If you love punch, then you’ll most likely love this drink as well. While it’s a little more expensive to make than your average punch, this recipe is more upmarket.

You can use it to begin an intimate dinner for two, celebrating an anniversary, as a thank you drink, as a cocktail for a small party, or for just about any other reason.

Use it to toast to each other, to celebrate your love, or just for an enjoyable night together.

Picture this: intimate dinner for two, arms entwined, candlelight, and soft music, and special people who love each other.

Now that the scene has been set, all that’s left to do is wait for your night evolve…

What You Need:

1/2 tub Raspberry Ice Drink Mix
1 C cranberry juice, cold
1 C water, cold
2 C sparkling water
Frozen raspberries

How to Make It:

Place the drink mix powder into a small pitcher.

Pour the cranberry juice and water into the pitcher and whisk until the powder is completely dissolved and the ingredients are combined well.

Place the pitcher in the refrigerator at least 1 hour.

Just before serving stir in the sparkling water.

Place frozen raspberries in the bottom of 2 champagne glasses.

Pour the raspberry rendezvous over the top of the raspberries.

Serving Size: 2

If you love mushroom steak, you’ll love this recipe.

Portobello mushrooms have a great meaty taste and go well with any type of steak. Add garlic and vinegar to provide a special robust flavor.

You could use any steak for this recipe, and if you prefer, you could also use chops.

What You Need:

2 (8 oz) New York Strip steaks (1 inch thick)
1/2 t coarse salt
1 T olive oil
1 T unsalted butter
6 oz. Portobello mushrooms, sliced
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 T balsamic vinegar

How to Make It:

Preheat the broiler.

Sprinkle both sides of the steaks with the salt.

Place the steaks on a broiler pan.

Broil 4 minutes then turn and continue broiling 3 minutes for medium rare.

Remove the steaks and place on plates loosely covered with foil.

Place the oil and butter into a skillet over medium heat.

Let the butter melt being sure to stir it into the oil.

Add the sliced mushroom and stir to coat.

Cook the mushrooms 4 minutes or until fork tender.

Add the garlic, stir and cook an additional 30 seconds.

Remove the skillet from the heat and add the vinegar stirring to coat.

Uncover the steaks and spread the mushroom mixture over the top just before serving.

Serving Size: 2

Valentine’s Day is all about having fun and spending time together as a family.

This is a relatively quick recipe, and is so easy the kids could do most of it by themselves. (They may need supervision with the oven.)

What You Need:

1 (15.6 oz) box Cranberry Quick Bread mix
1 C water
2 T canola oil
2 large eggs
3 T creamy peanut butter
1 banana, peeled and sliced

How to Make It:

Place the oven temperature on 375 and allow the oven to heat up.

Spray a loaf pan with a non stick cooking spray and flour being sure to tap out the excess flour.

Place the quick bread mix into a mixing bowl.

Add the water, oil and egg and whisk until completely.

Bake for the amount of time directed on the box.

Remove and cool in the pan for 15 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling for 1 hour.

Cut 8 slices from the cooled loaf.

Spread the peanut butter on 4 slices of the bread.

Layer the bananas on top of the peanut butter.

Lay the remaining slices of bread on top of the sandwich.

Serving Size: 4

These make a quick little breakfast sandwich that can be eaten on the run. What better way to show your family how much they are appreciated on Valentine’s Day morning.

If you love chicken, you’ll love this recipe.  It’s great for Valentine’s Day or any time of the year.

It’s so easy to prepare, although a little messy.

This coating is easy enough that the kids could do it, but since it requires deep frying, that part should be done by an older child or an adult.

What You Need:

1 T ginger juice

1 T honey

8 chicken drumsticks

2 C canola oil

4 T corn flour

2 egg yolks, lightly beaten

4 T breadcrumbs

How to Make It:

Place the ginger juice into a sealable plastic bag big enough to hold all the drumsticks.

Add the honey to the bag and seal.

Shake the bag until the ingredients are mixed together well.

Add the drumsticks, seal and refrigerate 4 hours.

Place the canola oil into a deep fryer or large heavy sauce pan and bring the temperature to 365 degrees.

Remove the drumsticks from the bag and throw away the bag.

Roll each drumstick through the corn flour.

