Hi friends,

Preparing for a snowy pop-up in Portland next week amidst Valentine’s inspired recipe testing. How much do I love thee beets? Let me count the ways… hummus, noodles, winter salads, oh my.

I’m not one for roses, but I can think of myriad other bouquets I’d love to receive this holiday. Speckled radicchio, pickles, sourdough baguettes all come to mind. And while I’m reveling in the absolute plant-based goodness of alt-bouquets and holiday heart themed cookies (scroll for recipe!) I’m feeling tender in my kitchen as the world turns.

This is your timely reminder to tell your people you care. Consumer celebrations aside, we can all benefit from letting our love be known. In so many small ways our compound efforts building relationships are what sustains us in the coldest months. More connection this season, and probably, more beets.

Whether it’s date night out, a galentine’s gathering, or some much needed self appreciation, we've got some lovely low waste ways to come together for an intentional heart day. Read on, love.

Stay hungry,
Hawnuh Lee | Founder, Closed Loop Cooking

Raspberry almond sugar cookies.

The dish >>

• Heart day adjacent, I’m cooking up this tasty-as-all creamy beet dressed pasta. Magenta noodles are the perfect night-in dish. Try serving up with speckled radicchio ribbon salad for ultimate pink energy.

• Hot pasta cooking tip–Barilla’s playlists help you cook each noodle to the perfect tenderness!

• And indulging in a tray of these (can’t believe they’re vegan) raspberry almond sugar cookies. RUN, don’t walk, to get your oven preheated to share with any and all sweeties this season.

• Broc-quet, lovely.

• Fully support Dr. Bronner’s dropping B-corp status.

• Wanna join the gardening revolution? How to get free seeds. And a beginner’s how-to guide. You can also register for the Young Agrarians introductory course for the farm curious.

• Helpful read on fact checking in this new era.

• Hope I get a love letter with this card.

Creamy beet dressed pasta.

Be my sustainable Valentine?

roundup by Maia Welbel

Valentine’s Day 2025 is about writing love letters to your future and past selves, romanticizing your morning routine, pressing flowers, reading novels, wearing chic pajamas, sourcing vintage jewelry, lighting the fancy candles and using the fancy dinnerware, putting on a face mask, hugging your friends, snuggling your pets, giggling, and smooching, and dancing, and feasting, and holding your loved ones close. 

This week, we’re sending all you innocent cherubs off with big heart eyes emoji energy and an alt V-Day roundup that celebrates love in all its forms. 

Jillian Hess’s compilation of notable love notes to places and animals.

Rachel Carson captures the sound of bird song:

“The song of the white throat in the snow is so faint, so tentative, a whisper, hardly to be heard. Perhaps if one had never heard the full outpouring of his spirit in Spring he would not even hear this dreamy whisper above the trickling of melting snow and the rustle of oak leaves in the wind.”

Darn good romcoms you can watch right now on Netflix.

This one can only be found on other streamers but it’s a personal fave.

And an ode to the people who styled some of our most iconic.

Archived love letters from the greats.

Georgia O’Keeffe: “No words I know say the hotness — consumingness of it.”

The only acceptable card to give your lover this year.

This newsletter is an evergreen rec.

If you live in Amsterdam, grab your tickets to tomorrow’s Valentine's Shameless Sip + Sketch with Vanillacooldance.

The rest of us can admire from afar.

A digital meditation on desire - just trust me, sit down at your desktop and click through.

A very important panel discussion tonight in NYC: Bring Back the Bonkbuster!

And the perfect online shop for the romance reader in your life.

West coasters of all ages can take part a giant V-Day pillow fight in downtown San Francisco - apparently a 15-years-running tradition!

Incredible cover star picks for the Love Issue of Cherry Bombe Mag.

Okay these cards are good too.

My kinda Hot Date!

Gift this print to the loved one in your life who is always giving.

Maybe read this before you stock up on candy this year.

But I can say with relative confidence that this zine contains no animal bones.

Why not play Romantic Period Movie Bingo?

And then spend an evening whipping up some extra sweet treats.

Might we suggest blondies, banana chip bites, or crinkle cookies?

—

Happy hearts day y’all, much love from CLC <3

Send me this pickle-quet <3

CLC might make a commission from links or ads in this newsletter,
so we can keep crafting rad content for free!

Have an idea we should feature in the newsletter? Want to work with us? Drop a line at [email protected]. We can’t wait to see what y’all cook up next! #closedloopcooking

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