A Dessert Table Inspired by Love

I love it when inspiration begets inspiration. Martha Stewart and her work completely inspire this blog and, by extension, this blog creates more Martha moments outside of the webisphere; it's a glorious chain reaction. One of my long-distance friends, and a longtime reader of Martha Moments, Rowaida Flayhan, wrote to me recently to inform me that my Instagram post about Martha's heart-shaped linzer cookies last week inspired a dessert buffet she created for her daughter Nour's birthday. Rowaida and her family live in Kuwait most of the year but also call Lebanon and London home. My own Lebanese and British heritage may be what solidified our friendship but our shared love of all things Martha certainly helped bridge the geographical gap as well.

I've featured Rowaida's work here before. You can click here to see the other posts I've written about her baking. Rowaida was kind enough to share photographs of her dessert buffet table with us. The photographs were taken by her son, Ramzi, a talented photographer, and edited by her other son, Samo, who is studying architecture. Below you will find a list of what Rowaida served. If you have questions about the recipes, all of which are Rowaida's own, please leave a comment with your email. Enjoy the photos! I'm sure you'll agree Rowaida is a tremendous baker with an eye for detail and elegance. The beautiful results of Rowaida's efforts were inspired by her love for her daughter - and I believe that really shines through.

All of the desserts you will see here are vegan, dairy-free, gluten free and made without the use of refined sugars or processed flours. This vanilla almond cake is made with gluten-free flour and coconut whipped cream frosting. Rowaida surprised Nour with the dessert buffet on her birthday.

These vegan red-velvet cakes are beautifully heart-shaped. Steamed beets were used for the colour and sweetness was added with medgool dates. The little roses on top are completely edible!

The chocolate cake was baked with raw cacao and sweetened with chocolate frosting made with raw coconut sugar. It was decorated with fresh berries. Rowaida also made dairy-free raspberry ice cream, seen far right.

These truffles made with raw chocolate, coconut milk and chestnuts look absolutely delicious!

The heart-shaped cookies were made with oat flour and topped with homemade raspberry chia jam. This photo is by Nour Flayhan.

This image from a past issue of Martha Stewart Living magazine, which I posted on the Martha Moments Instagram page last week, was the inspiration for Rowaida's dessert buffet. I love how the seed of an idea can come from practically anywhere.

INSTA-FAMOUS FAMILY:

The Flayhans are a talented group!
Follow Rowaida on Instagram for so much cooking and baking inspiration!
To see more of her son Ramzi's work, follow him on Instagram here.
Samo, who is studying architecture, can be found on Instagram here.
Her daughter, Nour, is a very talented artist and designer. Follow her on Instagram here.

Heartbeats Accelerating: Martha's Valentine's Day Goodies at Macy's

Every single Valentine's Day, my mom breaks out her heart-shaped cake pans to make a double-layer chocolate cake with vanilla frosting - tinted pink - with its perimeter lined with red cinnamon hearts. She has been doing this since I was a child and, to this day, still enjoys celebrating Valentine's Day to the hilt. 

For as long as I can remember, Martha has always advocated the celebration of Valentine's Day, whether it's with your family or your sweetheart. February editions of her magazines and episodes of her television shows have provided an endless array of ideas for cooking and entertaining and crafting for this most amorous of holidays.

For people like my mom - and many of you out there, too - Martha will satiate your heart-shaped cravings this year with a fairly extensive line of Valentine's Day merchandise at Macy's, some of which I "heart" quite a bit. 

Among the classics is this timeless heart-shaped, enameled, cast-iron casserole, which comes in pink and also a deep red. At two quarts, it's perfect for a delicious peach and berry crumble or a hearty stew for two!

As a variation on a theme, Martha created a set of four glazed ceramic cocottes in festive colours. Perfect for individual servings, these cocottes will make any Valentine's Day celebration a little bit brighter.

Martha suggests using them for a chocolate fondue for four, which I kind of love. A platter of marshmallows, berries, macarons and squares of pound cake are the perfect fodder. To make the chocolate sauce, chop one pound of bittersweet chocolate and place into a saucepan; add two cups of heavy cream and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the chocolate has melted and the mixture begins to thicken. Ladle into the cocottes and serve!

