
Saints, Feast, Family
- Traditions passed down with Cooking, Crafting, & Caring -
February 14
Saint of the day:
Saint Valentine
Patron Saint of Affianced couples, against fainting, beekeepers,
happy marriages, love, plague, epilepsy

The Story of Saint Valentine
On February 14around the year 278A.D., Valentine, a holy priest in Rome in the days of Emperor Claudius II, was executed.
Under the rule of Claudius the Cruel, Rome was involved in many unpopular and bloody campaigns. The emperor had to maintain a strong army, but was having a difficult time getting soldiers to join his military leagues. Claudius believed that Roman men were unwilling to join the army because of their strong attachment to their wives and families.
To get rid of the problem, Claudius banned all marriages and engagements in Rome. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret.
When Valentine’s actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death. Valentine was arrested and dragged before the Prefect of Rome, who condemned him to be beaten to death with clubs and to have his head cut off. The sentence was carried out on February 14, on or about the year 270.
Legend also has it that while in jail, St. Valentine left a farewell note for the jailer’s daughter, who had become his friend, and signed it “From Your Valentine.”
For his great service, Valentine was named a saint after his death.
In truth, the exact origins and identity of St. Valentine are unclear. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, “At least three different Saint Valentines, all of them martyrs, are mentioned in the early martyrologies under the date of 14 February.” One was a priest in Rome, the second one was a bishop of Interamna (now Terni, Italy) and the third St. Valentine was a martyr in the Roman province of Africa.
Legends vary on how the martyr’s name became connected with romance. The date of his death may have become mingled with the Feast of Lupercalia, a pagan festival of love. On these occasions, the names of young women were placed in a box, from which they were drawn by the men as chance directed. In 496 AD, Pope Gelasius decided to put an end to the Feast of Lupercalia, and he declared that February 14 be celebrated as St Valentine’s Day.
Gradually, February 14 became a date for exchanging love messages, poems and simple gifts such as flowers.
http://www.carmelites.ie/stvalentine.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Valentine
http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=159
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/st-valentine-beheaded
https://soundcloud.com/user-84758912-221844386/saint-stories-for-kids-wk6-st-valentine

Prayer:


Visit:
http://www.whitefriarstreetchurch.ie/shrines.html#Valentine
Whitefriar Street Church
56 Aungier Street
Dublin
Santa Maria in Cosmedin, Rome
Relic of St. Valentine in the church






Tradition:
Spoil Loved Ones!



Music:
O Mio Babbino Caro,
sung by the amazing Montserrat Caballé
Oh my beloved father,
I love him, I love him!
I’ll go to Porta Rossa,
To buy our wedding ring.
Oh yes, I really love him.
And if you still say no,
I’ll go to Ponte Vecchio,
And throw myself below.
My love for which I suffer,
At last, I want to die.
Father I beg, I beg.
Father I beg, I beg.
More Operas!
Nessun Dorma - Luciano Pavarotti
Nobody shall sleep!...
Nobody shall sleep!
Even you, oh Princess,
in your cold room,
watch the stars,
that tremble with love and with hope.
But my secret is hidden within me,
my name no one shall know...
No!...No!...
On your mouth, I will tell it when the light shines.
And my kiss will dissolve the silence that makes you mine!...
(No one will know his name and we must, alas, die.)
Vanish, o night!
Set, stars! Set, stars!
At dawn, I will win! I will win! I will win!
Anna Netrebko - La Bohème (Quando me'n vo') de Puccini
Habanera:
Love is a rebellious bird
that nobody can tame,
and you call him quite in vain
if it suits him not to come.
Nothing helps, neither threat nor prayer.
One man talks well, the other's mum;
it's the other one that I prefer.
He's silent but I like his looks.
Love! Love! Love! Love!
Love is a gypsy's child,
it has never, ever, known a law;
love me not, then I love you;
if I love you, you'd best beware! etc.
The bird you thought you had caught
beat its wings and flew away ...
love stays away, you wait and wait;
when least expected, there it is!
All around you, swift, so swift,
it comes, it goes, and then returns ...
you think you hold it fast, it flees
you think you're free, it holds you fast.
Love! Love! Love! Love!
Love is a gypsy's child,
it has never, ever, known a law;
love me not, then I love you;
if I love you, you'd best beware!
Ed Sheeran - Perfect
ASHLEE + EVAN - I Do (Lyric Video)
Taylor Swift - You Belong With Me
Blake Shelton - Honey Bee
La Vie En Rose
Hold me close and hold me fast The magic spell you cast This is la vie en rose
When you kiss me heaven sighs And though I close my eyes I see la vie en rose
When you press me to your heart I'm in a world apart A world where roses bloom
And when you speak Angels sing from above Every day words seem To turn into love songs
Give your heart and soul to me And life will always be La vie en rose
And when you speak Angels sing from above Every day words seem To turn into love songs
Give your heart and soul to me And life will always be La vie en rose
Recipes:
Saint Valentine was from Umbria
Antipasti, wine, and chocolate are perfect on this day!
Saint Valentine's Day
Red Velvet Cake
Batter
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2 cups sugar
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2 sticks salted butter
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2 eggs
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4 TBSP cocoa powder, sifted
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2 oz. red food coloring
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2 1/2 cups cake flour
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1 tsp. salt
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1 cup whole fat buttermilk
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1/2 cup vegetable oil
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1 TBSP vanilla
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1/2 tsp baking soda
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1 TBSP vinegar
Frosting
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1-8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
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1 stick butter, softened
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1 1/2 tsp vanilla
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4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
Directions:
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Preheat oven to 350
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In a mixing bowl, cream sugar and butter until light and fluffy
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Add eggs one at a time and mix well after each addition
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Mix cocoa and food coloring together and then add to sugar mixture; mix well
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Sift together flour and salt
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Add flour mixture to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, vanilla, & oil
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In small bowl, combine baking soda and vinegar and add to mixture
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Pour batter into 3 8 inch round greased and floured pans
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Bake 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean


