Chocolate Oatmeal:

This sounds decadent and unhealthy but it isn't. Oats are heart healthy and the recipe includes banana and cocoa which is very good for you (rich with ployphenols, a group of protective antioxideant compounds).

Ingredients:

1 cup rolled oats (not quick oats)

1 cup water

1 cup almond milk (I found almond milk makes the best oatmeal)

1 over-ripe banana

3 tbsp cocoa powder

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

pinch of salt

Optional: chocolate chips and candy heart sprinkles or strawberries

Directions:

Step 1: Add the oats, milk, water and pinch of salt to a pot and have on low heat.

Step 2: Mash the banana and add to oats along with cocoa powder.

Step 3: Cook for 5 to 7 minutes until it is the thickness you like (runnier = use less time/ thick = use more time).

Step 4: Add vanilla just before taking it off the heat.

Step 5: Serve with optional candy treats for Valentine's Day or Chopped Strawberries for a healthier choice.

Mini heart pizzas:

Ingredients: English muffins (split) or pita bread or naan bread, pizza sauce or tomato sauce with dried Italian herbs and garlic powder mixed in, mozzarella cheese and any other favourite pizza toppings.

Step 1: Use the cookie cutter to cut your bread of choice into a heart shape .

Step 2: Toast each slice in a toaster or on a broiler (watching carefully).

Step 3: Spread each heart muffin with tomato/pizza sauce.

Step 4: Put favourite pizza toppings on each English muffin half.

Step 5: Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top and put in oven at 375 ̊F until the cheese melts (5 to 10 minutes).

Valentine’s Cookies:

Using your favourite sugar cookie recipe (with an added sprinkle of cinnamon while making the dough) make some heart shaped cookies and decorate them with pink and red icing.

LUNCH:

FOOD IDEAS

Rice Krispie Treats:

Make some Rice Krispie Squares by following this recipe: http://www.ricekrispies.ca/en_CA/recipes/squares-original-recipe-recipe.htmland then cut into hearts instead of squares. Dip in melted chocolate and decorate with candies

For another easy Valentine's Treat: Make a pink milkshake. mixing strawberry ice-cream and milk in a blender!

How to make Chocolate Hearts or Letters:

Decorate Vanilla cupcakes with chocolate hearts or letters (like I Love you or XOX)

Simply melt chocolate chips or melting chocoaltes in a microvave (in 30 second intervals) and then spoon into a re-sealable bag. Clip a corner and pipe your letters or shapes onto waxed paper on a tray or plsatic plate and pop in the freezer to help solidify them.cni Cupcakes with Chcoolate letters or hearts

Strawberries and yogurt:

Strawberries look like little hearts when cut in half lengthwise. Serve up a plate of berries hearts on yogurt for this theme day.

BREAKFAST:

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Ice Cream Floats:

A classic Ice cream float is a special treat for Valentine's Day! Use red Cream soda for an authentic red drink or use cola or root beer if that's what your child would prefer. Fill the cup and top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I cut out paper hearts to insert the straw through.

Valentine’s Cake:

Bake a heart shaped cake by baking two cakes: one in an 8 inch circle pan and one in an 8 inch square pan. Tilt the cooked square cake so it looks like a diamond and then cut the circle cake in half and fit each half to each side of the top of the diamond to form a heart shape. Use pink or red or white icing to cover all the pieces together to they look like one entire heart shaped cake.

Heart Cinnamon Toast and Yogurt:

Use a cookie cutter to shape your bread and toast it, then butter and add a mixture of cinnamon and sugar. Add Strawberry jam or Strawberry ice Cream topping to vanilla yogurt in the shape of a heart!

SNACK TIME:

Below I have some Valentine themed food ideas but you could also do a different approach and serve “heart healthy” foods throughout the day.

Heart Pancakes:

Put pancake batter into a re-sealable bag and snip the corner so you can squeeze it out onto the hot pan in the shape of a heart.

Heart French Toast and Fruit Wand

Use a cookie cutter to cut your bread and make use your favourite French Toast recipe. You can use a smaller cookie cutter to cut fruit into heart shapes too!

Make a heart healthy spinach salad and top with walnuts, dried cranberries and canned hearts of palm to add a valentine’s touch. Make a red wine vinaigrette to pour on top.

DINNER:

Two Ingredient Fudge:

Ingredients:

1 can of strawberry frosting/icing
1 bag of white chocolate chips

Step 1: Prepare a 9x9 pan by lightly spraying with cooking spray.

Step 2: Melt your white chocolate chips over a double boiler, or in the microwave.

Step 3: When chocolate is melted, remove from heat and stir in your strawberry frosting.

Step 4: Spread in your prepared pan and place in fridge to set for 30 minutes.

Step 5: Cut into hearts to serve.

Salmon is a heart healthy and pink dish that would work as a fancy Valentine’s dinner.

Valentine's Day Drinks for Kids:

Cupcakes in mugs:

We love the old Food Network Show "Good Eats" and made cupcakes in mugs on Valentine's Day using Alton Brown's Recipe.

If you want to try it check here for the recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/chiffon-cupcakes-recipe.html

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Classic Chocolate Cupcakes:

Make chocolate cupcakes using your favorite recipe (or a cake mix, I won't tell) and decorate with chocolate icing and heart shaped sprinkles! Yum!

OTHER DINNER IDEAS:

Valentine's Day

Heart Shaped Pizza:

Instead of little pizzas you could make a large heart pizza by shaping homemade or store bought dough into the shape of a heart or cutting a store bought crust into a heart shape.

Pink Hot Chocolate:

Heat 2 cups of milk with 1/2 cup of white baking chips until melted, then add 6 or more teaspoons of juice from a jar of maraschino cherries. To create a marshmallow heart flatten a large marshmallow with a heavy rolling pin and then use a small heart shaped cookie cutter.

DESSERT:

Fizzy Drink:

Add Lemon/Lime Soda to Cranberry or Pom Juice to create a fizzy drink for your kids. If you want to use less sugar, add sparkling water!

Heart shaped sandwiches:

Ingredients: two slices of sandwich bread per person, cream cheese, red jam or jelly, heart shaped cookie cutter.

Step 1: Use the cookie cutter to cut the sandwich bread into hearts .

Step 2: Spread on slice of bread with cream cheese.

Step 3: Spread another with red jam and top with the cream cheese covered slice to make a sandwich.

NOTE: Save the bread trimmings and put in a blender to make home-made breadcrumbs.