Easy Ways to Say ''I Love You'' with Food: SparkRecipes SlideShow
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Easy Ways to Say ''I Love You'' with Food
By Megan Patrick
The fastest way to your Valentine's heart may well be through his or her stomach. These simple ideas, from romantic dinners to cute breakfasts and desserts, will let your loved one know just how much you care.
Message in a Pancake
Any kind of pancake will work for this special V-day breakfast treat. You can create a berry special message with blueberries, raspberries or strawberries. If you can't find fresh berries that are sweet enough for your sweetheart, simply thaw some frozen ones. The taste will be just as delicious.
Sugar-Dusted Brownies
Give your favorite brownie recipe a special Valentine's Day twist by adding powdered sugar hearts on top. If you're not in the mood for baking, this works just as well with store-bought brownies. Simply place a paper heart in the middle of each dessert and shake a light layer of sugar on top using a flour sifter or fine-mesh sieve.
A Toasty Message
Even when Valentine's Day falls during the week, you can still make a special breakfast for the people you love. Instead of serving toast with jam on the side, create a heart-shaped dollop in the middle of each slice of bread. Your Valentines can spread the jelly just before they eat.
An Eggcellent Choice
If your Valentine enjoys eggs in the morning (or is a fan of breakfast for dinner), you can make a special sunny-side up this year. There are several ways to create a heart-shaped egg atop toast. One, cook the egg as you normally would and use a cookie cutter to create the shape at the end. Two, use a cookie cutter to cut a heart-shape from the middle of a piece of bread and pour the uncooked egg into the cutout. (You'll want to cook this one on low to prevent the toast from burning before the egg cooks all the way through.) Finally, you can use a heart-shaped mold (which also works for pancakes).
For Pasta Lovers
For a romantic Italian dinner for two, pour a glass of red and cook up a simple spaghetti dish. You might need to cook the pasta just past al dente in order to maneuver it into a heart-shape. Top with your favorite homemade sauce. Even easier, just perk up a jar of store-bought sauce with some fresh basil and a sprinkle of parmesan!
Pancake Hearts
If you're an experienced pancake maker, you can probably free-hand these delightful breakfast treats. For the novice chef, it's much easier to use a heart-shaped mold. Serve these beauties with a side fresh or frozen (and thawed) berries along with a bowl of fresh whipped cream.
Say It with Cupcakes
Cute Valentine's Day cupcake toppers are easy to find this time of year. Use them to decorate simple store-bought treats or whip up a batch of these amazing Pink Peach Cupcakes. If you're feeling ambitious, you can even use a candy mold to make your own chocolate letters.
Hot Chocolate Surprise
Warm the heart of your Valentine when they come in from the cold with a mug of hot chocolate topped with a heart-shaped marshmallow. You can certainly find them at the grocery store this time of year, but making your own isn't as hard as you might think.