Left: a set of four dozen cupcake liners in festive heart-shaped themes: 48 heart-shaped paper toppers included. Right: an oversized, heart-shaped cookie cutter made of copper coated stainless steel.

Left: a heart bunt pan with ten-cup capacity and non-stick coating for a glamorous cake. Right: a set of three ceramic nesting bowls for candies and nuts.

Martha partnered with Tovolo to create this hearts-on-a-skewer ice-cube tray, which is sold in a set of two. They are made of rubberized silicone for easy removal. 

It can get hot and steamy on Valentine's Day, so be sure you're prepared! A cute heart-themed pot holder and a "LOVE" trivet made of copper-coated wire will offer protection.

Whimsical! A wood-handled spatula with a heart motif could certainly run away with this spoon: a handsome Beechwood variety with a heart-shaped opening. Center: Bring your colleagues homemade treats on Valentine's Day in this set of festive melamine storage containers with lids. 

Fans of snail mail - and the always-in-fashion love letter - will fall head over heels for this set of three dish towels embellished with painterly details and pretty script: 100% cotton.

To find out all the details on these products, click here.

ORIGINS OF THE HEART SHAPE:

The origin of the 'heart shape' dates back centuries and some historians trace it to the seedpod of the Silphium plant, which was used for medicinal purposes in the 1200's in the North African continent and the ancient Greek colony of Cyrene. Its seeds were idolized and early depictions of its shape bear a striking resemblance to the modern-day heart shape we now associate with  love and Valentine's Day. 

Other scholars, such as Pierre Vinken and Martin Kemp have argued that the symbol has its roots in the writings of Galen and the philosopher Aristotle, who described the human heart as having three chambers with a small dent in the middle. According to this theory, the heart shape may have been born when artists and scientists from the Middle Ages attempted to draw representations of the heart in medical texts. Because of its poetic associations with human emotion and pleasure, the heart shape eventually became a symbol of love.

Rowaida's Valentine's Day Dessert Table

Rowaida Flayhan, a Martha Moments reader from Kuwait who spends part of the year in London, loves to entertain and Martha Stewart is always her inspiration. She sent in these photos of a gorgeous Valentine's Day dessert table she set up at her home last year for a party she threw for friends and family. Rowaida made all of the desserts and styled the table. The cupcakes and cookies are Martha Stewart recipes and the other desserts are Rowaida's own creations! As you can see from the photos, Rowaida loves details. She hand-painted the red flowers on some of the cookies and applied edible pearls to their centers. She iced the heart-shaped cookies and decorated them with edible glitter and heart candies. I love the red-and-white palette she used for all of the desserts. The cake toppers and place cards are by TomKat Studio. The entire effect is gorgeous! You can see some of Rowaida's other creations here.

A Cornucopia of Valentine's Day Ideas

Quite simply, there really is only one source for the best Valentine's Day ideas: Martha Stewart Living. Okay, I'm a bit (a lot) biased, but don't you think it's true? I honestly can't think of any other outlet that provides readers and viewers with such an array of creative concepts for this special holiday. From crafts to treats to flowers, Martha Stewart gives us endless inspiration and instruction on how to create something special for our loved ones.  Click here to get started on some last-minute ideas. 

3-D Love (Stationery Style)

In the February issue of Martha Stewart Living there is a wonderful tutorial on making three-dimensional Valentine's Day cards for your sweetie. The materials and instructions are simple and the finished products are beautiful, handmade keepsakes to treasure. The best part about the projects is that they are artfully assisted by the use of free, downloadable templates and drawings designed by the Martha Stewart team. I love the free clip-art that the magazine provides in each issue and my PDF folder is almost bursting with saved templates from previous issues, from previous years. These ones below will also be added. Click Here to download all of the templates needed for these projects and see below for a brief synopsis of the projects. I'm sure you'll be as inspired as I was! Can you guess what my favourite card is? What's yours?

There is a wide array of 3-D cards to try. Just choose your favourite, select your papers and download the templates before you begin.

What better way to communicate your love to your main squeeze than with an accordion-fold card? A quick print, cut, and crease is all it takes to make a card with a trio of hearts, a big LOVE, or sweet old XOXOs.

