The day has arrived! Isn’t it funny how we look forward to something no matter how big or small? Valentine’s Day certainly doesn’t compare to the anticipation of Christmas or a Sweet 16 or even summer vacation, but it certainly deserves its place in our hearts (haha- I punned). It’s a reminder to tell the people we love that, well….we love them.
I never miss an opportunity to celebrate my family. As a child, I remember Valentine Days when my mother would put together a little surprise for us kids to find at breakfast. It wasn’t every year and it wasn’t much, maybe a little heart-shaped box with some goodies inside it and a card, but it was something fun and memorable. So with that in mind I usually put together cute little gift baskets for the kids with just a few yummy and silly things.
The boys both received heart-shaped baskets with a card, a cookie on a stick, a small box of chocolates, some silly string and silly putty 
and a sucker that has big puckered lips on it.
I also made up a gift bag for Cory with cards from me and the boys, a very soft long-sleeved T-shirt from Life is Good and these yummy chocolate and sprinkle-covered graham crackers. (I admit, I bought those, but what a sinch it probably would have been to make! *Reminder for next year.)
The boys gave me a huge, beautiful card and a heart-shaped box of candy.
~*~*Feeling the love~*~*
SO because today is Valentine’s Day and because of all the incredible recipes I’ve seen via blogs going around the past few weeks, I decided I would try to make a few treats for my boys that were not featured in my V-Day Recipe Round Up yesterday (because we know I made all of those- right?) Well, I really would have liked to been able to at least have a taste of each of them, that’s for sure.
I started with these: Red Velvet Balls- but I renamed mine as Velvety Cookie Balls, because the red dye was the only thing making it a “Red Velvet” and I don’t encourage adding red dye for nothing (funny, since there’s never a vital reason for it anyway.) Since it had nothing to do with the taste, I left it out.
I will give you the original recipe here:
Red Velvet Cookie Balls
1 pkg. (8 oz) Cream Cheese, softened
34 Golden Chocolate Creme Oreo cookies, finely crushed (about 3 cups)
1/2 tsp. red food coloring
2 pkg. (8 squares each) Baker’s Semi-Sweet Chocolate, melted
2 Tbsp. red sprinkles
*Mix cream cheese, cookie crumbs and food coloring until well blended. Shape into 48 (1-inch) balls. Dip in melted chocolate; place on waxed paper-covered baking sheet. Top with sprinkles. Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm.
Here is my lazy version of the chocolate covered cookie ball. I’ve realized that I am not so good with the whole melting chocolate and covering something nicely. I am too messy and impatient for all that! Seriously, I try, but chocolate just gets everywhere. You can see it when I make my Peanut Butter Balls every Christmas.
I also made Cookie Pops
Chocolate Cookie Lollipops
4 squares Baker’s Unsweetened Chocolate
3/4 cup butter
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
4 squares Baker’s White Chocolate
Red or Valentine Sprinkles
*Heat oven to 350*F. Microwave unsweetened chocolate and butter in large bowl on high for 2 minutes or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is well blended. Add sugar; mix well. Blend in eggs and vanilla. Add flour; mix well. Refrigerate 1 hour or until dough is stiff.
Shape dough into 30 (2-inch) balls; insert lollipop stick into each ball. Place 2 inches apart on baking sheets sprayed with cooking spray. Bake 8 minutes or just until firm (do not overbake). Let stand on baking sheets 1 min.; transfer to wire racks. Cool completely.
Melt white chocolate as directed on package; drizzle over lollipops. Decorate with sprinkles. Let stand until chocolate is firm.
~Yeah, I didn’t have any red sprinkles, Valentines or otherwise, nor could I find any white chocolate in any of the grocery stores on the island. Also, I used semi-sweet chocolate instead of unsweetened because that’s what I had. Overall they came out pretty much the same and my boys don’t care either way because they love chocolate 
