Happy Valentine's Day ~ Focused On Love

Happy Valentine's Day! 

 

This Valentine's Day is a little different than ones in the past.  This year the focus truly is strictly on love and appreciation. Chocolates, flowers, cards and jewelry are getting tossed to the side...well, really just not a consideration. For those who have read any of my Faith Walk posts, you know that my family has been in a very tight financial situation.  When that comes into play you really learn to value what this holiday is supposed to be focused on: LOVE.

My girls have been having a great time making Valentine cards for friends and helping me with our traditional fortune cookies.  Last night they got to hand the cookies out to the kids in their class at church...and a few other people got to take some of the extras home too. (adults love cookies too)  Sharing the sentiment of love is what it's all about. There are still a few friends that we need to get to today to share a little sweetness with.

For my husband and myself, this year we are forgoing the "extras" and are verbally expressing our love and gratitude toward one another. It doesn't matter if I get jewelry (it'd be nice, of course), or chocolates (I can make my own), or flowers (overpriced and die too quickly anyway). 

 

What matters is that I have a husband who loves me, accepts me for all my cracks and quirks, has my best interest at heart, consoles me even when he doesn't understand and has this amazing ability to make me laugh in the middle of an all out cry-fest.  God has blessed me with someone that I don't have to constantly wonder about whether or not he loves me because he expresses and shows his love for me all the time.

 

I count myself ridiculously blessed to have my little family. Blessed that we have our health, that we are close-knit and (sometimes annoying) love for one another. We carry on today knowing that this year we are focusing on the thing that is truly important...showing our love for one another in ways that a store can not supply.

My girls are also getting to learn to exercise their love for one another. I'm pushing them to think of each other and help each other even more today. And it's working!!!  They have been talking sicky-sweet to one another and helping with everything. I love it!

 

Today I was able to enjoy a heart-shaped pancake brunch with my kiddles. We each got to top them with whatever we liked. 

 

 

Mine took on the form of an open faced cherry pie...which I highly recommend. (Warmed cherry pie filling is SO good!)

 

 

Grace's was simply chocolate drizzled. 

 

 

Rose chose to top hers with chocolate drizzle and toasted coconut.

 

 

Later tonight our homemade Valentine Fortune Cookies, games and giggles are on the agenda.

 

What special moments have filled your V-Day?  Hope that yours is filled to the brim with real love. 

Personalized Valentine Fortune Cookies

What am I up to today?  Well, I'm teaching my girls to make fortune cookies of course!

 

Not those weird ones in the "Fortune Cookie Maker" that my daughter wanted so bad at Christmas.  These fortune cookies are YUMMY!!!

 

If you have never made these before, you've got to give it a try.  Really, they are ridiculously easy to do and so much fun to pass out to family & friends.

 

Here's the recipe I found in 2008 in WOMAN'S WORLD and am still in love with today.  They are addictively tasty and so much fun to decorate. 

My girls LOVE making these when Valentine's Day & Easter come along. (yes, we decorate in spring time flair too)

 

Valentine Fortune Cookies

Kitchen Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Yield: 8 cookies (large cookies)

Calories: 170

 

Ingredients:

2/3 c Flour, all-purpose

1/2 c. Sugar

1 Tbsp. Cornstarch

3 Egg Whites

6 Tbsp. Butter, melted and cooled

1/2 tsp. Almond Extract

Instructions:

For each fortune, with a food-safe marker, write sentiment on strip of paper.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

 

Generously coat baking sheet with cooking spray.

 

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cornstarch, egg whites, butter and almond extract. 

 

Making two cookies at a time, drop batter onto baking sheet, about 7 " apart.  Using a small spatula or back of teaspoon, spread batter in a circular motion, into 5" rounds.  Bake 9-10 minutes until edges are just lightly browned.

