A Real Valentine's Day

Yes yes, it's another post on Valentines Day. If you've got a long roster of food blogs on your reader, or enjoy food communities tastespotting or foodgawker and the like, chances are, you've seen plenty of Valentine's Day themed treats. Of course, there's red velvet everything – whoopie pies, crépes, lollipops, brownies and even a red velvet cheese ball (yikes!) – you name it, and everywhere you go there's enough pink and red to make even a 5 year old girl go nuts. I've definitely done my share of talking about Valentines Day (Be Mine, Love) and I myself enjoy making a bit of extra income doing my annual V-Day Cupcake Sale. Sure, this "holiday" is probably just a big fat business scam to many, but isn't it quite funny how so many of us still fall for it every single year?

But maybe we miss the point when we keep analyzing it. Last year, I've written about finding my own meaning to what "Love" is and I've shared how I wanted to express it during Valentine's Day. That's all nice and dandy, sure. :) But this year, I realized, "Hey – what's wrong with showing a little extra effort to someone you love?" What's wrong with finding an occasion to celebrate love just for the sake of celebrating love? What's wrong with a guy finding the courage to buy roses and chocolate to the girl he's always had a crush on; or a little girl excited to send a candy-gram to the friends who's always been kind to her? Alright alright, it's getting a bit cheesy now, but my point is, when we stop trying so hard to find fault in everything around us, it frees us to enjoy and value the little things in life!

So dear ladies and gents, why not pick up your spatulas and express your love through the wondrous creation of "baked goodies" this year? And make it GOOD, with love, with extra-effort. And make it from scratch! It tastes soooo much better than the boxed mixes and your Valentine will surely be impressed!

Here are my favourite recipes and some decorating tips!



1. This is my classic Red Velvet Cupcakes with Brownie Hearts. I do a special sale of these babies every year and I've received so much love for them. The brownie hearts are especially loved and it's such a cute little touch to the classic red velvet cupcake.



2. Dragees (silver sugar balls) are always such an elegant and sparkly decoration for your cupcakes. You can easily buy them at your local bulk barn (bulk food store) or Michaels (craft & baking store).



3. You can never get enough chocolate during Valentine's Day. Try making these Chocoholic Cupcakes with Rich chocolate cake and smooth milk chocolate frosting.



4. Can't afford a dozen of roses? I totally understand – the prices during V-Day is absolutely ridiculous! Well why dont you make a dozen of cupcake roses? These aren't the crazy intricate roses that I'm sure many of us struggle to ice, but they're cute and simple! They definitely do the job. All you need to do for these cupcakes is use a offset spatula for the white frosting part. And use a normal star tip for the rose. Just swirl OUT to IN in the middle of the cupcake.



5. Ahh, the good old heart decorations. But try using some more modern and unique colours and styles! Maybe not purple like this one, but play around with your design to keep it original.



6. Here is a delicious and elegant cupcake! These Strawberry Cupcakes are one of my favourites and I think my unique decorations may relieve you of the heart-theme fatigue.

Alright, so I think I've got plenty of cutesy decoration ideas for all the lovebird bakers out there... but how could I forget the lovely ladies and gents who don't really have someone to bake for. Valentine's Day is also a perfect day for my single friends to indulge just the same. ;) Here are some ideas for good ol' vegging. ❤



1. Rich, delicious brownies. Doesn't get any more indulgent than this. Make sure you use the best chocolate you can get your hands on. Remember, it's V-Day – you can spoil yourself a little. :)



2. Chewy Gooey Chocolate Chip Cookies. And this is a must: Make it fresh and eat it right out of the even with some ice-cream. It will surely make the whole world feel better. :)



3. Chocolate Toffee Cookies are perfect to soothe your sweet tooth!



4. Make yourself the best buttermilk pancakes with lots of fresh fruit and even more syrup. Don't forget the whipped cream. Hehe! Also, make sure you're in your PJs.


Alrighty -- I hope this post has inspired you to take some time loving your friends, lovers, and yourself! I'd even love it if you told me what ideas you have in mind for next week! Share some of your favourite Valentine's Day recipes and rituals!!

I wish everyone a very happy and cheerful Valentine's Day!!



xoxo,
Sarah