Valentine's Hand Pies

http://tastykitchen.com/recipes/desserts/raspberry-heart-shaped-hand-pies/

This isn't so much a recipe as an idea I really loved.  I think it would be easiest to use premade pie crusts and cut them and fill them with the kids' choice (PB&J or banana, nutella, cinnamon & sugar, jam, etc)  But if I were ever feeling really motivated, here's the whole recipe:

• 2 sticks Unsalted Butter, Chilled And Cut Into 1" Pieces
• 2-¼ cups All-purpose Flour
• 1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
• ½ cups Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• ½ cups Ice Water
• ¾ cups Seedless Raspberry Jam (approximate)
• Powdered Sugar, For Dusting

Combine the butter, flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a food processor with a steel blade and pulse just until it resembles coarse crumbs. Slowly pour in the ice water through the feed tube and pulse just until combined and a dough ball forms. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour.

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Roll out the dough on a well floured surface and cut out an equal number of heart shapes. Re-roll the scraps to create more cut outs. If you’re using a large, 4″ cutter, add about an ounce of jam to the center of half the hearts. Use less jam for smaller heart shapes. Wet the edges of the heart with a bit of water water and place a second heart shape on top. Press down on the edges with the tines of a fork to seal.

Place the filled heart shapes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake in the preheated 350 F oven for 30 minutes or until the pastry is a light golden brown. Allow them to cool to room temperature and dust with powdered sugar. The number of hand pies you get will depend on the size cutter you use. My 4″ cutter yielded about a dozen finished pies

Valentine's Calzones

http://www.parenting.com/article/calzone-recipe-for-kids

The link above has a from scratch pizza dough recipe, but we just use refrigerated dough & fillings of our choice (Kenny likes sauce, olives, pepperoni, and cheese) Keith & I like our Artichoke & Spinach filling with red sauce for dipping.

Basic Instructions:

Roll out dough & cut into equal sized heart shapes

Use filling of choice (not too much or it will ooze out while baking)

Top with second heart and crimp edges firmly with a fork

Bake at 400 degrees on a pizza stone for 15 minutes

Valentine's Mini-Meatloaf

http://www.parenting.com/article/cute-mini-meatloaf-recipe

Follow the link above for their turkey meatloaf recipe. But I'll always be loyal to my mom's recipe, which does well as a mini-meatloaf in muffin tins. So cute!

• 1# ground beef
• 1 1/4 cup oatmeal
• 2 tsp garlic salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup milk
• 2/3 cup chopped tomatoes
• 1/4 cup minced onion
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese

Mix & mold into muffin tins. Top with ketchup (or BBQ sauce) & heart shaped mozzarella slices. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Valentine's cheesy hearts & tomato soup

http://www.parenting.com/article/fun-to-eat-grilled-cheese-soup

You don't exactly need a recipe for this, but I love the heart cut out grilled cheese & red soup for Valentine's day idea.

MOPS Truffles

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened�ftfffened

3 cups confectioner’s sugar

3 cups semisweet chocolate chips, melted

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Gradually beat in confectioner’s sugar

until well blended. Stir in melted chocolate and vanilla until no streaks remain. Refrigerate

for about 1 hour if needed (do not refrigerate too long or it will get to stiff ). Shape into 1

inch balls.

Roll in a variety of coatings (sprinkles, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, coconut flakes, etc)

Salted Caramel Covered Strawberries

These are SO good, but they don't store well. Would make them right before the event and store them in the fridge. And make sure the strawberries are really dry before dipping them~otherwise the caramel seems to soften and slide off. Which is still yummy, but not so pretty.

Recipe from Southern Living Farmers Market

10 large fresh strawberries
20 caramels
1 1/2 tablespoons whipping cream
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup coarsely chopped mixed nuts (peanuts and almond slivers) OR 1 cup chopped dark chocolate
Wax paper

1. Soak strawberries in a ice bath for 5 minutes to restore their perky leaves
2. Pat strawberries completely dry with paper towels
3. Microwave caramels, whipping cream, and salt in a microwave-safe bowl at MEDIUM(50% power) 2 minutes or until smooth, stirring at 1-minute intervals.
4. Dip each strawberry halfway into caramel mixture. Roll in nuts, and place on lightly greased wax paper. Let stand 15 minutes. Serve immediately, or cover and chill up to 8 hours.