 

Cover palm of hand folded kitchen towel. With large spatula, flip hot cookie over onto towel.  Working quickly, place fortune in center of cookie and fold cookie in half.  If cookies cool and become too firm to shape, pop them back into the oven for a minute or two just until they soften.

 

Immediately bend in corners to form fortune cookie shape.  Place into cup of muffin pan to cool.  Repeat with remaining cookies while warm.  Decorate as desired.

 

Dip:

Melt 3/4 cup chocolate chips or candy melts; stir in 2 tsp. canola oil until smooth.  Dip one side or end of cookie into chocolate; place on wax paper.

 

If desired, immediately decorate with sprinkles, candy decorations and/or drizzled chocolate.

Pockets of Love ~ Cherry "Valentine Love" Pies

I love baking up little surprises for my family.  It's very rare, like once in a blue moon rare, that I make any pies...my skills seem to be best suited for baking cookies, brownies & cakes. 

However, I have heart shaped cookie cutters...

and I have pie crust on hand...

 

therefore I must make a little pocket of love to share with those I love most!

Here is one of the simplest recipes that you can have to make little hand pies of love for your family. And it's a great way to get your little kiddle into the kitchen for some baking one-on-one time.

Gather a few items to get the ball rolling. See recipe for additional optional ingredients.

Start by cutting pairs of shapes with a cookie cutter.

If you are like me and like a little decoration on top, cut out a few small hearts as well.

Then place some of the cutouts on a prepared baking sheet. (lined with parchment paper or a silpat)

Spoon filling onto the center of a dough cutout.  I kind of over did this one...go a little lighter on the filling than I did here or it will be difficult to seal the edges.

Place another dough cutout on top.

Press with a fork around the edges to seal.  As you can see, some of the filling oozed out on me...as long as you seal it, your pie will be fine. (this comes from me not baking pies more than once in a blue moon)

Brush the top of the pie with egg white.

Since I don't like to be plain...Place decoration on top & brush with egg white as well.  Then sprinkle raw sugar on top to finish it off.

Into the oven it goes for 12-15 minutes.  Out it comes beautifully golden brown (and this one oozing with filling).  The smell, oh the smell!

After about 2 minutes, onto a wire cooling rack for another 10 minutes. And if you're making these for adults and kiddles, then isn't this perfect?! Larger pies for the adults and smaller ones for the kiddles.  Confession must be made, I couldn't wait more than 5 minutes to take a bite.

Perfection comes with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream! 

 

Cherry Valentine Love Pies

Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Bake Time: 12-15 Minutes
Level: Easy
Yield: 4 Large & 4 Medium Pies

Ingredients
1 pkg. Pillsbury Pie Crusts (2 rounds)
1 can Cherry Pie Filling
1 Egg White
Raw Sugar

Optional Ingredients:
1Tbsp. Sugar
1 tsp. Light Brown Sugar
1/4 tsp. Cinnamon
1/8 tsp. Nutmeg
A Pinch of Cloves, ground

Instructions
Preheat oven to 375°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat.

Unroll one pie crust onto parchment paper or cutting board. Using large & medium heart shaped cookie cutters, cut out 2 heart shapes for each pie. (top & bottom) Repeat for second pie crust.
Optional: Using a small cookie cutter, cut out individual hearts from scrap dough for decoration

Place dough cutouts onto the baking sheet. Take pie filling and spoon 2-3 teaspoons of filling onto the center of one heart. Place another (same size) cutout on top. With a fork, press around the edges to seal.

With a pastry brush, brush egg white over the top of each pie. If adding a small heart on top for decoration, place and brush with egg white as well.

Sprinkle raw sugar over the top of each pie.

Bake for 12-15 minutes, until crust is golden brown. Keep an eye on them to avoid burning.  Baking times vary by oven.

Allow to cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes. Transfer to wire cooling rack for additional 10 minutes.
Serve warm or seal in airtight container and store in refrigerator of up to 3 days.

Need heart shaped cookie cutters?