This is Valentine’s Island. It’s a beautiful place located just offshore the Seward Deli Hot Bar and due north of the Frozen Section.

Sure, about a month ago it was Christmas Island and a month forward in time, it will be Mardi Gras or St. Patrick’s Day Island.

But right now it’s the place to find sweets for the sweet.

For example, you’ll find a great deal on Yum Earth Organic Lollipops over on Valentine’s Island, $8 per bag of thirty. It might sound odd but these really are the yummiest lollipops ever, and that’s without taking into account the 100% daily recommended allowance of Vitamin C. You’ll also find 30 Valentines Day cards included in each bag which sets up your kid is for Valentine’s Day at school. (Plus? Don’t panic, they’re organic…)

There are two great recipes over on Valentine’s Island, too. The Avocado Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe might sound strange but because avocados are so fatty, they make surprisingly delicious treats (avocado ice cream is absolutely wonderful). Also, check out the Browned Butter Cookie Bars using Cordillera chocolate (chunks of Cordillera chocolate are located right there by the recipes).

Boxes of chocolates from Seattle’s Chocolates (below left) are on sale from $4.99 to $19.99 per heart-shaped box, and pretty Fair Trade earrings from World Finds are on sale too, ranging from $9.99 to $14.99.

Get your calendar out and start planning for January.

Upcoming Seward Classes

LaDonna Sanders-Redmond, Education and Outreach Coordinator for the Seward Co-op, visited KARE-11 recently with a terrific winter soup recipe: Crock Pot Chicken Gumbo.

Gumbo is actually pretty easy to make; it just has a lot of ingredients and a number of steps, so people sometimes get intimidated. Just remember LaDonna’s Important Gumbo Tip: Don’t walk away from the roux! You have to keep stirring it. If you’re patient and tend to it, you’ll have the base for a thick, delicious batch of gumbo. (Look how syrupy and thick that completed Gumbo is!)

Watch the video to get all the steps right, then follow the recipe below. Much thanks to KARE-11 and LaDonna for this video and recipe!

Crock Pot Gumbo (Recipe serves 6)

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup flour

• 1/3 cup cooking oil

• 3 cups chicken broth

• 12 to 16 ounces chicken sausage, sliced about 1/2″ thick

• 2 to 3 cups diced cooked chicken

• 1 1/2 cups sliced okra

• 1 cup chopped onion

• 1/2 cup chopped green pepper

• 1/2 cup chopped celery

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• salt, to taste

• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

• 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper

• hot cooked rice

Instructions:

· For roux, in a heavy 2-quart saucepan stir together flour and oil until smooth. Cook over medium-high heat for 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, for about 15 minutes more or until roux is dark reddish brown. Let roux cool.

· Add chicken broth to a 3 1/2 to 6-quart slow cooker. Stir in roux. Add sausage, chicken, okra, onion, green pepper, celery, garlic, salt, pepper, and red pepper. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours, or HIGH for 4 to 5 hours.

· Skim off fat. Serve with hot cooked rice.