 1 1/2 cups gluten-free, old-fashioned oats 

• 1/4 cup freshly ground flax seeds 

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon 

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 

• 1/2 teaspoon salt 

Add-ins:

• 1/2 cup mini dark chocolate chips – mini chips are easier to distribute throughout these petite cookies 

• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes 

Note: If making a peanut butter version, substitute 1/2 of the butter (1/4 cup) with all natural smooth or chunky peanut butter. Omit the coconut flakes. The chocolate chips may be kept or omitted. 

Instructions:

• Assemble all ingredients.  

• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or lightly grease. 

• Measure dry ingredients (not add-ins) into a bowl, stir to combine, set aside. 

• With a stand or hand mixer, beat butter until creamy and then add sugars, creaming until fluffy – about 2 minutes. 

• Beat in vanilla and then the egg. 

• Beat the mixture of dry ingredients into the creamed mixture. 

• Beat or stir in the add-ins until combined and evenly distributed throughout the dough. 

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees  

__________

Use a small cookie dough scoop or tablespoon to press/form the dough into small one-inch balls with the palms of your hands. Evenly place on prepared cookie sheets. 

Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes; rotate pans and continue baking another 10 minutes. If using a convection oven, rotating pans is not needed. 

Cookies are done when they are golden brown around the edges. 

Remove from oven; let cookies rest for 2 – 3 minutes; transfer to a wire cooling rack to finish cooling. 

When cool, these freeze very well in quart Zip Lock bags and make a handy package for sharing with friends. 

__________ 

One or two of these little jewels with a morning brew is enough to keep me going for a few hours. 

I can envision adding some activated nuts, soaked and dehydrated, to up the crunch and nutritional benefits. One could switch out the chips to butterscotch, but I don’t know of any health benefits to butterscotch – just saying – dark chocolate has goodness for our bodies. 

ALMOND FLOUR COOKIES 2.0 PRINTABLE DOWNLOAD

(Click below)

Let me know if you try Almond Flour Cookies 2.0.

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UPDATE: 

We are putting the finishing touches on the latest in the Toolkit for Caregivers Series, Toolkit for Caregiver Emotions and Resilience Building. If you are or have been a caregiver to a loved one, you know about overwhelming and conflicting emotions. There is so much to be revealed about caregiver emotions, how to handle them, and how to build an inner resilience – I can’t wait to publish this fall!  

In health- 

Deidre 

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Summertime, and the livin’ is easy …

This is the perfect throw-together dish to serve on a hot afternoon, along with a favorite beverage.

Basil Boats. That’s what I call them.

When the basil is just starting to show its splendor, basil boats appear. You know, those perfectly cupped leaves that just beg to be filled with goodness?

So often, I just harvest the basil to quickly turn its fragrant leaves into pesto destined for the ice cube trays for future use.

STOP!

I am finally using these early crop beauties to contain wonderfulness! 

One usually sees basil carefully cut into chiffonade, added to mozzarella cubes or balls, tossed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and carefully perched onto a slice of French bread. All well and good.

Perfection, in any language.

Well, I’ve reversed the process just a bit and the results are attractive, playful, and totally tasty. 

Also, unlike other hand-held bites, these can be consumed within two or more bites, without spilling mishaps. An easily learned hold on the curved leaves, will result in spillage-free eating.

After carefully rinsing and drying the large, curled basil boat leaves, I prepared the fresh mozzarella by slicing into small squares.

Adding sliced cherry tomatoes to the mozzarella squares, and some olives – I was hoping for black olives, but the Kalamata olives were just fine – I rolled up a few of the smaller basil leaves to thinly slice into chiffonade slices. A spoonful of Robust Olive Oil and balsamic vinegar along with freshly ground sea salt and black pepper, and I stirred up the toppings. 

But something was missing … hmmm … the French bread! 

After pan toasting a slice of French bread from the freezer, I sliced it into small squares, and tossed them in some butter and garlic salt.

After tossing the bread squares with the mozzarella and tomato mixture, the boats were filled.

Pairing our ‘Basil Boats’ with a delightful buttery Chardonnay, we feasted on a perfect mid-afternoon snack. 

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In health and still smiling – Deidre

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