TOP 10 Homemade Valentine's Day Treats to Make for your Sweetheart

Nothing says, "I love you" like a homemade treat. I love Valentine's Day meals and goodies, so today I am sharing some of my favourite Valentine's Day recipes with you. I hope you enjoy these TOP 10 Valentine's Day treats to make for your sweetheart.

1) Chocolate Dipped Strawberries - Chocolate dipped strawberries are my favourite, and they are surprisingly easy to make. You need almost NO baking experience to master this delicious treat. You can find the full step-by-step instructions for these chocolate dipped strawberries here.

2) Chocolate Fudge Cakes - These THREE ingredient cakes only take TWO minutes to make, and they are delicious. If you haven't tried them... what are you waiting for?!? Find the recipe and instructions here.

3) Valentine's Day Cupcake Parfaits - Valentine's Day cupcakes are fun to bake and eat, but you can take them to another level if you pop them in a plastic cup filled with candy. You can even use a cake mix to make this cute creation... and no one will know. Find the full tutorial for Valentine's Day cupcake parfaits here.

4) Valentine's Day Breakfast in Bed - Breakfast in bed is always a hit, and with a little imagination, you can easily create the perfect breakfast tray for Valentine's Day. Find out how to make a "LOVE" breakfast tray here.

5) Old Fashioned Heart-shaped Peanut Butter Cookies - Is there anything better than a "melt in your mouth" old fashioned peanut butter cookie? I think these cookies make the perfect Valentine's Day treat... especially if you make them heart-shaped. Find the full recipe and "how to" here.

6) Heart-shaped Brownies - Brownies are the perfect chocolate indulgence; and therefore, they make a wonderful Valentine's Day treat. You can also make them extra special by using a cookie cutter to cut them into a heart shape. Find the details here.

7) Large Heart-shaped Cake - With a basic square pan and a regular round pan, you can make a large heart-shaped cake that your sweethearts will love. My kids loved this one! Find the full tutorial here.

8) Brownie Waffle Sundae - If you have a waffle maker, you are going to want to make your Valentine this special Valentine's Day dessert. This combination of chocolate, strawberries, and ice cream is irresistible! Find the instructions for brownie waffle sundaes here.

9) Heart-shaped Pancakes - My boys LOVE pancakes, so this is a Valentine's Day breakfast I have made for them many times. It's simple, clever, and perfect for kids! Find the full instructions for making heart-shaped pancakes here.

10) Chocolate Peanut Butter Valentine's Day Cookies - A cookie that combines chocolate and peanut butter is a wonderful choice for Valentine's Day. These cookies are super-simple to make, and they are absolutely delicious. Find the recipe here.

This really is the ultimate list of Valentine's Day sweet treats to make for someone you love on February 14th. Which homemade goodie is your favourite? I don't think you can go wrong with any Valentine's Day recipe on this list.

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

PS... these three BONUS ideas

11) Heart Shaped Biscuits - Biscuits are great any meal. I love mine with jam or paired with a yummy chowder or soup. To make them special for Valentine's Day, just cut them out with a heart-shaped biscuit cutter. Easy peasy! You can find my tried and true biscuit recipe here.

12) DIY Donut Bouquet - Easy to make and better than flowers. Find the step by step tutorial (and helpful video) here.

13) RED AND WHITE Buffet - This red and white buffet would be perfect for Valentine's Day too. The cheesecakes in the jars are simple to make and sooooo yummy!

Class Valentine (Have a HOPPY Valentine's Day!)

Yesterday I shared my youngest son's choice for this year's class Valentines, so today I am sharing the Valentines my middle son will be sharing with his class this February 14th. A week ago, I asked my 11 year old if he wanted to hand out Valentines, and he said he wanted to give out "some kind of stretchy animal". This is what I came up with! 

I found these inexpensive "stretchy" frogs at the dollar store, I put them in little heart-covered bags, and I tied them with curling ribbon.

Then, to make them extra special, I designed and added little tags that say, "HOPPY Valentine's Day!" Cute, right?

To download and print the Valentine's Day tags I designed: click on the photo below, right-click, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 4x6 photo.

It was really easy and inexpensive to put together enough of these Valentines for my son's entire class, and I know he is excited to share them with his friends.

I love the idea of sharing a class treat that everyone can enjoy. There is no need to worry about nutritional policies or allergies with these adorable Valentines!

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

PS (You can find more "punny" Valentine ideas here.)

"WHEELIE" Cute CAR Valentine for Kids

My boys have always loved giving out Valentines to their friends on February 14th, but they don't like handing out anything that says "love" on it. They always want to share treats with their classmates, but because of allergies and their school's nutrition policy, we prefer to come up with fun and unique candy free Valentine options. This year I found adorable plastic cars at Walmart, and I turned them into even more adorable Valentines. Keep reading to download my "WHEELIE" cute class Valentine. 

I designed a card that says, "I'm WHEELIE happy to have a friend like you!". Then, I cut slits in the cards with an X-Acto knife, and I used pieces of red yarn to tie toy cars to the cards. Cute, right?

To print the glittery Valentines I designed: click on the picture below, right-click, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 4x6 photo.

I love how they turned out. They really are a wonderful "non-candy" Valentine's Day treat option.

I made 30 for my 9 year old's classmates, and he is super-excited to pass them out to his friends.

Do you love sharing non-traditional Valentines on Valentine's Day? I hope you are inspired to get creative and hand out something a little different this year. Happy Valentine's Day!

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

How to Plan a Valentine's Day FAMILY Date Night

Disclosure: I received compensation from Greco for this post, but (as always), the opinions expressed in this blog are 100% my own.

