February 2014

Limoneira's Luscious Lemons Make A Fashion Statement At New York Fashion Week

 

From February 6 to 13, Limoneira lemons will make a fashionable entrance in conjunction with celebrity chef David Burke's Pastrami Salmon - Ruben Style, Quinoa Cucumber Salad, and Truffle Chicken Salad. NYFW is a week-long series of runway shows where over 70 designers show off their collections for the upcoming season. There are also lots of parties and celebrations during New York Fashion Week. This is one of the four major fashion weeks in the world, along with those in Paris, London, and Milan.

 

Chef Burke will be preparing his culinary creations in the Empire Hotel across the street from Lincoln Center (where the designer runway shows take place). Limoneira lemons will be part of the d�cor and lemon water will also be served. Limoneira's brand will appear throughout the IRC "pop-up" and on Empire Hotel exterior windows. Limoneira Beauty with Lemons literature, with linkages to global beauty experts, will be provided to guests. A number of media outlets, the Huffington Post, Perez Hilton, NYMAG.com, Marie Claire, Elle, DKNY, E!, and WWD, will cover the event.

 

David Burke

David Burke is one of the leading pioneers of American cooking and owner of David Burke Townhouse, David Burke at Bloomingdales, Fishtail by David Burke, Burke in the Box, and many other locations. He trained under the esteemed chefs Pierre Troisgros, Georges Banc, and Gaston Len�tre in France and at the Culinary Institute of America. At 26, Burke won France's coveted Meileurs Ouvriers de France Diplome d'Honneur. He was also honored with Japan's Nippon Award of Excellence, the Robert Mondovi Award of Excellence and the CIA's Augie Award. Burke is a noted author of two cookbooks: Cooking with David Burke and David Burke's New American Classics.

Gourmet Garage

 

Limoneira lemons can be found in a number of locations in NYC, including specialty retailer Gourmet Garage. Founded in 1981 as the importer/distributor Flying Foods International, Gourmet Garage supplied the best restaurants in New York and other major cities with their most essential ingredients. Years later, they opened those warehouse doors to the public at their first retail store on Wooster Street in Soho and offered that same high quality to all New Yorkers.

 

From that single store in Soho, Gourmet Garage has expanded to five convenient locations now proudly serving Greenwich Village, Lincoln Square, the Upper East Side, and Carnegie Hill. Each store extends Gourmet Garage's trademark high quality produce, meat, seafood, and artisan-baked local bread and pastry, as well as friendly, knowledgeable customer service and award-winning catering. For more than 20 years, Gourmet Garage has defined the very best in New York food shopping.
A Brief Valentine's Day History

 

Valentine greetings were popular as far back as the Middle Ages, though written valentines didn't begin to appear until after 1400. The oldest known valentine still in existence today was a poem written in 1415 by Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London following his capture at the Battle of Agincourt. (The greeting is now part of the manuscript collection of the British Library in London, England.) Several years later, it is believed that King Henry V hired a writer named John Lydgate to compose a valentine note to Catherine of Valois.

 

There was no link between St. Valentine's Day and love until the 14th century when, according to some scholars, Chaucer associated Valentine's Day with lovers by describing it as the day on which birds select their mates.

 

Elizabeth White Nelson explains that the tradition of expressing love on Valentine's Day comes from the Roman festival of Lupercalia, a fertility rite held on February 15. Typically, the medieval church would try to combine saints' feast days with pagan festivals to boost Church loyalty and participation.

 

When Valentine's Day migrated to the United States, it was well-established as a holiday for love, but was scarcely observed in the 1700s.

