Celebrating Valentine’s Day

Ideas for celebrating:

Make decorations to create a festive atmosphere in your home Dress in red, pink or white Have a special Valentine’s Dinner with your family. Decorate the table with red or white napkins; sprinkle rose petals or heart shaped confetti on the table, (make the confetti ahead of time with red paper); create a centerpiece by making a bouquet of paper hearts glued to straws or popsicle sticks placed in a flowerpot; serve cranberry juice diluted with sparkling water and frozen cranberries in wineglasses; check our recipe section below for food ideas

Talk about how Valentine’s Day was celebrated in ages gone by or in other parts of the world, check Trivia section of this page

Host a Valentine Tea for your friends. Watch this section for new ideas.

Create love poems (express the different types of love you have in your life)

Make your own Valentine cards from recycled materials (think tinfoil, scrap paper or fabric, old cards, paint, crayons, bits of string or lace, etc.)

Wake your family up with a kiss

Learn to say “I Love You” or “Be My Valentine” in different languages

“Be My Valentine”
Seien Sie Mein Valentine – German
Sea Mi Valentine – Spanish
Soyez Mon Valentine – French
Sia Il Mio Valentine – Italian
Seja Meu Valentine – Portuguese

“I love you”
Eu te amo – Portuguese
Ti amo – Italian
Je t'aime – French
Te amo – Spanish
Ikh Hob Dikh Lib – Yiddish
Khao Raak Thoe – Thai
Mahn doostaht doh-rahm - Iranian

For Valentine Craft Ideas visit the Enchanted Learning website.

Valentine Trivia

To be awakened by a kiss on Valentine’s Day is considered very good luck
The oldest paper valentine still around is in the collection of the British Library in London. It was sent by Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife in 1415
Legend has it that Valentine's Day is when birds find their mates
Until the 1800s, only English producers made Valentine cards, they shipped them all over the world
In North America, Valentine’s is the 2nd most popular time to send cards (Christmas is the first)
In Japan, only girls give gifts on Valentine’s Day; the boys reciprocate the gifts on White Day (March 14th)
In days gone by in Wales, wooden love spoons were presented to sweethearts on February 14th
In days of yore in Turin, Italian couples announced engagements on Valentine’s Day

Valentine Symbols

1. Cupid is the son of Venus, the Roman Goddess of Love. Legend holds that mischievous Cupid flew around shooting arrows into people’s hearts to make them fall in love.

2. Love Birds are brightly colored birds found in Africa. They often sit very close to their mates, making it seem they are cuddling much of the time. http://www.africanlovebirdsociety.com/

3. Doves are symbols of love and loyalty. Mourning Doves mate for life and are excellent parents who share the care of their babies.

4. Flowers are a symbol of love and happiness. Roses were sacred to Venus, the Roman Goddess of Love.

5. Red Hearts are an ancient symbol of love. Because the human heart beats faster when one is excited, the heart was thought to be the centre of emotion and feeling in ancient times.

6. Interlocking Hearts, also known as the true-love knot, represent two hearts joined as one. Sometimes the true-love knot is joined with a capital “A”. The “A” stands for the Latin phrase “Amor vincit omnia”, meaning “Love conquers all.”

The History of Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is thought to be derived from the pagan celebration of Lupercalia, an ancient Roman festival which began on February 15th each year and lasted for several days. Lupercalia honoured Lupercus, the God of herds and crops, who was thought to protect shepherds and their sheep from the wolves and bring people luck in bearing children. During the celebration of Lupercalia, the names of Roman girls were put into a large urn and Roman boys would pick a name from the urn. The boys and girls then paired up for the Lupercalia celebrations.

February 14th later became a Christian celebration and was celebrated as the Feast of St. Valentine’s. Though Roman Catholics have 8 different saints called Valentine, the most famous Valentine was a priest who lived in Rome in 270 AD. This Valentine was popular with children because of his love and kindness and young couples loved him because he secretly performed marriages, an act forbidden at that time by Emperor Claudius II. Though Valentine was jailed for his Christian beliefs, the people who adored him threw flowers and messages into his cell. While in jail, Valentine fell in love with the jailer’s daughter, Julia, whose blindness he cured. On February 14th, Valentine was executed, but 2 centuries later, in 486 AD, February 14th was declared St. Valentine’s Feast Day in honour of the martyr.

St. Valentine’s Day spread to other parts of Europe as the centuries went by, and eventually even made it around the world as a day to celebrate love. By around 1000, young men and women celebrated St. Valentine’s Day by strolling through gardens listening to music, singing songs, and reciting poetry. By the 1400’s, it was the custom for young men to send their sweethearts a gift on St. Valentine’s Day. Often they were gifts of flowers or birds, though the wealthy often gave gifts of expensive jewelry. Still later it became custom for children to go house to house on the morning of February 14th to sing and beg for pennies or treats. In England during the 1700’s valentines were placed on friends’ doorsteps and were now given to both men and women.

Food Ideas:

For Breakfast make heart-shaped pancakes or make heart-shaped toast with a cookie cutter. Spread fruit-sweetened red jam on your toast.

Fill heart-shaped ice cube trays with cranberry juice for special Valentine’s ice cubes.

Make heart-shaped pizzas for lunch or dinner.

For lunch make heart-shaped sandwiches, with a large heart shaped cookie cutter. Try filled sandwiches, or open-faced sandwiches with a layer of nut butter topped with fruit-sweetened jam

Recipes for Valentine’s Day

Valentine Hot Chocolate
(Makes 1 serving)
1 ½ cups plain or vanilla soymilk or ricemilk
1/8 cup unsweetened cocoa or carob powder
2 – 3 Tbsp sweetener (try Sucanat or honey)
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 cup boiling water
1/8 teaspoon almond extract
1 Cinnamon stick
In a small saucepan, stir and heat the milk for 3 minutes over medium heat. Add hot water, heated milk, cocoa powder, fructose and cinnamon to blender. Blend on high until frothy. Stir in almond extract. Pour into mug and garnish with a cinnamon stick for stirring.

