They say Valentine’s Day is the holiday for chocolate, but these days, every holiday is.

Or better yet, we say, put some holiday into every day by indulging in the sweet treat. It could be sneaking just one Kiss at the office or hugging the MooseTracks while curled up on the couch after a rough day.

Can you believe that this home used to be decorated in a contemporary fashion, with blacks, grays and mauves, and a black marble wall above the fireplace?

Frozen in time
Freezing rain coated Rockford on Dec. 1, 2007, and I sought a pretty shot despite the horrible weather. I pulled into the Fran Krall Volvo parking lot because of all the lights reflecting off the ice. This picture represents the change in seasons: leaves still on the trees, a little bit of fall left as the temperatures plunge.

In a holiday frame of mind
1. See the Festival of Lights from 5 to 10 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays through Dec. 31, at Sinnissippi Park, 1401 N. Second St., Rockford. More than 50 lighted displays. It’s free.

Surviving an affair
Scenario: You’ve started to go through the process of a divorce after learning your husband had an affair. You’re ready to start a new chapter in your life, but you can’t seem to get past the hurt and bitterness.

In some homes, it’s the place where friends gather when they visit. In others, it’s where the family’s favorite dishes are carefully crafted.

We spoke to some Rockford women about their kitchens, and here’s what they had to say.

A lot of memories
While it may not seem possible that staining kitchen cabinets could be a favorite kitchen memory, Jessica Jones remembers the chore fondly.

Melinda Hagerman, 65, of Rockford is a funeral director.

This year’s finalists for Rockford Woman of the Year are a retired volunteer who is “everywhere,” a teacher and national artist, a local Special Olympics founder and scholarship namesake, a funeral director and grief-care expert, and a former mayoral candidate who has had her hands in just about every aspect of Rockford life.

You can put just about anything unexpected into chili: beer, pepperoni, even dry ranch dressing mix.

If you add two special ingredients — dark chocolate and cinnamon — you will come up with something people will rave about.

What they won’t notice is that they’re eating their veggies.

I don’t remember where I got this recipe; it’s a great one-pot meal for a Sunday.

Linda Grist Cunningham