Happy Valentine’s Day!
by Jodi
Happy Valentine's Day!
Happy Valentine’s Day! Today is a special Valentine’s Day! A fun fact about today is that most people might not know that in the Catholic Religion, there is a patron Saint named Saint Valentine. He was officially known as Saint Valentine of Rome. He was a third-century Roman saint widely celebrated on February 14. He was commonly associated with “courtly love.” Want to read more about him? Here is an article written on Catholic.Org.
For today, I wanted to share some ideas on Valentine’s Day. Have you ever loved someone? Ever been in love with someone? Valentine’s Day for me personally has a different meaning. I talk about love in my previous Valentine’s Day post seen here. February is that time of the month again when we start seeing red in the stores, flowers, chocolates, teddy bears, and all the other things one might find themselves purchasing on Valentine’s Day for their loved ones. Sometimes, we get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of life that we simply forget to slow down and stop and smell those roses. There is so much beauty in this world and when we look around and see it for what it is, we can learn to appreciate all things that God has put in our lives, especially the people in our lives. When were so hyper-focused on work, social media, and family, sometimes we simply forget days like Valentine’s Day. Throughout the year, we should always think of our loved ones regardless of how busy our schedules can get. If we don’t have someone special in our life, then we should at least acknowledge the love we might have for a family member, friend, pet, or simply the love we might have for ourselves. We see so much on television these days about what love should represent. As you might understand, the bible is the only way to understand love. These days we forget how simple love can be and how it does not have to be complicated. Today, on February the fourteenth, we get the chance to love. Love is beautiful! On Valentine’s day, take the time to be with your loved one. Here are some ideas to spruce up your Valentine’s Day:
1. Pray with your spouse, family member or friend. I thought I would share the St. Valentines Prayer:
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
O glorious advocate and protector, Saint Valentine, look with pity upon our wants, hear our requests, attend to our prayers, relieve by your intercession the miseries under which we labor, and obtain for us the Divine blessing, that we may be found worthy to join thee in praising the Almighty for all eternity; through the merits of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Pray, then, O holy Martyr, for the faithful, who are so persevering in celebrating thy memory. The day of Judgment will reveal to us all thy glorious merits. Oh! intercede for us, that we may then be made thy companions at the right hand of the Great Judge, and be united with thee eternally in heaven.
2. Slow dance with a loved one or anyone special in your life.
Here are my five favorite Valentine’s Day love songs:
1. Richard Marx- Right Here Waiting For You
2. Bryan Adams- Heaven
3. Glenn Mederios- Nothing’s Gonna Change My Love For You
4. Foreigner- I Want To Know What Love Is
5. Elvis Presley- Can’t Help Falling In Love
3. Cook a romantic dinner at home or just a special dinner for someone specific in your life.
4. Say I Love You. It is so important to love! Does not matter who the person is! Let them know you love them!
5. Watch a romantic movie or a chick flick with someone special in your life.
Here are my bucket list of older movies I want to see:
1. An Officer and A Gentlemen
2. Against All Odds
3. Women In Love
4. The Rose
5. Beaches
Here is one of my favorite comic strips! I found this in the newspaper on Sunday and had to share it. It’s a perfect way to describe Valentine’s Day! Happy Valentine’s Day, from A Handmade Story’s heart to yours!
“All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.” - Charles Schulz
#happyvalentinesday #valentinesday #lovefamilyandfriends #love #ahandmadestory
Valentines Day Gift Guide
by Jodi
Disclaimer: Please note this post may contain affiliate links. This means I may receive a commission if checked at no extra cost to you. Though the opinions remain mind. Privacy Disclosure- Here
Valentines Day Gift Guide
Valentine’s Day is coming up in less than fifteen days away. It’s a day that I have always felt should be celebrated every day. Why not make every day full of love? Why not love someone every day or love your pet for those who do not have special someone in their life? Valentine’s Day represents love, which is something we should embrace. Love is a beautiful thing. According to the Bible,
1 Corinthians 13:4-8 NIV
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, and it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres. Love never fails.”