Valentine's Day is all about showing love, and I love my ALL boys (my husband and my three sons)! So in my house, we like to celebrate Valentine's Day as a family. Friday night family movie night is a weekly highlight in our house, so a simple Valentine's Day movie night is the perfect way for us to celebrate Valentine's Day. Today, I am sharing my favourite tips, tricks, and shortcuts for planning the perfect EASY Valentine's Day family date night.

Step one is to set the stage with a few decoration... and it doesn't take much effort. A dollar store tablecloth and garland, and a few heart shaped balloons are all you need.

Then, you'll need a "zero effort" supper. How cute are these heart-shaped pizzas from Greco? We got a pizza and garlic fingers, and they were both delicious. Supper doesn't get much easier than ordering pizza!

Finally, you'll need some popcorn, and a sweet treat for dessert. These individual cheesecakes are perfect for movie night, because you can grab them, and eat them on the couch. (They are also super-easy to make... from a mix!)

To make cheesecakes in jars:

1) Start with an instant cheesecake mix and fruit. (I used raspberries.)

2) Prepare the graham cracker crust (according to package directions) and divide it evenly between 6 small jars. (You can use a spoon to press the crust into the bottom of the jars, but I used a little tool made from a skewer, a piece of cardboard, and a piece of tin foil.)

3) Prepare the cheesecake layer (according to package directions) and divide it evenly between the 6 small jars. (I used a spoon, but if you want it extra neat, you can use a piping bag.)

4) Top with fruit, and refrigerate.

I also designed cute tags for my jars which you can download for free. 

To download these "You are sweeter than cheesecake" tags: click on the photo below, right-click, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 4x6 photo.

As you can see from my boys' smiling faces, the heart-shaped pizza and garlic fingers were a hit... and I LOVE when I don't have to cook supper.

How do you celebrate Valentine's Day? Do you enjoy a romantic dinner for two, or do you prefer a family celebration? However you choose to celebrate... I hope you have a Happy Valentine's Day with the people you love!

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Valentine's Day Donut Bouquet

Last Father's Day, my boys made a donut bouquet for their dad, and he loved it. It is a fantastic alternative to flowers... and who doesn't love donuts?!?!? So, if flowers aren't your sweetheart's thing, a DIY donut bouquet would be perfect for Valentine's Day. I even designed a cute tag that you can download for free below.

To make a DIY Donut Bouquet, you'll need: donut holes, skewers, tissue paper, and ribbon. I got more supplies than I needed for about $8.

Then: 

1) Insert skewers into the donut holes. (You can use mini donuts too.)

2) Arrange the donuts into a bouquet, and secure in place with an elastic.

3) Wrap the bouquet in tissue paper.

4) Tie a ribbon around the base of the flowers. (You can also add a layer of cellophane if you are transporting your bouquet and you want to protect the donuts.)

That's it! And, for an added touch of fun, you can attach a tag that says, "DONUT forget how much I love you!" Cute, right?

To download the tags I designed: click on the desired tag below, right-click, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 4x6 photo.

Check out this easy-to-follow video.

Isn't this a fantastic Valentine's Day gift idea? Do you have a special person in your life that would enjoy this DIY donut bouquet? I think this is an absolutely adorable treat!

♥

Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

How to Make Love Bugs

I first made LOVE BUGS with my boys when they were little, and it's still my favourite Valentine's Day crafts. It's creative, fun, and perfect for kids of all ages. (Adults like making them too!)

This graphic shows the step by step instructions for making love bugs... but keep reading for all the information you need to make these cute critters for someone you love.

Here are the instructions:

1) Cut a piece of cardboard (3-4 inches high) from an old cereal box.

2) Cut a long piece of yarn and lay it across the top of the cardboard.

3) Wrap yarn (approximately 60-80 times... depending on the thickness of the yarn) around the cardboard. 

4) When you have finished wrapping, tie the long piece of yarn tightly around the top of the wrapped yarn and cut the bottom. 

5) Use a pencil to poke two holes in a piece of an egg carton, and thread a pipe cleaner through the holes.

6) Spread out the yarn, place it on top on the egg carton, and twist the pipe cleaner to secure the yarn in place.

7) Twist the pipe cleaner to form two hearts.

8) Use hot glue to attach googly eyes.

Cute, right????

You could also make up little "make your own LOVE BUG" kits. Just put all the supplies in a bag, and attach the instructions below. Wouldn't this make an adorable Valentine?

To print the instructions: click on the photo below, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 4x6 photo.

I made a bunch of them in an evening for my son to share with his class. He's soooo excited to take them to school to share with his friends.

Try playing with different colours and thicknesses of yarn. You can also add beads, pom poms, or cardboard hearts to the antennae. Use your imagination, and have fun making these adorable LOVE BUGS!

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

PS - You can also watch an old video of my boys making love bugs here:

Don't miss out on any of the fun... follow me on social media here.

     

Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

I love a good cookie recipe... and so do my boys. Chocolate chip cookies are a staple around here, but these soft and chewy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are also a favourite. The cookies freeze well too, so they are great for packing up individually, freezing, and popping in my boys' lunch boxes.

Here's the recipe for my favourite soft and chewy chocolate chip oatmeal cookies:

Ingredients:

1 cup butter (softened... not in the microwave)
1 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons real vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2  teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups quick cooking oats
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2) In a large bowl, cream together: butter, brown sugar, and white sugar.
3) Beat in eggs (one at a time)
4) Add vanilla.
5) In a separate bowl, whisk together: flour, baking soda, oats, cinnamon, and salt.
6) Mix wet and dry ingredients.
7) Stir in chocolate chips.
8) Drop by heaping spoonful onto an ungreased cookie sheet. (I use a small cookie scoop.)
9) Bake for 12-14 minutes. Allow to cool, and transfer onto a wire rack.

If you love a soft and chewy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, you are going to love this recipe. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)