Valentines Gifts that Everyone will Love
Just when you’ve recovered from December gift-giving, it’s time to think of another original gift for Valentine’s Day. Just like Halloween and Christmas, you can find all your favorite candy wrapped in hues of pink. And, on some days, pink peanut M&Ms could be just the thing to get my heart fluttering. But, if you are looking for something more original, here are a few ideas:
Experiences make great gifts. Mix it up and sign up for a Cooking Class, Dance Lessons or a day making something that will become a keepsake like pottery or glass blowing. I treasure a glass paperweight that I made during an afternoon glass blowing class so much more than any that have been given to me.
If you have your heart set on Chocolate,
Consider La Maison du Chocolat 2020 Valentine’s Day collection. It is inspired by the romantic terraces of Parisian Cafés. And who doesn’t love a café in Paris? The collection includes four new flavors: a coffee-infused milk chocolate praliné, a dark chocolate ganache with bergamot tea and notes of grapefruit and elderberry, a milk chocolate ganache with champagne and peach confit, and a featherweight plain dark chocolate ganache with cacao beans from Venezuela.
The coffee praliné, is in a heart shape and celebrates a café in St Germain des Près. The dark chocolate ganache with citrus notes and bergamot tea are an ode to the Jardin du Luxembourg. The milk chocolate ganache and champagne with peach confit is inspired by the Bellinis served in Montmartre. And, the simple but silky dark chocolate ganache was inspired by a night at the Opera.
The La Maison du Chocolat Valentine’s Day Collection can be found here.
If Love has made you nuts, a gift of Virginia Peanuts is just the thing.
I always have these on hand. I order them a couple of times a year for myself and for gifts. The peanuts are distinctive, snappy, fresh and always taste great. You can now order their famous hand-cooked Virginia Peanuts in a pink can for breast cancer research—perfect for Valentine’s or any occasion. The Peanut Shop of Williamsburg will make a donation to the National Breast Cancer Foundation for every can sold. The jumbo peanuts are cooked in small batches in peanut oil with no additives and no preservatives. Virginia Peanuts are one of 4 types of peanuts grown in the U.S. – primarily in Virginia and the Carolinas – and are the largest kernel size of all. They are grown and made in the USA and support American farmers.
Warm up on Valentine’s Day with Cognac.
I am a new convert to drinking Cognac even though I have always cooked with it. It is a lovely brown spirit and can be substituted for bourbon and/or rye in your favorite cocktails. This is a gift that I would love to receive! If you aren’t familiar with Cognac, here is a little background. It is solely produced in the Cognac area of France. It is a brown (aged) spirit that is distilled from white grapes that have grown and been harvested from one or more of 6 approved growing regions. Cognac must go through a double distillation process and the liquid that results from the distillation is called eau-de-vie (translation: “water of life”). The clear eau-de-vie is aged in French oak barrels which gives it it’s color. (Note: More than one eau-de-vie is spelled eaux-de-vies—you’ll see that below.)
When they have aged, the eaux-de-vies are blended by a master blender and that special blend is what creates “Cognac.” Like all spirits, there are lots of rules and regulations. Cognac must be aged at least 2 years in French Oak Casks and be a minimum of 80 proof. You can buy Cognac in three different designations:
· VS: stands for “Very Special” and the eaux-de-vies have aged for two years
· VSOP: stands for "Very Superior Old Pale” and the eaux-de-vies have aged for at least four years.
· XO: stands for "Extra Old": XO cognacs are made only from eaux-de-vies that have aged at least six years.
Unlike Bourbon and Rye, I hardly met a VSOP or XO that I don’t like to drink. I mostly cook with the VS Cognac. You can’t go wrong with any of the four big brands. Hennessy is the largest distiller and produces just under half of all the Cognac. Martell, Rémy Martin and Courvoisier round out the top four biggest distillers. All four of these big Cognac houses have been around at least since the early 1800s and have had a lot of time to figure out how to make delicious Cognacs. A smaller house that I like is Baron Otard Cognac. It is situated in the Chateau de Cognac in the village of Cognac and makes the exceptional D'USSÉ which has a beautiful bold bottle to match it’s bold flavor.
Say it with Succulents:
I’m not a crazy cat lady, but I have become a crazy succulent lover. I have them rooting all over my house. They are easy to take care of because they only need a little TLC. You can buy them at any local florist, hardware store, The Home Depot and even on amazon. This is a floral arrangement that will last for months, not mere days.
Happy Valentine’s Day to All!