Valentine’s Day Dinner

For my Valentine dinner, I make meatloaf and shape it into a heart. I add red food coloring to my mashed potatoes, serve beets as my vegetable and make red Kool-aid. I usually make cupcakes with red icing or a heart shaped cake.  My kids are almost grown but they still like having our Valentine’s Dinner. From: Karen K.

 

Chocolate Tree

A few years ago, my husband bought me a Valentine’s Day “chocolate tree” from a florist (pre-kids when we had money to burn!). It was made of small dried branches and twigs in a terracotta pot with individually wrapped tim-tams and toffees hung by red ribbons from the all the branches.

When the florist delivered it to my work, my boss was so impressed with the idea that he made me go out and find twigs, buy a terracotta pot, pre-wrapped biscuits and lollies and red ribbon and make his wife a copy of my “Valentines Day Present”. Apparently, she loved it and was none the wiser about it costing next to nothing.

We often make these “gift trees” for Christmas and birthdays and simply substitute the attachments to suit the receiver. From: Sue

Using this same idea, it would be GREAT to make a lollipop tree for kids.  It makes a great centerpiece for Valentine’s Day or ANY occasion, especially birthdays.

What about an everyday thank you? It’s a good incentive to let kids pick a lollipop from the tree when they are caught helping in a special way, remembering manners without being told or going above and beyond expectations with their grades, schoolwork or any other responsibility. They could even take turns being the “gardener”, letting mom and dad know when the tree has been pruned and is ready for new blossoms. From: Robin

 

Melted Heart Candies

Make hearts out of chocolate chips in each of your pancakes.

Use a heart cookie cutter and melt peppermint candy or cinnamon candy in the center. Place a greased cookie cutter on a greased cookie sheet. Put one layer of candy in the cookie cutter and melt at 350 degrees for about 6-7 minutes. Use metal cookie cutters, of course.

-Tawra

 

photo by: ButterflySha