Happy Valentine's!

Here is what Valentine's Day looked like at Knitsburgh:

My gift from Nature Boy--an orchid! It's huge! I hope I don't kill it, I'm very neglectful towards my indoor plants. I haven't named him/her yet.

Homemade vegan sugar cookies with some improvised strawberry mousse-like icing. I used some frozen berries and pureed them in the food processor, then added them to 1/4 cup of Earth Balance and 1/4 cup veggie shortening that was already whipped together. I added a ton of powdered sugar, between 3-4 cups and next time will cut back on the amount of berries I used as it made it more runny than I had hoped.

Homemade vegan candy. The strawberry mousse stuff was so good and I had so much left, I decided to make some filled candies. I melted some of the Whole Foods vegan chocolate chips in the double boiler, then coated the bottom and sides of each candy mold with the chocolate. I popped it in the fridge for a few minutes, then filled with the berry stuff and sealed the top with more chocolate. I had no idea making candy was this easy, I think I am in big trouble over here! Nature Boy really liked them too. Both of the above are good when berries aren't in season and you need to use the frozen stuff. I had wanted to make some strawberry tarts but when I couldn't get any good fresh berries, abandoned that idea for the cookies with icing.

Here was my vegan dinner: portabella "steak" with chivey mashed taters and some stir fried red and green peppers with onions.

I gifted Nature Boy a little watering can for the 'maters we started (to replace his tennis ball canister watering system--don't ask). I also splurged a little and gave him a book and a kit for Pysanka (Ukrainian egg decorating). His grandmother always made them with him and would take them on Easter to the Russian Orthodox church she belonged to for blessings. The story goes last year, the priest picked one of his eggs but his back was to the family and traditionally, you are supposed to nod that it's ok for the priest to take it if it's yours. Well no one saw it was his so the priest put it back and picked another. Nature Boy intends to try again this year. Stay tuned.

Happy Valentine's everyone!!!