I know. I said that I was going strong on eating healthy until the end of January. I offer two defenses. One, perhaps I won’t be making either of these until February. Consider them to be delayed gratification. Two, one of these recipes is less indulgent and borders on healthy. I’ll let you read the recipes and figure that out.

It’s all about tomatoes today

Yes, it’s a tough time of year to get beautiful, locally sourced tomatoes. I recommend finding a farmer’s market. You might someone who has a greenhouse and is selling freshly picked beauties. If not, I’d bookmark this until local tomatoes are an option.

Cheese and Herb Stuffed Tomatoes

This recipe calls for plum tomatoes as the vessel for the cheese and herb stuffing. If you want to make a bite-sized version, cherry tomatoes would work also. Just be sure to use a piping bag to fill the tomatoes, or you’ll have to be very careful as you add the filling.

Warm Bruschetta Dip

This is the sort of dip that you want to enjoy with a fresh baguette as you sit in front of the fire. Add a bottle of wine to the menu, and you have a fabulous meal. Share it with someone you like, or enjoy it all by yourself. The choice is yours. Just be sure to give this recipe a try!

It’s time to shoo January out the door and welcome February. Here’s to a month with a bit more indulgent eating, a few romantic dishes, and unfortunately more cold weather for most of the country.

A final note, it’s two weeks-ish until Valentine’s Day. If you are inclined to celebrate, it may be time to start planning a menu or thinking about gifts. For lovers of all things chocolate, you can go to my mom’s perpetual favorite from her hometown, Sees. If nothing else, you can just go to their website and drool. Just not on your keyboard.