It is Valentine’s Day in 2 weeks! I know that’s hard to believe because January feels NEVERENDING lol but it’s true. Below I have a few gifts with my affiliated Amazon links if you are looking for affordable treats to show someone that you are thinking of them this February 14th!
Looking for cute ideas for the woman in your life? Check out these Aromatherapy Shower Steamers. They are great stress relief shower bombs that come in 8 different scents.
Or you can never go wrong with socks! Get this 5 Pairs of Pink Fuzzy Socks Set that comes in an elegant gift box. Perfect for a frosty February!
HBear bought me these Pfefe Cryo Sticks for Christmas and I LOVE them. These facial skin care beauty tools are stainless steel massage iHBear bought me these Pfefe Cryo Sticks for Christmas and I LOVE them. These facial skin care beauty tools are stainless steel massage ice globes for puffiness, wrinkles and dark circles. They feel like heaven on my tired eyes!ce globes for puffiness, wrinkles and dark circles. They feel like heaven on my tired eyes!
What about the man in your life? This Spice Rack Co. BBQ Rubs, Spices and Seasoning Set for smoking and grilling would be perfect for the man that loves to grill!
Ninja loved the mint shaving cream from The Body Shop but they no longer carry it. I bought him this Cremo Cooling Shave Cream for Christmas and he really loves the creamy texture and the cooling of the natural ingredients including Peppermint Oil, Tea Tree Oil, Eucalyptus Oil, Macadamia Seed Oil, Aloe, Calendula Extract, Lemon Extract, Papaya Extract, and Olive Leaf Extract. It is lightly scented lemon mint and perfect for sensitive skin.
Make movie night special with this Movie Night Popcorn Kit that includes gourmet kernels in 3 different, natural earth tones: Golden Classic, Poppin’ Blue, and Ruby Crunch. With 5 delicious popcorn flavours: Classic Salted Butter, Cheesy Garlic Parmesan, Better White Cheddar, Creamy Dreamy Chive, and Fiery Hot Pepper.
Got Kids? These gift ideas would be perfect for a little Valentine treat! HBear is super into colouring and especially with these cute colouring books like Girl Moments Colouring Book which has 40 unique illustrations that are perfect for unwinding!
Or for the LEGO fan, check out the Icons Flower Bouquet Building Set. It’s got 756 pieces and there are 15 stems with a mix of flowers and leaf varieties including LEGO ‘roses’, ‘daisies’ and ‘asters’.
If you have a Swifty in the house, look no further than the classic Taylor Heart Hands Sculpture. It even comes in different colours.
If you are looking for a simple, yummy and elegant Valentine dinner then this Pink Sauce Pasta is perfect for you! It is so pretty and full of flavour. Add some crusty bread and a Classic French Bistro Salad and you have yourself a “romantic” dinner for the whole family.
Ninja and I tried these French Kiss Cocktails the other day and they were sooooo delicious. In pretty coupe glasses, these are sure to impress your date. The perfect before dinner cocktail or nightcap to toast your Valentine!
We love cookies and any holiday that gjves us an excuse to eat cookies, is a good one! To celebrate love day we baked Valentine Chocolate Chip Cookies. Ninja and HBear devoured them lol.
HBear’s favourite snack is Greek yogurt, fruit and granola. She was out of the Homemade Granola I made her before Christmas so I decided to show my love by making her a batch of Chocolate Granola for Valentine’s Day. She really liked the heart sprinkles!
These Pizza Roses were delicious, easy to make and absolutely freaking ADORABLE! They looked like roses! They tasted like pizza! If you like cheese buns or pizza buns, this is the treat for you! We paired them with salad and it was the perfect Valentine dinner.
When my Mom was sick she started telling me things. Almost like she was trying to get it all out. Like this book series she had read that was SO good but she couldn’t remember what it was called. It REALLY bothered her. It was about a woman that touched stones or something and went back in time to France or maybe Scotland? I told her to just let it go and it would come to her. It never did. Then a few years later, a friend was telling me about this new book that had come out in this old series, Outlander. She described a little bit and I knew right away, these were the books my Mom was talking about. I borrowed the first 8 books and devoured them and they aren’t little books. Ninja bought me the latest book in the series 3 years ago, but I am going to read it once I catch up to the latest season of the television series. Yes, there is a television series that is almost as good as the books! So if you like the books, definitely try watching the show! Outlander by Diana Gabaldon is the first book in the series. Claire and Jamie’s love story is timeless. It is the best historical romance series I have ever read. The series gets better as you see their sacrifices and their families and allegiances grow. This epic romance sweeps through the history pages of Scotland and right into the American Revolution.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
28 ounce can peeled San Marzano tomatoes
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
red pepper flakes, to taste
12 ounces Rigatoni
1 cup heavy cream
½ cup grated parmesan, more if desired
Directions
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook for 3-5 minutes, or until soft. Add in garlic and cook an additional minute.
