What are you thoughts on Love Day? Is it a day that we should be showing those whom we love … just how much we love them? Call me crazy, but shouldn’t we be doing that everyday?  I guess Valentine’s Day is simply a reminder to show those whom we love and care about just a lil’ more…am I right?

Should we buy another Hallmark card n’ a dozen red roses and call it a day? How about a box of chocolates and a teddy bear holding an ‘I love you’ balloon?

Exactly, what is Love?  We all have our own definition for it.

And what is Love Day?

It’s quite interesting to hear everyone’s views on Love Day as some of us love it while others don’t even think twice about it.  I just think it’s a great excuse to bake fun Loveable cookies, isn’t it?

I’m picturing red sugar-crystal sprinkles and red velvet cupcakes…

Reminiscing back to the days in elementary school when we exchanged those paper Barbie and Disney Princess Valentine’s from Walmart … my sister and I thought these were the greatest thing since sliced (gluten free) bread.  When little Billy in the third row of my 2nd grade class room signed his GI Joe Valentine “Love, Billy” and I was the happiest gal on the playground…Ahh, yes the fond loveable memories.

Loveable Linzer Torts

(Gluten-Free and Vegan)

Makes 24 cookies

Ingredients

• 1 tsp. almond extract
• 1/3 cup agave nectar
• 1/3 cup oil
• 2 cups almond meal flour
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/6 tsp. sea salt
• 3/4 cup strawberry preserves
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. In a medium sized bowl, combine almond extract, agave nectar and oil; mix well.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine almond flour, cinnamon and sea salt; mix well.  Add wet ingredients; mix well to combine.  Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.
4. Remove dough from the refrigerator and using a rolling pin, roll dough to 1/6″ thickness on a flat surface sprinkled with almond flour.  Using a cookie cutter or circular shape (top of a jelly jar), cut two circles.  Then, using a smaller circle (top of a salt/pepper shaker) or heart-shaped cookie cutter cut a smaller circle/heart inside one of the large circle pieces.
5. Take a tablespoon of preserves and place a dollop onto the large solid circle.  Place the hollowed (heart-shaped/ circle) from the other larger circle piece on top.
6. Place into the oven and bake for 7-9 minutes or until golden brown.
7. Remove from heat; set aside to cool before serving.
8. Sprinkle cooled cookies with powdered sugar.
9. Enjoy with your Loved ones.

And for those of you needin’ a lil’ foodie aphrodisiac on this Loveable Day, here’s the new Oysterpedia app for the iPhone which takes the guess work out of ordering oysters and acts as a reference tool for those you’ve tasted.

And while we’re chatting about Love Day and food, I thought I’d share with you a website that I found called Purple Truffle, which is a travel site for Foodie Vacations in Italy and France.  The founder, Bonnie Brayham, left the corporate world back in 2008 and now shares her extensive travel knowledge with a savvy clientele.  She crafts unique itineraries for each client…no pre-planned tours, taking into account your individual tastes and preferences.  How amazing does this sound? Truffle gathering in Tuscany? Vineyard touring in Burgundy? Now, I’m daydreaming. Take a peak at Purple Truffle if you have a minute or two to spare and go ahead and join me daydreaming about a (romantic) or girls vacation abroad…Ahhh…

I recently discovered this cute website with organic brownies, blondies, cookies and other tasty treats called Baking for Good, which partners with over 200 national and local nonprofits; you can choose which one receives 15%of the proceeds from the sale of your order.  Nothin’ like cookies for a good cause, right?

What are your plans for Love Day? Anything special?

No red roses for me, I’m more of a tulip n’ wild flower kinda gal…

I think I’ll buy myself a cute lil’ bouquet of yellow tulips for my apartment and nibble on some homemade gluten-free loveable cookies.

Now that sounds like the perfect Love Day to me.

xo

Happy Love Day, foodies…