It’s still February, so it’s not too late to celebrate Valentine’s Day

I had a Galantine Party planned for before the holiday, but the weather cancelled it.  Too bad, because with this dreary, cold, endless winter, we needed a break to be together and have some fun.

After the February Juju sale, I brought home my leftover inventory with a heart theme and decorated with it to make the cottage festive for my friends.

We rescheduled our gathering for after the 14th and I did not mind savoring all of my roses and hearts in the kitchen for an extra week.

Our party was right before more snow and hideously cold temps were beginning to rage across the plains again.  So I salted my sidewalks, had logs blazing in the fireplace, and lit lots of candles for a cozy evening and we made the best of it.  Our timing was pretty good, snow started falling later that night, we had our evening together before it hit too hard even though it was bone chillingly freezing already.

Originally, I’d planned mostly snack type foods.  With the never ending cold and the dismal forecast, I figured we needed a more hearty meal and whipped up a beef stew casserole topped with Duchess potatoes, and set the table for a dinner party instead of a casual hang out evening.  I was glad I did that, it’s good to enjoy your pretty things and spoil your buddies sometimes, isn’t it?  I eat off of paper plates a lot, and completely forget I have these lovelies.

The day before, I made a chocolate cake.  But not just any old cake, this was Bobbie’s buttermilk cake, a trademark, family favorite, best cake ever cake.

I’m not a recipe person, but I got out Bobbie’s cookbook where she’d complied recipes from our entire Downey clan and followed her directions to a tee to bake her cake. 

Between Valentine’s Day being the adoption date for my sons, and Ryan loving that holiday so much, my sister’s last name being Valentine, and the 16th being the anniversary of her death plus her daughter and our mom’s birthday, well, I desperately needed that buttermilk, fudgey delight.

And it was sooooooo good.  It tasted like home.

I was glad to have my friends to share it with, and served it on my grandma’s plate.  Which I did not put away back in the high cabinet.  That chintz floral pretty is going to stay out year round and get the use it deserves.  We never forget the ones we lost, but I think honoring them in small ways keeps them close.  Like using their things, making their favorite foods, doing things they loved.

For me, sharing these moments and talking about them with others I love is healing.  Thank you to my buddies for indulging me.