This was originally meant to be posted Monday, but I figure it is still Valen-week. Plus I got held up making Chocolate Chili Bites for Alex. (And me.) (I would use more chili than recommended. I used ground ancho chilis and 1 1/2 tsp was definitely not enough kick. Maybe French chili powder is better.)

When I first thought about posting a VD mix, I immediately dismissed it. “I like new wave and torch songs!” I said. “My iTunes library has no happy love songs!” As many of you know, my music collection isn’t exactly full of Josh Groban ballads; my taste in music runs to the angry (see Costello, Elvis – The early years), the sardonic (see Mountain Goats, The), the ironic (see Fields, Magnetic), the angrily feminist (see Tigre, Le), and the mopily, obnoxiously indie (see Fantasy, Final and countless others). The actual lovey songs I have are either ironic, tired by this point, or mainly there for their peppy Motown beat.

But I like a challenge. It didn’t take long before I came up with a list that actually made me think about love; and even though it’s no longer as timely and some of the songs kind of border on cheese territory — I am looking at you Hawksley — I wanted to share them with you, the reader.

  1. I’m Gonna Love You Too – Blondie
  2. God Only Knows – Petra Haden
  3. Safe and Sound – Hawksley Workman
  4. And Darling – Tegan and Sara
  5. No Need To Cry – Neko Case
  6. Oh Boy! – Buddy Holly
  7. Dream A Little Dream Of Me – Ella Fitzgerald (feat. Count Basie)
  8. Apple Blossom – The White Stripes
  9. Of Angels and Angles – The Decemberists
  10. Oh! – Sleater-Kinney
  11. The Way You Look Tonight – Fred Astaire
  12. The Reasons – The Weakerthans
  13. Midnight Sun – Ella Fitzgerald

I guess 13 is a weird number of songs. But you know. Limited resources.

Valentine’s Day was pretty good. It involved a recipe from Thirty Minute Meals, which tasted good and was low on fuss to prepare. Also, it was a vodka-tomato-cream sauce out of which much of the alcohol do not cook. So, being the lightweights that we now are, Alex and were rather tipsy by the time our pasta was done, even though we hadn’t finished our (fucking) merlot.

I hope everyone ate something heart-shaped yesterday.