February reminds me of the colors red and pink which reminds me of love. It is not just because it’s Valentine’s Day. When I think of February, I feel it represents love, especially the love that God has given all of us in our hearts. Love smells like beautiful flowers whether they are roses sweet peas or the beautiful flowers you find at Trader Joe’s. By the way, if you want inexpensive flowers, Trader Joe’s is the best way to go. The flower Market in San Fransisco is another place where you can buy flowers for cheap. I got my wedding flowers wholesale. They bought from the flower market. Anyways, back to love! On a one to ten rictcher scale love should rank as a ten for sure. There are so many different types of love. Without love, I do not know what the world would look like.
In the past, many beautiful love songs were written. According to the Marshall Tucker Band, You May Have Heard in a Love Song many times. These days everyone is feeling a bit like The Righteous Brothers. I understand if You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ or if you are like Neil Diamond and you got Love On The Rocks. Why not be Jackie DeShannon and Put a Little Love in Your Heart?
As Stevie B. Sings,
“Because I love you, and I’ll do anything
I’ll give you my Heart, my everything
Because I love you, I’ll be right by your side
To be your light to be your guide”
This is such a beautiful song! I love the lyrics and the way it was written. The music video for this song is great too. It makes you feel the love for sure! Love is something we should all embrace. We should understand how powerful love can be. It makes a difference in my life when I love. It helps me to walk in the light daily. It also brings me closer to God. Love does so many beautiful things and it helps you along the way when you might not be having a good day. Love makes me want to love harder when times get tough. It makes me want to learn to love everyone.
According to the dictionary on google:
noun: love; plural noun: loves
an intense feeling of deep affection.
“babies fill parents with feelings of love”
Today, on the blog, I want to share some Valentine’s Day gift ideas. I thought to share things that I love.
Over the years, my husband has purchased me cheese for Valentine’s Day. I am someone who has never liked chocolate. Here I decided to give you some Valentine’s Day gifts that you can find on Amazon.
Valentine’s Day Gift Guide:
Cheeses:
Mini Babybel Original Snack Cheese
The Laughing Cow Cheese
Cowgirl Creamery, Organic Mt Tam Triple Cream Cheese
SPRING KOE Red Wax Creamy Gouda
Crackers:
Sonoma Creamery – Cheese Crisps, Bacon CheddarValley Lahvosh Hearts Crackerbread, OriginalRustic Bakery Sourdough Flatbread Olive Oil & Sel GrisRUSTIC BAKERY Organic Rosemary Olive Oil Flatbread Bites
RUSTIC BAKERY Tart Cherry, Cocoa Nib & Almond Crisps
Olives:
Whole Foods Market, Organic Castelvetrano Olives, 4.6 oz
MUSCO Pearls Manzanilla Green Olives Jar, 5.75 oz
Chocolate:
HERSHEY’S and REESE’S Cupid’s Mix Chocolate Assortment Candy, Valentine’s Day, 23.67 Oz Variety Bag
Perugina Milk Chocolate Truffle Bag, 4.4 Ounce (Pack of 4)
Childrens Books:
Here Comes Valentine Cat
A Charlie Brown Valentine (Peanuts)
A Valentine for Linus! (Peanuts)
Cards:
Hallmark Peanuts Valentines Day Cards Pack, Snoopy and Woodstock (10 Valentine’s Day Cards with Envelopes)
Hallmark Assorted Mini Valentines Day Cards for Kids, 12 Cards with Envelopes— 2.25″ x 3.5″ (Unicorns, Bears, Llamas)
Hallmark Paper Wonder Valentines Day Pop-Up Card for Significant Other (Hot Air Balloon Valentine)
Music:
Josh Groban Harmony Deluxe Edition LP Michael Bublé Love LP
Nothing s Gonna Change My Love For You Glenn Mederios CD
Enjoy this blog post! Have a Happy Valentines Day! Make sure to put love into your heart!
If you grew up in my large Italian family you always heard my grandma say this quote:
“Love in your heart isn’t put there to stay. Love isn’t love till you give it away.”
She is now 101 years of age and if you ask her about the quote she will recite the entire thing. She got a great long term memory for being 101! She got plenty of love in her heart that she now gives away to all of us in the family.
