Guest Author - Terri Terns-Hedrick

Okay, so there’s still some time left to plan the best Valentine’s Day party ever! Isn’t Valentine’s Day fun? Wasn’t it especially exciting when you were a kid?

I remember making special boxes decorated with glitter and doilies and all things pink each year in grade school, then putting them out on top of my desk and waiting for the Valentine’s to start filling the box!

Of course, once I watched A Charlie Brown Valentine, I worried that, like Charlie Brown, I wouldn’t actually get any Valentine’s in my box. But I did, and I ended up enjoying the parties, and the treats, each year.

What does any of this have to do with cooking for kids? Nothing really. I was just thinking about how Valentine’s Day is still two weeks away so there’s still plenty of time for planning, and I thought I’d post some more fun recipes to make your child’s Valentine party a success.

It also occurred to me that maybe some of you don’t want all the healthy stuff all the time. After all, Valentine’s Day only comes once a year, and not everyone has to follow the same dietary restrictions that my children do.

So, I did some reminiscing. I tried to remember every yummy and fun to eat Valentine treats I could think of from my childhood.

Here’s what I came up with.

This is a beverage that was always a hit with us kids, and one that made us feel really “grown up.”


Fizzy Fizzer (What we used to call them!)

Ginger ale
Cherry syrup
Orange juice

Mix , serve in a tall plastic champagne glass, and add a cocktail cherry!

Decorate Your Own Cookies

Make basic sugar cookies and let your kids go to town decorating them! Buy sprinkles, red hot hearts, frosting pens or icing. This was always a favorite!

A Sugar Cookie Variation

Another favorite thing to do with basic sugar cookies is roll them out into small balls on the cookie tray and make a small hole, or impression in each one with your thumb. Fill with strawberry jam and bake!

Old Favorite

An easy, and favorite treat is to melt some chocolate in the microwave, dip in strawberries, lay them on waxed paper long enough for the chocolate to melt and enjoy!