TMTT: Valentine Chex Mix

Note: My boys love Chex Mix so I know they will love this Valentine version!
 
Valentine Chex Mix

Ingredients:
9 cups Rice Chex® cereal
1 cup white vanilla baking chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter or margarine
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup red, white and pink candy-coated chocolate candies
1/4 cup red or pink jimmies sprinkles

Directions:
In large bowl, place cereal. In small microwavable bowl, microwave baking chips, peanut butter and butter uncovered on High 1 minute to 1 minute 30 seconds, stirring every 30 seconds, until melted and smooth. Pour peanut butter mixture over cereal, stirring until evenly coated.

Place 1/2 of the cereal mixture in 1-gallon food-storage plastic bag. Add powdered sugar. Seal bag; shake until well coated. Spread on waxed paper or foil to cool, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, stir candies and sprinkles into remaining cereal mixture. Spread on waxed paper or foil to cool, about 15 minutes.

In serving bowl, mix both cereal mixtures. Store in airtight container.

Recipe Source: Betty Crocker


Join me over at Tempt My Tummy Tuesday for more great recipes!

Love Birds

Note: I am still trying to recover from being sick so I was resting on the couch, sipping coffee and watching Good Morning America. Rachel Ray was giving some tips for an easy Valentine's supper. Talking my language, Rachel! I just loved this recipe for "Love Birds".

Love Birds

Ingredients:
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, 6 to 8 ounces each
Salt and pepper
2 to 3 sprigs of fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 tablespoon EVOO (extra-virgin olive oil)
1 11 x 17-inch sheet of frozen puff pastry
8 ¼-inch-thick slices Italian fontina cheese, 2 to 3 inches square
½ cup fig preserves (or apricot, raspberry... whatever is your favorite)
1 egg, beaten with a splash of water

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Halve each piece of chicken crosswise, giving you 8 equal portions. Season the chicken with salt, pepper, and the rosemary. Heat the EVOO in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Lightly brown the chicken on both sides, 5 minutes total (it will cook further in the oven). Remove from the heat. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut the pastry into 8 equal pieces and place a piece of cheese in the center of each.

Top with a spoonful of fig preserves and a piece of chicken. Fold the dough up and over the meat and cheese and pinch the edges to seal. Brush the seams with egg wash, flip the pastry packets over, and brush the tops with the remaining egg wash.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden all over and heated through.

For entrée portions, simply leave the chicken breasts whole and cut the pastry into quarters to make 4 packets. Trim off excess dough and use it to decorate the pastry with small cutouts, such as heart shapes.

Serves 8 as a first course or 4 as an entrée

Here's My Heart Fudge

Note: Does anything say love more than chocolate? hee hee

Here's my Heart Fudge

Ingredients:

* 2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) HERSHEY'S Premier White Chips, divided
* 1 teaspoon almond extract
* 1/2 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa or HERSHEY'S SPECIAL DARK Cocoa
* 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine, melted
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 4-1/2 cups sugar
* 1 jar (7 oz.) marshmallow creme
* 1-1/2 cups (12-oz. can) evaporated milk
* 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine
* 1 cup candied red cherries, quartered
* Few drops red food color(optional)

Directions:
Line 13x9x2-inch pan with foil. Place 1 cup white chips and almond extract in medium bowl. In second medium bowl, stir together cocoa, 1/4 cup melted butter and vanilla extract until mixture is smooth; add remaining 1 cup white chips (chips do not need to melt). Combine sugar, marshmallow creme, evaporated milk and 1/4 cup butter in heavy 4-quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to full rolling boil (bubbles can't be stirred down); continue boiling and stirring 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Immediately add half of hot mixture to bowl with white chips only. Pour remainder into cocoa mixture; stir to blend. Beat white chip mixture until chips are completely melted; stir in cherries. Add red food color, if desired. Spread evenly in prepared pan. Beat cocoa mixture until chips are melted and mixture thickens slightly. Spread evenly over top of white chip layer. Cover; refrigerate until firm. Remove from pan; peel off foil. Cut with heart-shaped cookie cutters or cut into squares. Cover; store in refrigerator. About 8 dozen squares.

NOTE: For best results, do not double this recipe.

Recipe Source: Hershey's Kitchen

Fast & Easy Cupid Punch

Note: For a quick and easy Cupid Punch you can make for your kids at home, use this recipe!

Fast & Easy Cupid Punch

Ingredients:
Lemon Lime Soda
Strawberry Sorbet
Can of whipped topping
Valentine Sprinkles

Directions:
Put a scoop of strawberry sorbet in a cup. Pour soda over the sorbet. Top the cup with whipped topping and sprinkles and serve.

Cupid's Love Potion

Note: Special Valentine parties require a special beverage. This one doesn't require a lot of work and kids can help since all it requires is dumping the ingredients together.

Cupid's Love Potion

Ingredients:
1 (6-ounce) can frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
1 (6-ounce) can frozen limeade concentrate, thawed
1 (16-ounce) can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
1 large can pineapple juice, chilled
1 large bottle cranberry juice cocktail, chilled
1 large bottle ginger ale, chilled
1 quart club soda, chilled
2 cups frozen strawberries, thawed, sliced

Directions:
Before you start, chill your punch bowl. It will ensure that your punch stays cold longer. Mix together orange juice, limeade and lemonade concentrates, pineapple juice, cranberry juice cocktail, ginger ale and club soda; stir to combine well. Add sliced strawberries on top of each individual cup serving.

Chocolate Lava Cake

Note: Nothing says Valentine's Day like chocolate. I can't wait to make this lava cake for my guys as a special treat for them.


Chocolate Lava Cake

Ingredients:
4 teaspoons sugar
1/2 cup butter, cubed
4 squares (1 ounce each) semisweet chocolate
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cool Whip, optional
Additional confectioners' sugar, optional

Directions:
Grease and sugar four ramekins. Place on a baking sheet and set aside until later.

Melt butter and chocolate in a microwave safe bowl. Stir until smooth. Add confectioners' sugar and continue stirring until smooth. Add in eggs, egg yolks and vanilla. Mix well. Add in flour and salt. Mix well. Spoon batter into ramekins.

Bake at 400 degrees for 12 minutes. The sides will be wet and the centers will be soft. Let ramekins cool for 5 minutes. Run a knife around cake edges to loosen. Turn cakes over onto serving plates. Remove ramekins.

Sprinkle cakes with powdered sugar and top with Cool Whip. Serve warm!


Also....
I am grabbing a cup of coffee and going over to Lisa and Lana's blog to find more delicious recipes for Valentine's Day at this week's Tempt My Tummy Tuesday! Come join me.

Easy Chocolate Fondue

Note: We love to do fondue. We make a meal out of it. I almost feel silly posting this as a "recipe" but everyone I run into says, "Why didn't I think of that?" I love doing fondue at Valentine's Day. It is fun. All of my family around one table. There is chocolate. Lots of laughter. All of those ingredients spell Valentine's Day to me.

Easy Chocolate Fondue

Ingredients:
1 or 2 cans of chocolate frosting
grapes
pineapple
sliced bananas
sliced apples
strawberries
pound cake cubes
graham crackers
marshmallows

Directions:
Microwave your chocolate frosting until it is glaze consistency and then pour into fondue pot. SERVE! Enjoy your time.