 

Then, in the 1840s and 1850s there was a "Valentine's epidemic." Cards were flying through the penny post, and "valentine" came to denote the card, not the person.
Issue: 49
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Table of Contents 

Gourmet Garage
A Brief Valentine's Day History
Beauty Opinion Leaders
Lemons - 9 Natural Beauty Suggestions At Your Fingertips
Tracy Neely's Citrus Facial Cleanser
Limoneira A Leader In Workforce Housing
Captain Planet Creates First Learning Garden In Ventura County
Tim Mcniff' Mixed Berry Lemonade
Kristina Johnson's Lemon Curd And Chocolate Ganache Tart
Limoneira Pink Variegated Lemons
Classic Romantic Movie Viewing For Valentine's Day
Famous Romantics
Valentine's Day Fun Facts
Susan B. Dopart MS, RD, CDE-Registered Dietitian & Exercise Physiologist
Limoneira Winner's Block

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Jennifer Barela's Ultimate Lemon Drop Martini

Jennifer Barela is the Seattle-based writer and editor behind Lemon Drop Love - a great lifestyle blog for those looking for inspiration in learning, love, and life. She shares her recipe for the Ultimate Lemon Drop Martini here:



















Beauty Opinion Leaders

 

Limoneira continues this month with our UNLEASH THE NATURAL POWER OF LEMONS CAMPAIGN, and in honor of Valentine's Day, we focus on natural beauty with lemons. Talented industry professionals from around the world work diligently to help their clients with look healthy (and beautiful). We recognize them here.

 

Tracy Neely

Atlanta-based Tracy Neely is a Certified Nutritionist, Certified Holistic Health Coach, a Certified Natural Health Professional, a Licensed Esthetician and is studying to become a Naturopathic Doctor. As a Health and Beauty Expert, Tracy has a unique approach to wellness that blends her background in Holistic Nutrition with her expertise as a Skin Care Therapist. Whether it's clearing up her clients' skin, removing toxins from their bodies, or improving their digestion, Tracy believes that the foods we eat have a profound effect on our health and that transforming how we think about food enables us to experience optimal health. Tracy works with women in the United States and abroad and conducts consultations in person, over the phone, and via Skype. www.tracyneely.com, tracy@tracyneely.com.

 

Shizuka Bernstein

Lauded as a skin care guru by New York Magazine, master aesthetician Shizuka Bernstein has been bringing beauty and tranquility to Manhattan for over ten years. Shizuka has been featured as a beauty expert in Marie Claire, Shape, the New York Daily News and on Fox News, CNN, CBS, and many other outlets. At Shizuka's New York day spa, award-winning treatments and products are combined with a relaxing "Zen" atmosphere, a warm and personal attention, and a Japanese flair.

 


Thomas Woodhouse

Thomas Woodhouse is an Expert Skin Care Practitioner with an impressive portfolio of success delivering quality therapeutic services along with presentations that demonstrate the value of skincare product lines and treatments. He has been recognized by consumers, celebrities, and media as one of New York's most sought-after Estheticians. Thomas has been featured as "Best Facialist" in Allure's "Best of the Best" issue and has appeared on Good Morning America and in regular features in Vogue, Vanity Fair, Details, and Time Out New York. www.faceplace.com.

 

Elizabeth Canler

At Elizabeth Canler's Miami Skin Boutique and Spa, guests feel rejuvenated and pampered in luxe surroundings overlooking the Miami skyline. Elizabeth's technique and style are unrivaled in Magic City. Her global travels have provided her with a database of the latest and best in the world of beauty. With her own show on the Beach Channel and as a guest host on QVC London and Germany, Elizabeth is sought for her suggestions for beautiful, glowing skin. She and her team provide personalized attention in a state-of-the-art facility complete with his/hers steam and sauna rooms, a meditation relaxation room, and an outside yoga deck and infinity pool facing the beautiful Miami skyline. The perfect way to spend a relaxing day.

 

Billy Yamaguchi

Celebrity stylist Billy Yamaguchi and his team of designers balance and harmonize their clients' hair, makeup, and personal style by applying the ancient principles of Feng Shui. Yamaguchi was the first to integrate Feng Shui into modern beauty techniques. Billy explains that "Feng Shui Beauty" is about reading people's energy. Finding out who they are on the inside and connecting it to the outside. "Our goal is to help everyone express their personal power and inner beauty."

