Ready for St. Valentine's Day?

No plants were harmed during the photographic process for this blog post.

Here's some 411 on St. V. to impress your beloved in case you forget the flowers and candy etc. .... By the way, I like to call him by his Saint title, since no doubt he earned it .... 

Historians and theologians have differing opinions about the identity of St. Valentine. According to catholic.org and Wikipedia, he might have been a Christian martyred in the time of Claudius II. He might have been a priest jailed and later executed for marrying Christian couples. He may be a composite of many worthy Christians or priests -- valens is Latin for worthy, strong and powerful, an inscription found on more than one Roman tomb.

February 14 may mark the day of St. Valentine's execution. Or, it may be the date chosen by Pope Gelasius in 496 to commemorate his martyrdom. I think he is the patron saint of florists .....

BTW,  chocolate -- the darker the better -- is a good choice on Feb. 14 since its flavonols simulate the feelings of love. Or pleasure. New research indicates dark chocolate also improves blood flow which could be important later on.

Remember those little red cinnamon hearts? Turns out, cinnamon is as good an aphrodisiac as any, so stock up on those little suckers, or else bake an apple pie or rolls, buns or toast.

Come to think of it, cooking anything at all for your significant other is likely to score points. I hate going to restaurants on St. Valentine's Day because they are so crowded I feel like I'm in a meal factory. If I wanted that vibe I'd stay at home, which I do, but at least it's cheaper and I don't feel guilty later about sneaking out with the table flowers.

Red being the color of passion you should wear red underwear on St. Valentine's Day. I believe that's also because St. Valentine wore red underwear ....

You can include some Catmint (Nepeta grandiflora) in your  floral arrangement. It has a cinnamon aroma to it, as do certain varieties of geraniums (not that I would recommend giving geraniums to someone on Feb. 14). Also for good measure, according to about.flowers.com, there are varieties of cosmos, daisies, and of course the chocolate plant, among others, which have a chocolate aroma.

Come to think of it, St. Valentine may be the patron saint of chocolate ....

You can also wear a spicy fragrance, or light an apple-pie-smelling candle or whatever. But don't overdo any of this. You don't want to appear desperate ....

After dinner, proceed to massaging your partner's hands with some lotion, ideally one that smells like cinnamon or chocolate. Afterwards, see if your partner will do the same for you, since if you're like me you need a hand massage after giving one .....

So to review, be prepared with a minimum of dark chocolates. Kick the kids and the dog out and cook a nice meal that includes a cinnamon dessert and a chocolate one like mousse or ganache for good measure. Wear red and a spicy fragrance or light a cinnamon candle or light bulb or whatever. Or chocolate-scented, for good measure.

Finally, tell your partner how much you love them and how much they have enriched your life. Kind of like chocolate.

The rest is up to you .....



Happy St. Valentine's Day!










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