Hearts and Flowers

Here we are on the day of hearts and flowers. I wonder will I be receiving something special later on today? The first year we were married I got a lovely necklace that I had been admiring in a shop window for weeks. It is a dainty heart shaped cubic zirconia pendant . . . just right for me, as I am not one of those that goes in for big jewelry and garish displays. I wear it every day, next to my heart, a constant reminder that I am his and he is mine . . .



Roses are wasted on me, for I love the simpler flowers such as sweetpeas, pansies and violets, my absolute favourites being the pansy. Sadly this is not the time of year for them, at least not in our garden.

I love looking into their lovely little faces and imagining I am greeting a row of friends every time I stroll down our garden path.



"And then there's pansies, that's for thoughts." said Shakespeare's Ophelia, for it is the emblem of love and kind thoughts. It is therefore a flower particularly associated with St. Valentines Day. I would so love to be presented with a bouquet of them . . . but then again my heart would break, for cut flowers always die and I prefer them to live . . . in my garden with their roots firmly planted in the earth so that I can enjoy them for more than just a few days.

I wonder if pansies could talk to us, what would they say? Would they titillate our minds with stories of loves won and lost? Would they soothe our souls with kind words and phrases? Would they sing to us of faraway places and lands? Would they weave the magic of wondrous tales and adventures around our souls?



Sometimes when I come upon them, they seem to be dancing, their little heads bobbing up and down as a gentle garden breeze touches upon them. It reminds me of the cartoons I loved to watch as a child, which were full of dancing flowers and fairies and all sorts of magical images and thoughts.

This is the day for lovers and being loved, for small gifts and tokens of affection . . . I bake for my love, small bites of buttery goodness, with crunchy bits, and spicy bits all tucked inside and bathed in the sweet goodness of milky sweet white chocolate . . . and if a few make their way into my own sweet lips, well . . . c'est la vie . . . this is a love bite of a different colour.



*Apricot, Ginger and Macadamia Love Bites*
Makes about 16 depending on how big you cut them

I love the wonderful flavours in these delicious little bites. Based on a butterscotch brownie recipe of mine I thought to myself one day, why not add some bits of apricot and candied ginger and while I'm at it some macadamia nuts and white chocolate chunks would also go down rather well, the end result being bliss . . . pure bliss, just like a long lost lover's kiss . . .

140g butter
2 large eggs, at room temperature
pinch of salt
350g soft light brown sugar
2 tsp pure vanilla essence
250g self rising flour
50 g of good quality white chocolate, but into small bits (I use Green and Black's)
100g macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped
40g chopped dried apricots
40g chopped candied stem ginger
50g of good quality white chocolate, melted

Pre-heat the oven to 160*C/350*F. Butter a shallow 9 inch square pan and set aside.

Melt the butter in a small bowl and set it aside to cool. In the meantime chop up your chocolate, nuts, apricots and ginger.

Beat the eggs until frothy in a medium bowl. Stir in the brown sugar, salt and vanilla. Tip in the flour, mixing in only until combined. Fold in the chopped nuts, apricots, chocolate and ginger.

Spread the batter into the prepared tin. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until done. Don't overbake. You want them dry on top, with only the slightest resistance to the touch of a fingertip, but you also want them to be fudgy and moist.

Remove from the oven and let cool completely before cutting into small squares. Either drizzle with the melted white chocolate or dip a corner into it. Set aside on a wire rack to dry before serving. Bet you can't eat just one!



By the way Ursula, you are the lucky winner of my Valentines Giveaway Candle!!! Please e-mail me with your personal details so that I can pop it into the mail for you.

I don't want all you others to feel disheartened if you didn't win this time. I'll be doing another giveaway real soon and you could be a winner then! Thanks to all of your kindnesses in participating!