 


Melodee Morita

Melodee Morita is a Japanese American ballet dancer, YouTube Artist, and FCI (Fujisankei Communications International) Reporter. She offers her thousands of followers a wide variety of tips on beauty and healthy lifestyle and suggests delicious recipes. Her 2014 Best Skin Tighteners offered an unbiased review of top performers for the year. She's fun and informative and very popular and offers great content in both English and Japanese. She offers a wide variety of beauty and skin care tips on her YOUTUBE Channel: www.youtube.com/melodeemorita.

 


Liza Pielsticker

Liza Pielsticker is the owner of SkinLab, a beautiful spa located at Union Square in the heart of San Francisco. Trained by top plastic surgeons in Washington D.C. and San Francisco, Liza has extensive training in medical aesthetics and recognizes the importance of quality skin care to defy aging and create a younger appearance. Liza is dedicated to maintaining the highest level of standards, as well as educating patients on the latest techniques and products in skin rejuvenation and scar prevention and therapy. At SkinLab, Liza believes in results-oriented skincare. With so many advancements in skin rejuvenation, SkinLab creates an effective skincare regimen to meet the unique needs of every client. www.skinlabsf.com.

 

Norma Garza

Norma Garza, the founder of Norma's Touch Skin Specialty Spa, has been helping Houstonians achieve glowing, fresh skin for years. Like it or not, we live in a society that assesses people based on appearance. It's no wonder that people go to great lengths to make a good impression. Vibrant and radiant skin is an important component in beginning the day with a rejuvenated spirit and positive outlook. By combining nature and science, the staff at Norma's Touch Skin Specialty Spa provide a comprehensive array of treatments including: microdermabrasion, herbal and chemical peels, anti-aging, non-invasive skincare, and treatments for men, women, and teens. She has a loyal following from her many devoted customers.

 

Shawn Bourdeau

Shawn Bourdeau is the owner of Santa Barbara-based Bourdeau Spa, a beautiful destination for clients to relax, get pampered, and receive unique and personalized treatments for their skin, body, and beauty needs. Shawn has a Bachelor's degree from UCSB in Communication and Exercise & Health Science, an Estheticians license from Lu Ross Academy, in addition to a license in Massage Therapy from Santa Barbara Body Works. She worked for a number of years at The Four Seasons Resort and Spa. Shawn offers an extensive array of services that promote health, well-being, and beauty for her satisfied clientele. www.bourdeauspa.com .

 

Shana Irish

Chicago-based Shana Irish is the talented owner of the Skin Spa, a full-service skin care studio in the heart of Lincoln Park. Her many years as an esthetician and wide-ranging career in all facets of the beauty and spa industry ensure that her clients receive the best in healthy skin care. The Skin Spa's approach is to combine natural healing treatments with the latest technological advances to offer the best in anti-aging facials, acne treatments, microdermabrasions, and more. The Skin Spa strives for a higher standard in skin care while respecting the planet. www.theskinspalp.com.

Lemons - 9 Natural Beauty Suggestions At Your Fingertips

 

Many skin care specialists note that our relationship with lemons has moved from the kitchen to the bathroom as we incorporate the citrus fruit into our beauty regimen. Lemons are a great source of calcium, vitamin C, magnesium, and potassium - minerals and antioxidants that improve the appearance and condition of our hair, skin, and nails. So we present nine wonderful uses for lemons that you can use to enhance your health and beauty. Keep in mind that lemon juice should not be left on the body for extended periods of time and may cause severe reactions when exposed to the sun. Always consult with your doctor if you have any concerns.

 

