Holidays

Red Velvet Heart Pancakes

The Perfect Pancake for Your Valentine

(Culinary.net) Finding something unique and special to do on Valentine’s Day for your significant other can be a challenge. Every year, the day to celebrate love rolls around and every year it may seem like you’re out of ideas. Many people feel the same way. However, with just a couple bowls, a cookie cutter and a skillet, your Valentine’s Day could start off a lot sweeter.

Try these Red Velvet Heart Pancakes, which are one of a kind and a delicious way to spend your morning with your loved one. Celebrating the day of love has never been easier.

Add your favorite pancake toppings like butter, syrup, powdered sugar or raspberries. In the end, you will have yourself a scrumptious breakfast, made with love and as sweet as can be.

Kids also love the fun shape and color of this breakfast. It’s a neat way to have them help in the kitchen and make a meal for the whole family.

Valentine’s Day is a big reason to celebrate. You don’t have to stick to the same flowers and chocolates as last year. Mix it up with this delectable recipe meant to spread some love on a significant day.

Find more breakfast recipes and sweet treat ideas at Culinary.net.

Red Velvet Heart Pancakes

Yield: Serves 8 to 10

Ingredients:

1 cup flour

1/4 cup sugar

3 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg

1 cup buttermilk

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus additional for garnish

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

30-40 drops red food coloring

nonstick cooking spray

syrup, for garnish

powdered sugar, for garnish

raspberries, for garnish

Directions:

In large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In medium bowl, whisk egg. Add buttermilk, 2 tablespoons butter, vanilla extract and food coloring; whisk until combined.

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir to combine.

Spray heart-shaped cookie cutter with nonstick cooking spray and place in skillet. Add enough batter to fill heart. Cook 2 minutes. Remove heart cutter. Flip pancake and cook 1 minute.

Serve with butter, syrup, powdered sugar and raspberries.

Note: If mixture is too thick, add water until desired consistency is reached.

See video here.

This year’s Love My Pet was a great success with over 90 adorable pet entries submitted from pet parents along the North Shore. While we couldn’t get all entries in print, they are all online here in alphabetical order for your enjoyment. Happy Valentine’s Day!

 

Shop local for your sweetheart!

Stop by the Reboli Center for Art and History, 64 Main St., Stony Brook on Saturday, Feb. 12 between the hours of 11 a.m. and  5 p.m. for a Valentine’s Day pop-up shopping event with some of your favorite local artisans including Jessica Randall of Jessica Randall Studios, Renee Fondacaro of Old Field Apothecary along with Laura Peters, Russell Pulick and Julia Vogelle of The Brick Clay Studio and Gallery. For more information, call 631-751-7707.

Photo from Harbormen Chorus

Love always finds a way! Even in the midst of uncertain times singers can express affection over the internet. This year again the Harbormen Chorus has prepared a “Virtual Singing Valentine” to be delivered to those Special Sweethearts out there. 

By digitally combining individual vocal renditions, their Director Rob Ozman was able to create a combined quartet effect to delight the viewer. For $35 they will email you a link which opens up to a classic, endearing Love Song for your Valentine, with your name attached. Please call Mr. Cupid soon (by Feb. 7 in time for Valentine’s Day delivery) to reserve your virtual presentation at 631-644-1029.

METRO photo

Each January, Americans honor the life and work of Martin Luther King, Jr. with a federal holiday celebrated on the third Monday in January each year. Born in Atlanta, Georgia, on January 15, 1929, King would grow up to become one of the most influential people of the 21st century.

King’s tireless activism during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s improved the lives of millions of people, and his tragic assassination on April 4, 1968, marked one of the darkest days in American history. King’s oratory prowess is well-documented. Individuals across the globe are familiar with his “I Have a Dream” speech, which King delivered during the March on Washington less than a year before his death. Less familiar are some other notable facts about the life of Martin Luther King, Jr.

• If he were alive today, Martin Luther King, Jr. would still be years away from his 100th birthday. King was assassinated in 1968, when he was not yet 40 years old. Born in Atlanta in 1929, King could very much still be alive today and would have celebrated his 93rd birthday on January 15, 2022.

• King was an extraordinarily gifted student. At an age when many students were preparing to enter their sophomore or junior year of high school, King began his freshman year of college at Morehouse College. King enrolled at Morehouse when he was 15 after the school opened enrollment to junior high students in an effort to overcome a dip in enrollment related to World War II. King passed the entrance exam and enrolled in the fall of 1944.

• King was ordained as a minister prior to graduating from Morehouse. The Baptist ministry was something of a family business for the Kings, as Martin Luther King Jr.’s father, grandfather and great grandfather were all Baptist ministers. However, King did not initially intend to follow that path. He ultimately changed course and entered the ministry at age 18, graduating from Morehouse with a degree in sociology a year later.

• King survived a knife attack years before his assassination. King was stabbed in the chest with a letter opener during a book signing event in Harlem in 1958. His assailant, Izola Curry, was ultimately deemed mentally incompetent to stand trial. Though the attack did not kill him, King had to undergo intensive emergency surgery and was hospitalized for several weeks.