An airplane chased by a lovey-dovey contrail, a heart-shaped lock with skeleton key, two little lovebirds sitting on a wire -- these garland-style cards simply require ribbon, cord, or twine. Mixing patterned and solid-color papers helps create contrast and adds visual interest.

A crush can be more powerful than a locomotive. It can also be as sweet as a hand-delivered note, or as cheerily optimistic as an upturned mailbox flag. These clip art illustrations require a few simple cuts and a couple of pieces of tape. The little envelope acts as a card within a card, containing a secret love note or special gift card.

These are the illustrations that you can download at MarthaStewart.com to print at home for use in these projects.

The Materials: Card stock, scrapbook paper, and envelopes; Pens and pencils; Scissors; Ruler; Craft knife; Self-healing cutting mat; Double-sided tape; Hole punch; Bone folder.

More Monday Hearts for Madelene

Last year, I brought you the touching story of Page Hodel and her partner Madelene Rodriguez and the beautiful book about their love called "Monday Hearts for Madelene." Page, a talented photographer and musician, created and photographed these glorious heart-shaped images (using all manner of found pieces) for her best friend and lover, Madelene, every single Monday morning. You can see some examples of these lovely works of art below. When Madelene passed away of ovarian cancer just a year after the two women met, Page continued her love project, vowing never to stop creating a heart for her beloved each and every Monday. Please take some time to read about their story in last year's post and see more examples of Page's gorgeous work. Also, please visit Page's site for more information about Page's projects which help raise money for women's cancers.

Foreshadowing Valentine's Day

With Valentine's Day just around the corner, MarthaStewartCrafts.com is leading up to the celebration with 20% off Martha Stewart Valentine's products. Simply enter promo code VDAY20 at the checkout page to receive your discount. There are plenty of new Valentine's Day punches, craft embellishments, food packaging and stationery so be sure to have a peek! The offer ends on Sunday, January 16th. The discount does not apply to wholesale orders, or other EK Success brands. It is valid online only, not at stores. Orders over $60 placed in the contiguous United States will receive free shipping also!

Heart and Love buttons

And since we're speaking of Valentine's Day, the February issue of Martha Stewart Living is now appearing on newsstands and in mailboxes. It's a great issue filled with all the Valentine's Day standbys (chocolate, sweets, etc.) but has enough fresh and fun content to make it unique and imaginative, such as articles on damask patterns, collectors and their beloved collections, seafood pastas and a feature on a fun group of women who meet to craft regularly at the New York Public Library. You can read more about the Handmade Crafternoon group at the organizer's blog and watch a video the editors put together for the i-pad version of the magazine. (Members of Martha's staff will be joining the group on February 5th at the NY Public Library for a Valentine's Day card making event, so if you're around, be sure to stop by.)

Beginning with the February issue, all Martha Stewart Living issues will now be available in digital versions for the i-pad with bonus features.

From Fabric to Gift Wrap

I love this holiday Good Thing: Photocopying or scanning vibrant fabrics is an easy way to create unique, eye-catching gift wrap. You likely have some bold prints around the house, perhaps even a vintage dress or some antique linens. Scan the fabric and then make colour copies on white paper, enlarging and reducing the scale to achieve different looks from the same swatch. You could even use the material itself as a wrapping. Cut the fabric neatly to size and then stitch it loosely to seal the gift inside. The receiver can then simply cut the stitches to open the gift. Rather than throwing out the wrapping she will have a a beautiful swatch of fabric to keep.

Valentines for (and by) kids

I really miss Jodi Levine. The intrepid editor of "Kids" magazine (now out of print) and the editorial director of kids content for Martha Stewart Living no longer seems to be working for the company; I couldn't find her name anywhere in the directory of editors at the front of the current issue of the magazine. (Update: Jodi is still at the company in product development and creating craft-related content for all platforms! Yay!)

Anyhow, I always used to look forward to the "Kids" magazine and to the wonderfully creative craft ideas inside, many of which can be adapted slightly to suit an adult's sensibilities. I am not a parent, but I am an uncle, and doing crafts with my nephew, Jacob, is always so much fun. I love children's imaginations and their whimsical ideas. As a creative person, I find them so inspiring and fresh: unfiltered, unedited.

Below are some Valentine's Day craft ideas for kids, perfect for a school-day celebration of the snuggly holiday.

