Be My Valentine

I love Valentine's Day and not because I have a husband and two boys who have spoiled me throughout my life - au contraire.  I just think it's a fun time to send some pretty cards and give little fun presents and make a special meal and EAT SOME DARK CHOCOLATE and put a cool heart wreath on the door!

My mother was big on Valentine's Day.  We always had little gifts waiting for us and I mean LITTLE.  One of my memories was a pink and red heart pillowcase - 1 for my sister and 1 for me........I don't remember what the boys got that year.  When we went away to college, you could always count on a card in the school mail box from mom with a 5 dollar bill in it.  The year I started dating Harry in college - even HE got a 5 dollar bill!  This was mystifying to him but he loved it because he could buy a pitcher that night!  The point is - it's just the thought.....just the thought.

Here is a cookie recipe I found in the December issue of bon appetit.  In December I rolled them in green sugar and just flattened them before baking but in February I rolled them in hot pink sugar, flattened them and cut them out with a heart cookie cutter.  These are a little different than your basic butter cookie because of the lemon.  I really like them!  Too Much!!!


Lemon Sugar Cookies


Makes about 24


3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temp
1 large egg
2 T finely grated lemon peel
1 t vanilla extract
1/4 t salt
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
colored sugar crystals


Using electric mixer, beat first 6 ingredients in large bowl really well.   Beat in flour.  Cover; chill dough until firm but not hard, about 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 350'.  Coat 2 large cookie sheets with nonstick spray.  Pour sugars into separate bowls.  Working with moistened hands and 1 level tablespoon at a time, shape dough into balls.  Roll balls into colored sugars to coat; arrange on sheets, spacing 2 inches apart.  Using bottom of glass, flatten each cookie (and this is where I cut out heart with the cookie cutter or forget making hearts and just have pink round shapes - all good!)

Bake cookies until golden on bottom, about 14 minutes.  Cool on rack.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY EVERYONE!

GREETINGS FROM ST. LOUIS

Hello everybody I am Nancy's brother Jack Garvey living in St. Louis.  Nancy asked me to guest blog as to "How we do it" here in the 'Lou, so here goes.  This past weekend was the Grand Opening of our oldest son Tim's Philly soft pretzel store called "Pretzels Boys" .  For the whole story on that check out Yelp St. Louis, or stlpretzelboys.com or his Face Book page.  As with all Garveys, any event calls for a party, so we had one on January 30th celebrating Tim's opening and his 23rd birthday.  Present were myself, my wife Kathy, son Matt (up from Loyola in New Orleans to help out with the pretzels dough),and  twin daughters Sheila and Colleen.  Also there were our friends Jim and Cathy Martin and Tim's girlfriend Jamie Vilmer and two of Tims's friend up from Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama Julian and Matt.
      Now to the good part.  For dinner we had two main dishes with two great sides.  First up was Jim's special Standing Rib Roast.  This is a simple recipe with a about a 7 pound piece of meat, patted down with a mix garlic powder, cumin and pepper.  Put in in your grill for 3 hours with non direct heat, changing the coals every hour.  The finished product is a paled pink and juicy center with a lightly charred outside and a nice deep smoky taste. Jim has this down and will cater your next party just don't ask him to make any remarks (he is a lawyer and once you get them started it is over). Next up was my old by reliable smoked brisket from Steve Raichlen's " How to Grill" Book (Workman Publishing, 2001, it is the book with the guy who wears the goofy glasses on the front).  Here you get the biggest brisket you can buy at Sam's or Costco, keep the fat on top for moisture during smoking, and marinate in beer and vinegar with pepper and brown sugar from one to 24 hours.  Pat it down with any rub you like and place in foil pan and on grill with indirect heat for six hours changing the coals (12 each side) each hour.  Also add wood chips you have been soaking in beer or water, a cup each hour.  Each hour when you change coals, mop the brisket with a mixture of one cup beer and one cup white vinegar with cayenne pepper sprinkled in there to taste.  In the last 45 minutes put barbecue sauce on.  The sides we had were cheddar cheese risotto and Kathy's special roasted vegetable dish.  We finished the night off with homemade chocolate chip cookies and Apple Cake for the birthday boy using a recipe he bought home from preschool.  After this, we all drove to the emergency room and waited for our respective heart attacks.

     In the picture shown, you will see another table with people eating and drinking, in other words, family and friends enjoying each other.  Thanks for having me Nancy, I still can't believe you know what you are doing in the kitchen.  Love, Jack