  1. They heal acne and remove blackheads. Lemons' antibacterial and antifungal properties make them a natural alternative to treat acne. Simply slice open a lemon and rub it across your face. Or you can add a few drops of honey to a lemon half before applying it directly to the area where you have blackheads. Wait 5 to 10 minutes before rinsing off with cold water.
  2. They lighten dark spots and blemishes. Acne scars and marks are embarrassing and difficult to remove. Lemon juice's citric acid gradually fades spots and evens skin tone. Be cautious of open wounds or cuts on the face, as lemon juice can sting.
  3. They whiten teeth. Professional teeth-whitening treatments can cost a lot of money. Create a homemade teeth whitener using baking soda and lemon juice. Mix the two ingredients into a bubbly solution and put onto your teeth with a Q-tip. Leave on for no more than 1 minute (the acid is strong enough to break down tooth enamel) and gently scrub off with a toothbrush.
  4. They get rid of oily skin. Swiping a cotton swab with a little lemon juice is also an effective method for reducing oily skin. Try this before bed and then wash your face the next morning to prevent oily skin.
  5. They brighten your hair color. Highlights are as simple as a trip to the grocery store to purchase lemons. Combine lemon juice and hair conditioner, comb through your hair, sit in the sun for a few hours, and wash out. Repeat these steps at least once a week and you will notice that your hair is significantly lighter.
  6. They strengthen nails. Nail hardeners abound on the shelves at your local drugstore, but you can get the same results - and naturally - using olive oil and lemon juice. The solution will not only condition weak and brittle nails, but it will also whiten yellowing nails.
  7. They calm dry scalp and remedy dandruff. Massaging a combination of household staples like coconut oil, olive oil, and raw honey with lemon juice onto your scalp is a simple solution for dry scalp and dandruff.
  8. They soothe chapped lips. Lemons also make a wonderful exfoliant for chapped lips. To use this overnight beauty treatment, simply slice open a lemon, rub the fruit onto your lips, then wash off the next morning. The lemon juice will remove any dead skin cells so that lipstick goes on super smooth.
  9. They cleanse the face and body. A homemade cleanser made out of lemon juice, yogurt, and an essential oil like lavender or chamomile is a wonderful natural cleanser. Massage this on to remove dirt and bacteria, while moisturizing your skin at the same time.

 

Source: Dana Oliver, Senior Beauty Editor at HuffPost Style. She previously worked for Stylelist,
Tracy Neely's Citrus Facial Cleanser

 

Every now and then I think our skin needs a little boost to stir up those skin cells and kick them into gear to restore healthy, radiant skin.

 

Lemon Pulp

The pulp of fresh lemons has such a pure essence. The outer skin or zest of the lemon also offers beauty benefits. Lemon zest contains volatile oils and when blended with honey, yogurt, and almond meal makes an extremely powerful exfoliant for the skin.

 

Raw Honey

Honey is a by-product of honey bees that is produced when they collect flower nectar in their mouths. When the nectar mixes with enzymes, it is turned into honey. Raw honey is honey that has not been heated for pasteurization, filtered, or strained to remove the wax, pollen, or propolis. Honey is a natural humectant that attracts and binds water to the upper layers of the skin.

 

Yogurt (Whole Milk, Plain)

Yogurt is a cultured product made from the natural bacterial fermentation of milk. Fermentation of the milk sugar (lactose) produces lactic acid, which is an alpha hydroxy acid. Used in skin care treatments, lactic acid has the ability to digest skin cells and improve the texture of skin, making it one of the best alpha hydroxy acids for sensitive skin. Yogurt is an effective ingredient in skin care treatments and allows the outer layers of your skin to release and shed over a few days, stimulating new cell growth in the skin's deepest layers.

 

Almond Meal (Finely Ground)

Finely-ground almond meal can be incorporated into your favorite facial to remove dead skin cells. Ground almonds are a natural exfoliant.

 

Aloe Vera Gel

Aloe Vera comes from the succulent plant Aloe Barbadensis, which is native to the desert in Africa. The sap from the aloe plant has anti-inflammatory properties and is widely used as a salve to soothe burned or wounded skin. Aloe is also very beneficial for digestive health issues. Beauty Note: While it is wonderful to use the sap from the leaves of the aloe vera plant, you may also use 99% pure aloe vera gel.

 

Recipe for Citrus Facial Cleanser:

 

Ingredients:

1 Lemon (zest the lemon before removing yellow skin and seeds)

1 Tbsp lemon zest

1 Tsp honey

1 Tbsp organic yogurt (plain)

1 Tbsp almond meal

1 Tbsp aloe vera gel

 

Place lemon, lemon zest, honey, yogurt, and aloe vera gel in a blender. Blend to a creamy consistency. Pour lemon mixture into a glass bowl and combine with almond meal and mix until blended.

