Valentine's Day Food and Drinks

Nothing says Valentine's Day better than heart-shaped food and treats!  Just about any food can be shaped into a heart using heart cookie cutters, a knife, kitchen scissors, or by shaping by hand.  This includes: waffles, French toast, sandwiches, paninis, quesadillas, pizza, and so on.

You can also buy heart-shaped items like pasta, raviolis and crackers, and heart-shape-making appliances like waffle makers and egg pans.

Foods that are red or pink are also great for a Valentine theme.  These include: anything with red sauce (i.e. spaghetti with marinara sauce or shrimp cocktail); red potatoes; red fruits (red apples, strawberries, raspberries, cranberries, and red grapes); salads with red leaf lettuce and tomatoes; lobster or crab; and so on.  You can also add red food dye to dips that are cream cheese or sour cream based.

And of course there are many Valentine's Day sweets to choose from:
Red: red licorice, red hots, Hot Tamales, red velvet cake, chocolate dipped strawberries, etc.
Pink: strawberry ice cream or frozen yogurt; pink marshmallows; etc.
Heart-shaped: cookies, little cakes, petite fours, candies, just about anything!

Get out the heart-shaped cookie cutters.  You can make just about any food cute for Valentine's Day.

Heart-shaped pizza

Heart-shaped chicken quesadillas

Heart-shaped mini sandwiches

Heart-shaped salami (served with cheese and crackers)

You can also shape mini calzones by hand into hearts and top with heart-shaped pepperoni.

Heart-shaped wontons

There are lots of options when it comes to Valentine's Day beverages.  Anything red or pink will do: red or rose wine, pink champagne, fruit punch, Hurricanes, cranberry juice, Cosmopolitans, pink lemonade, strawberry margaritas, and so on.

Red Sangria for the grown-ups

  

Pink smoothies (strawberry, raspberry, blueberry)  topped with strawberries

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Pink Ballerina Birthday Party

Setting up the theme with ballerina invitations 

Hand-made invitations with little girl's picture cut out and decorated with jewels and stickers
Inside of invitation reads:

Wear your tutu. Point your toes!

Who’s turning 4? Siena Rose!

Please join us on this special day.

Let’s have some fun and dance ballet!

Siena’s 4^th Birthday Party

Saturday, March 16, 2013

12:00 – 3:00 p.m.

Our Home

Address

Phone Number

Please R.S.V.P. to Lori by March 13

Phone # and email.

Wear your favorite tutu and ballet attire.

(We have extra tutus on hand just in case!)

Birthday cake

Homemade mini birthday cake topped with ballerina figurine

Design highlight: table tutu

Hand-made table tutu

Decor and touches

Touches of pink and ballerinas here and there

Tiaras for the ballerina guests

Table centerpiece includes a ballerina shoe vase with pink roses and a framed picture of the birthday girl.

 Food and drinks

Pink cupcakes with ballerina toppers

 

Pink lemonade

Pink and white popcorn bags and pink old fashioned cotton candy machine

Popcorn

Food spread

Mini heart-shaped sandwiches

Red (pink) potato salad

Veggie tray (celery, cauliflower, and cucumbers) with ranch dip

Grapes and watermelon

Chips and dip

Cheese, crackers and heart-shaped salami

Pirouettes

Fun/Activities

We cleared out the family room to make room for little tables and chairs and then later (cleared those out too) for the main event.

We put out ballerina themed coloring pages and crayons for the kids to color.

The highlight of the party was when a real ballerina came to give a ballet lesson.

Time for cake

Not pictured: party gifts consisted of sparkly star wands and pink and silver organza bags filled with goodies (stickers, bubbles, candy, and ballerina dolls).

Also, as an added touch, we took individual pictures of each party guest with the real ballerina.  We sent each party guest her picture with the ballerina along with a thank-you card.

Flower Box Favors

These make great favors for a bridal or baby shower (or a wedding).  They are elegant and simple to make.  You just need mini boxes, ribbon, silk flower heads, and a glue gun.  Fill them with candy (such as foil-covered heart chocolates).

