Happy Valentine's Day!

It's early, blue predawn...  Snow gently falls, and the day begins.  I've already been blessed...spoken to my son and my mother....  What are your Valentine plans?  My sweet cousin/sister brought down a beautiful plate of decorated sugar cookies and a festive tin of yummy cafè au lait, a felted heart....

I'm crocheting Boho hearts from a sweet free pattern (from Cherry Lane on my side bar).  I'd love to make my Mom's favorite cookie, Snowballs....  They are also called Russian Tea cakes or Mexican Wedding Cakes

Russian Tea Cakes [a.k.a. Mexican Wedding Cakes or Polvorones]

Adapted from Epicurious

Makes about 4 dozen

1 cup (2 sticks or 8 ounces) butter, room temperature

2 cups powdered sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup pecans, toasted and finely ground

Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until light and fluffy. Add 1/2 cup powdered sugar and vanilla; beat until well blended. Beat in flour, then nuts. Divide dough in half; form each half into ball. Wrap separately in plastic; chill until cold, about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Set remaining 1 and 1/2 c. powdered sugar aside.

Working with half of chilled dough, roll dough by 2 teaspoonfuls between palms into balls. Arrange balls on heavy large baking sheet, spacing 1/2 inch apart. Bake cookies until golden brown on bottom and just pale golden on top, about 18 minutes. Cool cookies 5 minutes on baking sheet. Gently toss warm cookies in cinnamon sugar to coat completely. Transfer coated cookies to rack and cool completely. Repeat procedure with remaining half of dough. (Cookies can be prepared 2 days ahead. 

Sift remaining powdered sugar over cookies, if desired, just before serving.

I was just thinking about the busy day ahead for the flower shops!  I was there one year only.  It was a lot of chaos, kinda fun... Very exhausting.  I've shared before my attempt at working for a florist...

My only job on Valentine's Day was to blow up helium balloons.  Suffice it to say...  There is that
learning curve there..  Too little, the Mylar looks wilted, wimpy, blah...  Perfect amount?  All smiles.  Then kaboom!  Loud Bang!  And believe me...  It was several, I mean several $5 balloons before I got it...  And even then I wasn't a natural...  Not my most shining moment...



Besides a few lovely, sparkly engagement rings, I think the most extravagant gift I ever heard about personally...  A coworker once got a white Cadillac with red leather, heated seats from her hubby on Valentine's Day...  Yep...  Pretty extravagant.  She was beautiful, inside and out...a Merry heart and kind spirit...  However.....  That was quite the buzz that year.









Have a great day...  Make yourself a soothing cup of coffee, tea, cocoa... Choose your love potion....
Carefully....



Or....  I used to make this mix for a quick, delicious pick me up...  I don't have the ingredients or I'd fix you a batch today...


Friendship Tea (also called Russian Tea)...  Maybe the Olympics has brought out the Dr. Zhivago in me)
1 c. Tang instant orange drink powder
1/3 c. Lipton dry unsweetened instant tea
1 t. Cinnamon
Scant 1/4 t. Clove dust (optional, and go light!)


Shake this up in a bowl with tight lid. It makes a cute jar gift. To make tea, add two to four tsp. to mugs of hot, boiling water... Light, sweet, "tangy".....tastes like mulled cider and makes me think of my Aunt Hazel...  She served this in bone china teacups to my entire elementary school... (20 students)...


So whether your day contains roses, hot tea, Cadillacs, or sweet concoctions...  May you always harbor safe memories of loved ones in your hearts...

Have a gentle, loving, blessed day!