 

Spread cleanser over entire face, avoiding the eye area, and massage gently using circular strokes. Rinse with cool water and apply your favorite moisturizer.

 

Here's to beautiful skin!

 

Tracy Neely, CN, CNHP

www.tracyneely.com

tracy@tracyneely.com

Limoneira A Leader In Workforce Housing

 

Between 1893 and 1897, Limoneira planted its first lemon trees. As the planting began, plans were also put in place to build the first agricultural and residential buildings. Initially, Limoneira erected dorms for single men. Then, in 1919, the company built a Mission-style packinghouse and a small community of Spanish-style homes for workers on Cummings Road. The Company recognized in its earliest days that if employees were going to have affordable housing close to their work, the Company would have to provide it.

 

Today, Limoneira is one of the largest providers of workforce housing in Ventura County, California. The Company provides 192 rental housing units and is in the process of providing an additional 74 units. Sustainability and stewardship are key components of Limoneira's philosophy and taking care of our employees is an integral part of sustainability. Generations of Limoneira employees have considered access to Limoneira housing to be one of the best benefits that they have received.
Captain Planet Creates First Learning Garden In Ventura County

 

The Captain Planet Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to inspiring the next generation of environmental stewards, has created its first Learning Garden in Ventura County.

 

The Atlanta, Georgia-based foundation received funding from Keep America Beautiful to bring the Learning Gardens program to Ventura County. CPF's Learning Gardens program started with a pilot of 12 schools in Metro Atlanta in 2009, and will include over 120 gardens by the end of 2014. Ventura County is the Learning Gardens Program's first foray outside of Atlanta. Captain Planet and school volunteers build the gardens and Captain Planet then provides teachers with professional development, standards-based curriculum, and kits of supplies necessary for teaching the curriculum. Participating schools also receive a fully-equipped, mobile, garden cooking cart and volunteers for summer garden management.

 

"Many of our students have family members who work in the agricultural business, yet they have never planted a seed themselves," says Elise Legaspi, a third grade teacher at Rio Del Norte. "With this garden, the students will be able to watch and experience daily the wonder of planting a seed, caring for the young seedling, and watching it grow and flourish."

 

Twelve schools in Ventura County can participate in the garden program. Already on board are Tierra Vista Elementary School in Oxnard, Mound School and EP Foster Elementary School in Ventura, and San Antonio Elementary School in Ojai.

 

"The garden will provide an ongoing source of inquiry and study in the area of life science," says Gena Mathwin, another third grade teacher at Rio Del Norte. "We will be able to teach the students about healthy fruits and vegetables by standing right in the middle of our garden. It's a wonderful opportunity to impact so many young minds and hearts (and stomachs)."

 

"The Captain Planet Foundation is excited to expand its Captain Planet Learning Gardens Program to include Ventura County schools, thanks to generous support from Keep America Beautiful and local organizations like Limoneira, Agromin, Wood-Claeyssens Foundation, Dole Foods, Union Bank, Mission Avocados, Ball Horticulture, and Houweling's Tomatoes.
Tim Mcniff' Mixed Berry Lemonade

 

Emmy-winning reporter and news anchor, Tim McNiff, shares a great recipe that he kicked off for Superbowl Sunday. (Although, McNiff's Mixed Berry Lemonade will provide a lot of refreshment at game times throughout the year). McNiff says that his goal is to provide maximum results with minimal effort:

 

Mixed Berry Lemonade (1+ gallons):
1 gallon of good lemonade

1 frozen bag of mixed berries

2 fresh lemons (sliced and deseeded)

2 fresh limes (sliced)

� cup of sugar

3 sprigs of fresh mint

1 bottle of Sprite

 

Directions

In a large infusion jar with spigot, pour in sugar, sliced fruit, and mint leaves. Muddle these ingredients.

 

Add lemonade to the mixture and stir until the sugar is dissolved (set aside and let flavors develop).

 

Just before service, add the frozen berries to the mix; this will chill it very quickly without diluting the beverage.

 

Set out an ice bucket with ice, rocks, glasses, bottle of Sprite, and a ladle. Use the ladle to scoop up some of the fruit from the mix (this will be garnish). Add ice to the glass, pour in beverage, top with Sprite, and enjoy with your friends.

