A Homesteader’s Valentine’s Day
The most romantic day of the year is upon us: Valentine’s Day. Some folks like traditional Valentine’s Day gifts like chocolates and bouquets of flowers and there are some who want to keep it practical.
We hope that this article inspires a meeting in the middle; practical, meaningful gifts and experiences for the modern homesteader.
1. Make your own chocolate.
My husband and I made melt-in-your-mouth chocolate from scratch last year and are still talking about it. This requires a little extra planning and time to find the ever-so-elusive cacao butter, but everything else needed can be found in your small town grocery store. We used this recipe from Wellness Mama and inexpensive molds from Wal-Mart. I had a hard time finding food-grade cacao butter in stores, so we ordered it from Terrasoul Superfoods.
We had a great time creating our own milk chocolate and dark chocolate. We added fresh raspberries, oranges, and almonds to the chocolates for a little oomph. My husband may have added Funyuns to some, but we’re not going to talk about that today.
Were the chocolates perfect? No. Absolutely not. Was it a total blast making our own? Absolutely and I can’t wait to do it again.
2. Give flower seeds or live cuttings.
Cut flowers are wonderful and add such a pop of color and happiness to the home, but why not give the gift that keeps on giving? In lieu of roses, consider live cuttings or flower seeds.
Obviously the cost of a dozen roses varies on if it’s delivered, if you’re picking it up from a floral shop versus a grocery store floral department, etc, but for the sake of this article, we’re referencing a $39.99 dozen red roses from 1-800-flowers.
For that same $40, you can buy twelve cut roses or you can buy eighteen packets of perennial flower seeds from Ferry-Morse; flowers that, once planted, will come back year after year and continue to bring joy and, if desired, numerous homegrown bouquets.
Plus if you save the seeds, you can plant even more flowers in the coming years. For more information on seed saving, check out this article by my friend Jenna!
3. Cook a favorite meal from scratch or get experimental and try something new!
Do you have a treat that you get yourself whenever you’ve had a rough day or just need a little boost? Mine is a chai tea latte. After moving to our homestead, I realized my access to a prepared chai was nearly non-existent. The closest coffee shop that sold them was a minimum twenty-minute drive away and the store mixes just didn’t cut it for me.
It definitely was not the end of the world, but my husband looked up various recipes to help me get my chai tea latte fix! We found a recipe that doesn’t just work for me, but tastes better than any drink I got from the local ‘Bucks and now I can have it anytime I want at home.
It sounds silly, but I look back at that as one of the most thoughtful things he’s ever done for me. If you or your partner have a meal or a snack like this, try to make it for yourself at home! If not, get experimental and try something new for yourself. You might add a new favorite to your recipe box.
Do you have any special Valentine’s Day gifts or date ideas to share?
Written by Kendra
We asked about Valentine’s Day gifts for homesteaders
on Instagram and had some great responses!
4. “Treat your partner to a gift from a local business.”
Idea submitted by Kate
What businesses are in your community? Do you know a local maker? Before you place that order online, take a moment and reflect on the businesses around you. Is a neighbor making the same item? My favorite thing to do on Etsy is to sort by shop location. I buy from Michigan makers as often as I can.
6. “House plants” or “a house plant subscription.”
Ideas submitted by: Kendra and Maggie
It’s no secret that plants are beneficial to have in the home. They purify the air you breathe and they’re beautiful to look at. Plus, you can easily find them for purchase in your local grocery store or florist. My personal favorite is the pothos; with minimum effort, it thrives for me!
After researching a few different house plant subscription boxes, we wanted to share House Plant Box with you. Their most popular box, the Indoor House Plant Box, starts at $12 per month and included a new plant in a 4” pot each month.
I hope that this article sparked some inspiration for your own homesteader’s Valentine’s Day!
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