linkedHeartsValentine’s Day is just days away, and no matter if you are celebrating many-years-love, friendship-love, self-love or true love, show anyone some love with those quick and fun Valentine treats.

Show Your Love with Cookies

Heart-shaped cookies with red hearts are a fun treat to make. Follow any sugar cookie recipe like this one from Martha Stewart and use heart cookie cutters to make fun shapes and top with cinnamon candies.

Breakfast or Lunch is a Great Time to Show You Care

Using refrigerated biscuits, form a heart shape with furrows on a pizza stone or a cookie sheet and bake. Cool and move the heart to a large serving plate. Fill with chicken salad or scrambled eggs and serve to your Valentine!

A simple but fun Valentine food is serving hearts to your sweetheart! Using a heart-shaped mold, make pancakes or use the mold to cut a sandwich into a heart shape and serve to your sweetie!

dough heart Image.pixabay.comKeeping Things Healthy

February is also heart health month, so be aware of what you and your friends and family are doing to treat themselves right. Quit or cut down on smoking, exercise more, try to eat more fruits and vegetables.

Many people make their own salsa, and this is heart-healthy and fun, and eliminates extra sugar and salt found in store-bought varieties. Assemble 2 cups of any of your favorite veggie, including corn, avocado, beans, mushrooms, onions, tomatoes and/or garlic. Add a half-cup of lime juice, and two cups of crushed tomatoes, and add a sprinkle of salt, pepper, and sugar. Be generous with herbs and spices, however- cilantro, paprika, turmeric, chili pepper and parsley all add great flavor without sodium. Mix all together in a plastic or glass bowl and let set for an hour for the flavors to truly meld.

Finish the Day with a Heartfelt Desert 

sweet-608423_640Don’t have much time or money to dish up a creative culinary cuisine for your cutie? Serve a nice dinner of your choosing, but get creative with dessert. Dip heart-shaped cookies into melted chocolate or chop bananas and strawberries and serve with melted chocolate truffles and a sprinkle of sea salt on top.