Happy February. Isn’t it crazy that Valentine’s Day is in two weeks?! I never really understood the deal with people who hate on it so much. What’s so bad about it? You shouldn’t need a special day to remind people you love them, no…

…but what’s wrong with a day that celebrates love?

(And there are people who not just hate the holiday, but they hate the hearts… hate the colors… hate the pink food, etc. And to them I say: screw off. Seriously. Get a F%*#ING sense of humor & enjoy your goddamn life; stop being so crabby & ornery. If you’re so miserable that you can’t lighten up a little and enjoy some hearts & Valentine’s, then you’re a lost cause. And frankly if that’s the case, this blog is probably not for you)

Okay so basically- in case you’re new here- every few weeks or so I do something called ‘The Friday Fifteen.’ I’ve been doing it since the first week in October & I have a lot of fun with it. Each edition features fifteen things I’m currently loving, cooking, wearing, buying, watching, etc. It’s not just about food for once! It gives me a chance to share awesome finds with my readers that go beyond the every day cookery of this blog.

This week (OBVIOUSLY) is the Valentine’s Day edition! Let’s get to it…

Saint Valentine’s Day, commonly known as Valentine’s Day,^[1][2][3] or the Feast of Saint Valentine,^[4] is observed on February 14 each year. Today Valentine’s Day is celebrated in many countries around the world, mostly in the West, although it remains a working day in all of them.

St. Valentine’s Day began as a liturgical celebration of one or more early Christian saints named Valentinus. The most popular martyrology associated with Saint Valentine was that he was imprisoned for performing weddings for soldiers who were forbidden to marry, and for ministering to Christians, who were persecuted under the Roman Empire; during his imprisonment, he is said to have healed the daughter of his jailer Asterius and before his execution, according to the legendary account, he wrote, “from your Valentine” as a farewell to her.^[5] Today, Saint Valentine’s Day is an official feast day in the Anglican Communion,^[6] as well as in the Lutheran Church.^[7] The Eastern Orthodox Church also celebrates Saint Valentine’s Day, albeit on July 6th and July 30th, the former date in honor of the Roman presbyter Saint Valentine, and the latter date in honor of Hieromartyr Valentine, the Bishop of Interamna.^[8][9]

There is an additional embellishment to The Golden Legend, added centuries later, and widely repeated.^[26] On the evening before Valentine was to be executed, he would have written the first “valentine” card himself, addressed to the daughter of his jailer Asterius, who was no longer blind, signing as “From your Valentine,” an expression still used to this day.^[27] It has been published by both American Greetings and The History Channel.^[28]

The day’s association with romantic love grew in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished. By the 15th century, it had evolved into an occasion in which lovers expressed their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards (known as “valentines”).^[1][3] Valentine’s Day symbols that are used today include the heart-shaped outline, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid. Since the 19th century, handwritten valentines have given way to mass-produced greeting cards.^[10]

1. Since, like I said, there’s two weeks to Valentine’s Day, which is one of my favorite holidays (I say that about them all, don’t I?), so I thought my first thing on this edition of the F15 would be a list of Valentine’s sweets & treats I’ve made in years past, which can be found by clicking here! Cupcakes, cookies, canned fruits, syrups, cake pops, and other stuff… tons of ideas!
2. I always give a few Etsy ideas, and this time is no different. I think this heart-shaped coffee scoop from beehivekitchenware is so freakin’ adorable! They’ve got measuring spoons too. Great for a coffee addict!
3. So here’s another Etsy gift idea that I happen to ADORE. A custom cake stand from vesselsandwares with you & your loved ones names (or a couple you know) & a heart, available in a variety of colors. It’s listed as a “wedding” cake stand, but it’d be great for an anniversary gift or Valentine gift as well.
4. I have to put this on my list this month: BEDS. Beds are divine. If I could live in bed, I would. No kidding. I love beds. What lovely inventions. If only all of life’s business could be conducted in one’s pajamas under a big duvet in a comfy bed… what a wonderful world this would be. I think everyone would be happier.
5. On a whim last month I bought a season of Jem & The Holograms on DVD. I’m kind of obsessed now. It brings me back to being 6 years old again… how many things can do that in life? Not many. A worthwhile purchase.
6. These heart bowls make my heart skip a beat. I have a thing for prep bowls… and appetizer plates… and measuring cups… and mugs. SuzannesPotteryFarm has a lot of other cute handmade pottery as well, but those bowls! What an absolutely adorbs V-Day gift, especially if paired with some of those measuring spoons I mentioned above…
7. Another Etsy find: AHeirloom‘s New York State cutting board. I FUCKING LOVE THIS. SOMEONE BUY ME THIS.
8. These Pantone tarts just knock me out. The artist in me & the “foodie” in me (obnoxious word) both got a chuckle out of it. Also, they’re just pretty to look at. I’d love some prints of those photographs for my kitchen.
9. I’m lusting after the KitchenAid pasta maker attachments. All of them. And a flex-edge beater.
10. I love using Starbucks® frappuccino bottles as little milk bottles. Instead of hunting them down from a supply website & spending more than you need to, just get some Starbucks drinks. Once they’re finished, wash them out, remove the labels (using Goo Gone if you must) & there you go… little milk bottles for food photography props or birthday parties. You can even paint the outside of the caps with a white enamel, if you plan on using them.
11. Oh- how cute is this?! A heartwarmer. I think I have to make one or two.
12. An apron that looks like a tutu. It could probably be worn as part of an outfit as well… be still my ex-ballerina heart.
13. Another thing: glass beaker measuring cups. Reminds me of everything I loved about chemistry class & those kid’s science shows on PBS. Gah! Too much stuff to love, too much stuff to buy.
14. Retronaut.
15. Finally.. as always… vintage Valentines! I love all kinds of vintage stuff, but I think vintage holiday postcards are just awesome.