I don't know about you, but I have been conditioned to think of chocolate and red roses when February 14th - the day of the heart(s) -draws near. Good or bad, that is the where my little psyche goes. It doesn't mean that I feel better or worse if I have these things or not, but I'm just saying that those are what come to mind around this celebrated 'heart' day. 

But today I am thinking about actually celebrating the heart in a literal sense. Did you know that this magnificent organ is the first one to be created in the womb and continues as the most important influencing mechanism in the body throughout our lifetime until its last heartbeat?

I am in love with all the different ways that one can use vegetables in our diet. In case you don't know me well, I like nothing more than experimenting with different foods and ways of eating them. Sometimes it's cause I'm bored (yawn) or other times, it's because I have a friend or family member that has special food requirements. God forbid (and I mean it) that someone has to feel restricted or hungry when they are eating at my home! The Italian in me wants to make sure that EVERYBODY is satisfied and fed well.