Little Inexpensive Valentine Touches.

Begin Valentine's Day with a glass of fresh squeezed juice in your favorite crystal goblet, garnish with an apple heart made by using a mini cookie cutter.

Adding color to your favorite sugar cookie recipe or store bought sugar cookie dough is a way to pump up the Valentine's volume. We chose 3 colors - pink, red and purple. We divided the dough into 3 even pieces, colored each one. Rolled each out and stacked them on top of one another. Then we just rolled them up into a tight cylinder. Put them into the freezer to harden to make cutting easier. We baked them according to recipe directions, after cookies were baked and cooled we used melted white chocolate to dip each cookie into then added some sprinkles and red hot hearts..it took a little time..it appeals to the child in each of us. A very nice munchy treat with love sprinkled all over it!

Let your kids cut out double layers of newsprint into various heart shapes. Attach them to thin string of filament. We are so impressed with how much children love to craft, they are always so pleased with the results of their handiwork. We adults linger over our projects as though it really mattered if someone else is pleased with it or not. When we make things for others that come from the heart...others will receive them in that same way...let your inner child come out to play.

These Lavender filled hearts are a simple project. The supplies are listed below. Fragrant hearts are the perfect size to tuck into a suitcase, the side of a purse, or in a lingerie drawer to keep everything smelling fresh. 

We used a wheat colored piece of felt and roughed it up a bit with a spiky brush to soften the surface, cut it into hearts, added a coffee stained message, and then stitched it all around with a blanket stitch leaving a hole to fill up with Lavender before closing. What a sweet thing to find amongst your things..makes a wonderful memory.

I Heart Tea

Why not try making your own heart teas to give for Valentine's Day. We used coffee filters~double stacked them~cut out heart shapes with pinking shears~used double thread of embroidery floss to sew around the edges (start in the top center) and stop about 1 1/2 inches from the end. Fill with 1 serving loose tea~continue stitching up~leave the tails long~glue a saying or heart to the end~see above sample.

Getting to the heart of the matter!

Side view

Do something good for others and yourself, invite a friend to tea and a "chic-flick" movie.

Sprinkle the sugar with colored nonpareils. Delighting in good conversation is a gift you can give a friend. 

Valentine's Day Breakfast

~This is a very easy dish to make for breakfast or brunch~

Puff Pancake w/ Strawberry Cream Syrup and Fresh Strawberries

This has been a favorite recipe of our family for eons!

Keep the rest of your menu simple and let this meal be about time spent with the ones you love. 

 Have everything else ready! The table set, juice and coffee on, side dishes such as buttery, crisped edged Potatoes O'Brien (a previous post) and some Nieman Ranch smoked bacon strips (we are a firm believer in using meats that come from humanly treated animals raised in a natural setting where they can roam and graze), a petite creamer full of syrup and sliced berry compote just ready to heap onto a generous slice of Puffed Pancake. Here is the recipe:

Strawberry Cream Syrup

1 16 ounce container frozen strawberries in sugar, thawed and drained, reserve juice

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup clear (light) corn syrup

juice from frozen strawberries

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup cream or evaporated milk

In a large saucepan, add the strawberry juice, corn syrup, water and sugar. Bring to a boil and stir occasionally. 2 minutes after this mixture comes to a boil and the sugar is dissolved, remove from heat and add the cream. Whisk and set aside. 

Puff Pancake Recipe    **Preheat oven to 450 degrees**

1 - 9 inch - glass pie dish, skillet w/oven proof handles

3 eggs

3/4 cup milk or 1/2 and 1/2

1/4 + 1/8 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup all purpose unbleached flour

2 tablespoons butter (not margarine--this is a necessary step to keep the pancake from sticking)

Happy Valentines Day!

Filling:

Strawberry Compote

1 small carton fresh strawberries, sliced thinly plus

reserved frozen strawberries from syrup recipe mix together


Additions:

Whipped cream or cool whip

powdered sugar, optional

Place the pie dish/pan in the preheated 450 degrees oven with the 2 tablespoons butter. In a medium bowl, add the eggs and milk. Whisk. Add flour and salt whisk to combine and pour into preheated dish/pan as soon as the butter has completely melted. Bake for 15 minutes at 450 degrees. If the pancake is puffing in the center, prick it with a fork. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake from 5-10 minutes longer. Pancake will be puffy and golden brown around the edges. When you remove your pancake from the oven, be ready to serve it right away!

*Children love the magic of this puffy concoction*

Drizzle some syrup on the bottom. Top with berries and whipped cream and a dusting of powdered sugar if you like. 

We have 3 birthdays to celebrate on Valentine's Day. February is a special month not only because of Valentine's Day and our family birthday celebrations, but it is heart month as well. Remember to support the American Heart Association's Go Red campaign. They have done a remarkable job at reducing the death rates for so many Americans.