Valentine's Day Treats

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner! I’m all for a sweetly simple Valentine’s Day…tasty, homecooked meals, maybe some flowers, definitely some chocolate, time sitting by the fire, handmade valentines and smooches and hugs from the little ones, and lots of “I love you’s” to everyone we love. I don’t think Valentine’s Day needs to be lavish. And I do think it’s a good time to think about those who might feel a little left on the fringes on Valentine’s Day…singles, the elderly, people who have to work (especially health care workers, the military, etc.). It means so much to just say a cheery, “Happy Valentine’s Day” to the grocery clerk, or call across to a neighbor with a friendly wave. I look at Valentine’s Day as less a romantic holiday, and more an opportunity to make everyone we meet, and especially those who mean the most to us, feel loved!

In our family, for as long as I can recall, we’ve used heart-shaped ramekins on Valentine’s Day. It’s the only day of the year that I pull them out, and I can remember our kids asking with eager anticipation, “Are we going to have that good chocolate dessert in those heart dishes again?” It’s a family tradition that everyone looks forward to year after year. We traditionally serve pots de crème on Valentine’s Day. But the Heart-Shaped Ramekins can be filled with so many tasty treats: crème brûlée, raspberries or strawberries, your favorite prepared boxed pudding (super quick and easy), healthy dips, candies, au jus for French dip sandwiches, and so much more.

Heart-Shaped Ramekins - Set of 4 available here.

I always like to serve a special breakfast on Valentine’s Day. It sets a cheerful, celebratory mood for the day and makes everyone feel loved. Sometimes, we pull a table in front of the fire and serve breakfast there. But breakfast in bed is a real indulgence! It would be a delightful way to surprise your spouse on Valentine’s morning…pancakes, berries, bacon…just the two of you. The Bed Tray/Breakfast Tray and Individual Serving Pitcher make serving breakfast in bed easy as can be. I love how the syrup pitcher takes just a small amount of space on the tray, leaving more room for food and Valentines.

Bed Tray/Breakfast Tray available here.

Individual White Pitcher available here.

Nothing is sweeter on Valentine’s Day than handmade Valentines from the kids in your life. I’m sure, if you have kids or grandkids, you have a pile of cherished ones stashed away that you could never bear to be parted from…thick with paste, Crayon drawn hearts, wonkily-placed stickers. I created the Valentine Making Kits for Kids to encourage children to express their love to family and friends in a creative way. Each set includes enough to make four valentines (blank cards and envelopes), plus about 25-30 adorably sweet graphics for cutting out and gluing to their cards. It makes a wonderful snowy or rainy, winter day craft project!

Valentine Making Kit for Kids available here.

I think there are so many people we can show our love for on Valentine’s Day. And our gestures of love don’t need to be lavish…they just need to show people that we care and we thought about them enough to do something special for them! The Valentine Treat Packaging Kit contains everything you need to package up your own homemade or store-bought treats with love this Valentine’s Day. I simply fill them with bagged candy…couldn’t be easier! But what a treat they are to hand to a friend, or leave on a co-worker’s desk, or deliver to a teacher. Just a little something that shows your love! Each kit contains: four, scallop-edged boxes, four pre-cut lengths of French linen trim, and four tags.

Valentine Treat Packaging Kit available here.

Shop the entire winter Love & Nurture Collection here.

I hope you’ve found some ideas to make some great memories with those you love this Valentine’s Day!