Valentine's Brownies

http://smittenkitchen.com/2011/02/white-and-dark-hearted-brownies/

Love this idea from Smitten Kitchen for Valentine's day cutouts Brownies. Keith loves white chocolate, so I may actually splurge and make the from scratch recipe below. But I think it would be just as good (and way easier) to just make up a Brownie & a Blondie mix from the store and do the cutouts that way too :)

This recipe makes 16 2-inch square white or dark chocolate brownies. To make a pan of each and reverse the middles, you’ll need double the ingredients listed below. You will end up with 32 reversed-center brownies.

3 ounces (85 grams) semisweet or good white chocolate*, coarsely chopped
1 stick (4 ounces or 113 grams) unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing pan
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (6 1/8 ounces or 175 grams) sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla
1/4 teaspoon table salt or 1/2 teaspoon flaky salt (about 2 grams)
2/3 cup (83 grams) all-purpose flour

1-inch heart or other shaped cookie cutter

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8×8-inch square baking pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over opposite sides of pan. Repeat with second piece of foil in opposite direction. Butter foil.

Melt white or dark chocolate and butter together in a large bowl over a simmering pot of water (or in the microwave in 30 second bursts, stirring between each) until it is 90% melted; remove from heat and stir the mixture until it is smooth. (I do this too keep things from getting too hot.) Whisk in sugar. Whisk in eggs, one at a time, then vanilla. Add flour and salt together, stirring until just combined. Spread into prepared pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes (for the dark chocolate version) and 30 to 35 minutes (for the white chocolate version).

Repeat this recipe with the other kind of chocolate and a second 8×8-inch square pan. If you don’t have two matching square pans (understandably) simply wait until you can remove your brownies from the pan as directed in the next step, and start again.

Cool pans on a wire rack in the freezer if you’re going to make cut-outs; frozen brownies are much easier to make clean cuts from. Once solid, transfer brownies in their foil “sling” to a large cutting board and cut each pan of brownies into 16 even squares, about 2×2 inches each. Still cold (and if they warm up and soften too quickly, pop them back in the freezer for 5 minutes), carefully, slowly, gently, press your cookie cutter into the center of each brownie and set the cut-out aside. Insert the dark cut-outs into the centers of the light brownies, and vice-versa. From here, you can let them warm up to room temperature or wrap them up in the freezer until you will need them.

To My Valentine Cut Out Oatmeal Cookies

From my Grandma~a family tradition on Valentine's day (although they'd be good for any holiday for cutting out & decorating)

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour (I've subbed in 3/4 cup whole wheat flour & can't tell a difference~& then they're healthy, right?? :) )

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

2 Tbs milk

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup oats

Mix together flour, baking powder, & salt.

Add in wet ingredients & blend well. (I know, it's weird that you don't cream together the butter & sugar first, but it works. Trust me)

Mix in oats. Mixture will be clumpy/crumbly, but you can form it into a ball and then roll it out for cut outs of your choice.

Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

Frost & decorate (my Grandma used an icing of 3/4 cup powdered sugar, 1/4 tsp vanilla, 1 Tbs cream & food coloring of your choice)

Crab Stuffed Mushrooms

http://www.fureyandthefeast.com/2010/01/crab-stuffed-mushrooms/

• 2 pounds button or baby Portobello mushrooms
• 1/2 medium onion
• 1/2 red bell pepper
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 jar (6 to 8 ounces) crab meat
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
• 1 to 2 lemons, cut into wedges

