Showing posts with label Valentine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Valentine. Show all posts

February 12, 2016

Valentine Brownies

Shirlene Reeves, our contributing chef,  has created a simple, yet elegant, Valentine dessert. She's a scratch
baker and we all appreciate her efforts because scratch is so rare these days.  If you are unable to take the time to make scratch brownies, grab a box of brownie mix at the store.  As you can see from the picture, Shirlene had a heart shaped mini-brownie pan. Once baked, she placed her brownies on a pretty platter and gave them a light dusting of powdered/confectioners' sugar.  Add some whole strawberries as garnish and you've got a lovely holiday sweetie to share at home, work, church or to keep all for yourself (while you read a good romance novel...say something from The Goodbye Lie series, perhaps?)  Thank you, Shirlene. You've done it, again! 

If You Don't Have a
 Heart-Shaped Pan

Use one round cake pan and one square pan. When your cakes are baked, turn them out of the pans. Lay the square brownie so it looks like a diamond on a foil covered cookie sheet unless you have a large platter. One corner of the square brownie will be the bottom point of the heart. Next, take the round brownie and cut it in half.  Place a half-round at each diagonal top edge of the square brownie to form the shape of a heart.  Slather on chocolate frosting to keep it together. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and top with those fresh strawberries.  For one thick large brownie, use two boxes of mix.  For one thin large brownie, use one box. 

February 14, 2014

Valentine Treasures

 Pretty Things, Romantic Things
 for
Your Valentine's Day ...



close-up - note the pewter box in the photo is featured on the cover of The Goodbye Lie
 
words and photos from the heart of Jane Marie

February 13, 2014

Heart Garland

Here is an easy extra you can make last minute for Valentine's Day, a bridal shower, tea party, wedding and/or wedding reception,  a paper garland of hearts. You can even use recycled paper, just turn the printed side inward.

Cut strips of paper, 1/2 to 1 inch wide. I used pink and purple. The longer the strips, the bigger the hearts. Staple two strips together at the top and bend around to form a heart. Staple at the bottom. Add two more strips to each side of the bottom staple, being sure the new strips point toward the top of the heart. Staple the new strips to the old strips over the bottom staple and curve the new strips down to form another heart. Continue in this manner to make your garland as long as you want.

Wear as a crown, a necklace, swag it or put around the base of a potted plant or vase of flowers. Decorate the world with heart garland!     

February 3, 2014

Goodbye Lie Romance - An Excerpt

Honor, Treachery, Epic Romance
 are just part of
 Amelia Island's GOODBYE LIE Trilogy where
 Little House on the Prairie meets Gone With The Wind ...

  Men will die for Breelan Dunnigan
      in 


    Amelia Island's GOODBYE LIE Trilogy where Little House on the Prairie meets Gone With The Wind ...
Treat yourself and get your copy here: http://www.greenlightwrite.com/homegraciousjanemarie.htm  
 


 
Review: A rollercoaster of emotions … [which] include … loving the characters. … The unexpected ending makes a jaw dropping jolt to the senses. --ReaderViews.com

Find romance every day and every night between the covers of Amelia Island's Goodbye Lie.  Set in 1882 Florida, here is a snippet of the spirit of my kind of romance! -jmm

Excerpt:
    "Trip it shall be. Please, call me Breelan." And he held her secure, leading her in wild spins around and around. She threw her head back as she laughed softly, her hair covering his uniformed forearm.

     Waite was completely aware of Breelan's movements. He wanted to kiss the ivory of her flawless bare shoulders. But when he saw the lieutenant's arm tighten around Breelan's waist, Waite's desire turned violent as he imagined ripping the soldier's arm off at the elbow. He resented the man, any man, holding her, let alone holding her as close as this gent was. Trip's body pressed intimately against Breelan’s green dress, separating her skin from his by only a few thin layers of silk and cotton. His officer's white-gloved fingers entwined themselves in the ends of her satiny brown hair. At least, his actual flesh wasn't in contact with hers, Waite consoled himself. He was glad a gentleman always wore gloves when dancing so as not to soil a woman's gown with perspiration. He'd considered many customs foolish and a waste of time. Not this one. For this social edict, he thanked the stars. 

     "Waite, darling," Miss Visper spoke a second time. "You're not listening to me, are you?"

     Caught. He was having difficulty tearing his eyes from Breelan. He asked, his tone mocking, "Leona, do you think I'd dance with a woman and she not be the center of all my attention?"

     "I think one thing. You're most engaging and you know it. Any woman who allows herself to love you is demented. You'll only break her heart."

     "You flatter me. But I think the excursion to that point would be an escapade not to be missed," he suggested, stroking her mind, using her. He excused his selfishness because he knew she wanted him. He needed a woman tonight and she was an alluring, if somewhat obvious creature...
 
***

February 13, 2011

Valentine



Only we, two, know the depth of our love -then, now and always.

February 8, 2011

They're Not All Gems

Since my freehand cutout of a scallop-edged Valentine ended up looking more like a moose head than a heart to me, I created the inspirational verse as captioned below: 

I  Moose You

Actually, she's kind of creepy, isn't she?