 

If you wish, you can skip the Sprite and top with sparkling wine and a splash of vodka.

 

Source: Tim McNiff. Tim McNiff has been honored in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Texas for sports reporting. After a lifetime and a career focused on sports, Tim became the anchor of KARE 11 Sunrise in Minnesota in 2004.
Kristina Johnson's Lemon Curd And Chocolate Ganache Tart

 

Kristina Johnson is a former chef (the name of her blog). Her primary goal is to show people step-by-step how easy cooking can be. In addition, she has a small garden, so she writes a bit about being an urban gardener and helping friends with their chickens. She's also completely obsessed with travel to far-flung corners of the globe. You can see her travelogues - much of them related to food, of course - at www.wired2theworld.com.

 

The recipe for her delicious lemon curd and chocolate ganache tart is provided here.

 

It's the magic of chemistry that turns basic ingredients like sugar, eggs, butter, and lemon, with a little heat, into a silky, sweet, and tangy spread.

 

The pairing of lemon and chocolate is one of Johnson's favorites and goes all the way back to her college years when, on a trip to Europe, her boyfriend introduced her to the seemingly disparate, but complementary flavors of dark chocolate gelato and tart lemon sorbet. That boyfriend is now her husband. Since then Johnson has combined tangy lemon and dark chocolate into many a cake, ice cream, and now, this tart.

 

A little bit of background...

Fruit curds have a history dating back to 17th century England, where they were created as another way of preserving fruits by using a lot of sugar. Unlike jams and jellies, they contain eggs and butter, so they're more challenging to preserve and don't last as long as conventional fruit preserves, unless refrigerated or frozen.

 

Citrus fruits (lemon, lime, orange, or grapefruit) are most commonly used in fruit curds, but other options include passion fruit, pineapple, mango, and even cranberry. Just about any fruit can be made into a curd if it can be pureed or juiced.

 

Lemon curd is quite versatile. Spread it on toast at breakfast, scones at tea time, use it to fill pastries, or fold it into homemade ice cream. For a fun and colorful dessert, make a parfait using lemon, tangerine, and lime curds, layered with whipped cream, pastry cream, or mascarpone. Try filling cupcakes with passion fruit curd, spreading orange curd in between layers of sponge cake, or filling mini tart shells with lemon curd and blueberries, perfect for a party. Or just eat it by the spoonful as Johnson does.
Limoneira Pink Variegated Lemons

 

Limoneira's pink variegated lemons are medium to small in size, oblong, and green-and-white-striped. The flesh is light pink in color. (They make wonderful pink lemonade!)


Classic Romantic Movie Viewing For Valentine's Day

 

As you're sipping on Jennifer's lemon drop martinis or delving into Kristina's delicious lemon curd and chocolate ganache tart, we suggest these romantic classics for perfect Valentine's Day viewing:

 

Casablanca (1942) - Set in French-occupied Morocco during World War II, Casablanca features an intense love triangle between a jaded nightclub owner (Humphrey Bogart), his ex-lover (Ingrid Bergman), and her husband, a famous Czech rebel and nationalist (Paul Heinreid). Perhaps the greatest love story ever committed to film.

 

Gone With the Wind (1939) - The beautiful and scheming Scarlett O'Hara (Vivien Leigh) is a Southern belle whose world changes forever with the outbreak of the Civil War. Obsessed by her first love, who is married to another, Scarlett struggles to survive the war and its aftermath, as well as her passionate, tortured relationship with Rhett Butler (Clark Gable), the man who may very well be her soul mate.

 

Roman Holiday (1953) - This romantic comedy stars Audrey Hepburn as the bored Princess Anne, who escapes her entourage during a diplomatic visit to Rome and sets out to have fun, aided by a handsome American newspaper reporter (Gregory Peck) who angles for an exclusive interview, but ends up - surprise! - falling in love with her.

 

From Here to Eternity (1953) - Set on an army base in Hawaii in the days before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, this film is the story of the love affair between a sergeant (Burt Lancaster) and the wife (Deborah Kerr) of his commanding officer. Watch for the famous beach scene, when Lancaster and Kerr kiss in the sand as the waves crash over them.

