Valentine´s Heart Throbs

Thank you. I have so many things to be grateful for. Before meeting you I always laughed about love at first sight. And then it happened to me, with the most unexpected individual in the most mysterious way. Love is a strange thing, isn’t it? And there I was. Disoriented. Stunned. Bewildered. Like a fool, trying to make you realise I was there. We were really good friends. We laughed and shared our problem-free lives. We drank and danced and talked and walked through every single street of the city. We shared coconut wafers. We discovered the most amazing songs and went to every concert. We played board games. We discussed every single subject and we put the world to rights time and time again. And at some points I felt so scared of how perfect life was that I wanted to spoil it just to check I was still alive. I must admit I did it, trying to lessen the dizziness.

We grew and learnt from each other, going over the paths that life had to offer, sometimes together, sometimes on our own. And we learnt to choose, to slow down, to love. And we moved together, and we bought our first car. And even the most mundane thing was great, because it was new and our own.

There is no a single day when I don’t think about our wedding day. With no doubt, the best day of our lives. And although you spent most of the evening crying your eyes out, I have never seen you so happy, so radiant. Our families and friends were there, and we shouted out loud that ours was a lifelong love. You know I’m quite unpredictable, even a bit fickle, and that I can get really confused some times. But I have never felt so certain that you were who I wanted to spend my entire life with.

We’ve been sharing our lives for the last 15 years. We’ve had great moments, hard moments and really awful moments. We have travelled around the world. We’ve built and dismantled our lives hundreds of times. We’ve worked really hard. We’ve learned and forgot. We’ve changed, improved and amended each other. We have had two amazing boys, our much desired and beloved sons, which make this journey even more challenging, interesting and rewarding. Let me tell you this -  life with you is simply amazing. You make every day one that is worth living. Together. Just you and me together. 

I love you. With my hands. With my head. With my soul. Every single beat of my heart loves you. I love the way you walk. I love the way you move. I love your smell. I love every single freckle of your skin. I deeply love you. Because wherever you are I feel at home. And even now, 15 years later, if you are not around I feel lost, incomplete. Nobody has ever loved me as you do. I can’t describe the feeling when you look at me with sparkling eyes and tell me how wonderful our lives are. Despite my mood swings, my bad days, my inconsistancies. Despite making your life run at full gallop, not giving you a moment to rest. Despite not having been able to see sometimes who incredibly lucky I am. 

Because you are always there, watching over me, holding my hand even at those times I really didn’t deserve it. Telling me the most wonderful stories when demons from the past don’t allow me to sleep. Rubbing my feet after a hard day. Listening to my interminable speeches trying to get my head together. Leaving heart shaped notes all around the house. You, the most generous, good, empathetic person I’ve never met. My friend. My husband. My confidant. My love. 

My love, come with me. Let’s wait until everyone is sleeping, and hold my hand. Tip toe down the stairs, trying not to awake anybody up. Let’s go somewhere else, hidden in secret places where nobody could find us. Show me that new song you’ve discovered that talks about us. Let’s laugh together. Let’s share some coconuts wafers. Let’s talk about our future. Let’s fell in love again for, at least, another 15 years. 

WHAT YOU NEED

1 Sachet Plain Gelatine

50ml Double Cream

50ml Water

2 Packet Strawberry/Raspberry Jelly
200ml Cranberry/Orange Juice

100gr + 100gr Caster Sugar 

1tbsp Sunflower Oil

1 Silicone mould

WHAT YOU DO 

Firstly we will prepare the white jelly.

In a medium size pan, dissolve in the water 100gr of sugar and bring to boil. Add the double cream, remove from heat and finally add the plain gelatine, mixing all the ingredients together thoroughly.

Brush a bit of sunflower oil over the silicone mould.

Pour enough white jelly to cover the bottom of each heart and let set in the fridge for around 30 minutes.

 

In the meantime, mix the juice with the remaining sugar and bring to boil. Remove from heat. Cut the jelly in cubes and dissolve stirring with a whisk.

Fill each heart with the red jelly and let them stand for at least three hours.

 

Unmold each heart carefully. Tip: this will be easier if you put some oil on your fingertips.

Additionally you can cover the hearts with some icing sugar or cornflour for a retro final touch.