6 Pieces of Valentine’s Day Trivia
The Hallmark cards have hit the shelves, boyfriends
the other was a man who got caught helping Christians escape into Rome — he later wrote a letter from prison, signing it, “From your Valentine.” Mass-produced valentines weren’t a thing until the 1840s. Known as the Mother of the American Valentine, Esther A. Howland commercialized Valentine’s Day cards that were decorated in ribbons and lace (as some are today) in the 1840s. Sweethearts candies were born in the 1860s. Oliver Chase, a Boston pharmacist, created a machine that produced medicinal lozenges (a common way to take medicine back then). With the success of his machine, he decided to use it to make candy as well, and thus Sweethearts were created in the 1860s. Valentine’s Day is an expensive holiday. According to the National Retail Foundation, in 2019, Americans spent more than $20 billion on the holiday to buy gifts that included flowers, chocolates, cards, and jewelry. It’s a popular day of engagement! According to a survey by American Express, millions of couples get engaged on Valentine’s Day. It was also voted as the best day of the year to pop the magical question.
and husbands have all scrambled to plan, and
the local restaurants are all swimming in reservations — Valentine’s Day has arrived! On this day, many are left wondering how far back exchanging valentines goes, why we exchange valentines, and where those little heart-shaped candies come from. Look no further, we have answers for you. The first valentine dates back to the 15th century. According to History.com, the oldest record of a valentine was in 1415 when a French medieval duke named Charles wrote a poem to his wife while in prison. One of the lines read, “I am already sick of love … My very gentle Valentine.” Saint Valentine is not the same person. It’s unclear which Saint Valentine the holiday is named after. One was a Roman priest who was sentenced to death after being caught illegally marrying couples during a marriage ban and
TAKE A BREAK
Chocolate Pots de Creme
Inspired by FoodNetwork.com
Ingredients
• 9 oz high-quality semisweet chocolate, chopped • 1 1/2 cups whole milk • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, divided • 6 large egg yolks
• 5 tbsp granulated sugar (add an extra tbsp if using bitter chocolate) • 1/4 tsp salt • 1 tbsp powdered sugar
Directions
1. Place chopped chocolate into a blender. 2. In a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan, whisk the milk, 1 cup of cream, egg yolks, granulated sugar, and salt over medium heat. Cook, constantly stirring with a spatula until the mixture is almost boiling, 5–6 minutes. Immediately pour the milk mixture over the chocolate in the blender. 3. Cover and blend until smooth. 4. Divide the mixture among ramekins or small cups and refrigerate until set (about 2 hours). 5. Whip the remaining 1/2 cup cream and the powdered sugar with a mixer until soft peaks form. 6. Top chilled pots de creme with whipped cream and serve.
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