Dip them into the egg and then roll them through the breadcrumbs being sure to completely cover the drum stick.

Place 2 drumsticks into the fryer at a time and fry 5 minutes or until a golden crispy brown on the outside.

Allow the heat of the oil to come back to 365 degrees before adding any more drumsticks.

Drain on a paper towel and allow them to cool before serving.

Serving Size:  4

What child doesn’t enjoy a good chicken leg?  Give them these for lunch or dinner with a little honey and brown sugar dipping sauce and watch them eat every bite.

Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated.

This recipe requires the most basic of ingredients and they can be found in practically every kitchen – no matter where in the world you live.

It’s a quick and easy lunch, and won’t break the bank.

Plus… you can play around with it, and make the recipe uniquely yours by simply adding ingredients that take your fancy.

What You Need:

12 slices of white bread

12 slices American cheese

4 T butter, room temperature

How to Make It:

Spread each of the slices of bread on one side with the butter.

Place a skillet or griddle over medium heat on the stove.

Lay 6 slices of bread in the skillet butter side down.

Lay 2 slices of cheese on each piece of bread in the skillet.

Top each sandwich with the remaining bread slices buttered side facing up.

Brown for 3 minutes then flip the sandwiches.

Continue to brown an additional 3 minutes or until the sandwich is a golden brown on both sides and the cheese has melted.

Serving Size:  6 sandwiches

These good ole American grilled cheese sandwiches will show your children just how loved they are on Valentine’s Day.  Use heart shaped cookie cutters to cut each sandwich into different size edible hearts for the kids to enjoy.

Chocolate cookies are everyone’s favorite.

This recipe has a Valentine’s Day twist to it, and is great for all the family. It’s a quick and easy recipe – easy to prepare and easy to cook. The kids will have fun helping mom prepare these cookies for Valentine’s Day to surprise dad.

Or… the kids may prefer to make them by themselves and surprise both mom and dad!

What You Need:

1 1/2 C flour
2/3 C sugar
1 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
10 T unsalted butter, melted and hot
1/4 C + 2 T unsweetened cocoa powder
1 large egg
1/4 C + 2 T milk

How to Cook It:

Place the flour in a large mixing bowl.

Add the sugar, baking soda and salt and blend all the ingredients together well.

Place the hot melted butter into a separate bowl.

Add the cocoa powder and whisk until very smooth.

Add the egg and milk to the chocolate mixture and blend until completely combined.

Pour the chocolate mixture into the flour mixture and stirring from the bottom up mix the ingredients until the flour mixture is just moistened completely.

Place a piece of wax paper on a flat surface and remove the dough to the wax paper.

Form the dough into a rectangle.

Place the dough into the refrigerator and allow it to chill 15 minutes.
Set the oven temperature to 400 degrees and allow the oven to heat while finishing preparing the cookies.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and use a heart shaped cookie cutter to cut out the dough into 8 heart shaped cookies.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place the cookies in a single layer on the prepared sheet.
Bake 12 minutes or until the bottoms just begin to color and the tops begin to crack.

Allow to cool 5 minutes before serving.

Serving Size: 8

Serve these on Valentine’s morning with a few fresh berries on the side.

During the cold days of winter, many of us find comfort in the little break that Valentine’s Day provides. In order to celebrate it to the best level, many people will purchase items for their loved ones. Children are no different, and are often given small gifts such as candy and even money. And, they too want to give a present and often give gifts such as cards that are hand-crafted to their loved ones. Finding a unique, meaningful gift is important though.

When giving a gift for Valentine’s Day, it is often important for you to think of a way to give them as clutter free a gift as possible. Think about it. As a child, for each Valentine’s Day you got a stuffed animal. How much room do you have to receive yet another stuffed animal? Not to mention, getting the same type of gift year after year leaves individuals really not appreciating it either. Instead, there are other solutions of gifts to give. Think, clutter free gifts instead.

* Gift luxury. Great gifts to give a loved one for Valentine’s Day are lotions, perfumes, and bath gels or salts. As long as they are the fragrance and type that the individual likes, they will get used and will not be cluttering up the home. Make sure that what you give is something that will be enjoyed by the individual. Know what they like before buying it.

