BE MY VALENTINE

Love in the air and cupid around the corner can only mean one thing, Valentines day!

I love Valentines - not  for the mushy gushy, but for the fun that you can having in cooking or baking for you family, friends and your main squeeze! When we were younger, Valentines was a big day in our house. We would wake up to a table that was covered in a pink or red tablecloth, smothered in chocolate kisses, cinnamon hearts & pink tulips. My mom would always have our favourite breakfast treats waiting (mine was always an almond croissant from Summerhill) as well as a cute Valentine's card & treat. 

For such a simple day my mom would go all out, and it is for that reason that I love doing the same on Valentines. Here are three fun things you can make tomorrow (or today) as a treat for those you love!!

1. Valentine's night appetizer, heart tomatoes & boccinicini: these would make for a great appetizer. Cut the cherry tomatoes on an angle in half and arrange on the skewer in the shape of a heart. Not pictured here but add a boccincini ball on and you have a great pre-dinner nibble!

2. Treats for all: these chocolate dipped pretzles are dead simple to make and would be a great gift to girlfriends, coworkers or kids friends at school. Since they are so simple, this is a great activity for kids as well. Melt some white chocolate in a bowl, have a few other bowls filled with your favourite red & pink sprinkles. Dip half of the pretzel into the chocolate and then straight into the sprinkles. Dust off and let harden. Put a handful into a see through bag, tie with a festive ribbon and you have a great Valentine's day treat!

3. Special Breakfast: jazz up those boring pancakes by putting in a little effort to ensure that they are heart shaped! For your kids - tint them with some red food dye! Serve with good quality Ontario maple syrup and a few strawberries or raspberries for that pop of red!