A few years ago we were blessed to go to Germany for a trip Ron won with his work. As we drove across the Hohenzollern Bridge to spend the day in Cologne, I saw thousands of locks attached to the bridge. I had heard of “Love Locks” before, but had never seen a bridge with them on. Because we were on a tight schedule with Ron’s work group, we were not able to purchase a lock and attach it.

When we returned home I studied more about this practice. A Love Lock is a padlock couple’s place on a bridge, fence, statue or other structure to commemorate their indestructible bond. Often the padlocks are engraved with the couple’s names and the date. Some add ribbons and stickers.

Love Lock bridges are a fun display of affection where couples seal their love with a kiss, attach their lock to the bridge and throw the key into the river below. This gesture is a symbol of eternal love and fidelity. After I learned more about it, I wished we had put a lock on that bridge in Cologne!

A few years later we went to Paris with some friends. There are now many Love Lock Bridges throughout the world, but the most famous is the pedestrian bridge, Pont des Arts near the Louvre in Paris. This bridge was originally constructed in 1804 during the reign of Napoleon. When the weight of the locks caused the bridge to buckle under the pressure, the practice was banned. The bridge is now patrolled by police, and locks are cut off if they are found.

The thought of our lock being cut off at any time wasn’t an option for me, I wanted our lock to stay on forever. Last year for Valentine’s Day, we had our traditional candle light crab leg dinner here at home. Something we started doing even before Covid. For years I would be sad when Valentine’s Day rolled around, and Ron had not made reservations to go anywhere. We would drive around trying to get in to eat and the wait times were two hours or more. We would end up going to a drive-through somewhere, and we both came home sad, mad, and upset. A few years ago, I FINALLY said to myself – “Les, Ron has MANY amazing and wonderful qualities!!!! Give him credit for ALL those things he does on a DAILY basis!!!! Planning romantic dinners is NOT his forte, get over it!!!! If you want that kind of a dinner, then plan it, and make it happen yourself!!!!” Why in the world did it take me so many years to figure that out?!!!!! I actually look forward to Valentine’s Day now!!!

We have a beautiful table in a cozy nook here at home. I bought some lovely candles and candle sticks to match our dishes.

It’s cheaper to make dinner at home, it’s romantic, quiet, and we are in no hurry to eat and give our table to someone else who had been waiting for two hours!!! The Costco crab legs are bigger than any you will find at any restaurant, and so easy to cook! If you can’t find them in the freezer section at Costco, just ask them in the meat department, they always have them in the back. The instructions we use are at the end of this post.

The first year we did this, we didn’t have a big enough stock pot to cook our crab legs without cutting them into smaller pieces. After we discovered that it was preferable to do dinner at home for Valentine’s Day, we invested in a large stock pot that we use specifically to cook our crab legs in.

We also invested in a pair of kitchen shears for each of us to use at the table (Target has them for a good price), along with a warm, damp dishtowel in a bowl at each place setting to wipe our hands on after cutting the crab out of the shell. You’ll also want to have a bowl or platter to put your empty crab shells on. We usually add some steamed asparagus drizzled with olive oil and herbs, and steamed baby potatoes in butter sprinkled with parsley. Each crab leg is about one pound of meat, they are huge!!! If you want to get really fancy, add a bacon-wrapped filet mignon from Meier’s Meats in Alpine, Utah. Cook these on your grill outside. We use our grill and smoker year-round. You will have enough leftovers to eat the next day! If you want to add an easy appetizer, buy a bag of tail-off – cooked shrimp at Costco, it’s around $14. Thaw the shrimp under cold running water in a colander in the sink. Chop some lettuce and celery and place in the bottom of a pretty glass cup. Layer the shrimp on top, add a lemon wedge and home-made cocktail sauce. I have a great recipe and it’s easy – only three ingredients. One bottle Heinz Chili Sauce – it has to be Heinz. An equal amount of Heinz Ketchup, and then horseradish sauce to taste. Beware, a little bit of horseradish goes a long way, so I add a little at a time. This is best made the night before to allow the flavors to blend nicely.

Now back to the Love Lock. Covid had kept us home-bound, and we had missed another Germany trip Ron had won again, due to Covid lock-downs. Before Valentine’s Day, I found a lovely lock online from Olive & Cocoa – a Utah company for $38. The lock measures 4 ¾” tall. The key measures 2 ¾” tall, and the set comes gift wrapped with a story card in a hand crafted wooden crate box tied up with a ribbon. I thought about having it engraved, but loved it just the way it was, so decided not to.

Ron didn’t know I had ordered the lock. So after our yummy dinner we had cooked together, I gave him the box with the lock in it. We went outside to our front flower garden, and attached our Love Lock to our little piece of antique wrought iron fence.

The lock came with two keys, one for each of us. He hung his on his light in his home office, and I hung mine by my computer as a daily reminder of what our lock represents – our symbol of eternal, everlasting love!

I still can’t believe I wasted so many Valentine’s Days in our marriage. I was wrong to expect something of Ron that he wasn’t used to doing. I grew up thinking the man should be romantic and make all the plans for these types of things. What I FINALLY realized is that it’s ok for the woman to do these things as well!!! And we are BOTH happier, and have more fun when we cook it together! If you looking for something a little different to do this Valentine’s Day, try a romantic dinner at home!!! You’ll find it’s an easy way to add some spark and LIGHT to this day of Love, Light, and Friendship!

Love Ya, Les ☺

How to Cook Frozen Crab Legs on the Stove Without Thawing

by FRED DECKER

Like any shellfish, crabs are highly perishable and their quality deteriorates quickly once they're taken from the sea. In populous coastal areas it's possible to buy good quality fresh crab, but in much of the country, the best option is frozen snow crab or king crab legs. These are cooked in light brine and flash-frozen right on the boats that harvest the crab. This ensures that their fresh flavor is preserved, from the boat to your kitchen. Because they're precooked, you don't even need to thaw the crab legs before reheating them.

Step 1

Run water into your steamer until you've reached the fill line. If you're using a pot with a steamer insert, run enough water to come right to the bottom of the steamer. Ron and I like to squeeze the juice from 2-3 lemons in the water, and sprinkle some celery seed in the water as well.

Step 2

Place the pot or steamer on a burner at high heat. Cover, and watch for it to come to a boil.

Step 3

Open the lid once steam is billowing out from under it. Take care not to scald yourself with the hot steam. Fill the pot with crab legs, and replace the lid.

Step 4

Wait for the steam to begin billowing from under the lid again, and note the time. Steam Alaskan king crab legs for 10 minutes to heat them thoroughly from frozen. Snow crab or other crab legs will take a shorter time, usually six to eight minutes. Don’t overcook them!!!

Step 5

Serve hot with clarified butter, or use the crab meat in your favorite recipe.

Things You'll Need

· Large steamer, or a large pot with a steamer insert and a tight-fitting lid

· 8 to 16 ounces of king crab legs per diner

· Clarified butter

· Lemons – 2-3 to cook the crab in and 1 to squeeze over them when you eat them.

Life