1. Clean dirt and debris from mushrooms by wiping them with a damp paper towel or rinsing them under running water in a strainer. Let them dry for a few minutes, and then pull off the mushroom stems from their caps (these pop right off). Set the mushroom caps aside.
2. This next step is where you get to hone your chopping skills. You will need to chop the mushroom stems, onion, bell pepper and garlic as finely as possible without turning them into mush. The fancy term for this is mincing, which you’ve most likely heard. So, mince the vegetables until you’ve got what looks like tiny mosaic tiles all over your cutting board.
3. Once you’re done with that, place the butter in the frying pan on the stove over high heat. When the butter is melted and hot, dump in all your minced veggies and cook them for about 10 to 12 minutes, or until the liquid from the mushrooms is mostly evaporated. Stir occasionally.
4. Add the crab meat, salt and pepper to the pan, and cook for a minute or two, just enough to heat the crab through. When it’s good to go, scrape the whole mixture into a bowl and let it cool for at least 20 minutes, or until it’s cool to the touch.
5. Next, add in the cream cheese, egg yolk and half of the Parmesan cheese. Mix it thoroughly with a wooden spoon or whatever you have handy at the moment. If you are making the filling a day in advance, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator. For those forging ahead, preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
6. Using a tablespoon, scoop a little bit of the crab mixture from the bowl and pack it down gently into a mushroom cap. Place the stuffed mushroom on your baking pan. You want a well-rounded mound of crab and cream cheese goodness on top. Repeat with the rest of the mushroom caps, then sprinkle on the remaining Parmesan cheese for a topping.
7. Bake the stuffed mushrooms for 25 minutes. You’ll know they’re ready when the Parmesan cheese on top is a light golden brown. Remove the pan(s) from the oven.
8. Before serving, cut the lemon into wedges and sprinkle a few drops of lemon juice onto each mushroom cap. Or, you can serve them on a tray with the lemon wedges and let your friends sprinkle on the lemon juice themselves. Enjoy!

Gnocchi with Mushroom Sauce

http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/recipes/main-courses/fresh-gnocchi-with-mushroom-cream-sauce/

This recipe holds a lot of nostalgia. Keith & I had a favorite Italian restaurant in Virginia that made an amazing gnocchi with mushroom sauce. I had it the night Keith proposed :)

If I'm feeling really sentimental, I serve it with Spinach salad with Warm Bacon Balsamic Dressing

• 1 package gnocchi
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 Tbs butter
• 1 teaspoon Garlic, Finely Minced
• 1 Tablespoon Fresh Chives, Diced
• ½ teaspoons Dried Thyme
• 2-½ cups Sliced Mushrooms (if you want to indulge, get the fancy exotic mix. Otherwise, cremini are fine)
• 1 cup Vegetable Stock
• ¼ cups Heavy Cream
• ¼ cups Parmesan Cheese, Grated

Preparation Instructions

Cook the gnocchi in a large pot of salted, boiling water, per package directions. Drain the gnocchi from the water and lightly toss in oil. Set aside until sauce is ready.

Melt butter in a large saucepan with olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic, chives, thyme and mushrooms and cook until tender. Add stock and heat on medium-high. Once the stock comes to a slow boil, reduce head and add cream. Simmer for 1-2 minutes.

Add gnocchi and heat until warmed through. Toss in cheese, ensuring the gnocchi is well coated. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with additional chives and enjoy!

Baked Fudge

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/02/sweets-for-your-sweetie-1-delicious-baked-fudge/

Oh my, Oh my~this is heavenly. Because Kenny won't eat it yet, I cut this recipe in half for 2 small ramekins. Or go big and eat all 4 yourself :)

Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cook Time: 50 Minutes Difficulty: Easy Servings: 4
Ingredients
2 whole Eggs
1 cup Sugar
2 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa
2 Tablespoons Flour
½ cups Butter, Melted
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Preparation Instructions
Preheat oven to 300 to 325 degrees.
Beat eggs until light in color. Beat in sugar until just combined. Add cocoa, flour, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Mix gently until well combined.
Pour batter into four large ramekins or one 8-inch square baking dish. Set ramekins or pan into a larger pan halfway full of water.
Bake 40 to 50 minutes, or until upper crust is crispy and the rest of the batter is firm but not set. Toothpick should come out…not clean, but mixture should not be overly runny. If you pull it out of the oven and have second thoughts, stick it back in for ten more minutes.
Serve with sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream; whatever makes your skirt fly up.

Valentine's Dinner 2010

Garlic Cheesy Bread
Spinach/Roasted Tomato/Goat Cheese Salad with Balsamic Dressing
Lemony Shrimp Pasta
AND, my oh my, Baked Fudge with Vanilla Ice Cream