Pink and Black Themed Party

Table is set with a black table cloth and napkins, pink flower plates, pink wine glasses, a pink feather boa going down the center, pink flowers, vases filled with pink crystals, candles, and bling (pink jewels scattered on the table and sequined napkin rings)

A pink martini tasting station with a variety of pink mixers, glass rim sugar, and more

Pinky pink vodka

Nuvo, a pink liqueur with French white wine, sparkling wine, vodka and fruit juices

Celery stuffed with a cream cheese mixture and a little red food dye

Shrimp cocktail (kind of pink)

Other touches included having everyone dress in pink and/or black (having black instead of just pink makes it easier for everyone, including guys, to participate); pink and black blingy picture frames displaying pink martini recipes; a pink iced cake and pink (strawberry) ice cream.  You can also add touches such as the following: pink and black balloons; pink lemonade; salmon; paprika chicken; pink grapefruit; watermelon; cotton candy; bubble gum; ham slices; pink dyed hard boiled eggs; smoothies; frozen yogurt; jello; things mixed with red fruits (strawberries, raspberries, cherries) or red dyes; various cakes, cupcakes or cookies with pink frosting.  As for adding touches of black: black licorice or jelly beans; dark chocolate; black berries; black beans; black rice; or black olives.

A pink (or pink and black) themed party is a great idea for a birthday, engagement or anniversary party, bridal or couples shower, or for a fundraiser or breast cancer awareness event.

Paris Themed Wedding Items

Paris in Spring. This is the most adorable Paris themed wedding cake I've ever seen! It is one of many amazing creations of Jaques Fine European Pastries (in New Hampshire). Visit http://www.jaquespastries.com/ (click on Wedding Cakes and then on Showstopper Cakes)

This Romance in Paris wedding cake is by The French Gourmet in San Diego. Call (858) 488-1725 or visit 

http://thefrenchgourmet.com/unusual-wedding-cakes-1

  



This Fleur de Lis Bronze Beverage Tub is available from Amazon.com. Visit http://www.amazon.com/Fleur-Lis-Bronze-Beverage-Tub/dp/B003QKUZ9W

 

This Eiffel Tower Cake Topper is available from Glass Cake Tops at www.glasscaketops.com/places/tower2.html

This Cafe Paris Hand-Painted Wooden Sign is available at www.homeandgardenart.com/woodenhomesign.html

Silver Lights of Paris Decorating Kit from Shindigz includes all kinds of props to transform your space into a Parisian paradise. Visit http://www.shindigz.com/

This pink and white striped fabric can be used to create a Parisian canopy effect. See Canopy Baby Pink at http://www.housefabric.com/ProductDetail.asp?ProductID=41299





Create your own Paris themed favors with this Poodle and Eiffle Tower Copper Cookie Cutter Set

http://www.damnilikethat.com/cookware/poodle-eiffel-tower-copper-cookie-cutter-set/

This leather-covered journal makes a great guest book at a Paris themed wedding/event. Visit www.mapsonleather.com/fgalpar2.html

These Fleur de lis table card holders are available from Highlight Rentals at the California Flower Mart (San Francisco) http://www.highlightrentals.com/rental_descriptions/S8.htm

These personalized Eiffel Tower Paris wedding mint tins make a great wedding favor

http://www.beau-coup.com/personalized-wedding-mint-tins-eiffel-tower-paris.htm

Another favor idea: Euphoria Gran Marnier Truffles in Gift boxes from Oregon Gourmet:

http://www.oregongourmet.com/euphoria-granmarnier-chocolate-truffles.html

This Lighted Eiffel Tower is available from Props Unlimited

http://www.propsunlimited.com/catalog.asp?search2=french&show=search&searchtype=phrase (scroll down to bottom of the page)

Add more Parisian touches with these Paris Essentials Rubber Stamps

http://www.paris-essentials.com/souvenirs/parisian_gifts/paris-rubber_stamp/index.html

These three Paris themed invitations are available from Wedding Paper Divas. Click on the following link to order:

<a href="http://www.shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=92570&u=526512&m=12808&urllink=&afftrack=">Wedding Invitations by Wedding Paper Divas</a>