 

An Affair to Remember (1957) - Terry (Deborah Kerr) and Nickie (Cary Grant) meet and fall in love on a ship traveling across the Atlantic Ocean. Both engaged to other people, they say goodbye, but agree to meet atop the Empire State Building in six months if their feelings remain the same.

 

Doctor Zhivago (1965) - Omar Sharif is the poet and doctor Yuri Zhivago, who is married to his childhood sweetheart, Tonya (Geraldine Chaplin), but carries on a passionate affair with the beautiful, troubled Lara (Julie Christie) against the tumultuous backdrop of the Russian Revolution.

 

Out of Africa (1985) - Based on the autobiography of the Danish writer Isak Dinesen, this movie stars Meryl Streep in one of her most celebrated performances. As a young wife largely abandoned by her husband (Klaus Maria Brandauer) on a plantation in Nairobi, she interacts with the native population and falls in love with an aristocratic hunter (Robert Redford).

 

The English Patient (1996) - Set against the backdrop of World War II, this beautifully-filmed movie flashes back and forth between the love affair of Count Laszlo Almasy (Ralph Fiennes) and a married woman (Kristin Scott Thomas) in North Africa and an abandoned monastery in Italy, where a Canadian nurse (Juliette Binoche) cares for Almasy, now unrecognizable after being horribly burned in a plane crash.


Famous Romantics

 

Vatsyayana, author of the Kama Sutra

This ascetic, probably celibate scholar who lived in classical India around the 5th century A.D. is an unlikely candidate to have written history's best known book on erotic love. Little is known about Vatsyayana's life, but in his famous book - actually a collection of notes on hundreds of years of spiritual wisdom passed down by the ancient sages - he wrote that he intended the Kama Sutra as the ultimate love manual and a tribute to Kama, the Indian god of love.

 

Shah Jahan

Emperor of India from 1628 to 1658, Shah Jahan has gone down in history for commissioning one of history's most spectacular buildings, the Taj Mahal, in honor of his much-beloved wife. Set across the Jamuna River from the royal palace in Agra, the white marble fade of the Taj Mahal reflects differing hues of light throughout the day, glowing pink at sunrise and pearly white in the moonlight.

 

Giacomo Casanova

The name "Casanova" has long since come to conjure up the romantic image of the prototypical libertine and seducer, thanks to the success of Giacomo Casanova's posthumously published 12-volume autobiography, Histoire de ma vie (Story of My Life), which chronicled with vivid detail - as well as some exaggeration - his many sexual and romantic exploits in 18th-century Europe.

 

Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

The only child of the famous feminist, Mary Wollstonecraft, and the philosopher and novelist, William Godwin - both influential voices in Romantic-Era England - Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin fell in love with the poet, Percy Bysshe Shelley, when she was only 16; he was 21 and unhappily married. In the summer of 1816, the couple was living with Shelley's friend and fellow poet, the dashing and scandalous Lord Byron, in Byron's villa in Switzerland. During a contest to write a terrifying ghost story, Mary came up with the idea for what would become her masterpiece - and one of the most famous novels in history - Frankenstein (1818). After Shelley's wife committed suicide, he and Mary were married, but public hostility to the match forced them to move to Italy.

 

Richard Wagner

One of history's most revered composers, Richard Wagner set his work on the famous Ring cycle aside in 1858 to work on his most romantic opera, Tristan and Isolde. He was inspired to do so partly because of his thwarted passion for Mathilde Wesendonck, the wife of a wealthy silk merchant and patron of Wagner's. While at work on the opera, the unhappily married Wagner met Cosima von Bulow, daughter of the celebrated pianist and composer Franz Liszt and wife of Hans von Bulow, one of Liszt's disciples. They later became lovers, and their relationship was an open secret in the music world for several years.

