Because its important to have chocolate

If you are, like many in the northeast, snowed in on this Valentine's Day, then why don't you try your hand at some of the absoluely mouth-watering chocolate desserts here. Whether its a Raspberry and Chocolate Dessert Martini, an Upside-Down Black Forest Pie, or a Bittersweet Chocolate Lava Cake (my personal favorite), any of these are just as good (if not better) than being able to go out to eat at a fancy restaurant. Enjoy!

Now that is a real love story

Recently in Rome, archeologists unearthed the skeletal remains of a couple that are believed to be about 6,000 years old. Even more remarkable than the state of their remains, is that the couple is quite visibly holding each other in their arms. While it has not yet been definitely determined that the individual skeletons are that of a male and female, DNA testing will be able to tell that within the next few months, You can read the whole story here.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Some Valentine's Day Resources:

~Choosing the perfect chocolate gift can set the stage for your romance

~The most searched for flowers and what they mean

~Date Night Movie Guide


~Valentine's Dinner Date Etiquette

What NOT to give on Valentine's Day

The following are all taken from REAL ads in flyers and on the radio.

-"Give a gift she'll really love this Valentine's Day, give the gift of laser hair removal..."

Umm, no she won't, and don't.


-"Give the gift of fitness and health..." (a women's gym membership)

Give this gift, and you can sign the card, "Yes, it does make you look fat." because that is pretty much what you're saying with that one.

If you're really stuck trying to find a last minute gift idea for Valentine's Day, check out my previous post. If worse comes to absolute worse, go with the old stand-bys--flowers, chocolates, and jewelry. Here's a little money saving tip when it comes to buying roses. If you buy a color other than the traditional red, such as pink or white, they'll cost a little less. More than anything, just remember that sometimes the most sincere expressions of love are also the simplest.

Make your own Valentine's Day

As I said in a previous post, Valentine's Day doesn't necessesarily, and shouldn't have to be about expensive gifts like diamonds or iPods. At its most basic (though admittedly, some might say juvenile), Valentine's Day is about simple but pure expressions of like, which is why I have always been fond of the art of making Valentines. During the Victorian era, Valentine making was very popular, as friends and lovers would make ornate cards of paper, ribbon, and lace, to be given and received on this February holiday. To encourage the tradition of homemade Valentine's, here are some tips and ideas for this Wednesday.

-Courtesy of craft-guru Martha Stewart, here you can check out How to make a Valentine's Day heart garland.

-Create a very romantic evening by having an indoor picnic. Clear out the living room, and spread out a nice blanquet. Light some candles, or the fireplace if you have one, and make sure you have a vase of flowers nearby. The menu can be anything that is simple to eat , like fried chicken, buttermilk biscuits, and cole slaw. Other foods that you might have on your menu are assorted sandwiches, fruit, cheese and crackers, spring rolls, pasta salad, fruit salad, and cookies.

-Cheesy, but useful, and can be endearing if you word them right--make your own love coupons good for things like kisses and hugs, back rubs or massages, errands, chores, home-cooked dinners, or if you have any special talents, like playing a musical instrument.

-Even when I was in college, I enjoyed making Valentine's and exchanging them with friends, because I have always thought that Valentine's Day is about any kind of love, and friends should celebrate that regardless of whether or not they have boyfriends or girlfriends as well. While we didn't have desks to hang envelopes from for our Valentines like in elementary school, in the dorm, we made Valentine holders from brown paper lunch bags to hang on our doors. We would put our names clearly somewhere on the front, and then decorate them using whatever we had at our disposal--magazine clippings, markers, stickers, or even paint from my art courses.

-And of course, I highly suggest you try to make some of your own Valentines for the special people in your life. Use glitter, paper doilies, markers, stickers, and construction paper to make them. You can also cut pictures out of magazines or flyers, lace, beads, even wallpaper sample books, or, if you are very artistic, try your hand at some drawing or simple sketches or romantic images like cupids, roses, or other flowers, using colored pencils. Creativity is good for the soul, and is underused by many people which is a shame as it has been proven that you cannot achieve your greatest intellectual state unless both the analytical and the creative hemispheres of the brain are maximized. And you thought that Valentine's Day was all about your heart!

Gift giving for V-Day

In this modern age of massive commercialism, unremitting capitalistic tendencies, and the indefatigable appeal of the almighty dollar, I somehow am still amazed at how unavoidable consumerism has come to be. For one thing, I am continually blown away by how much couples will spend on each other during the holidays. Now make no mistake, if you are in an important, worthwhile, and lasting relationship, and are financially stable, I see no reason why you can't spend a lot on each other. But when it comes to couples that have only been dating for a short period of time, or are in high school, or college, or are just starting out, isn't it a little ridiculous to spend hundreds of dollars on each other? Hundreds of dollars that could be spent on any one of the numerous monthly bills you are struggling to pay, or tuition, or books, or perhaps, you come to the realization that you should cut up your credit cards and stop spending money you simply do not have? In the spirit of responsible spending--as in the case when it applies to gift-giving within couples for Valentine's Day, I highly suggest you check out this great little article at CNN.