In our culture today, Valentine’s Day immediately brings to mind Romantic Love, Flowers, Gift-giving and Chocolate. And though this very old Saint’s Day has now been commercialized to the Nth degree, it’s still one of the happier occasions we celebrate, so why not enjoy it in our own way? Romance, Love, flowers, gifts and chocolate are all very positive and uplifting. And we have some recommendations for all of those categories except Romance (you’re on your own there!).
Flowers – Unless we are allergic to them, we all seem to appreciate flowers. But at this time of year, the bouquets that are available are imported from far away, they’re expensive, and they’ve been dosed with toxic chemicals. So we recommend presenting your Valentine with living flowering plants that will last longer, have a much lower carbon footprint and haven’t been grown with toxic pesticides. This means you have to choose carefully where you buy them. The groceries and big box stores will be full of tempting blooming plants that will be of dubious origins and safety. If you can, buy your plants from local growers who you can question about their pesticide use. If your valentine is a gardener, and is blessed with a little patience, an even better choice is a Harlequin’s Gardens Gift Certificate! You can purchase these online at any hour of the day here.
The Gift category can also be easily fulfilled with a Harlequin’s Gardens Gift Certificate and/or Membership, both quick and easy to purchase online.
Chocolate – We adore chocolate, and having scoured the Front Range for the most awesome locally-produced craft chocolates, here are our recommendations for the best Valentine-worthy bars and bonbons:
In Boulder, we love Piece, Love and Chocolate, on West Pearl Street for their handmade truffles and cakes. They offer dairy-free creations, and many that are gluten-free.
Robin Chocolates
Longmont’s Robin Chocolates crafts original, delectable and beautiful truffles, as well as bags of chocolate covered raisins, nuts, malted balls, etc., and wonderful chocolate-drizzled ginger. Most of their truffles are gluten-free and some are dairy-free.
In Lafayette, a new discovery is Chocolaterie Stam, a family-owned chocolate ‘factory’ since 1913, featuring a wide range of traditional Dutch-style filled bon-bons molded in amazing shapes, from accordions to frogs, all made on-site. You can bring your loved one to choose their own, and sit down with your treats and hot cocoa, inhaling chocolate aromas all the while.
In Denver, our favorite craft chocolate bars and chocolate beverages are made by Cultura Chocolate, on Morrison St. This small Latina-owned chocolate company is inspired by the owner’s Mexican heritage, and many of their creations make use of traditional Mexican spices, coffee and some even include nixtamalized maize. Their quality, texture and flavor are top-notch.
Enjoy! And thank you all for honoring LOVE.