RIP Christmas, Hello Valentine's Day!

The holidays are over, little lambs.  They are.  While in my heart, I believe that everyday is Christmas... it's time to take down the stockings and the Christmas cards... and the Squishin' Grapes Lucy ornament that Mills Vanills got for me.

As you can see, our beloved tree, Eduardo, is on his last legs.  If you even breathe on his branches the wrong way, all of his cilia fall off.  Very sad.  Our bulbs just keep dropping because poor Eduardo is so fragile.  You should see the pile of green needle death on our floor.  *sigh*

Veronica is in Cali for two weeks, BF is out of town this weekend, newcomer Chef Ragusa is out of town... I'm forced to take action on this.  I have nothing else to do.  The undoing of Christmas rests solely on my shoulders.  *shudders*

Thankfully Valentine's Day is right around the corner and that excites me. I've already gotten a head start!  My friend Candy asked me to do some Valentine's Day-esque cookies for her mom for her birthday.

Single or not, I've always celebrated Valentine's Day.  I hate the commercialism.  Looooooove the romanticism. *swoon, swoon* I love the idea of telling the people in your life how much you love and care about them, taking the time out of your day to make them feel special.  Even if it's, "Hey, weirdo.  You're all right with me."  (That card is going to my sister, Jo!)

Carl from Philadelphia writes:

"But Mandi, shouldn't you tell the people in your life you love them all the time? Why does there need to be this huge commercial holiday to buy stupid stuffed bears and chocolates and whatever else that people don't need.  It's all the pressure to do the right things and whatever you come up with it's always wrong! It's always wrong!!!!!??? WROOOONGGG!!!???"

Carl?  Handsome?  Lovemuffin?  Deep breath, Tiger.  Aaaaaand did you not hear a word I said!!??  Commercialism?  Lame.  Romanticism, true love- whether romantic or not?  Awesomeness.  And I'm just gonna go out on an Eduardo limb & say I'm pretty sure you're probably dating a monster.  If she came with a grocery list of demands for Valentine's Day, I'd trade her in.  And ugh... think about yoga. You've got some anger.

Yes, I think people should tell each other every day that they're loved and appreciated.  But sometimes we get lazy and forget.  We forget to see the person in front of us for who they are rather than for who they're not. 

Instead we point fingers & begin writing our own lists of circumstances and wrong-doings and keep them tucked away in a bitter, hurt, sad, angry, resentful darkened heart.  It festers.  There are maggots... 

...Then your heart explodes one day out of your mouth & the person in front of you is like, 'I just asked if you wanted an egg roll with your Orange Chicken?'   And then you apologize, pay the guy at Panda Express and cry in your car.

So, long story short... I DO love Valentine's Day.  And being single a majority of my life I have every reason not to!  Once I got over the torment of my highschool and college youth and the cute boy that was never on my arm (*wah, wah, angst, angst, cue REM Everybody Hurts*) and instead made a concerted effort to make it about love in general, I began to have really great Valentine's Days- the best of my life!!!  So don't throw it away... :)

Which is why I was super excited to do these cookies for Candy's mom... Spreading the love like royal icing, baby.  ;)

And for you lovebirds that ARE attached this year...

Be kind to each other.  In every way.

Special S'Mores treats are being kind to yourself.  :)

Chef Ragusa is an avid foodie & has this Facebook folder full of food that's he's tried.  One of the desserts had a 'graham cracker pastry dough.'  Whaaaaaat???  Whaaaaat???  Who comes up with this stuff?  I'm better at replication than I am with imagination.  I chalk it up to limited food experiences growing up...

But this got me thinking.

What would happen if you folded graham cracker up in pastry dough...added some pastry cream...

...added some chocolate and mini marshmallows...

...sprinkled the top with cinnamon and graham cracker crumbs...

 ...brushed the dough with an egg wash and baked it on 425 until golden brown?

Oooey, gooey delicious S'Mores heaven.

I can't even tell you.

It's like camping in a mansion.

Or something.

UGH.  Reeeeeally good.

Happy Valentine's Day to MEEEE.  :) :) :)

Your lovebird,

MandiQuacker (okay, I'm a loveduck)