What You Need:

1 lb. fresh strawberries, washed and hulled

10 mint leaves

2 C white wine

1 t lemon juice

3 T honey

2 T brandy

How to Cook It:

Place the strawberries into the blender.

Place the mint leaves in with the strawberries.

Pour in the wine, lemon juice, honey and brandy.

Puree until very smooth.

Strain the soup to remove any seeds.

Pour into a bowl, cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving.

Serving Size:  2

Use this soup as the starter to your romantic Valentine dinner.  Garnish with a few strawberry slices and a mint leaf.  

What You Need:

2 tubs Cherry Pomegranate flavor drink mix

8 C water

2 C club soda

2 C cranberry juice

1/2 C lime juice

1/2 C orange juice

Crushed ice

How to Make It:

Put the drink powder into a punch bowl.

Pour the water into the punch bowl and stir until the powder has completely dissolved.

Add the club soda and mix well.

Pour in the cranberry juice, lime juice and orange juice and stir until all the ingredients are incorporated together.

Add the crushed ice just before serving.

Serving Size:  24

This is a great punch to serve if you are having a Valentine’s party.  Pretty it up with heart shaped ice cubes colored red and pink with food coloring.  If you prefer to serve an alcoholic punch you can substitute vodka for the club soda.

What You Need:

1 (4 oz) pkg. pepperoni slices

6 large hamburger buns

1 C pizza sauce

1 C Mozzarella cheese, shredded

How to Cook It:

Place the oven temperature on 375 degrees and allow it to heat.

Place the pepperoni slices on a flat surface and use a small heart shaped cutter to cut each slice.

Lay the hamburger buns out flat on a baking sheet.

Cover each bun half with the pizza sauce.

Add the cut pepperoni hearts.

Sprinkle each bun half with the cheese.

Bake the buns for 8 minutes or until the cheese has completely melted and the bun is slightly crisp around the edges.

Serving Size:  12

These appetizers work very well at a teenagers Valentine’s party.  All teenagers love pepperoni pizza and these are an easy way to give them what they want.  To make more just double the recipe amounts and you can have 24 delicious treats.

What You Need:

4 (6 in) soft tortilla shells

1/4 (8 oz) container strawberry cream cheese

4 T strawberry jam

How to Cook It:

Spread each of the 4 tortillas with the strawberry cream cheese to the edges of the tortilla.

Spread 1 T of strawberry jam down the middle of each of the tortillas.

Fold the end of the tortilla in about 2 in.

Grab the front edge of the tortilla and roll until completely closed.

Cut into 2 inch bites.

Serving Size:  24

These little treats can be wrapped and placed into lunchboxes or used as appetizers for a special Valentine’s Day treat. 

White Wine

This wine goes well with several dishes. Your sweetie will be impressed that you know how to put wine together with food for the perfect complement to the Valentine’s Day meal.

If you like the taste of Chardonnay, they you have a tendency towards fruity flavors. There are many California chardonnays on the market if you prefer a U.S. wine. Choose from medium or full-bodied varieties.

White wine goes well with:

·         Pasta dishes

·         Chicken

·         Fish

For a lighter bodied white wine that includes a nuttier flavor, opt for a Sauvignon blanc or a white Zinfandel.

Red Wine

Red wine is an acquired taste. Choose from Merlot, Shiraz, Pinot Noir, Syrah, and Port. Red wines have a variety of flavors that range from light to full-bodied. There is a hint of fruit combined with bolder flavors like licorice, spice, and woodsy flavors.

If you plan on serving red meat or a stew, consider serving a red wine with the meal. Pinot Noir is also an excellent choice for chicken dishes, salmon, and pork.

What are you serving for dinner this Valentine’s Day? If you are going for the romantic touch and an eventful evening, serve some wine with your meal.

When Valentine’s Day rolls around, you want to make it a special day for your sweetheart. It is a time to celebrate your love for them. Whether you go out or stay at home, accompany dinner with a refreshing wine.

There is an art to wine and food. People spend lots of time learning about wines and tasting them. You don’t have to swish and spit to find out how a wine tastes. Just keep reading for some helpful tips on choosing the right wine for your delicious meal.

Champagnes

Let’s begin with the bubbly. Champagne and other sparkling wines are served for people to drink when they celebrate. And, when love is in the air, it is a cause for celebration. Champagnes are a lot sweeter than most wines and all those bubbles tickle the nose and the tongue.

If you are a person who wants to wow their sweetheart this hear, serve a little champagne and strawberries to get the evening started. There are a few choices for you:

·       Brut

·       Extra Dry

·       Demi-Sec

There is a difference that can excite or dull the palate. Brut contains no sweetness at all. Drinking it with sweet strawberries can help.

Extra dry champagne has a hint of sweetness but not much. The strawberries may add a bit of sweetness to the flavor of the champagne. If you want more sweetness from that for your fruity mood maker, try a Demi-Sec. it also goes well with any dessert you

How about breakfast in bed? We’ve all heard about it and probably thought it was some type of urban legend, but it does happen and Valentine’s Day is the perfect occasion. Keep it simple so there’s room on the tray for a rose or a beautiful card.

The centerpiece of that breakfast place can be pancakes or French toast. Metal cookie cutters are placed in the pan and batter poured in to make heart-shaped pancakes. For French toast, it’s easier to cook the toast and then use the heart-shaped cutter to create your loving masterpiece.

Some people don’t like to eat too much in the morning. For them, try a simple breakfast of fruit and toast. Cube their favorite fruit and top with yogurt. Some toast and jam adds substance to the meal. This is a Valentine’s breakfast that would satisfy that vegetarian in your life.

The season is still winter when Valentine’s Day rolls around. If it happens to be a particularly cold morning where you are, try a bit of hot cereal like oatmeal or cream of wheat for that special day. Use honey or syrup to drizzle a sweet “I love you” on the top.

Valentine’s Day is that time when we show the folks we love an extra special good time. This year, start with an invigorating meal that comes from the heart to show them how we feel.

February 14^th is a special day. It goes without saying that we show our love to those in our lives throughout the year but on that day we like to do something extra special. Start of the morning with a breakfast that screams, “I love you.”

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It provides us with the nutrition we need to make it until lunch time without passing out. There are plenty of suggestions for Valentine’s Day breakfast meals that kids can make for parents or one spouse can make for the other (women do make breakfast for their husbands, too).

Let’s start with casseroles. These are man-friendly breakfast dishes that don’t require too many steps. Most casseroles can be put together ahead of time and baked on demand in the morning.

Most breakfast casseroles contain eggs. They hold the entire meal together. If your sweetie doesn’t like them or doesn’t eat them, you can choose something else to make. Some popular add-ins for casseroles include: sausage, bacon, hashbrowns, chopped peppers, chopped onions, ham, and cheese. Yum!

Burgers and fries are a simple meal but one that kids and the entire family can enjoy. Get the grill going or a grill pan. After the burgers are done, place them on a bun and use a heart shaped cookie cutter to turn those ordinary burgers into lovin’ from the grill.

When it comes to family, the meal will be special because it involves everyone celebrating their love together. For parents, a dinner complete with some of your child’s favorite dishes will make them smile. Family dinners on Valentine’s Day can be eclectic-the meal doesn’t have to have one theme but can be a combination.

Allow each person in the family to make a dish for the dinner. They can come up with their own idea of what to surprise everyone with for dinner. The kids will need your help shopping for what they need and using the stove, but you can still act surprised when they bring their finished creation to the table.

Valentine’s Day dinner for the family offers an opportunity to express sentiments of love to each member of your family. With busy schedules, making time to celebrate love together is a rare treat.