All you need is Love...

...well, and chocolate, of course! But we'll get to that in a minute.

Actually, we don't make a really big deal out of Valentine's Day. (I'd rather honor V-day, but that's a whole 'nother post) Anyway, I've told my DH not to buy me over priced flowers or trinkets anymore. (Yes, his friends do think he's lucky to have me, lol) But seriously, we celebrate our love in many more meaningful ways the other 364 days a year. And for special moments of awareness there's always our wedding anniversary, birthdays, Mother's & Father's day, etc. Oh, and as to greeting cards, well, I'd rather get a love note straight from the heart than some sappy Hallmark creation anyday.

Instead we do a couple little fun things w/the kids. This year we're placing pieces of paper with each family member's name on them into a basket and then choosing one person to make a Valentine for. We're going to sit around the dining table and make the cards together as a family, but it will be a secret which person we're each making our special Valentine for. Since my little one is still a baby, his older sister will also make one for her little brother, whom she adores.

As to edibles and sticking with my 2008 Holiday Menu Challenge, I'm geting creative with cookie cutters! I've got a few in various sizes to choose from. I might cut out veggie burger hearts, maybe some heart shapped polenta slices to float in a bowl of tomato soup...or how about pretty heart shapped slices of beets set upon a bed of greens for a sweet salad? (hmm, I think there's a joke in there about my beeting vegan heart, but I won't go there ;p )

If you're looking for something more creative than cookie cutter cut-outs, go to one of my favorite food blogs and check out what's there for Valentine's Day, some of the recipes are pretty impressive.

I can hear it now...yes, but...what about the chocolate??? Ok, ok, I hear you. I do intend to make some VERY simple dark chocolate hearts with a candy mold I bought at a craft shop. I'll just melt some vegan chocolate chips in the microwave and pour the chocolate into the molds; couldn't be easier. But perhaps the best part is that each heart is only 1/2 tsp of chocolate, so for 2 points I can have 10!!!

Happy Valentine's Day to me :)