Strawberries, Cheesecake, Easy!

These are not only perfect for Valentine's Day, but anytime when you want a great little strawberry snack.

 

Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries   
Recipe found on The Sweets Life • Recipe from Nutmeg Nanny

Ingredients

• 1 lb large strawberries
• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened (can use 1/3 less fat)
• 3-4 tbsp powdered sugar (4 tbsp for a sweeter filling)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• graham cracker crumbs

Directions

Rinse strawberries and cut around the top of the strawberry. Remove the top and clean out with a paring knife, if necessary (some may already be hollow inside). Prep all strawberries and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla until creamy. Add cream cheese mix to a piping bag or ziploc with the corner snipped off. Fill strawberries with cheesecake mixture.

Once strawberries are filled, dip the top in graham cracker crumbs.

If not serving immediately, refrigerate until serving.

How much simpler could you get?

Use Philadelphia Ready-To-Eat Cheesecake Filling!

DOWNLOAD RECIPE CARD

Valentine's Cupcake Wrappers & Toppers

Here's a fun an easy craft that the kids will love helping with.

Supplied Needed For Wrapper & Toppers

Printer with white and/or colored paper, regular or card stock
Toothpicks
Scissors
Glue Stick
Download Wrappers & Toppers Below

First, bake up some yummy cupcakes, frost and decorate with some candy hearts or other Valentine's Day decorations.

Print out either the Blank or the Candy Hearts Cupcake Wrappers. These may be printed on regular paper or card stock. The blank ones can be printed on white or colored paper and then decorated. Let the kids decorate the blank ones with Valentine's Day stickers or have them personalize with their own drawings.

The carefully cut along the guide lines. Wrap around your cupcake and glue.

For the Cupcake toppers, print out either the Candy Hearts, I Love or Love Stamps on either regular paper or card stock.

Trim carefully around them being sure not to cut all the way through on the circle ones.

Fold in half, place a toothpick in the center and glue. Stick in the top of your cupcake.

Blank Cupcake Wrapper		Download Candy Hearts Cupcake Wrappers
Candy Heart Cupcake Toppers		I Love Cupcake Toppers
Love Stamp Cupcake Toppers		Have Fun!

Have a great day!
Beachy Sue

Are You Wearing Red Today? I am!

This recipe is from Kraft Foods. I had saved this recipe from a calendar I received from them years ago. Hope you share it with someone you love!

Strawberry Heart Pillows

Makes 16 servings, 1 heart each
Prep: 1 hour 10 min.

1 frozen puff pastry sheet (1/2 of 17.3-oz. pkg.), thawed
1/3 cup strawberry jam or preserves
1 cup thawed Cool Whip Whipped Topping
4 large strawberries, each cut into 4 slices
1 square Baker's Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Unfold pastry. Cut into 16 hearts with 2" heart-shaped cookie cutter. Place on ungreased baking sheet. (I always line mine with parchment paper.)

Bake 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire rack and cool completely.

Cut each heart horizontally in half. Spread 1 tsp. jam onto bottom; top with 1 tbsp. of whipped topping and a strawberry slice. Cover with tops of hearts. Drizzle with chocolate.

Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate up to 1 hour.

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Sweeties for Your Sweetie

Planning a special Valentine's evening doesn't require an expensive bouquet of roses or that expensive dinner reservation. To me, I think it's way more romantic to have a nice candlelight dinner at home with the one you love, your favorite drink (alcoholic or not), soft music playing and a great after dinner dessert.

I'll be sharing several recipes I've found over the next couple of days to make for your Sweetie and to share with others!

Pink Lemonade Pie          Recipe from Hoosier Homemade

Prep Time: 15 minutes    Cook Time: 8 minutes

Yield: 1 full size pie or 8-10 mini pies (with leftovers) 

Graham Cracker Crust
1 1/2 cups crushed graham crackers
1/4 cup sugar
4 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling
1 {8 oz.} package cream cheese, soft
1 {14 oz} can sweetened condensed milk
3/4 cup pink lemonade concentrate, thawed & undiluted
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2-4 drops Pink Coloring, if desired
2-4 tablespoons sugar, depending on your taste
Whipping Cream Topping
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup powdered sugar

Garnish
Wilton Micro Mini Hearts

Instructions   

Crust
Combine crushed graham crackers, sugar and melted butter
Press mixture into heart shaped silicone baking cups, or pie plate
Bake at 350 degrees for about 8 minutes or until golden brown
Let cool completely

Filling
Pour milk into large bowl, add softened cream cheese and beat until well combined
Add pink lemonade concentrate, lemon juice and Pink coloring, mix well
Spoon into cooled crust
Freeze until firm

Whipping Cream Topping
Pour heavy whipping cream in a large chilled bowl with chilled beaters
Whip on medium speed until cream starts to thicken
Add vanilla and beat on high speed
When soft peaks form, gradually add powdered sugar
Beat on high until stiff peaks form
Add a dollop of whipping cream to pie

Garnish as desired

Now doesn't this just look and sound yummy! Enjoy and until tomorrow!

DOWNLOAD RECIPE CARD

Cupid What???

Well, it's that time of the year when Cupid is flying around everywhere, or at least she should be!

This is a fun little craft the little ones can help you with. There are two variation of this, depending on the recipient.

CUPID'S POOP

Small clear or Valentine's Day decorated baggie*
Ribbon, color to match design on bag
Tags Number 1 (PDF file below)
Hole Punch
Candy Conversation Hearts, Red Jelly Beans, or
   M & M's® Chocolate Coated Candy Pieces

1. Download and print out the tags. Cut into individual tags and punch a hole in the top where shown.
2. Take your baggie and put a scoop of candy hearts or red jelly beans inside.
3. Twist top of baggie and tie the red ribbon very tightly.
4. Attached the tags to the ribbon and then tie a bow. Be sure to curl the ends of your ribbon.

* If you use the tall baggies, just take a pair of scissors or pinking shears and after the bag is all tied up, trim the top of the bag and fluff out.

CUPID'S KISSES

1. Use tag number 2 below.
2. Replace the candy hearts/jelly beans/chocolate pieces with Chocolate Kisses, preferably the Valentine's Day edition.

These make a cute gift for young and old. Great, inexpensive products for the little one to take to school for Valentine's Day.

Download PDF File

Download PDF File

I found some cute Valentine's Day decorated zip baggies at our local Dollar Store. I created the bags above my simply cutting off the zip portion of the bag, filling, adding ribbon and tag and then used the pinking shears and cut across the tops.

Have Fun!
Beachy Sue