Made in Montana Valentine's

Valentine's Day, a season of romance, roses, cards and candy.  It is a celebration of love.  For me a  defiantly lonely bachelorette, I dub Valentine's as 'Singles Awareness Day.'  I enjoy trading valentines with my friends, indulging in chocolate and watching marathons of my favorite romantic films from Phantom of the Opera to Sleepless in Seattle and Bridget Jones Diary.  To Valentine's is a holiday of giving your time to help others, thoughtful gifts to friends and strangers to remind us that love makes the world go around. 

Here are some 'Made in Montana' treats that are the perfect Valentine's Day gift for a significant other, friend or a stranger in need of holiday cheer in the bleak mid-winter blues.

King's Cupboard Sauces:
Hand-crafted in Red Lodge, King's Cupboard wears the crown for its savory, decadent selection of dessert sauces, from the rich, thick and creamy Hot Fudge, to sweet and salty caramel.  These sauces taste delicious atop Wilcoxson's ice cream or just by the spoonful.  The icing on the cake, all of King's Cupboard products are organic!

"For 20 years, The King’s Cupboard has been producing chocolaty, rich, delicious yet all-natural dessert products. Our innovative product development, a conviction to use only pure, simple, natural ingredients as well as our relentless quest for exceptional cacao products has led to 13 NASFT Sofi awards with two garnered in 2010. While we are extremely proud of our products and accolades, we embrace the idea that business serves a purpose beyond dollars and cents. To that end, we are committed to enhancing the lives of our co-workers, nurturing the community in which we live and striving to be more “green”"

Website

La Chatelaine Chocolates:
 La Chatelaine is a chocolaterie  headquartered in the heart of Bozeman, creating artisan chocolates.  Each truffle, caramel, white chocolate mousse, a masterpiece of flavor.  They ship their Montana made, French inspired chocolates through the U.S.  My personal favorite, the Montana Huckleberry

Bequet Caramels:
The smooth succulent, luscious taste of a Bequet Caramel is the perfect treat for Valentine's Day. Born and raised in Bozeman Montana, Bequet has garnered an international reputation as a top artisan caramel maker. The caramels are organic, and devoid of corn syrup! Bequet produces eleven varieties of caramel from Green Apple to Celtic Sea Salt.

Mission Mountain Winery:
Nothing goes with chocolate quite like wine, a rich hearty merlot from Big Sky Country fits the bill.  Montana has several great wineries.  I like Mission Mountain's Huckleberry Mountain wine, sweet with the essence of Montana's favorite berry - Huckleberry. 

Ten Spoon Winery:
As someone who is sensitive to sulfites, the no-added sulfites organic wine from Ten Spoon is a big plus for me.  I enjoy their Firehole Wine, which reminds me of lazy days on Yellowstone's Firehole River.

"You can count on pure organic fruit and no sulfites added to any Ten Spoon wines. To Add Sulfites or Not . . . that is the Question! I believe wine tastes cleaner and fresher without sulfur additions. As well, our customers frequently comment on the drinkability of our wines in regards to headaches and stuffiness. I am not inclined to make any health claims, so our customer’s comments are what we have to go on. In regards to the process of wine making and no added sulfites, sanitation in the winery and attention to detail must be enhanced considerably to make fine wines."

Montana Monster Munchies:
Gluten free oatmeal cookie with peanut butter and chocolate - the perfect cookie and my standby for days hiking or a late night snack.

Montana Photography and Art:
Cards are a critical part of Valentine's Day, what better way to send the 'love' than with beautiful photographs and artwork from a Montana artist?  Montana is home to hundreds of talented artists working in various media.  I recommend the following sites for delving into the world of Montana art:
Craig W. Hergert: His panoramic pictures of Montana are in a word stunning
Tom Murphy: A Yellowstone photographer featured on PBS and beyond
Emerson Cultural Center: Home to dozens of artists, this is a great resource for tracking down affordable 'Made in Montana' cards, jewelry and gifts...
Made in Montana: http://www.madeinmontanausa.com

Montana Music:
Montana is home to a great variety of singer-songwriters, here are a few of my favorites:
Little Jane & the Pistol Whips: Roots/Country
Ben Bullington: Montana Folk
John Lowell: Montana NewGrass

Jewelry:
Montana is known as the Treasure State, home to sapphires, silver and gold.  What better Montana V-Day gift than handmade Montana jewelry:

Silver Annie's - Bozeman
Handmade Glass Jewelry from Mordam Art
Gem Gallery Bozeman
Elichai - Livingston
Emerson Center - Bozeman

Montana Romance:
Cozy up to The Horse Whisperer on DVD

Tree Ring Pens:
Write a love letter with a Tree Ring Pen, these pens are made from Montana timber and are ecologically friendly.