Sweet & Simple Valentine's Day Treats

Valentine's Day is nearly upon us and I'm here for all the candy!! In honor of the occasion, I'm sharing some really sweet and simple treats to make for the holiday.

Love Stinks Pepé Le Pew Treats

When I saw this adorable idea on the blog Party Pinching, I knew I had to recreate it! I've always been a fan of Pepe Le Pew and it is true that while love is a wonderful thing, it also stinks from time to time. 

All you need is some sort of dark chocolate candy (heart shaped York patties shown). You could also do this with any sort of chocolate cookie or snack cake. Pipe a bit of white frosting down the center and add a few white sprinkles. 

Valentine's Robots

As soon as I spotted this cute idea, I decided to give it a try, too. I like that it would allow kiddos to be creative with all sorts of sweet treats as they build their own robot. 

All you need to make these cute V-day robots is a juice box for the body, and a bunch of different candy for the appendages. My go-to is Dollar General because they have affordable craft supplies like googly eyes, etc. 

Mini Raspberry Tarts

I've never been much of a baker so I tend to stick with dessert recipes that are a bit more foolproof. This mini raspberry tart recipe is so easy, even I don't feel intimidated by it! 

It's a variation on a recipe I used to make years ago, freezing yogurt in a piecrust. To give it a bit more pizzazz, I'm using canned raspberry pie filling and plain greek yogurt. 

Just mix together your fruit filling with the greek yogurt and put it into a graham cracker crust. Then freeze until firm. I made mine in the mini crusts which creates a fun individual presentation. The final touch is to whip up some homemade whipped cream to top it with. Yum! 

Last Minute Valentine's Day Ideas for Your Sweetie

So Valentine's Day snuck up on me this year, but no worries....these simple ideas are sure to impress my sweetie, and yours too!

DIY Bruschetta Bar

 

Who says you have to spend a ton of money or be a gourmet chef to whip up a memorable Valentine's Day meal? The secret to creating a special eating experience is to incorporate unique flavors and choose products that feel special or out of the ordinary. I hit up my local Trader Joe's and looked for ingredients and products I don't normally buy....things like goat cheese, pesto, and other nibbles.

Ya know, stuff you'd expect to enjoy at a fancy wine tasting, art gallery opening or symphony reception.

Then I'm going to use it all to create a lovely spread, a charcuterie tray of sorts, but focused on DIY bruschetta. Different toppings, different garnishes, and lots of deliciousness.

There are many pros to this kind of Valentine's Day meal. One, it's easy to whip up without a lot of prep time. Two, it doesn't require your entire evening to be spent in the kitchen and clean-up is a breeze. Three, if your sweetie is treating you to a lovely meal out to a restaurant, this can serve as your appetizer course. Although between you and me, going to a restaurant on Valentine's Day tends to be something of a let down.

And be sure to serve this on a wooden cutting board or some type of fancy tray if you have one. Presentation goes a long way!

Here are some other ideas for things to add to your DIY Charcuterie/Bruschetta tray:

• Assorted cheeses (some hard, some soft)
• Assorted meats (prosciutto, capicola, and salamis)
• Assorted olives & pickles 
• Crusty bread slices or store-bought bruschetta toasts 
• Assorted jams, jellies, honeys, and spreads (hummus, pesto, dips, etc) 
• Assorted fruits like berries, plus slices/sections of apples, pears, and oranges 

Create a Rosé Wine Station

 

Champagne is popular for creating a DIY mimosa bar, but what about creating a rosé station for your Valentine's Day celebration? Rosé mixes well with some of the common mixers, such as lemonade, limeade and orange juice. You can also add some sparkling water like LaCroix in a variety of flavors, depending on your preference. 

Here are five rose cocktails that might inspire you! 

And finally, because it's not Valentine's Day without a little something sweet.....

Cupid's Trail Mix 

Again, y'all know I love a simple recipe and this one certainly qualifies. I was inspired by this Chex Mix, but I've adapted it a bit for the holiday. 

The only ingredients the basic recipe calls for are: 

• 8 cups Rice Chex™ or Corn Chex™ cereal
• 2 bags (12 oz each) white vanilla baking chips (4 cups)
• 2 tablespoons pink cookie/cupcake sprinkles 

I'm adding some pink marshmallows, a few red, pink and white candies (whatever you like) and pretzels to give it some salty crunch. Oh and popcorn....gotta have popcorn. 

I hope your heart is filled with love, no matter how you are spending the day! XOXO y'all! 

