A few Valentine Stories to enjoy…

It is February and Thoroughbroad Scarlett waits until after Valentines to buy her chocolates and the next year’s goodies that will keep, like cards, and gifts to mail. She has done this religiously for years. But, the best way to not spend a lot of cash on that holiday is best performed by a couple she knows in Bardstown, KY. They meet for a quick Valentine’s Day at the local card shop and find the aisle with all of the loving and whimsical holiday cards. They each pick out a card that professes the true meaning of their hearts and one that is on the funny side, then they hand them to each other…get a big laugh and get a warm feeling each and then put them back on the shelf and leave…isn’t that funny. Then they meet at the local drug store with a vintage soda shop and get a malt or shake and watch the people shopping for loved ones through the big glass window facing the downtown street.

Scarlett’s husband tells of a story when they both had started dating. He went to a local florist to buy flowers and told the woman behind the counter he would like one each of their travel size hand cream, body lotion, travel size spray fragrance and a bar of soap that all matched or blended in floral scents. He had her make one bouquet of flowers and one box of the toiletries that matched in color and presentation. He was done in maybe 5 minutes..he said every man in the place was watching and listening and before he left they all had ordered the same thing…it was that famous line from when Harry Met Sally, ” I’ll have what HE is having.”

When Thoroughbroad Robyn was 9 years old, she received 2 Valentine surprises. First, she was given the task of decorating a box to hold the class valentines. This usually consisted of a cardboard box with lots of red hearts and white lace paper doilies. She delivered this news at home and her dad said he would help. He came up with a design. The generic cardboard box became a 3D heart shape box. A slot was placed at the top where the heart starts to curve to collect the valentines. A trap door was placed in the back to remove the valentines. He then constructed a stand that the point of the heart fit into. All of this was covered in glossy red wrapping paper. A cluster of white tissue paper flowers, Robyn did this part, was placed in the center of the heart. Robyn’s father delivered the box to the classroom. Needless to say, everyone was suitably impressed. Other teachers came to see this feat of engineering. Robyn was proud of her father.

Robyn’s second surprise came in the form of an admirer. She was presented with a card and small wrapped package. Inside the card was a sheet of paper. The young boy  had written all the words to the popular song Calendar Girl by Neil Sedaka. She was his Calendar Girl. The box was chocolate covered cherries. Robyn did not share this young boy’s feelings. She accepted the gifts graciously as she had been taught. She never told him that there was nothing she disliked more than chocolate covered cherries. Her parents were the happy recipients of the cherries.

And, then it was Christmas. The young boy was still crushing on Robyn. You guessed it. Another box of chocolate covered cherries. No more gifts arrived after that. He a victim of unrequited love. We have all been there. Robyn still doesn’t like chocolate covered cherries but she always remembers this young boy.

So to celebrate February in a unique style we have various strawberry recipes you can use throughout the month to extend that “LOVING FEELING” with a friend, a significant other or a loved one or two. See below…

J. J.’s Strawberry Bread

Ingredients: 1 cup flour, 1tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 Tbsp cinnamon, 2 cups sugar, 3 eggs beaten, 1 1/4 cup vegetable oil, 2 10oz pkgs of frozen sliced strawberries crushed, 1 1/4 cup chopped pecans, red food coloring is optional

Grease and flour 2 9×5 baking pans, sift flour, soda, salt, cinnamon and sugar together into a bowl. Beat eggs, oil and strawberries together. Add in the flour mixture, the nuts and a few drops of food color. Pour into pans and bake 55-60 min. at 350 until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let chill then serve with this Strawberry Butter…

1 10 oz pkg of frozen strawberries thawed and crushed, 1 cup softened butter, 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Combine all together and mix well, then form into a mold or rolled into ball shapes and store in fridge until ready to slice up the bread and serve with the room temp butter.

Strawberry-Banana Cheesecake Salad

Ingredients: 1 package cream cheese, softened, 16 oz of vanilla yogurt, 1 (8 oz) tub of cool whip, Thawed, 1 (3½ ounce) package cheesecake flavor instant pudding or pie filling mix, ½ bag of miniature marshmallows, 3 pints strawberries, sliced, 4 bananas, sliced, 1 container raspberries (optional)

Instructions: In a bowl, mix cream cheese, yogurt, pudding and cool whip until creamy. Stir in marshmallows. Fold in fruit.

Strawberry Lemonade Muffins

2 ½ cups flour, 1 ¼ cups sugar divided, 1 8oz container of sour cream, ½ cup melted butter, 1 Tbsp lemon zest, and 2 large eggs lightly beaten, 1 ½ cups diced fresh strawberries

Preheat oven to 400 and in large bowl combine flour  and 1 cup sugar then make a well and add the mixture of sour cream, butter, zest and eggs pour into well stir all the flour mix and wet mix until dry ingredients are moist. Gently fold the strawberries into the batter. Lightly grease a 12 cup muffin tin fill each opening with3/4 full and sprinkle remaining sugar on top of each muffin. Bake for 16-18 minutes. Cool in the pan then remove to wire rack. ENJOY!