 

King Edward VIII

Edward, then Prince of Wales, was introduced to Wallis Simpson in 1931, when she was married to her second husband; they soon began a relationship that would rock Britain's most prominent institutions - Parliament, the monarchy, and the Church of England - to their cores. Edward called Simpson, whom others criticized as a financially unstable social climber, "the perfect woman." Just months after being crowned king in January 1936, after the death of his father, George V, Edward proposed to Simpson, precipitating a huge scandal and prompting Britain's Prime Minister, Stanley Baldwin, to say he would resign if the marriage went ahead. Not wanting to push his country into an electoral crisis, but unwilling to give Simpson up, Edward made the decision to abdicate the throne.

 

Edith Piaf

Though her life was marked by sickness, tragedy, and other hardships from beginning to end, the famous French chanteuse with the throaty voice became the epitome of classic Parisian-style romance for her legions of fans. Born Edith Giovanna Gassion in 1915, she was abandoned by her mother and reared by her grandmother; while traveling with her father, a circus acrobat, she began singing for pennies on the street. Discovered by a cabaret promoter who renamed her Piaf, or "sparrow," Edith enjoyed a meteoric rise to stardom, and by 1935, was singing in the grandest concert halls in Paris. Piaf was married twice, but her great love was the boxer Marcel Cerdan, a world middleweight champion who was killed in a plane crash en route from Europe to New York in 1949. It was for Cerdan that Piaf sang the achingly romantic "Hymne a l'amour," celebrated all over the world as one of her best loved ballads.

 

Elizabeth Taylor

An actress since early childhood, the dark haired, violet-eyed Elizabeth Taylor won two Best Actress Oscars (for Butterfield 8 in 1960 and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? in 1966) but is perhaps best known for her rare beauty - and her epic love life. She was married a total of eight times - twice to the same man, the actor Richard Burton, whom she has called "one of the two great loves of my life." The first was the film producer Mike Todd, who died in a plane crash in 1958. Taylor and Burton met on the set of "Cleopatra," when both were married to other people; their affair soon made headlines around the world and earned a public rebuke from no less of an authority than the Vatican.

 

On a less romantic note - The St. Valentine's Day Massacre

Gang warfare ruled the streets of Chicago during the late 1920s, as chief gangster Al Capone sought to consolidate control by eliminating his rivals in the illegal trades of bootlegging, gambling and prostitution. This rash of gang violence reached its bloody climax in a garage on the city's North Side on February 14, 1929, when seven men associated with the Irish gangster George "Bugs" Moran, one of Capone's longtime enemies, were shot to death by several men dressed as policemen. The St. Valentine's Day Massacre, as it was known, was never officially linked to Capone, but he was generally considered to have been responsible for the murders.

 

 

 

 

Valentine's Day Fun Facts

 

  • 141 million Valentine's Day cards are exchanged annually, making Valentine's Day the second-most popular greeting-card-giving occasion.
  • Over 50 percent of all Valentine's Day cards are purchased in the six days prior to the observance, making Valentine's Day a procrastinator's delight.
  • Research reveals that more than half of the U.S. population celebrates Valentine's Day by purchasing a greeting card.
  • There are 119 single men (i.e., never married, widowed, or divorced) who are in their 20s for every 100 single women of the same age.
  • There are 34 single men (i.e., never married, widowed, or divorced) age 65 or older for every 100 single women of the same age.
  • Dating service companies employ nearly 4,300 people and account for almost $500 million in revenues.
  • 2.2 million marriages take place in the United States annually (more than 6,000 daily).
Susan B. Dopart MS, RD, CDE-Registered Dietitian & Exercise Physiologist

 

Susan Dopart is one of the talented nutritionists that we mentioned in last month's edition, "Limoneira Trending for The New Year." We inadvertently neglected to share Susan's website and wish to do so here: www.susandopart.com

Limoneira Winner's Block   

 

This month our lucky winner is Mayra Mestanza of Lima, Peru. As our monthly winner, Mayra has won a Limoneira Orchard Fresh or Lifestlyes Gift.

 

Congratulations Mayra!!!   

 

For your chance to win, make sure you're on our mailing list to be entered into our monthly drawing. To join click here or visit our website at www.Limoneira.com. 

 

Be sure to check out our other contests and drawings for additional changes to win prizes.