Fun & Simple Valentine's Day Party Ideas for the Entire Family

Love is in the air and Valentine's Day is just around the corner! This is one of my favorite times of year. All the sugary sweetness, pink hearts everywhere, and people freely declaring their love. 

Thinking about throwing a little Valentine's Day soiree of your own? Here are some simple (and affordable) ideas the entire family will enjoy! 

1) Scale Down

There's just something about tiny things that are so cute! Valentine's Day is a great occasion to enjoy all sorts of petite treats. Plus, they are smaller so you can eat more of them. 

I found some really great selections at my local Aldi store, including these cute heart-shaped jam cookies. If you have a pedestal plate or a tiered serving plate, that would make your sweets look even more adorable. 

Another great tiny dessert to create for Valentine's Day is a mini strawberry shortcake. I picked up some really cute small parfait cups at Party City. It's all about presentation and these help you make your presentation really special. 

2) Add Some Flair

Sticking with the smaller scale, I picked up some mini muffins at Aldi as well. These are fine for store-bought, but the way to really jazz them up for a Valentine's Day party is with a little flair. 

Add some festive picks or candy accessories to give them that semi-homemade look. 

Other variations on ways to make store-bought treats more special...

1) Attach heart-shaped marshmallows to the top with a toothpick for a really sweet looking treat. 

2) Slather on some frosting (homemade or store-bought). Sometimes local bakeries will sell containers of their frosting for home cooks. This is a great way to jazz up a store-bought or box mix cake. 

3) Serve it up in Style

As I said earlier, and many times before, it's all about presentation. Two completely identical food dishes can be presented in different ways and you will think one tastes better if it's presented beautifully. 

Something easy to serve for a Valentine's Day party is popcorn. It's cheap and easy to make or you can buy it already popped. 

I melted some chocolate & white chocolate chips (tinted pink with food coloring). Then I drizzled it over the popcorn and added some pink and red candy pieces. Voila! Easy and delish. 

And to serve, I picked up some really fun little paper cones and a cute serving tray from Party City. For just a few bucks, I took this simple party food up a notch. 

You could serve plain popcorn in a boring bowl and nobody would bat an eye. But give it some pizzazz and you'll have all your guests raving.  

Valentine's Day is such a great time to share your warm and fuzzy feelings with the ones you love most. It doesn't have to be about a romantic (and expensive!) dinner out. You can enjoy Valentine's Day with loved ones of all ages, with tasty treats for everyone! 

Last Minute Valentine's Day Crafts

Valentine's Day is on a Sunday this year and for some reason, that has made me feel like I have plenty of time to prep for it. Of course, now it's just a few days away and I haven't done much of anything.

But when procrastination meets simple projects, sometimes magic results! Here are a few of my simple ideas for making the most of a last minute Valentine's Day celebration. From decorations to crafts and a few treats, there's something for everyone!

1) Heart Doily Garland 

The first doilies were created from wool by the Doily family in England, but paper doilies as we know them today weren't produced until the mid-19th century. Martha Stewart has an entire video on doily history if you have an extra four and a half minutes and care to watch! ;) 

I whipped up a simple garland using pink and white paper doilies from the Dollar General store. Some gold-threaded twine made it even more festive. The trick to using doilies for things like this is don't separate them individually. They are so fragile and thin, a stack of 5-7 made for a sturdier garland (in my opinion). 

2) Valentine Craft Jar 

Sometimes it's fun to get crafty just for the sake of it. Without any sort of end result in mind. Do you ever do this? It's kind of like doodling or sitting down to write without a story in your head. Just doing it to see where it takes you. 

That's why I've created a Valentine Craft Jar. This could really work for anytime of year, but I thought it would be fun for Valentine's Day. I gathered a bunch of different craft materials and supplies and packed them into a cute jar (including pom poms, stickers, glue, pipe cleaners, etc.) 

Then, whenever the urge for creativity strikes, I'll have everything I need in one spot. And none of it was fancy or expensive so if I don't actually make anything worth keeping, it won't feel like a waste. 

Actually, getting your creative juices flowing is never a waste, because you never know where it will lead. 

3) Fun with Puns & Jelly Beans

I'm not usually a fan of misspelled words to be cute or catchy. But if there's ever a time that cheesy puns and cute sayings are appropriate, it's Valentine's Day. The more sugary sweetness, the better (in my humble opinion).

Winter is hard. The holidays are long gone and the days are dreary and cold. If pink hearts and red cupid arrows help cheer these dark days before spring, I'm all for it. 