• Conspiracy theories surround King’s assassination. King’s assassin, James Earl Ray, was found guilty and sentenced to 99 years in prison. Authorities, including the United States Department of Justice, concluded Ray, a career criminal, acted alone. However, some, including surviving members of King’s family, believed his assassination was part of a conspiracy. Despite his tragic assassination in 1968, Martin Luther King, Jr. left his mark on the world. That legacy is even more remarkable when considering the unique twists and turns King’s life took prior to his death.

Martin Luther King, Jr., was a remarkable human being. Celebrations of his life can involve revisiting some of his more notable moments.

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Photo from Statepoint

Sticking to a schedule is good for health, wellness and productivity, and the start of a new year is the perfect time to form great habits. Resolve to adhere to a daily routine with the following tips and tricks:

• Write it down: The act of writing things down can help reinforce priorities. Keep a list of short- and long-term goals, events and meetings. Be sure to check items off your list as you complete them. Doing so can help you stay motivated.

• Get a good watch: Keep yourself accountable with a good watch. The line-up of Edifice watches by Casio are not only stylish, they contain must-have productivity features, such as multiple alarms, as well as countdown timers displaying the remaining time until the alarm beeps. They also connect with your smartphone and offer cool, sync-up features that help you keep your essentials organized, such as “phone finder.” If you prefer a sportier timepiece, Pro Trek watches offer similar alarm features, along with step counters and sensor technology like altimeters, compasses and more, all of which are great for hikes, fishing expeditions and other outdoor activities.

• Keep it consistent: Keep both bedtime and the time you awake consistent day-to-day. Doing so can mean better quality slumber so you will be more alert, energized and ready to tackle tasks. Consistent meal times can also be beneficial, helping you maintain your energy throughout the day, manage metabolism and avoid hunger.

• Don’t overdo it: It can be tempting to try to schedule more tasks and to-dos into your day than is actually realistic. Doing so however can leave you feeling constantly stressed, and always in catch-up mode. Be sure your schedule offers you sufficient time to actually complete tasks and travel between appointments.

• Practice self-care: Downtime is essential. Whatever self-care looks like to you, be sure to build it into your schedule, whether that means relaxing with a good book, getting together with friends or working out.

Make 2022 the year you finally create and maintain a well-balanced schedule. With wearable tech and smart habits, you’ll be more inclined to stick with the program.

New Year’s Laughin’ Eve

Laugh in the New Year with New Year’s Laughin’ Eve at Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson at 6 p.m. and again at 8 p.m. Now in its 13th year, the lineup will include Eric Haft, Joe DeVito and a surprise guest comedian. Hosted by Paul Anthony. Tickets for the early bird show are $50, tickets to the prime time show are $65. To order, call 928-9100 or visit www.theatrethree.com.

A scene from 'Elf'

Comsewogue Public Library, 170 Terryville Road, Port Jefferson Station will screen a series of holiday movies from Dec. 27 to Dec. 30 at 2 p.m. Join them for Elf on Dec. 27, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation on Dec. 28, It’s a Wonderful Life on Dec. 29 and Miracle on 34th Street on Dec. 30. Open to all. Advance registration is required as seating is limited. To register, visit www.cplib.org or call 928-1212.

Pat Darling ran Santa's Workshop in Port Jefferson Village. File photo

By Allan Varela

The very successful 25th celebration of Port Jefferson’s Charles Dickens Festival has come to a close for this year, with energetic plans already in the works for the 26th celebration in 2022. Sadly, one of the many bright spots of the event, Santa’s Workshop, will not be returning. The historic Phillips Roe House, aka the Drowned Meadow House located on the corner of Barnum Avenue and West Broadway, which has played host to the workshop all these years, is officially becoming a year-round museum.

For the last seven Charles Dickens Festivals, Santa Claus and his elves came to life through the tireless work of the acclaimed confection artist Pat Darling. The whimsical workshop has welcomed both the young and young at heart to step back in time and reflect on the storybook charm of cherished memories of an era that has quietly faded. 

Snowflakes glistening high above the elaborate confection nutcrackers and giant turrets that have adorned the beautiful displays throughout the workshop area set the mood, while children were greeted by sugar trees and toy soldiers.

The wonderment continued into Hollyberry’s bedroom, an elaborate vignette that featured Hollyberry anticipating the night before Christmas as she busily wrapped presents. The nightscape background featured Santa in his sleigh high in the night sky, coming to visit the workshop. 

And visit he did, as the third room presented the real live Santa in all his glory, sitting in a giant arched chair as he greeted families. Smiles and happiness are the legacy of this special exhibit.

Pat Darling has charmed literally thousands of people over the years with her creative vision, inspiring execution and attention to detail that made Santa’s Workshop such a very special happening for the Dickens Festival. The workshop will be sorely missed, but the community at large will be eternally grateful for Ms. Darling’s resolute efforts.

Allan Varela serves as chair for the Greater Port Jefferson-Northern Brookhaven Arts Council which hosts the Port Jefferson Charles Dickens Festival.