* A Box Of Chocolates? Another non clutter type of gift for Valentine’s Day is giving something that can be consumed. For example, chocolate or even a great fruit basket will work well. Think about what they enjoy, being conscious of diets and eating plans when giving these gifts.

* Give the gift of time. Or a coupon. For example, if you know your loved one would enjoy a meal for two and a nice movie, give the gift of a coupon made out just for that. Or, how about a back rub, a day off from the kids, or just some help around the house. These are useful and much appreciated gifts.

* Give the gift of writing. Those individuals that like writing notes to people or would enjoy a beautiful stationary set would love to have these given as gifts. You’ll find them available in sets that contain beautiful ways to decorate it. If they enjoy scrapbooking, give them these things too.

* Think about the kids too. Don’t leave kids out of the picture. What consumable things can you buy for kids? Think about what they love. Craft items, pencils, great looking stationary, maybe even some new art supplies would be appreciated. Or, plan a trip to the zoo, a game of cards or other things to involve you spending time with them. You can use the coupon theory here too.

When you do these types of things for your Valentines Day gifts, kids and adults alike are more likely to appreciate them, use them and keep their homes clutter free. It takes only a few minutes of thought to come up with the best clutter free ideas for your loved ones. These are Valentine’s Day gifts that they will love.

You decorate for Halloween, Christmas, and other occasions, so why aren’t you getting festive around the house for Valentine’s day? Decorating your house is a great way to celebrate love and get everyone who lives there in a loving mood.

Valentine’s day doesn’t only have to be romantic between adults. You can get the kids involved too. Here are some ideas to get you started:

Christmas is over

The first thing you’re going to do before you start decorating for Valentine’s day is to make sure that Christmas is over in your house. Yes, February 14th is a month and a half after Christmas but some people hang on to their Christmas decorations longer than you would like to believe.

So, if there’s anything left, get it out now. We can’t have Cupid poking Santa by mistake.

Flowers and hearts

Decorating trim throughout your house with flowers and hearts are a good way to get into the Valentine’s day spirit.  You can replace your centerpiece with pink and red potpourri to give your home the official smell of love in the air.

Candles

Another must is candles, but make sure you are being safe. If you are going to add more candles than usual for Valentine’s day, just be sure that you take all the necessary precautions, especially if there are children and pets that can bump into them. You might want to prepare your bathroom for a night or two of relaxation with your partner as well.

Sweets

To celebrate Valentine’s day, you will likely add a dessert or two. Indulging in a few bites of rich chocolate just seems to come with the territory.  But, the options are endless when it comes to sweets. The main thing is that you stick to red, white, and chocolate. So, even if the whole family loves jellybeans, be sure to get a bag of only red and white for the evening. Serve your desserts on heart-shaped trays. Put whipped cream on chocolate chip cookies that have red icing on top. You get the idea. Indulge in Valentine’s day!

Valentine’s day is the time to celebrate your love for one another, but what does that mean for married couples? Sometimes our progression into more responsibility and the daily grind of mature life can change our priorities and even our spirit. What once was a day that you looked forward to, may get lost and pass by without being celebrated at all.

Sometimes we simply grow, change, and no longer have the same interests. However, love is one joy that is magical, life-giving, and something that always gives us happiness, regardless of the situation we’re in, how old we are, or how busy we are.

If you are married and somehow lost touch with the romantic side that once was, then use Valentine’s day to recapture that spirit.

All it takes is action to keep it exciting!

If you’re busy, use the one 7 mobile devices that you carry for work to remind you to schedule some time for Valentine’s day celebration with your spouse! No, not just an alarm that dings when it’s February 14th, but reminders several weeks before to create a special day for you and your spouse to help rekindle that fire you had when you were younger.

You just need a spark.

If you plan weeks beforehand, then you will not feel the stress of getting things together once the actual day arrives.

Here’s a few things you might want to consider planning well ahead of time:

• Get a babysitter
• Make dinner reservations or plan out your meal for the night (and buy the food)
• Buy a new outfit
• Look online for ideas on a thoughtful gift
• And anything else you’d love to do! Do it!

Surprise your spouse with something unique this year and don’t even bother going to the local florist or the grocery store for a last minute box of chocolates.

Make it meaningful – and that doesn’t necessarily mean expensive. Just make sure it’s from the heart.