Cupid’s Cider
Add a cuddle and you have a complete way to warm up on a chilly Valentine’s!
2 cups cranberry juice
2 cups apple cider or juice
5-6 cloves
2-3 whole cinnamon sticks
Place all ingredients in a pot and simmer over low heat for about 20 minutes.

Valentine Shake
Ingredients:
1 cup cantaloupe chunks
1 cup whole strawberries
1/2 cup soy milk

Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender. Process until frothy and serve immediately. For a complete breakfast treat, add one serving of protein powder.

Chilled Valentine Beet Soup
1 cup beets, peeled and sliced cooked beets
1/4 cup chopped mild onion
1 medium potato, cooked, peeled, and cubed
1 cup plain yogurt (soy yogurt will work fine)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup vegetable broth
1 cup cracked ice
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill
1/2 cup peeled, seeded, and finely diced cucumber (optional)
Salt and black pepper to taste

Boil the beets until tender, then peel and cut into cubes
Peel the potato, boil until tender and cut into cubes
When beets and potatoes have cooled, combine the beets, potatoes, onions, lemon juice, vegetable broth, salt & pepper and yogurt in a blender. Blend on high until pureed. Add the cracked ice and blend for an additional minute. Add cucumber. Garnish with fresh dill and serve chilled.

Sweetheart Salad
Mixed greens
dried cranberries
Toasted pumpkin or sunflower seeds
Dressing:
1 tsp prepared mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tablespoons tomato juice or V8 juice
1/2 teaspoon tamari
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Whisk (or shake in a small jar) all dressing ingredients together.
Place mixed greens on salad plate, sprinkle with dried cranberries and toasted pumpkin or sunflower seeds. Drizzle dressing over salad.

Valentine Veggies
Cold-pressed, organic safflower oil
1 garlic clove, minced
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 cup zucchini, chopped
1 cup carrots, chopped
1 cup tomato, seeded and chopped
½ cup red bell pepper, chopped
¼ cup red onion, chopped
¾ cup fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 - 2 Tbsp fresh basil
1 – 2 Tbsp fresh thyme
½ tsp dried rosemary
Heat the oil in a large frying pan, add garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Stir in tomato paste, zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes, pepper, onions, and mushrooms. Cover and cook until vegetables are tender. Add parsley, basil, thyme and rosemary and cook for an additional min.

Raspberry Tofu Cream Topping
Serve over your favourite dessert or fresh fruit
1 pkg. tofu, extra firm silken-style
¼ cup raspberry juice
2 Tbsp sweetener (cane or date sugar)
1 Tbsp cold-pressed, organic safflower oil
In a food processor or blender, combine all of the ingredients and puree for several minutes until smooth and creamy. Chill in refrigerator.

I Love you Berry Much Sauce
Warm topping for fruit, sorbet, or frozen desserts. Great on top of poached pears!
1 ½ cups frozen raspberries or strawberries
¼ cup orange juice
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
Combine raspberries and orange juice in a small saucepan. Make a raspberry reduction by simmering until raspberries cook down and become thick. Add blueberries and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Serve warm.

I’m Nuts for You Sauce
½ cup cashews
½ cup water
1 Tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla
Blend all ingredients together until smooth. Pour over fruit salad or strawberries.

Frozen Strawberry Dessert

1 pkg soft tofu
1 cup sweetener (date or cane sugar)
1 pkg of frozen strawberries

Defrost the Strawberries and mix with the sweetener. Cream the tofu then add to the strawberries. Place into an ice cream machine and blend until frozen. Spoon into dessert glasses or long-stemmed wine glasses. Drizzle with I Love You Berry Much Sauce or I’m Nuts for You Sauce then top with a fresh strawberry or cherry.

Valentine Kisses
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa or carob powder
¼ cup soymilk powder
½ cup honey, maple syrup or rice syrup
1 cup organic nut butter (peanut, cashew, almond, etc.)
Mix cocoa and milk powder into honey, then stir in nut butter . Mix well and form into small balls. Roll in coconut, ground nuts, or cocoa powder. Chill to set.

How to Make A Heart Shaped Cake without a heart-shaped cake pan.
Use your favorite double cake recipe. Pour ½ the batter in one 8 or 9 inch square cake pan, and the other ½ into the same size round cake pan. When the cakes are baked and cooled, slice the round cake in half. Create a heart by placing the round halves on each side of the square cake, as diagram shows.

Ice your cake with your favorite frosting, or follow the recipe below for a delicious chocolate icing. Use raspberries or strawberries to decorate the cake.

Chocolate Icing
¾ cup dairy-free chocolate or carob pieces
12 ounces extra firm silken tofu
½ cup maple syrup
1 Tbsp. fructose
Melt chocolate, then blend all ingredients together with a hand mixer or food processor until smooth. Refrigerate for a couple of hours, then spread on cooled cake and refrigerate cake to set icing.

For Additional Valentine Menus and Recipes go to:

http://www.veg.ca/newsletr/janfeb96/val_recipes.html

http://www.vegsoc.org/cordonvert/valentine2002/index.html

Other Great Valentine Sites:

www.rexanne.com/vday-main.html

Special Valentine
Gift Ideas:

Send Flowers through All Flowers and Gifts
our preferred florist.

Lucious Aromatheray Body and Bath Products

Wild Body, Bath & Massage Oil- Great scent for both women and men!

Gift Baskets - Order beautiful gift baskets for your sweetheart on Valentine's Day.

Purchase Valentine's Day Art Prints Here