from shirley's cottage

Roses are red, Violets are blue

Happy Valentines’s Day to you. (A few days early.)
My niece Corri called me last week-end and said she had an idea for my column. She wrote one a while back, and would write more, except she is one busy gal with her family. She is a school teacher, and going to school herself for more degrees. If any of you are teachers, you know your work is not done at 3:10.
She said maybe I could pick up on the Valentine thing, and write about hearts in different ways, and end with a heart-healthy recipe. Since the only thing on my mind was the cold weather, I told her I would give it a try.
A million years ago, when I was in grade school, we made valentine’s boxes. I don’t know if the kids still make them. I hope so. I loved making the hearts out of construction paper. You couldn’t miss making a heart if you folded the paper in half.
You brought valentine’s for everyone-even the kids you didn’t like. Moms would bring the frosted valentine cookies, washed down with Kool-aid, red of course.
(I just saw on the news that there is one school, maybe more, that wouldn’t allow cookies. They could bring string cheese, or granola, etc.) Give me a break. It isn’t the one cookie that is making our kids heavy.
Things didn’t change when my kids were in school. They would make their valentine boxes and come home with as many valentines as they gave. They got their cookies and Kool-aid, too.
As they grew up, I would call them my sweethearts and give them a little gift. They are still my sweethearts, but I quit giving valentines when they started giving to their own. I think this is a good year to start again.
Today I got a valentine from my chiropractor. It was part business, but knowing him, I know his heart is in the right place. And it was nice to get a valentine in the mail.
Even though I suppose the day was started by Hallmark or some company wanting to sell chocolates, flowers, or cards, Valentine’s day serves a purpose: a chance to think about love, about heart, about eating CHOCOLATE!
I can’t talk about hearts and flowers without talking about my husband. He was practical, not romantic. He always said he didn’t know what to get. It was a cop-out. He would give the girls some money and say, "Here, go get your mother something nice." But I knew where his heart was. That was all that really mattered.
I chose my wedding date as close to Valentine’s Day as I could. Back then, Saturdays were the only days for weddings. Today I remember my sweetheart with love and wish we could have been together for our 50th anniversary tomorrow. But, that’s okay. I know where my heart is. That is all that really matters.
Chocolate and heart healthy. This might just be the ticket. It’s from my favorite Weight Watcher’s Cookbook, Simply the Best. No one will know if you don’t tell them this is just 99 calories, (2 points), 1 gram of fat, and only 16 carbs. And, it tastes good.
Chocolate Amaretto Cheesecake
you will need;
a springform pan, sprayed
6 2 ½ inch chocolate graham crackers, made into squares
2 ½ cups part-skim ricotta cheese
4 ounces nonfat cream cheese
½ cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1 egg
3 T flour
1 t real vanilla
2 T chocolate chips
3 T Amaretto liqueur (optional, but then you have to change the name)
Sprinkle graham cracker crumbs evenly over bottom of pan.
In blender or processor, puree the rest of the ingredients except chocolate chips
Stir in chips
pour mixture over crumbs
Bake at 300 until knife comes out clean, about 1 ½ hours.
Cool completely on rack
Cover and refrigerate for three hours.
Guilt free and good! Enjoy.