Valentine's Day Dinner MENU

~ Day 10 ~

It's time to plan out the MENU for a festive Valentine Day Meal for the whole family to enjoy! (If you are going out on Monday, then you can do this on Saturday or Sunday night.)

Here are some fun ideas that you and the kids can serve for dinner on Valentine's Day:

~ HEART SHAPED PIZZA ~

Make your own pizza. The kids can choose the toppings and fix them up into little bowls so that they are easier to put on the pizza. Parents can shape the dough into a heart when it is ready for toppings. To get the entire family involved, each person can create a personal pizza for themselves with their favorite toppings. Add a salad and you have a perfect Valentine’s Day meal.

~ Valentine Soup ~

8 oz. Can of sliced mushrooms
1 can black olives sliced
Pepperoni cut in small pieces
4 Cups water
Large jar of spaghetti sauce or homemade spaghetti sauce
2 Tablespoons Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon parsley
1 teaspoon basil
In saucepan add all ingredients together. You can add or omit any ingredients as you would like. Simmer on medium 15-20 minutes until warm. Serve with garlic bread.

Read more: http://www.kids-cooking-activities.com/Valentine-recipes.html#ixzz1DcDXWNmb

~ Heart Meatballs ~
1 egg beaten
½ Cup Spaghetti sauce
¼ Cup bread crumbs, seasoned
½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 ½ lbs. Ground beef
1½ Cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Combine all ingredients together in a large bowl. With your hands shape meat into a heart. These will be much bigger than average size meatballs. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes until done in the middle. (test with a meat thermometer)
It is rather easy to shape these into a heart shape and they are great placed on a mound of spaghetti or eaten as it is with a dot of red ketchup on the top. One of the easiest and fun kids Valentine recipes.

Read more: http://www.kids-cooking-activities.com/Valentine-recipes.html#ixzz1DcDxM5El

~ Heart Salad ~

Create a green tossed salad with whatever vegetables you'd like. Add some healthy Valentine hearts by cutting red peppers in half. Remove the seeds and cut out the core. With a small mini heart cookie cutter cut out hearts out of your red pepper halves. Toss into your salad. It is a lot of fun for those at dinner to find these red hearts.


Read more: http://www.kids-cooking-activities.com/Valentine-recipes.html#ixzz1DcEUUagx

For drinks, to make it festive, you can serve Cranberry juice mixed with your favorite Lemon-lime soda! 

And for DESSERT....

who doesn't love pizza for the main course and for dessert? 

This is especially FUN to make with kids!

~ Cookie Pizza ~
sugar cookie dough or brownie mix
2 Cups chocolate chips
14 oz. Sweetened condensed milk
2 Cups milk chocolate candies (M&M)
2 Cups mini marshmallows
½ Cups peanuts
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Press cookie dough or brownie mix into pizza pan. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown. In saucepan, melt chocolate chips with condensed milk. Spread over crusts. Sprinkle with chocolate candies, marshmallows and peanuts. Bake 4 minutes or until marshmallows are lightly toasted.
~Shape your pizza dough into a heart shape.


~ Fruit Pizza ~
sugar cookie dough
white cream cheese frosting
Sliced fruit, strawberries, kiwi, raspberries whatever you choose
Spread cookie dough onto pizza pan. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool. Then frost. Top with sliced fruit in whatever pattern you choose.
~Shape your pizza dough into a heart shape.


Read more: http://www.kids-cooking-activities.com/Valentine-dessert-recipes.html#ixzz1DcF5qTRF

Don't forget to teach as you go! Let the kids count the toppings on their pizza. They could group them by two's, three's, or five's. Have them measure the ingredients into the bowls prior to using them in the recipe. Lot's of math can be learned from your very own kitchen. It just takes a little bit more time and patience to teach them....so take it!

Happy EATING!