Add in the can of tomatoes and break them open with a fork or your hands. Add salt, Italian seasoning and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Allow to simmer over low heat.
Cook the noodles according to package directions in a pot of salted water. Reserve 1/4 cup pasta water if needed to thin the sauce.
After the tomatoes have simmered at least 10 minutes, remove from heat. Use an immersion blender if desired to remove tomato chunks. Then add heavy cream, parmesan and a sprinkle of fresh basil. Simmer a couple minutes and then season to taste. Add in a little bit of pasta water if needed to thin it out.
Stir in noodles and top with extra parmesan and basil if desired.
Ingredients
3 oz vodka
1½ oz lemon juice
1 oz simple syrup
1 oz chambord
1 oz prosecco
12 raspberries
Directions
In a shaker, muddle 10 fresh raspberries with the lemon juice and simple syrup.
Add vodka and Chambord, then fill the shaker with ice.
Shake vigorously until well chilled and the ingredients are well mixed, then strain into a coupe glass.
Top with chilled Prosecco, filling the glass to the desired level, and garnish with fresh raspberries.
Valentine Chocolate Chip Cookies
36
cookies15
minutes12
hours11
minutesIngredients
¾ cup brown sugar, packed
½ cup butter, room temperature
¼ cup margarine
¼ cup sugar
1½ teaspoons vanilla
1 egg, room temperature
2 cups flour
1 box instant vanilla pudding 3.4 oz
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup chocolate chips
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup Valentine M&M's - divided
Directions
In a mixer bowl, beat the butter, margarine, sugar & brown sugar together until fluffy.
Add the egg and vanilla - beat well.
Add in the flour, pudding mix, baking soda, and salt and beat until all ingredients are completely incorporated.
Slowly stir in chocolate & white chocolate chips. Fold in ½ of the M&M's. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
The next day, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Roll the dough into balls. Place on a lined baking sheet and bake the cookies for 9-12 minutes (mine were perfect at 11).
Remove and immediately top each cookie with a few extra M&M's before they cool. Leave cookies on baking sheet to cool.
Ingredients
6 cups rolled oats
1 cup coconut flakes
1/3 cup hemp seeds
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup nuts, coarsely chopped
2/3 cup canola oil
2/3 cup honey (microwave for about 20 seconds for easy mixing)
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 cup dried cranberries or raisins
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1/4 cup heart sprinkles
Directions
Preheat oven to 325˚F. Line a large 13×18″ baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
In large bowl, toss the oats, coconut, hemp seeds, salt, and nuts until everything is evenly mixed.
In a medium-size bowl, blend the oil, honey, brown sugar, and vanilla until well-blended, then stir in the cocoa powder, blending well. Pour this mixture over the oat mixture and stir everything together until all dry ingredients are evenly coated.
Spread granola mixture onto the prepared lined baking sheet and bake at 325˚F for 20 minutes; remove pan from oven to stir and toss mixture, then return to oven for an additional 15 minutes.
Remove from oven, let cool, then return mixture to large bowl and mix in the dried cranberries or raisins, chocolate chips, and heart sprinkles.
Ingredients
1 ball fresh pizza dough
200g deli ham, chopped
200g pepperoni
1 can pizza sauce
1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
Directions
Preheat your oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a muffin tin and set it aside.
Roll out your dough, and using a pizza cutter, slice the dough into six long strips horizontally.
Spread pizza sauce on each strip.
Line each strip with pepperonis making sure the pepperonis have half hanging off the top of the dough strip.
Sprinkle with chopped ham and cheese.
Roll each up to make a rose shape and place in greased muffin tin and bake for 15-20 minutes.
Check out How Was Your Week, Honey? Episode #414 If She Don’t Hawk Tuah… This week we get together towards the end of a loooong January to discuss: virtual golf, new piano, repeated phrases, making out, the router, granola, passport photos, SOW, and the language of music.
Life and Linda featured my January Meal Plan in last week’s Love Your Creativity Link Party!
I had a pretty tough week. However, there were a lot of great moments that make it all worth while.
I worked, had a therapy appointment, and joined my InLaws at Haywire Winery for Lunar New Year. Ninja picked up our new piano and had a nice visit with his brother. They went golfing, up to Apex for lunch, out for brews and had a delicious family dinner.
