All things love

I realize this post will appear to contradict it, but I am not the biggest fan of Valentine's Day. I am rather fond of love, affection, romance and devotion, but I prefer them in small doses on a regular basis instead of grand gestures once a year. That being said, it was the end of an extremely emotional week and I did go a little overboard on the baking side of the holiday. Side note: baking is my favorite form of therapy.

First up: Heart-Attack Donuts
One of my favorite blogs, A Beautiful Mess, posted this recipe last week and I was instantly obsessed. Plus I needed a snack for our first book club meeting and I knew these would be a hit! They were ridiculously easy to make and the chocolate wine frosting was to die for. You can find the whole recipe here.

I even had enough left over to put some in a little tin for the AGD Secret Valentine Exchange!

Second project: Wine Gummies
You read correctly. While the recipe was simple enough, my first attempt was a complete fail. I tried to use a red wine I had leftover from my demo job but it sat for too long and just tasted terrible. I quickly dumped that batch and switched to a cheap $2 sweet Moscato and that worked beautifully. You can find the recipe along with other variations here.

Since the options for romantic dinners in Kirksville are basically limited to Ruby Tuesday's, last year Spencer and I decided to skip the two hour wait for a table and opt for take-out Chinese food paired with a movie at home. He always spoils me with flowers and my favorite wine, too. We did the same thing this year and it is by far my favorite tradition of ours.

We were forced to leave my dorm room for a few hours this Valentine's Day to attend guest artist Brian Hsu's piano recital. He played three Debussy preludes, a Liszt Ballad, as well as the four Chopin Ballads. Of course I love hearing my favorite Romantic composers and I was completely blown away with how impressive his performance was. 

On one final note, I want to include my favorite poem in this love themed post. It's Shakespeare's Sonnet 116:

Let me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments. Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove:
O no; it is an ever-fixed mark,
That looks on tempests, and is never shaken;
It is the star to every wandering bark,
Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.
Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
Within his bending sickle's compass come;
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom.
If this be error and upon me proved,
I never writ, nor no man ever loved.