Valentine's Should Be a Special Day!

To date I've never had a particularly "good" Valentine's Day. In fact, on Valentine's Day a few years ago a friend and I were held up at gunpoint. Suffice it to say, it wasn't a very pleasant experience. But Valentine's Day should be wonderful! It's a day of love! It should be one of the most beautiful days of the year! So, my Valentine's mission each year is to brighten others' Valentine's!
Today I made cinnamon rolls with red sprinkles. I tried to find heart shaped sprinkles but was unable to do so. I also made chocolate kiss cookies with a drizzled raspberry glaze. Both are heavenly! I'm SO looking forward to delivering them to their various recipients tomorrow! Some will be hand delivered and some will be doorbell-ditched. I can't wait!
Everyone should feel loved on Valentine's Day!

If by Rudyard Kipling

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with wornout tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on";

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run -
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man my son!

Ἄλινδα

For years I've yearned to go to Italy and Greece! Tonight I made a Tuscan dish and as I divulged in the garlicky taste I was reminded of my yearning. I want to experience the food and culture. And of course, I want to see the beautiful art! There is so much to do in both countries, I don't know where I would begin but I want to do it soon! While in Greece I would like to go to the town I share a name with. It's on the island of Leros. From the pictures I've seen online, it's absolutely gorgeous! (Above are some I found online.) I cannot wait to go!

Fortune Cookies

I don't know why but I've always had a love and fascination for fortune cookies! When I go to a Chinese restaurant I selectively choose which cookie fortune should be mine. Fortune cookies taste all right but the fortune is the best part! I used to tape all fortunes in my journal. They're just so much fun! The most recent fortune I received said, "Your road to glory will be rocky, but fulfilling."
Thanks to Groupon I recently became acquainted with fancyfortunecookies.com. I didn't do the Groupon because I don't have an event to order lots of fortune cookies for but I think it's an awesome idea. The above picture came from their website.

To Cook

During the past few days I have really been in a cooking/baking mood! I can't get enough! Friday I didn't work which was both good and bad (good because it gave me plenty of time to cook and bad because it means I don't get paid). After waking up, going to the gym, and getting ready for the day, I began to cook. First I made some incredibly delicious chocolate chip cookies. (I was having company over that evening and wanted to have a dessert.) Then I made honey whole wheat bread. I love the particular recipe I recently acquired and had a yearning to make bread! Then I began with the Indian cuisine I was serving that evening. I prepared the chicken so it could have adequate time to marinate, and then began the Indian bread (Naan). While the bread was doing its thing I prepared a cucumber raita. It turned out mighty fine, if I might say so myself! Indian evening was a huge success! My friends LOVED it! And I had forgotten how much I love chicken masala! It was to die for!
Saturday I wanted to use the rest of the heavy cream I had purchased to make the chicken masala so I decided to make mint truffle brownies with a chocolate ganache! They were also pretty tasty! One friend even went as far as to say that they were the best brownies she ever had! Wow! That's quite the compliment!
In the coming weeks I'm going to hone my cupcake decorating skills. I've always wanted to take a cake decorating class which to date hasn't occurred but I did recently purchase an incredible cupcake decorating book which has some absolutely incredible and creative ideas! I'm super excited to try them! It looks like my friends and neighbors will be the benefactors of many cupcakes!

Pure Love of Winter

Winter is such a beautiful time of year! I recognize that it makes transportation more challenging. And most people don't like freezing temperatures but it's gorgeous! Today a friend and I went on a four hour snow shoeing excursion. I'm a little worn out and sunburned but it was an incredible experience! I love the way sunlight glistens on snow! I love the way ice crystals form! Winter is such a beautiful and serene season! I'm grateful for the opportunity I have to enjoy it this season!

3 Grocery Stores Later. . .

I was incredibly excited to make Hot and Sour Chicken Cabbage Soup. I thoroughly enjoy most oriental foods. I particularly love recipes with a little pizazz. The ingredients in this recipe sounded like they'd do the trick, so I was stoked to say the least! I had most of the ingredients. I made a trip to the grocery store for lemon grass, cabbage, and bean sprouts. At grocery store number one, I found cabbage and bean sprouts. At store number two, no lemon grass. And store number three, no lemon grass! What?! I realize not everyone cooks with lemon grass but are you serious; three major grocery stores and no lemon grass?!?! In complete frustration of not being able to find lemon grass (and not being willing to hit up a fourth) I made the soup without lemon grass. And guess what?! It was divine!!! Yay for Hot and Sour Chicken Cabbage Soup!!! It was a success even without the lemon grass!