EVERYLOVE

Celebrate EVERYLOVE heart on Starbucks coupon

I got this coupon from Starbucks last week and I keep carrying it around with me. Not because I want a Mocha, well actually I do, but because I love the idea of celebrating EVERYLOVE.

I know on Valentine’s Day we lean towards the romantic kind of love. But love is such a loaded word there are actually five distinct words for “love” in Greek.

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I love this adorable hamster, but which kind of love would that qualify as?

I love God, my husband, my children, writing, in that order. But I love so many things. My list could ramble on like L.L. Cool J. introducing the Grammys. I love baking chocolate chip cookies and speaking French. I love listening to acoustic guitar and running in the rain. I love sipping dark roast coffee, wearing stacks of clanking silver bracelets and wiggling my toes on a sandy beach. And of course, I love you. I love you because the words of a writer are meaningless without someone to read them. So as is my tradition dear readers, I give you my annual Valentine’s gift – a recipe for something sweet and lovely that will hopefully make you smile.

Make these easy cheesecake cookie squares for someone you love (that can include you)

CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE SQUARES

1 (20 oz.) package Pillsbury chocolate chip cookie dough (for a gluten free version, prepare one package Betty Croker GF chocolate chip cookie mix according to directions, but do not put on pan or bake - yet)
3  (8 oz.) packages of cream cheese
1-cup sugar
4 eggs
½ cup heavy cream
1-cup Ghirardelli 60% cacao chips (save the rest of the bag for snacking)

1.     Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2.     Line 10x15” pan with foil and spray with cooking spray (like Pam)
3.     Press cookie dough into pan and spread to cover
4.     Bake 8 minutes
5.     While baking cookie dough, mix cream cheese, sugar, eggs and cream in a bowl for about 5 minutes         on medium speed with electric mixer.
6.     When cookie crust is baked, spread with cream cheese mixture and bake 25 minutes longer.
7.     Cool to room temperature.
8.     Melt chocolate chips in microwave and drizzle with fork across top of dessert.
9.     Refrigerate for at least four hours to set.
10.   Share, eat, serve, and smile.

What’s something you love?