Valentines day dinner ideas............Yummm !!
We all would love the perfect Filet Mignon and lobster tails for our romantic dinner (well, atleast I know I would!!) But a normal budget and/or circumstances does not allow that to always happen. So here are a few other options for your romantic night in ... or sharing love with the whole family on this Valentines day. I hope you enjoy the recipes as much as I have!!
RECIPES:
The perfect BAKED BBQ ribs !!
My family LOVES barbequed ribs ... any time of the year! And since we live on the east coast and mother nature doesn't always cooperate with us, and allow us to barbeque out on the open flames I had to come up with the perfect BAKED ribs recipe so we could enjoy them all year long. They are actually easier and so much tastier believe it or not. And they come out perfect EVERY time!!
Ingredients:
1 full rack of baby back ribs
1 cup of your favorite barbecue sauce
Dry Rub (makes extra)
1/4 cup salt
1/4 white sugar
1/4 brown sugar
1/2 cup chili powder
2 tbs fresh ground black pepper
1 tbs ground cumin
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp ground chipotle pepper
Directions:
Prep the back sides of your ribs where the "fat skin" is by poking small holes or slices between the bones. There is no need to remove this layer.
Generously coat BOTH sides with your dry rub
Wrap the rack of ribs completely with aluminum foil. be sure there is no holes so none of the good juices leak out :)
Place your rack of ribs covered in foil upside down on your baking sheet so the bone side is facing up.
Bake them in a pre heated 250 degree oven for 2 hours. DO NOT open the foil or get the urge to peek on them. Leave them alone :)
Take them out of the oven and let them rest for 15 minutes before opening the foil
Open up your perfect rib package and drain off any fat/liquid that may have cooked off.
Turn the oven up to 350 degrees
slather on a coating of your favorite barbeque sauce. don't go to heavy with it but be sure it is completely covered all over the ribs ... on BOTH sides. do not close the foil back up!
Bake for 15 minutes
after 15 minutes the 1st coat of barbeque sauce should be about dry or cooked on to the meat.
Add a 2nd coat of sauce and bake for 15 more minutes.
I do the barbeque sauce slathering process 3 or 4 times. Depends how thick you like your sauce. This gives it a great coating and lots of flavor but the sauce doesn't run down your finders and arms as your eating.
Let the meat rest for 15 minutes before cutting. It should be juicy, tender and fall off the bone perfect!! Enjoy!
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Roasted Brussell sprouts with bacon
1 pound cooked bacon (save the grease) cut into 1-2 inch pieces
1-2 pounds brussell sprouts cleaned and cut in half
salt & pepper to taste
1 tsp garlic powder
toss the brussell sprouts in the bacon grease just to coat lightly ...... please be sure the grease has cooled a little before doing this :)
sprinkle your brussell sprouts with S&P and the garlic powder.
Roast in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 25 - 30 minutes until fork tender.
Sandwich the bacon pieces between 2 brussell sprout halves and enjoy! Absolutely melt in your mouth delicious!! and a perfect side for those wonderful BBQ ribs up above!!
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And for dessert ...........
Show your sweetheart S'more love with the scrumptious S'more cupcakes!! Another outdoor treat any time of year!!
S'more Cupcakes..
1 box of your favorite chocolate or dark chocolate cake mix (prepare as directed for cupcakes)
Whipped vanilla frosting
Graham crackers broken into single rectangles
Hershey bars
Mini marshmallows
The picture above is pretty self explanatory how I decorated them. I did just frost them the traditional way and added the extra goodies to the top.
Presentation was great and all the kids ... little kids and big kids loved them.
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Stuffed RED peppers ....they almost look like hearts :)
6 servings
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup uncooked long grain white rice
1 cup water
6 RED bell peppers
2 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Place the rice and water in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and cook 20 minutes. In a skillet over medium heat, cook the beef until evenly browned.
- Remove and discard the tops, seeds, and membranes of the bell peppers. Arrange peppers in a baking dish with the hollowed sides facing upward. (Slice the bottoms of the peppers if necessary so that they will stand upright.)
- In a bowl, mix the browned beef, cooked rice, 1 can tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Spoon an equal amount of the mixture into each hollowed pepper. Mix the remaining tomato sauce and Italian seasoning in a bowl, and pour over the stuffed peppers.
- Bake 1 hour in the preheated oven, basting with sauce every 15 minutes, until the peppers are tender.
I found a fantastic board on pinterest with loads of awesome sweet treats for your special day. There is a little bit of something for everyone here. Be sure to check out The Happy housewife on Pinterest and follow her pins... some very cool stuff here!
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Some may say its a little early to plan for or decorate for Valentines day ... but seriously it is just over ONE month away!
So I decided to start poking around online for some creative but fun ideas for the kids (pre-teen) and myself. Im stuck at home today, so I can't actually DO or MAKE anything but I'm totally for finding some cool ideas and planning for my days off in the next few weeks.
Don't get me wrong, all the traditional stuff works just fine ... a nice dinner, maybe a show or a movie... diamonds work too :) But not everyone has the time, money, or tolerance for the traditional and are looking for something just a little different.
I remember one year after my husband and I relocated, we didn't have much money, and agreed not to exchange gifts or go out that year. However I did want to do something special .. and kinda silly.
I went to the dollar store and picked up some of those glow in the dark stars that stick to the ceiling. Put them ALL over the bedroom ceiling ... maybe I got a little carried away. (I didnt think so) I covered our bed with a big plaid throw and packed a picnic lunch, picnic basket and all.
Rented a movie, and laid under the stars eating our dinner just the 2 of us.
Was nothing fancy or expensive, but it was definitely not traditional. I might just do it again sometime, just for fun.
After poking around for a while online, here are a few other cool ideas I came across.
Feel free to post your ideas and thoughts .. but keep it atleast PG rated! This is a family site :D
FOR THE KIDS:
Toilet paper roll Stamp art!! Cheap, Easy, and oh so cute!!
Shape your empty cardboard roll into the shape of a heart. secure it with just a little scotch tape.
Pick your favorite paint color... or a mixture of different pinks and reds would be oh so cute! And stamp all over !! Let it dry and add some personal touches! A little glitter here ... a few sparkles there !! How cute is that. Fold the paper in half for a card, or use light colored paint and turn it into stationary. I think it would make some adorable wrapping paper too!
The possibilities are endless.
Images found online: no source mentioned
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I could not pass up this post from Life With the Crust Cut Off blog!! There is 15 Valentines day kids crafts! Some REALLY cute ideas here I wanted to include the link in full so you can see them all ...
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Paint chip samples are FREE .... grab a few different paint chip cards in cool Valentines day colors. Cut or punch out heart shapes and use them to embellish your cards, wrapping paper or even string a few together to make some garland for around the house. They are FREE and anything FREE is always a plus!
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