My local grocery store recently added a huge section of Jelly Belly jelly beans in its candy aisle. I'm totally digging the retro vibe and the new flavors so I decided to use a few of these to create fun Valentine's Day treats. 

You can probably think of others, but here's what I came up with. 

A bag of Tabasco flavored beans with a note that says "Things are heating up!" For the camo beans, "I Can't Hide My Love." And finally, "Valentine, we make quite a pear." Get it, juicy pear? 

I know it's silly, but sometimes the silly little things are really fun too. 

Another pun-inspired treat I whipped up were these fun Valentine's Day pencils with a note that says "Valentine, you're just write." I was inspired by a great blog and you can download the free printable here.

I hope you have a Happy Valentine's Day! Love is in the air! 

How to Host a Valentine's Day Cookie Decorating Party

Baking has never been my area of giftedness. I love to cook, and feel like I'm pretty good at it (mostly), but practically every recipe I've ever attempted that involved baking was a disaster. I think it has to do with the fact that baking is more of a science and I don't like to follow recipes.

But I do enjoy the creative aspect of baking. I think it stems from my great-grandmother who baked and decorated beautiful celebration cakes for many years. Once she let me decorate a doll cake (where the doll's dress was the cake) and I was mesmerized by the piping bags and how the perfect streams of icing flowed out them, creating little squiggly lines and flowers.

Today I'm joining my friends at Knoxville's WTNZ-Fox43 to talk about Valentine's Day. But since baking up beautiful and delicious treats isn't my specialty, I had another idea. What if you could take the pressure off yourself, avoid the baking and just get to do the fun part: decorating!

I'm sharing my idea for hosting a Valentine's Day cookie decorating party using your favorite store-bought cookies. It might seem like cheating and if you're a baker extraordinaire, this might not appeal to you. But I think it combines my favorite things: an easy project + getting to be creative.

To host a Valentine's Day Cookie Decorating Party of your own, you might need:

- Cookies (of course!)
- Frosting (white)
- Food coloring (to tint the icing)
- Chocolate chips (for melting or decorating)
- Sprinkles, nonpareils, jimmies, colored sugar, etc.
- Candy (whatever you want)

It's really all about letting your creativity run wild. And with the cookies as your canvas, how can you go wrong?

For this cookie creation, I started with some chocolate chip cookies (from the grocery store bakery). I found some neon pink frosting (or you could get white and do a custom tint with food coloring) and spread it thickly between two cookies. Then I rolled the edges in sprinkles. Pop it on a skewer for a cute cookie pop or into a cellophane bag. Tie it up with ribbon and it's an instant Valentine's Day treat.

For something a little bit more fancy, you might want to create tuxedo cookies. I started with the grocery store equivalent of Thin Mints (grasshopper cookies?), and piped a line of white frosting down the center. The sugar bows were found in the cake decorating section of my grocery store. See how the white frosting makes the shirt and the cookie is the jacket? Too cute! 

Another easy cookie to decorate is the humble Oreo. I dipped some in white chocolate (tinted pink) and gave them a sprinkling of gold sugar. I think it has an elegant look, don't you? 

This was such a fun project because it let me get creative, but I didn't feel any pressure to actually bake anything. I think I'm onto something. 

Valentine's Day is just around the corner and it's such a fun holiday because it lets us celebrate love! Don't get stuck in a rut of boring candy or feel like you have to spend a ton of money to make someone feel special. DIY some decorated cookies as gifts or even invites a few friends over to decorate cookies together! 

Simple Store-Bought Dessert with a Homemade Twist

Decadent, homemade desserts are a wonderful treat. But we don't always have the time (or in my case, the expertise) to create them. Today I'm appearing on Knoxville's WTNZ Fox43 to share some simple ways to take store bought dessert mixes and give them a homemade twist.

1. Refrigerator Coconut Cake

This recipe is such a southern staple and you'll most definitely find it in your favorite church and community cookbooks.

All you need is a boxed white cake mix, prepared according to the directions on the package.

When the cake is still warm, poke holes in it and pour 3/4 of a can of sweetened condensed milk over it until all is soaked into the cake.

Then, frost the cake with whipped cream (Cool Whip) and sprinkle coconut on top. Easy peasy.

2. Honey Bun Cake 

This cake recipe is one my granny used to make for us all the time when I was growing up. It wasn't until later did I learn it's just a cake mix, doctored up.

