Storytime Tapestry Newsletter

The newsletter devoted to spreading love and cultural awareness throughout the world.

Special Treat – Hart Dowd

February 14, 2007

Do not forget to consider the special treat entries as part of your contest selections.  Thank you.

February 14^th is St. Valentine’s day

Hart Dowd

It is a day that is special in many countries around the world and is enjoyed here in Canada in a number of different ways.  Cards, flowers, candy and gifts can tell someone how much you care.

St. Valentine’s Day honours St. Valentine, a Christian martyr who died in the third century. The celebration associated with St. Valentine probably derived from the ancient Roman Feast of Lupercalia, which was held on February 15^th.  On that day, it was the custom for young men and maidens to draw partners from the coming year.  As the number of Christians increased in the empire, Lupercalia became linked to the feast of St. Valentine held of February 14^th.  And so, St. Valentine became known as the patron saint of lovers. 

The feast of St. Valentine was first declared to be on February 14 by Pope Gelasius 1 in AD 496.

The first recorded association of St. Valentine ’s Day with romantic love was in the 14^th century in England and France, where February 14 was traditionally the day on which birds paired off to mate.  This belief is mentioned in Geoffrey Chaucer’s Parlement of Foules (1381).

By the 17^th century, the meaning of a valentine was extended to the actual gift given, usually some pretty token.

Be My Valentine

Bring back the lovin’ feeling with these craft and party idea:

Forget the packs of perforated action-figure cards or Disney-movie-of-the-month-valentines.  Here are a few simple ideas that will enchant both makers and receivers.  And if your little ones are really into the spirit, why not throw a Valentine’s Day bash?

SHARP CARDS –

Bubble Blast First cut out heart shapes, 13 cm (6 inch) or longer, from white paper.

Stir 15 ml (1 tablespoon) of dish detergent together with equal amounts corn syrup and water in a small tumbler.  Mix in 5 ml (1 teaspoon) of food colouring and froth up the bubble mixture with a metal whisk for about a minute.  Insert a straw and have your child blow softly until bubbles puff up on top of the drinking glass.  Place a paper heart gently on the bubbles and leave until the colour seeps through the paper (about 10 seconds).  Carefully scrape the bubbles off the paper by wiping it on the glass rim.  Repeat until the whole heart is covered with lacy designs.  Let dry for at least an hour before adding marker messages.

Prints Charming  Gently crumple a sheet of tissue paper until it forms a fist-sized ball.  After dipping one side of the ball into liquid tempera paint, dab it on hearts made of cardboard, construction paper or white paper.  For variety, smoosh up wrapping paper, tinfoil or plastic wrap and dip them into different paint colours.  Experiment by layering colours on top of each other.  Let dry for an hour.

Stuck On You Start with any sized heart shapes cut out of white poster-board or shirt cardboard.  Then squeeze a squiggle of white non-toxic glue all over each heart in a random design.  (For preschoolers, pour a small amount of of glue in a container, then dip a Popsicle stick in the glue and help them drizzle it over the cardboard.)  Allow to dry for one hour.  Then, thin some tempera paint by adding equal amounts of water.  Use a thick brush to wash over the hearts with the thinned paint.  The glue showing underneath creates a raised pattern.

Grate Idea Here’s a fun way to us up leftover sidewalk chalk.  Place a hand-held grater in a small bowl or on a piece of cardboard.  (Give preschoolers a hand to avoid skinned knuckles!)  Gather each colour of powdered chalk in separate containers.  Then fill a soup bowl with water and approximately 5 ml (1 teaspoon) of powdered chalk so that it floats on top.  Add two or more colours onto different parts of the water until it’s covered.  Place a sharp-shaped piece of white or construction paper on water’s surface and press gently for five seconds.  When you remove the paper, you’ll be left with a soft pebble-textured surface.  After making two or three valentines, add more powdered chalk to the water.  Allow hearts to dry for one hour.  (Tip) To help the chalk design adhere permanently, lightly spray the finished valentine with hairspray.

PARTY PLANNER

Table Toppings Help bring hearty appetites to the table with this cool cover.  Use sharp large scissors (grown –ups only) to cut kitchen sponges into big and small heart shapes.  Or buy pre-made sponge hearts from a craft or dollar store.  Fill separate disposable pie plates with red, pink and purple liquid tempera paint.  Then dip sponge hearts (make sure you have a few sizes for each colour) into the paint and stamp them all over a paper tablecloth from the dollar store.  Allow to dry overnight.  At the party, place non-toxic washable markers on the table and invite guests to doodle.

Sweet Surrender Kids will decorate and devour these treats.  Buy any kind of cake mix and follow the directions for cupcakes.  Place large paper cupcake liners in a muffin tin and pour in batter until half full.  To make each cupcake heart shaped, roll a piece of tinfoil into a ball approximately 1 cm (1/2 inch) in diameter.  Place a foil ball in between the cupcake liner and the edge of the pan compartment so that the top of each cupcake is indented.  Bake according to directions and cool.  At the party, set out bowls of white frosting, red sprinkles, sliced strawberries and chocolate chips so kids can add flavour and style.

You’ve Got Mail Rectangular tissue boxes with an oval hole in the centre make perfect valentine boxes.  Set out non-toxic white glue bottles and a smorgasbord of collage goodies for decorating – cotton balls, small seashells, coloured feathers, construction paper hearts, tissue paper, stickers.  To make a handle, poke a hole into either side of the tissue box hole and thread pipe cleaners through.  Now set out the boxes and guests can “mail” valentines to each other.

Valentine Cookie-Grams – makes 14 cookies

250 ml (1 cup) butter, softened

250 ml (1 cup) firmly packed brown sugar

125 ml (1/2 cup) granulated sugar

10 ml (2 teaspoon) vanilla

2 eggs

550 ml (2 ? cups flour

5 ml (1 teaspoon) baking soda

250 ml (1 cup) quick-cooking oats

1 package (8 squares) semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

• Preheat oven to 180 C (375 F).  Beat butter, both sugars, vanilla and eggs in a large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy.  Add flour and baking soda; mix well.  Stir in oats and chopped chocolate.
• Drop 75 ml (1/3 cup) of dough, 7.5 cm (3 inches) apart, onto ungreased baking sheet.  Shape each into a 1 cm (1/2 inch) thick heart, using floured hands.
• Bake 14 minutes or until lightly browned.  Remove to wire racks; cool completely.
• To write messages on cookies:  Melt additional squares of chocolate as directed on package.  Pour into resealable plastic bag; seal bag.  Snip off one corner from bottom of bag, then gently squeeze chocolate from bag to write messages on cookies.

ON THE WEB www.pastywiz.com/valentine

                      Just for fun, you can learn how to turn marzipan into a silly-looking Valentine Kissing Frog Cake.  This site also features about a dozen other dessert recipes for Valentine’s Day.

Hartson S. Dowd

hsdowd@telus.net