Valentines Galore

Valentine's Day was busy for us this year. I made the mistake of agreeing to make treats for 2 different parties (Elina's school party and Eli's music party), so I spent a lot of time in the kitchen the weekend before Valentine's Day.

The kids and I made chocolate covered peanut butter balls for the kids to pass out to their friends. I got the recipe from Parents magazine and they turned out delicious! Elina helped me roll the peanut butter into balls. Then after I dipped them into melted chocolate, the kids and B covered them with sprinkles. It turned out really cute especially because I bought little boxes to hold them.
For both parties, I decided to make my red and pink rainbow jello. This is my 3rd year making them and I've definitely gotten better and faster at it. Each year I learn something new, so I think I've perfected the process now. It's still time-consuming, but the pay off is great because the kids just ooooh and ahhhh at the layers. Plus, I like that it's a treat that's not quite as sweet as everything else.
I was actually in charge of Elina's class party, so I had to attend that one while J took Eli to the music class party. (Thank goodness for J!) For Elina's party, we read Guess How Much I Love You, had snacks (heart-shaped PB&J sandwiches, heart jello, and red fruit), did a craft (Magic Color Scratch hearts), and handed out Valentines. I loved the craft because setup and cleanup were both a cinch! Plus, the kids love to scratch the black paint stuff off to see what colors are underneath. The party went well and the kids had a great time.
Eli had fun at his party, too. He decorated a bag, exchanged Valentines, and ate lots of Valentine-themed food. He was so excited to come home with a bunch of candy! In the collage below (from top left going clockwise), Eli is listening to a Valentine's Day book, Evie is hanging out with a fellow baby, Eli is showing off his loot, and Eli is chillin' with his new friends and preschool buddies (T and P).
In the next collage, Eli enjoyed his Valentine's Day snacks at music class (left) and then he got a nice Valentine's lunch from J at home. Yum!
At home, we also did our Valentine's Day mailboxes again. I started a little later than usual this year just because Chinese New Year was at the beginning of the month. Every day the kids would look in their mailboxes and find clues leading to a treat or to a prize. Elina really looks forward to this every year. And as it gets closer and closer to Valentine's Day, the treasure hunts get longer and the clues gets a little more difficult. The big prize at the end was a play mixer that I've had hidden for a very long time. (Seriously, I think it's been hidden in the closet since last June or July!) Eli didn't really understand the treasure hunts, but Elina would ask him questions and he would try to answer. All he knew was that if he kept following Elina around he would end up with some sort of prize at the end!
For our Valentine's Day breakfast, the kids had heart-shaped pancakes, strawberries, and strawberry milk. We had our red and pink dinner that night--heart-shaped pasta with red sauce, strawberry milk, Valentine's Day dinner rolls, and more jello hearts. Yum! (Check out Elina's new "funny face" in the picture below...yikes.)
B and I went on our own Valentine's Day date the next night. We went to La Frite, this Belgian French restaurant that I've been wanting to check out. B wasn't so sure about it, but after the meal, he was convinced that it was a great place. All the food was delicious. The tomato bisque and green salad with basil vinaigrette were to die for. Then I got a bowl of mussels in a pesto sauce and B got the steak. We ended the meal with a yummy chocolate tart. The best part were the frites (hence, the name), or the fries. You wouldn't think there would be that much difference in taste, but these frites were amazing! Just perfect little fried pieces of heaven. I would definitely go back just for the frites!
Elina's always sad to see the end of Valentine's Day because she loves the mailbox surprises. Plus, this year she became obsessed with creating Valentine's Day cards. The first day we sat down to make a few for friends who live far away. I figured she might sit and make 5 or so. Nope, she sat down and made 12 of them...then later that day she made more. Every day she would find something new to add to make even better Valentines. It got really crazy...but it was cute that she kept making them more and more intricate. That's our crafty girl!
All in all, it was a busy, but yummy and fun Valentine's Day!