You'll need:

1 deluxe yellow cake mix
4 eggs
8 oz. sour cream
3/4 cup oil
1 cup brown sugar
1 T cinnamon
2 cups powdered sugar
4 T milk
4 tsp vanilla

Combine first four ingredients. Pour half of the batter into a well-greased 9x13-inch pan. Mix cinnamon and brown sugar and sprinkle half of it over the layer of batter. Add the rest of the batter and top with remaining cinnamon/sugar.

Bake at 325 degrees for 40 minutes.

Mix last three ingredients to make the frosting. Pour over cake when it's still warm.

**Note - For the segment, I used two 9x9-inch round pans because I wanted to stack them. The frosting turned out so much prettier on the round cake. I adjusted the baking time accordingly.

3. Sweetheart Cherry Chocolate Trifle 

For the final recipe, I wanted to do something chocolate. I decided to go with a standard brownie mix, prepared according to the package directions. Any brownies will do. Then I chopped them into 1-inch cubes.

I whipped up some white chocolate instant pudding and layered this in wine glasses with the brownies and cherry pie filling. It made a pretty dessert that you could serve your sweetheart on Valentine's Day or just enjoy by yourself. My original idea was to make this in a large trifle bowl, but it's always fun to get your own special serving of a dessert...especially when it's presented in a fancy way.

[image credit - coconut cake  by nsdis (contact)]

Some Valentine Love!

Love is in the air, but it's also in my heart and I want to share a few things that I'm loving these days...in no particular order.

1. the super easy heart garland I made for my TV segment this week...it was a last minute decoration I created from a red file folder. I cut as many hearts as I could get, punched two holes in each and ran a piece of twine through them. It's hanging across my kitchen and has cheered me up so much this week I'm considering leaving it up for awhile.

2. my new wall color...I'm slowly but surely tackling the job of painting and even though I just have one wall in my kitchen done, I'm loving the light airy color I chose. And that's NOT my kitchen, by the way...just an example of my color (Benjamin Moore soft chamois).

3. love stamps...I didn't send out many Valentine's this year but these Forever stamps will add a little love to my mail for awhile.

4. george strait's I'm carrying your love with me...picked up this cd at my local Goodwill for $1 and I've been playing it on repeat ever since. And by the way, why isn't Pure Country available to watch instantly on Netflix? Come on Netflix...it's a classic! 

5. sally hansen complete salon manicure in kook a mango...If you're looking for a signature color, this should be in the running! I pared down my nail polish collection (purple glitter? what was I thinking?) and this my new go-to color. It's the perfect reddish-orange and the brush is shaped just so that it makes for smoother polish jobs. 

6. this new york times article + npr afternoon concerts = a more productive me! Seriously, stop what you're doing and read the article. You'll thank me. It's all about how we can accomplish more by doing (and stressing) less. It talks about breaking your workday down into 90 minute blocks with little short breaks in between. It even advocates naps IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY. Love. It. 

Since I started my own biz and am working from my house every day, I've had trouble finding that sweet spot of productivity. I was just plugging away for hours on end, wearing myself out, getting headaches from staring at the computer screen. Yuck. 

But now I'm breaking my day into 90 minute blocks with little breaks in between for creativity/dog walking/daydreaming. Combine that with my listening to some soothing classical music on my local NPR station, and I'm getting more quality work done. I highly recommend this method!  

So that's my little list of what I'm loving...I hope you are having a wonderful week and that you feel truly loved (because you are!) Happy Valentine's Day sweet friend! 

Easy Valentine Ideas to Spread the Love!

Happy Monday friends! Today I'm joining those fabulous folks over at Knoxville's WTNZ Fox43 for a segment I think you'll l-o-v-e, love! Okay, excuse the cheesy puns...but love is in the air with St. Valentine's Day coming up later this week. Maybe you've already got your Valentines in order, but if not this post might give you that extra inspiration to finish the task.

Anybody can go the expected route with roses, expensive chocolates and those little hearts with messages on them. I'm sharing some fun, easy Valentine's Day treats that you can make without spending a lot of money. 

First, some sweets for your sweetie. All of these candies/treats can be found at most grocery stores and I've included links to the printables as well. Easy, breezy, huh?

1. I've got a Crush on you

Grab a couple bottles or cans of your favorite flavor of Crush soda and add these adorable printables for a unique liquid Valentine treat. 

