Warm Love / Hot Love

Valentine's Day 2013 was all about the temps.

I gave Alex a practical yet luxurious warm gift - a 100% wool duvet from Jorgensen Farms. Truly a gift for both of us, we expect the duvet to be warm yet breathable, hypo-allergenic, and easy to clean by hanging in the sun this summer. We're excited to have a piece of Val's beautiful Organic farm in our grown-up bedroom. You can have one too - buy through her online store or at the Worthington Farmers' Market.

Alex expressed his feelings with fire. He created a flaming heart on the driveway, captured on video while I was out of the house. The resultant singe on the driveway will likely last for months.

And we all shared warm sour cherry pie for late afternoon tea. This is our third annual Valentine's tea, a tradition I love for the simplicity and ritual.

What temperature was your Valentine's Day?

Love-ly Books {Book Hounds}

Valentine's Day is a moment to tell those we love how much they mean to us. Our family likes to get into the loving spirit by reading picture books. Our favorite stories have beautiful illustrations and themes about companionship and friendship.

Books say things that we sometimes can't put into words. They start conversations about devotion, gratitude, and acceptance.

Maybe it's just me, but I think an inscribed book is a truly romantic gift for a person of any age. Try one of our family favorites for the love of your life.

The Big Blue Spot by Peter Holwitz - One of the first books we bought for Lil, The Big Blue Spot tells a story of finding companionship in a simply illustrated, interactive book.

Plant a Kiss by Amy Krouse Rosenthal - A standout new book of this winter, Plant a Kiss explores a fantastical idea: if you planted a kiss, what would happen? If it grows, should you share it? The 'kiss' is illustrated by a textured glitter ribbon that sensory-seeking kids will love to touch on the page.

Valentine Surprise by Corinne Demas - This story follows a little girl as she struggles to make the perfect card for her mother. It shows that DIY projects can be frustrating in the making but ultimately rewarding.

The Valentine Bears by Eve Bunting, illustrated by Jan Brett - A hibernating bear surprises his mate in this seasonal story. Other than the anthropomorphising, the illustrations and text are true to nature in midwinter.

Sugar Cookies: Sweet Little Lessons on Love by Amy Krouse Rosenthal - Awarding-winning Rosenthal deserves inclusion twice in this list for Sugar Cookies. Soft illustrations of people and pets by Jane & Brooke Dyer accompany definitions of loving words like 'considerate', 'admire', and 'forgive' in the context of making a batch of sugar cookies.

What love-ly books do you recommend?

Pi Day 2011

It's Pi Day 2011! Get it? 3.14 aka 3/14 aka March 14? Celebrate the transcendental constant π with Hounds in the Kitchen by including your favorite post about pi or pie in the Linky below. Feel free to link to a recipe, homeschool lesson on circles, or geometry related story. It's fine if the post is an older one - we want to read what you think about 3.14159265359...

I want to share how I decorated a very special pie exactly one month ago, on Valentine's Day.

This sour cherry pie was already going to be memorable because Lil, Alex, and I picked the cherries in July from a friend's neighbor's tree. Alex and I hand-pitted the cherries, froze them on sheet trays, sealed with the vacuum sealer and tucked them away in the deep freeze.

Fruits of such provenance, those we had patiently avoided until February 14, demanded an extraordinary preparation.

The cherries were mixed with sugar, flour and nutmeg and a bottom crust rolled out. Then, Lil and I cut dozens of hearts out of the top crust, reserving the cutouts. This process tested every bit of Lil's patience and mine, as she wanted to eat the raw dough and I wanted to crust to be beautiful. There's no re-rolling a crust in this house so we had but a single chance.

The Valentine's day treat was assembled including placing the heart cutouts around the outer edge. Our heart pie cooked, bubbling sweetened juices all over the oven.

Fully baked, it was a lovely centerpiece for our family afternoon tea. It tasted tangy and sweet, with the refreshing flavor of summer in the midst of winter.

What's your Pi Day story?

PS. Pi Day is an annual tradition on our homestead. Read about Pi Day 2010.

A Handmade Valentine's Day

Shut in by ice and snow and illness, Lil and I spent a lot of time crafting for Valentine's Day last week.

Plump hearts spelling LOVE adorn our (faux) stained glass window.

Friends and family are receiving heart felt personalized cards from Lillian.

Lillian painted ceramic mugs for Alex and I at Grandview Clay Cafe.

I sewed a hand embroidered conversation heart pillow for my girl. I think I am now experienced enough to tackle sewing my name onto my Made by AmyD apron.

We're celebrating as a family with afternoon tea including a sour cherry pie made with fruits we picked this summer and froze for just this occasion.

Did you make anything for Valentine's Day?

Friday Five: Sweet Things for Your Valentine

Five gift ideas for the food lover in your life: 1) Cooking class for two - I'm loving the vegetable centric class at Hills Market February 23 or check out North Market, Franklin Park Conservatory or Sur Le Table for something that suits your sweetheart's interest.

2) Iced vegan sugar cookie from Pattycake Bakery - Choose from their nice or naughty messages or create one of your own. Budget friendly at only $3 each.

3) Hand painted coffee mug, cereal bowl, or serving plate from Grandview Clay Cafe

4) Food or Dessert Tour from Columbus Food Adventures

5) Fruit tree - We love our Meyer lemon tree for giving us a dozen lemons this year. The fig tree we gave Alex for father's day is just starting to send out new leaves and our lime tree rescued from the clearance cart is looking good too. We keep them indoors in winter and move outside in summer.

My valentine Alex is receiving one of these gift ideas. Can you guess which one?

My Loves

I am a fortunate woman to have so many loves. My inquisitive daughter Lil and playful husband Alex,

precocious beasts Devorguilla and Hawise,

a functional comfy kitchen, a garden full of promise,

and a bevy of friends and extended family.

May you also be surrounded by love this Valentine's Day.