#valentinesday #february #love #giftguide #valentinesdaygiftguide #music #bible #ahandmadestory
Easy Mexican-Inspired Breakfast
by Jodi
Easy Mexican- Inspired Breakfast
Growing up, I had the opportunity to watch my grandmother cook a lot in her home when we would go up and visit her. My grandmother was someone who did not know how to cook. My grandfather had to teach her how to boil water when they were starting their marriage so she could make some pasta. Over the years, my grandmother learned how to cook. She was a self-taught cook who could make anything taste yummy. She would collect recipes and cookbooks over the years and be inspired to make something easy and delicious. She was known for writing notes in her cookbooks or on napkins found in her cookbook. She was always playing around with recipes and seeing which ones she liked the best. One of the things my grandmother was known for was cooking simple dishes. She never cooked recipes with lots of ingredients or long directions. She never picked out recipes with things you could not find in a traditional grocery store. She was all about simple cooking! Now, I look back and miss her cooking so much. When I visit her in her home, we always like to talk. Sometimes, we discuss food. My grandmother remembers how much she used to cook and thinks she is still cooking in her kitchen. It is cute to talk to her as if she’s still cooking.
One morning, I could not figure out what to make for breakfast. I wanted something simple but not traditional eggs and toast. I was not in the mood for having a bowl of cereal or cooking up some oatmeal. Instead, I was craving something with a dollop of sour cream on it. That morning I decided to make a Mexican-inspired breakfast. I love Mexican food because it is delicious and so flavorful. I have made this recipe before. I enjoy the simplicity of a dish like this. What I love about this recipe is that these are all ingredients you might already have in your refrigerator. I decided that morning that I wanted to make this simple breakfast. Then I would turn it into a blog post. Well, I ended up making breakfast and forgot to add two ingredients. When I photographed the breakfast, I disapproved of all the photos. Several days later, I made the same breakfast again. This time, I had all the right ingredients, and my pictures came out the way I envisioned. I figured I would share the recipe. This breakfast is so easy to make. It does not require a bunch of ingredients. It is colorful and tasteful, plus it is supper yummy.
Ingredients:
6 Eggs
6 Mini Tomatoes
Pepper
1/2 Bell Pepper
2 Small Tortillas
1 Avocado
1/2 Cup Cheddar Cheese
1/2 Cup Cilantro
Sour Cream
Directions:
In a bowl, whisk six eggs. In a large skillet, heat some butter on low. Once the butter is heated, add the egg mixture. Cook some scrambled eggs. I like to sprinkle pepper first before I cook the eggs. A trick I learned once when watching a YouTube video was to let the egg mixture sit for about twenty seconds in the pan. Stir the eggs with the spatula, lifting and folding as you go along. Then for another ten seconds, let the eggs sit and repeat the lifting and folding process. Once the eggs are complete, turn off the burner. The eggs will turn out perfectly when you cook them this way. Next, chop some tomatoes and bell pepper. Shred some tortillas and add them to the egg mixture. Add the chopped tomatoes and bell pepper to the egg mixture in the pan. Top with shredded cheddar cheese, cilantro and avocado. Serve with a little dollop of sour cream. This dish serves about two to three people. Enjoy!
“Cooking well doesn’t mean cooking fancy.” – Julia Child
9. 1 Corinthians 10:31 “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”
#mexicaninspiredrecipe #cooking #easyrecipe #ahandmadetory
Easy Mexican-Inspired Breakfast
JodiEquipment
- 1 Skillet
Ingredients
- 6 Eggs
- Pepper
- 7 Mini Tomatoes
- 1/2 Cup Bell pepper
- 2 Corn Tortillas
- 1 Avocado
- 1/2 Cup Cheddar Cheese
- 1/2 Cup Cilantro
- Sour Cream
Instructions
- In a bowl, whisk six eggs. In a large skillet, heat some butter on low. Once the butter is heated, add the egg mixture. Cook some scrambled eggs. I like to sprinkle pepper first before I cook the eggs. A trick I learned once when watching a YouTube video was to let the egg mixture sit for about twenty seconds in the pan. Stir the eggs with the spatula, lifting and folding as you go along. Then for another ten seconds, let the eggs sit and repeat the lifting and folding process. Once the eggs are complete, turn off the burner. The eggs will turn out perfectly when you cook them this way. Next, chop some tomatoes and bell pepper. Shred some tortillas and add them to the egg mixture. Add the chopped tomatoes and bell pepper to the egg mixture in the pan. Top with shredded cheddar cheese, cilantro and avocado. Serve with a little dollop of sour cream. This dish serves about two to three people. Enjoy!