Red Hearts and Love All Over!

Look at all this heart stuff! My parents spoiled us over the weekend.

My Mom filled bags full of healthy chocolates and fun stuff!

She just spoils us all!

This is what I brought to work to share with my colleagues on Valentine's Day- strawberries, blueberries, homemade dark chocolate pistashio, almond and cranberry bark (recipe to come) and a lovely Starbucks Cafe Misto with a Big 'Ol Heart.

This was the Valentine's Buffet at my home on Valentine's night. Beautiful hand-made cards, knit coasters, jewels, healthy chocolate and hearts and love from Brent and Melanie.

Melanie took one of our blank cards and put her own designs on the front.

But look at what she wrote inside... it took my breath away, it brought tears to my eyes. This is one of those 'cute daughter moments', she was just so honest with her emotions in this card... she's only 10! And she's my baby.... this is why you have children.

There is my beautiful girl with her love shirt and kiss pillow, a little kiss in her hand, and a big pink flower in her hair.

Our heart socks! Bet you can't tell which is my foot.... the smaller black one, the pink one is Melanie's size 10 foot.

Melanie and I showing our pink, red and hearts.

Family Love

For dinner, some heart shaped rice and sweet and sour chicken meatballs (recipe to come).

I even made a heart shapped cake for my loves!

I bought a heart-shaped mold a Dollarama- love what you can find there- and I found this delicious recipe for a Light Vanilla Cake... check it out.

Light Vanilla Cake (adapted from http://www.recipelink.com/msgid/3113483 )
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup margarine
2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs (medium sized)
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup fat free milk

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease a round 8 or 9 inches pan (Baking pan). Beat the margarine & sugar together, until you achieve a creamy texture. Add vanilla & eggs & continue beating. In another bowl, mix the flour & the baking powder, & continue adding everything to the mix, adding the milk gradually while continue mixing. Put the mixture in the already prepared pan & bake for 25-30 minutes.

I added a thin layer of Light Cool Whip.

Then I cut strawberries 'length-wise' so that they look like hearts and layered them on top of the cake. It was really good and so festive for this Love Holiday- what a wonderful day it was!