I remember that when I first lived in New Zealand I was always experiencing cultural differences that the native Kiwis failed to comprehend about American culture. I mean, they didn’t eat staples like peanut butter and questioned the point of ketchup.

But by far the one thing that drove my Kiwi friends bonkers was my love for cherry. I adore it – ice cream, candy, soda… you name it and cherry makes it better. For some unknown reason, cherry just wasn’t popular down there.

Well, it’s a good thing then that my friends didn’t attend the All Candy Expo and amble by the Gimbal’s Fine Candy booth. Gimbal’s is an interesting small candy manufacturer. They produce a variety of products from jelly beans to Lavaballs, with their factory being certified Kosher and gluten, nut, dairy, egg, soy, gelatin, and transfat free (not all of these products are vegan since some contain bee’s wax).

But of all their products, the one that blew me away the most was their Cherry Lovers. Cherry Lovers is a bag of heart-shaped chews consisting of nine different flavors of cherry. That’s right, nine! Think that’s impossible? See for yourself….

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While browsing the dwindling remnants of my H.E.B.s Valentine’s Day candy section, Frankford Candy’s Marshmallow Hearts caught my attention. Marshmallows are actually one of the better candies to buy in post-holiday sales because they preserve better than other types of candy.

Factoring in the sale, the whole bag cost me a mere forty-nine cents, practically a penny per piece. I probably wouldn’t normally buy marshmallows, excluding Peeps, for any more than that price.

These are about an inch at the longest point, and shaped like “hearts.” I put that word in quotations because some look like hearts; others in the beg seemed to have gone through cardiac arrhythmia in the gelling process.

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Valentine’s Day is inching closer and closer. And people always say the best gifts are ones given from the heart, but nothing says “I love you” better than something from the heart for the stomach.

So in honor of all those lovey-dovey cherubs hovering by, here is my February candy recipe of the month. I call it my Lots-a-Luv Cookies. These babies are sure to wow anyone you present them to because they aren’t the sort of things you would just hand over to anybody.

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Certain candies catch my eye during the holidays that I normally avoid consuming throughout the regular year. Why? Well, by the time you gulp down whatever candy you just bought, chances are it has been sitting on a shelf for quite some time. I mean, I always see gas stations stocking limited edition bars made years ago.

However, since holiday candy is seasonal, you’re more likely to purchase a product that is fresher. And with the rare exception, candy tastes better the less it ages.

So while perusing the Valentine’s Day candy aisle at Walgreens, I spotted Wonka’s SweeTARTS Hearts. Actually, it was pretty hard to miss them with the festive packaging of blue and pink swirled in a very Wonka style. If I can find fresh SweeTARTS, I usually enjoy them, so I figured there could be great potential in these. Plus, they only cost 50 cents.

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Candy holidays are glorious! Yes, they probably have some significant meaning to them, but it’s entirely lost to me amongst seasonal candy craze. And my favorite of them all is Valentine’s Day. Why? Because it is the über secular holiday of them all, where you are advised to give candy and kiss the people you love.

Sure, you can show your love on any other holiday, but you can’t really get away with walking in your underwear in public with a set of plastic wings and a bow and arrow while pretending to be cupid without drawing attention/having the police called on you? Not that I have ever done that before….

Meandering to a point, I am a sucker for candy that doubles as romantic gestures. Does the human heart look like those paper cutouts that first graders exchange with one another? Nope, but that doesn’t stop me from seeing them in the store and going, “Aww… man I’d love to give those to someone special.” What can I say? I’m a romantic!

So when I spotted Brach’s Jube Jel Cherry Hearts for a dollar at Walgreens, I felt compelled to purchase them for my special valentine. But once the candy/love spell wore off back at home, I realized I haven’t had a date on Valentine’s Day since I was 19. Oh well… guess that means I’ll just have to eat them all myself.

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