2. I'm Bananas for you, Valentine!

I had originally seen the idea of the cute paper monkey faces attached to small bags of banana Runts candy, but does anybody really like those? While perusing the aisles of the grocery store, my southern beau and I simultaneously looked at each other and shouted "banana MoonPies!" I'm sure the other shoppers thought we were nuts, but I'm so glad we thought of this. Add the cute monkey faces and tags that say "I'm bananas for you Valentine!" 

3. Valentine, we were 'mint' to be!

After dinner mints aren't necessarily Valentine candy, but they sure are good! I stashed a few in a small jar and added this cute printed tag to the lid. This idea would also work for a wedding favor.

4. Valentine, You Are My Lucky Charm

 

Ahh, Lucky Charms...my favorite childhood cereal. I thought this was a cute idea and for nostalgia's sake, I included it. I put a cup of the cereal in a clear plastic container and attached the tag to the lid, but you could always just wrap up the whole box. 

5. Happy Valentine's Day Love Bug!

Sour gummy worms are a well-loved candy treat, but only do this one if you can get away with calling your sweetheart a bug. Probably would work better for the younger folks...since it's not the most romantic of Valentine sentiments. 

While candy and sweet treats are the most obvious choice for Valentine's Day, I wanted to share some savory options as well! Again, these are just items I picked up at the grocery store so don't feel like you have to go all out to do something a little unexpected!

6. We Go Together Like Peas & Carrots

Forrest Gump said it best when he referenced peas and carrots as they relate to love. I wanted to capture the sentiment with a savory treat. Carrot chips and dried peas mixed together in a baggie and tied up with the above message make a fun Valentine snack. 

7. The Only Fish in The Sea for Me

Another snack favorite is goldfish crackers. I found the above artwork and turned it into a small card, which I attached to a bag of goldfish. Simple and to the point works best with some folks, especially where emotions are concerned. 

8. Heart Shaped Tomatoes 

Finally, I took some grape tomatoes and sliced them at a certain angle to make a cute heart. This would also be great on longer skewers with mozzarella bites in between. Yum! 

If you'd rather create some non-edible Valentine's Day treats, I've got a couple ideas for you as well. There's a great site that allows you to create your own personalized puzzles and games. What better way to show your Valentine how much you care than with a fun interactive game to get their creative juices flowing! 

                                

I hope some of these ideas inspired you to think outside the box this Valentine's Day! We put so much pressure on ourselves to buy the perfect gift and make the most romantic gesture, but love has more to do with what you feel in your heart than how much money you spend! 

Have a wonderful week! 

{Junior Mint printable; Mint to be printable; I've Got a Crush on You printable; Monkey Face printable}

Southern Belle Simple is brought to you by Kate Spears

Vintage Affections in Sweet Style

I know Valentine’s Day has already come and gone, but the world can always use a bit more love. I found this adorable vintage card on Flickr and can’t believe it only cost a penny when it was new.

Do you have a favorite Valentine’s Day card or memory? It could be from this year or maybe another, long ago. What do you say we have a little love fest and share some stories?

Happy Love Day!

Happy Valentine’s Day to all of you lovely SBS friends…whether you are southern by birth, southern by geography, southern by choice or not southern at all…your presence here is treasured!

{Pondering the fact that we are only able to love each other because He first loved us}

Have a great Monday!

Lovey Dovey

{image via}

Love is definitely in the air…or at least in the aisles of my local drug store, grocery store and florist. It’s that time of year when everything is pink and red, hearted up, dusted with glitter or chocolate covered. Some people live for Valentine’s Day…proudly rubbing their love in the world’s face while others loathe its very existence. I’ve always kind of liked the holiday. Maybe it started in elementary school when everybody, regardless of “popularity,” got the same number of valentines stuffed into his or her shoebox mailbox. Maybe I just like to eat candy and it’s a good excuse.

{image via}

No matter how you feel about February 14th, I hope that it is a day in which you feel loved.

Finally, I just had to share this sweet image of snails, partly because it captures the “awww” factor so well, but also because it reminds me of my great-grandmother. Her famous (and often repeated) mantra in life was “the best way to go fast is to go slow.” I wish she were still alive so I could ask her exactly where & how this thought originated.

My parents say it to me now, especially when I complain that I’m not making progress in life as quickly as I’d like (i.e. checking things off some magical list of what I should have accomplished by now). I think it’s definitely fitting when it comes to matters of the heart too. Love is a marathon, not a sprint and I have a feeling that when we come to the end of it all, we’ll be glad we took our time getting there.

Happy Thursday you loveable thing you!