Our Fabled Nest

The day of love… why on earth do we need just a day? We should be lovin’ everyone and most everything every day! Hubs and I have that kind of relationship… we don’t wait for cupid to show affection. That’s a year ’round thing – we, both, make the other feel important. Simply saying I love you can make someone you adore feel all mushy – cue the heart eyes! Promise!

I used to have a love/hate relationship with Valentines. As I was nearing 11 in 2001, our Valentines became different. As we woke up that morning, my folks went ahead and gave us our teddy bears and chocolates before my dad left to take my mom to work since they were sharing a vehicle at the time. This was strange in and of itself since we normally didn’t do the gifts til after dinner. After they left, my brother and I ate a bowl of cereal and then we heard a knock at the door. A family member arrived, told us a small fib of my dad’s truck getting stuck in a ditch, they helped us get ready and dropped us off for school. We weren’t sure what was going on but looking back we knew our world had changed. Later, we learned our parents had a horrible accident that morning. Only miles from home, they were struck head on at sixty mph. The severity of the accident, totaled my dad’s truck, left him permanently disabled with several broken and crushed bones. Miraculously, even after having been resuscitated three times on the operating table after a 12 plus hour surgery, he was alive. Even though he was (and is!) with us, he didn’t come home completely until right around Christmas. It was devastating and we, as a family, stopped celebrating Valentine’s after that.

As I grew older, had high school boyfriends, I still didn’t celebrate – lucky them, right? That was until Matt, my hubs. 18 going on 19 head over heels in love with this man I met on My Space, he knew how much I detested Valentine’s… so he bought me flowers and you guessed it, I cried. Happy tears, releasing trauma tears, I am not sure but the love I felt was real and beautiful. I told ya, this man is amazing! Since then, we make a point to celebrate. We cook a meal together, and a small gift usually under $20. I don’t expect flowers or chocolates. I buy those for myself, usually, every week I have a fresh bouquet on the table!

Now that we have our crew of four fur kids, Valentine’s is a lot of fun. It has turned into a grateful, blessed, fun day – I still have both of parents and they are still together through it all – that is a blessing, folks! With our munchkins, they all receive a small gift from cupid. This year the treats from “cupid” are these yummy Mint cookies from Bocce’s Bakery. Of course, I packaged them super cute in these little take-out boxes. Easy enough to divide a bag of cookies between the four. They probably don’t agree to share but they will be okay! One of our favorite brands with minimal ingredients, baked in the USA and we love their back story! I also picked up four small collagen chews. While we prefer this one, these Chew Safe Collagen Chews (beef and chicken) are still a winner!

Even though our life has slowed down, mornings can still be hectic. Breakfast was simple, easy and quick with gluten free vans waffles, fresh fruit and plant-based sausages. Plus, the kiddos love waffles especially when they are slightly crunchy and covered with honey! I couldn’t agree more! We decided to be a little more traditional for our dinner. When I think of Valentines, I picture a Rom-Com, authentic Italian food and a chilled glass of wine. In theory Lasagna sounded perfect until I scoured five stores for gluten free lasagna noodles – none, nada, zilch. Plan B! How about a pasta bake I mused -basically, a deconstructed Lasagna! A little lighter, a smidge healthier and a lot easier to throw together for a weeknight! Plus no one wants to feel that heavy bloated-need-a-nap after dinner especially when dessert is on the menu too! So, I took our favorite roasted eggplant veggie forward lasagna and turned it into a wholesome delicious pasta dish. Add roasted, lightly salted green beans as a simple side. For dessert, our fur kiddos were involved and “helped” mix then bake cupcakes. Normally homemade but this time gluten free funfetti cake mix was our choice! To make it even better for the kiddos, I substituted applesauce for the oil. We baked them a little longer, let them cool and added frosting and Valentine’s sprinkles! Seriously, so much fun watching them!

Today, like the rest of the year, is a beautiful time as any to make sure your loved ones know they are loved. Something as quick as a text or a call. Our lives are so short, and our world is moving too quickly. Today is a beautiful to recognize those lovely humans or pets that make your life better. After all, the world is better because you’re in it.

Cheers to our next adventure!