Valentine Treats in Every Aisle
10 creative ways to show your love
We often consider our favorite supermarket as a convenience-only destination; a place where we grab what’s necessary and go.
This Valentine’s Day is a good time to get inventive with items from every aisle so you can create treats that please the eye, the palate or both! Check out the following time and budget-friendly gift ideas.
Edible fruit bouquet. Cut fresh fruit, such as oranges and melons, into fun shapes and attach to wooden skewers. Trim a small head of iceberg lettuce to fill the bottom of a flowerpot, using a few whole leaves to line the edges. Slice ¾-inch rounds from a fresh pineapple, then cut flower shapes with a flower-shaped cookie cutter. Make cantaloupe centers with a melon baller. Thread 3-5 purple grapes on skewers. Place the skewers in the lettuce head and arrange attractively.
Pineapple upside down cake. Use our recipe for this delicious old-fashioned cake that’s making a comeback!
Heart-shaped sandwiches. Using a large heart-shaped cookie cutter, turn ordinary bologna or peanut butter and jam sandwiches into lunches of love.
Be a barista and create a foam heart on your honey’s coffee. Heat low-fat milk in a small saucepan and whisk vigorously until it’s hot and foamy (do not overheat). Pour desired milk into coffee, reserving some foam in a spoon. Carefully drop foam onto surface of coffee; shape and swirl into a heart and sprinkle with cinnamon.
After a hard day’s work, serve up a glass of wine and crackers topped with something red. Finely chop roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts and red onion; place in small bowl. Sprinkle with lemon juice, garlic powder, salt and pepper; drizzle with olive oil and stir well.
Heart-shaped pancakes. Hand form heart shapes or use a sturdy cookie cutter on the griddle. Drizzle with raspberry syrup or preserves.
Strawberry Kiss cocktail. Mix 1 jigger (1.5 ounces) vodka, ½ jigger dry vermouth, splash lemon juice and 1 teaspoon strawberry preserves in a cocktail shaker. Fill with ice and shake. Strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a few Brach’s Conversation Heart candies.
San Francisco-style walkaway shrimp cocktails. Assemble thawed large shrimp around a dollop of purchased cocktail sauce in a festive paper ice cream bowl. Add a lemon wedge. Eat and enjoy on a walk with your Valentine.
Smoked oysters. Don’t let the tin can fool you, these little gems are smokin’ good! Slice up a baguette, draw a hot sauce heart on a plate, and set a bowl of smoked oysters speared with toothpicks in the middle. Grab an oyster, fold it into a baguette slice, and swipe through the hot sauce. Pair with sparkling wine or lemonade.
Dogs and cats need love, too. Consider buying an extra box of treats or toys—one for your own pet and one for the local shelter.
Quick Pineapple Upside Down Cake
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