Simple paper lunch bags take on an affectionate glow when they're embellished with découpage. Paper cutouts of hearts, roses, birds and butterflies accompany sweet messages. Inside the bags, tuck a package of small sweets, a handmade card or stickers.

This craft idea takes the notion of 'holding hands' to a new level of artistry. Kids can trace their hands and cut out the shape and then write loving messages on the palms. Simple, meaningful and adorable.

Heart cutouts take on the shape of flower petals when they're arranged around the 'stem' of a delicious lollipop. Glue the hearts in a circular formation to achieve the flower, leaving a small hole in the center to place the lollipop. You can fasten the candy to the paper using a touch of clear tape.

Spoonfuls of Love

Everything is better in spades. Love is no exception! An old Welsh tradition of giving a special spoon to your sweetheart can be beautifully updated for a classic but unique Valentine's Day token of affection. The tradition dates back to the 1600s in Wales when suitors would present their young ladies with elaborately designed spoons, often ones that they designed and carved themselves out of wood. The symbol of the spoon hints at bounty, sensuality and generosity, making it an ideal icon for Valentine's Day.

In the February, 2005, issue of Martha Stewart Living, the tradition is alluded to with suggestions on how to present and embellish the spoons being given. The editors suggest having the words "I love you" engraved on the well of the spoon, or the initials of the couple (or a pair of hearts) engraved at the head of the handle. Antique spoons can be extraordinarily beautiful and can be found in various grades of precious metals, from solid gold to silver-plated. Ancestral spoons like this also add a touch of history to the occasion, making it extra special.
In the article from the 2005 issue, the editors suggest packaging the spoon in a box or tying a pair of them together with velvet ribbon, as shown below. Another engraving idea is to put the year the spoon was given and then add to the collection each year with a new, unique spoon.
These are examples of traditional Welsh love spoons, which would often have been whittled out of wood by hand by the suitor and then worn around the neck as a charm, or perhaps displayed in the home, by the object of his affection. The designs often depicted interwoven hearts or symbols of fertility, such as flowers and birds.My friends at the Beekman Farm (Brent Ridge and Josh Kilmer Purcell) have their own beautifully designed tin spoons, made by hand by a local tinsmith in Sharon Springs, New York. I thought these would make gorgeous Valentine's Day gifts in the vein of this Welsh tradition. They are based on the Victorian design of a dessert spoon. When I visited the farm last year, I was so impressed by the weight and size of the spoons. They're quite substantial and beautifully made. They are $20 each and are handmade using an old-fashioned spoon mold.
Designs on the back of the spoon are subtle but elegant.

Monday Hearts for Madalene

It's rare that a non-fiction book strikes a deep, emotional chord in me. But when true love is the focus, it holds me captive. Such was the case when I first discovered "Monday Hearts For Madalene." The book is a collection of 100 beautifully designed and photographed 'hearts' made of everyday objects, but the inspiration behind the project nearly had me in tears.

Page Hodel, a world-renowned DJ and contractor living in San Francsico, met the love of her life, Madelene Rodriguez, in 2005 and knew immediately their bond would never be broken. So powerful was her love for Madelene that she would leave a new heart for her each Monday morning, somewhere in their house, to help her start her week on a beautiful note.

Sadly, just a year after they met, Madalene died of ovarian cancer.

Rather than give up on life and love, Page decided to continue to make her hearts for Madalene and to spread that love to friends and family, and eventually to strangers across the globe.

"Although Madalene is no longer with me on this physical plane, in my heart her love is so alive and unchanged. In recognition of this unbelievably warm, kind, gentle soul, whose love changed my life so much, I wanted to find a way to share this beautiful feeling," says Page.

Anyone who would like to receive more information about the project, please visit mondayheartsformadalene.com. If you would like to purchase the book - a gorgeous collection of 100 of the finest heart-shaped creations - know that partial royalties will be given to the Women's Cancer Resource Center of Oakland, California, to help fight women's cancer. Also available is a set of note cards with the images and a selected group of first-edition prints will soon be available.

True love is so rare. The beauty it can spawn is simply unimaginable, as demonstrated by the imagery below. The inspirational effect on anyone who encounters its light can be transformative.

No Monday will there ever be

From now until eternity

That you don't have

A heart from me...