Valentine's Day Gifts

Show your appreciation this Valentine’s Day by giving those around you something small and thoughtful-homemade food gifts. These would be great to give neighbors, teachers, friends, family, and co-workers. 

Sources & Recipes:

1. Chocolate-Dipped Hazelnut Shortbread Hearts

2. Chocolate Truffles

3. Cordial Cherries

4. Chocolate Sweet Hearts

Sources & Recipes: 

1. Raspberry-Fudge Truffles

2. Simple Fudge

3. Easy Valentine Sandwich Cookies

Valentine's Day Desserts for Two

Valentine’s Day is a day that celebrates love and romance. Making the effort to put together a nice dinner for your date/loved one is a romantic gesture and it can also be easier on your wallet than going to a crowded restaurant. Set a romantic table for two with nice linens, napkins and candlelight. Serve a wine or champagne that will complement your meal (check out 17 romantic food & wine pairings). Finish the meal on a high note, with individual desserts- one for you and one for your guy/gal. Dark chocolate, strawberries, raspberries, and grapes would be good accompaniments to dessert. Here are some individual dessert recipes that will make both you and your date swoon.

 

Sources & Recipes: 
1. Strawberry Mousse with Meringue Hearts 
2. So-Easy Chocolate Souffles 
3. White Chocolate Panna Cotta with Dark Chocolate Sauce 
4. Molten Mocha Cakes 
5. White-Chocolate Semifreddo 
6. Chocolate Fondue 
7. Bittersweet Chocolate Mousse 
8. Double Coffee Tiramisu 
9. Sparkling Sorbet Floats

For additional elegant dessert ideas, take a look at my previous blog post, Champagne Desserts 

If you are planning to make a special cocktail for Valentine's Day, take a look at 12 champagne cocktails. 

Valentine's Day Cakes

Valentine's Day is fast approaching. You may consider putting in a little effort to make the day as wonderful as it possibly could be. You may want to follow one of these cake recipes which are sure to bring a smile. These would be great to share with that special someone, bring to a Valentine's Day bash, office party, or family gathering. Have fun!

Sources & Recipes: 

Buttermilk-Mexican Chocolate Pound Cake

Fabulous Red Velvet Cake

Sacher Torte Heart with Truffle Top

Blackberry-Raspberry Truffle Cake (I tried this one and it was delish!)

Sprinkles' Strawberry Cupcakes 

Heart Cake

Valentine's Day for Kids

It's that time again... time to break out the school list to send all of your children's classmates Valentine's Day cards for Valentine's Day. Instead of purchasing the overdone cartoon valentines found at the local store, try something new this year. Here are some creative valentines your kids will be proud to bring to class.

Handmade Candy Valentines:

Sources from MS

Sweet Spot Hearts: 

Snip candy hearts for an entire class in a snap. To make, cut a heart from a strip of candy dots, and glue it to a piece of construction paper. With scalloping scissors, cut construction paper to create a border around the heart.

Personalized Candy Bags:
To make these custom treat packages, cut out a picture of your child, scan it, and print onto heavyweight matte paper. Cut tags using pinking shears for the bottom edges, draw hearts, and stamp or write a message on each one. Fold the tags and tape them to cellophane bags filled with sweets.

Heart-and-Lollipop Flowers: 
1. Use card stock to make a half-heart template about 3 inches high and 1 1/4 inches wide. Fold a 12-by-3 1/2-inch piece of construction paper in half vertically, and trace four half-hearts along the fold.
2. Cut out hearts; unfold.
3. Stack hearts; punch a hole 1/4 inch up from bottom. Position petals to form a flower, making sure holes line up. Secure by applying glue around holes; let dry. Write name on a petal. Insert lollipop.

Baked Valentines:

Sources & Recipes:
X's and O's Cupcakes
Warm & Fuzzy Heart Cookie Pops
Rice Krispie Valentine Treats

For the ambitious bakers, you may want to try these pops:

Source & How-To:
Valentine's Day Cake Pops

For the less ambitious bakers, try this super easy fix:

Source: Easy Valentine Treats
Oreo Cakesters + heart shaped cutter = cute and easy Valentine's Day treats. These would be easy for kids to do by themselves.

Dark Chocolate Has Health Benefits!

I cannot live without chocolate. But not any kind of chocolate, I only crave dark chocolate. The reasons we all love dark chocolate is because it obviously tastes wonderful, it stimulates the production of endorphin (makes you feel good), it has stimulants such as caffeine, and it contains serotonin (acts as an anti-depressant). But dark chocolate has many more benefits, in particular health benefits; it has many essential minerals including magnesium, copper, potassium, manganese, and most significant, flavonoids (antioxidants). Dark chocolate contains a large number of antioxidants (8 times the amount found in strawberries). A small portion of dark chocolate everyday can help keep your heart and cardiovascular system running well. Studies have shown that dark chocolate can help lower blood pressure and also lower cholesterol by up to 10 percent.

To get the best benefits from dark chocolate, consume no more than 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of dark chocolate a day. Choose a dark chocolate that has no less than 65 percent cocoa content. Also choose a pure variety of dark chocolate or one with nuts, such as almonds. Stay away from anything that has caramel, nougat, fruit fillings, etc.. The fillings just add fat and sugar and take away from many of the health benefits of the dark chocolate. Lastly, savor and enjoy the complex taste of dark chocolate. If you are a true chocolate lover, you may be interested in this link – a system for tasting chocolate.

PS – for best results, don’t have your chocolate bar with a glass of milk. This combination has been proven to prevent the absorption of antioxidants into your body.   

   

Rich chocolate desserts are also a great way to show your loved one how much you love them on Valentine's Day. Here are some great dark chocolate inspired desserts. 

Recipes: 

1. Dark Chocolate and Ginger Biscotti 

2. Salted Chocolate Tart 

3. Chocolate Bundt Cake 

4. Outrageous Warm Double-Chocolate Pudding

5. Chocolate Decadence 

6. Dark Chocolate-Chunk Brownies

7. Dark Cocoa Buttermilk Cake with Cocoa Mascarpone Frosting

8. Double-Chocolate Cupcakes