Home-baked and Handmade

Hooray, it's Friday! Whether you celebrate Valentine's Day or not, it's always a good excuse to send cards, exchange gifts or have a party.

Did you know that Julia Child and her husband Paul sent out Valentine cards? In her book "My Life in France", she says: Valentine cards had become a tradition of ours, born of the fact that we could never get ourselves organized in time to send out Christmas cards. With our ever-enlarging network of family, friends, and Foreign Service colleagues, we found that Paul's hand-designed valentine cards -- usually a woodcut or drawing, sometimes a photograph -- were a nice way to keep in touch.

I'm a fan of their creativity, sense of humor and how supportive they were of each other.

Darcy Miller, the editorial director at Martha Stewart Weddings, marks Valentine's Day as a red letter day. She mails presents to dear friends, usually beautifully packaged candy with personalized cards featuring her three daughters.  What lucky friends she has -- I bet they look forward to these Valentines every year! 

And since I didn't do any baking during the holidays, I'll make Valentine's Day a reason to make some treats!

 I made a batch of chocolate crinkles.

Just enough chocolate-y sweetness! 

I packaged them in these reusable containers. 

 Then added these fancy "hats" made of red tissue.

Add a ribbon and a tag made from blah scrap paper. 

 TADA! These are ready to be handed out.

Home baked & hand made --

 always TADA!