pepperknit

I totally get all the cynicism around Valentine’s Day. I get it. Believe me, I hate Hallmark with a firey passion (in fact, I’ve not stepped foot in a Hallmark store since I worked on a book with them 10 years ago), and I don’t even like much chocolate or candy.

Mostly I think Valentine’s Day is funny. Its primary colors are pink and red—and I don’t even like the color pink. But because it’s so singular in its focus, and so completely absurd, I adore it. I always use it as a time to remind my friends and family that I love them—sure, I tell them a lot on a regular basis, but it’s more special today.

So with that, I wish you all lots of love from the bottom of my heart.

And because I’m no scrooge for sweets on Valentine’s day, I made strawberry ice cream for my sweetie, whose favorite ice cream is strawberry. I made this last year and it was so phenomenal, I’ve declared it a tradition that must not be broken.

Ben & Jerry’s Strawberry Ice Cream

1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
1/3 cup plus 3/4 cup sugar
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 large eggs
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup milk

Combine strawberries, 1/3 cup sugar, and lemon juice in a mixing bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs in a separate bowl until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in the 3/4 cup sugar a little at a time, then whisk one minute more until completely blended. Pour in the cream and milk and whisk to blend.

Puree the strawberries and add to the cream mixture. Transfer to ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer’s directions (generally about 20 minutes in the machine, then transfer to a container and freeze thoroughly).

Enjoy!

It’s no secret ’round these parts how much I adore Valentine’s Day. It’s a weird thing—I guess about 10 or so years ago, I just decided to embrace the holiday and make it mine. I mean, sure, it’s overcommercialized and generally a disgusting thing that Hallmark has thrust upon us, but it’s also so cheesy and stupid and can be a lot of fun. I take it as a holiday to tell my friends and family how much I love them—and I usually do it with sugar.

This year, you can celebrate with a completely calorie-free heart to give to someone you love. The pattern I designed for Crochet Today is for a set of coasters, but there’s no reason one can’t simply be slipped in a card, or hung from a doorknob. Make two and sew them together with a little bit of stuffing to make a three-dimensional heart!

You have plenty of time before Feb 14 to make them if you start now! It’s in the Jan/Feb issue.

Be Mine Coasters