Rustic Valentines Day Recipes
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #CapriSunParties #CollectiveBias
For my daughter and I, Valentine’s Day has always been about some sort of heart shaped baked cookie – that we get to eat for breakfast. Okay – so that cookie might be a tad on the healthy side with some beets or lignans or hemp in there to balance things off – but, it was a heart-shaped cookie – with chocolate, y’all!
Traditions are funny things – we carry them on without any rhyme or reason other than the fact that we love them and the bond they happen to create between the people that indulge in them – together.
This year, seeing Valentine’s Day falls on a Saturday, I figured we would veer away from our traditional heart shaped cookie breakfast and do things a tad differently. As my daughter and her friends had been trying (unsuccessfully) to co-ordinate a time to meet, I suggested a little Valentine’s Day party with heart shaped cookies and other snacks; and, my daughter looked at me and sighed…and said…“We don’t have “parties” mom; “parties” are for 12 year olds (P.S. she was 12 only 4 years ago) – we have “hangouts”!” Say what??? “YAAASSSS mom, a hangout sounds great -specially if you can throw in some of those Beet Grilled Cheeses and some Capri Sun for my friends – maybe?“
YAAASSS!!! oh daughter of mine – when you speak the language of beets – it’s all a can do!
So, I threw together a mini menu for a little taste testing – with a simple and rustic table-setting because “rustic” is how we roll!
We planned on having a teen friendly menu consisting of:
1) White Chocolate Dipped Pretzels with Sprinkles
2) Jet Puffed Marshmallows Dipped in Dark Chocolate
3) Popcorn
4) Red Velvet Cookies
5) Beet Grilled Cheese “Discs”
6) Strawberries and Marshmallows with Chocolate Sauce & Kraft Cool Whip
7) Peanuts and Almonds in little take home boxes
8) Chocolate & Strawberry Milk
9) And Capri Sun
And my daughter made some cards out of construction paper so her friends and her could play “Fact or Fiction” aka “Two Truths & A Lie”; and, I set out some rolled paper which would double as a tablecloth for them to doodle or write or plat tic tac toe on.
I picked up most of my ingredients at my neighborhood Sam’s Club where I came across the new Capri Sun Variety 40 Count Pack with their new Clear Bottom Pouch “so you can ‘see the goodness”. As Capri Sun is said to have NO artificial sweeteners, Colors, Flavors, or Preservatives and is said to have 25% less sugar than other leading juice drinks, I figured it would be a good choice for this little “hangout”.
The Capri Sun Variety Pack 40 Count features 10 of each of the following favorite flavors: Fruit Punch, Pacific Cooler, Wild Cherry, Strawberry Kiwi
So, I am curious, do you happen to have any simple Valentine’s Day traditions of your own?
[Tweet “Naturally Colored Red Velvet Cookies with Chocolate Chips @RunninSrilankan #CapriSunParties #CollectiveBias #ad”]
Ingredients
- 1 cup chickpea flour
- 1/2 cup brown rice flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
- 1/2 stick butter melted
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips melted
- 1/3 cup beet puree
- 1/2 cup + 1/3 cup white chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup + 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 365
- Double line a baking tray with parchment paper
- First mix the chickpea flour, brown rice flour, baking powder, brown sugar and salt
- Then add in the melted butter, melted chocolate and beet puree
- Stir in the 1/2 cups of white and dark chocolate
- The dough will be very wet
- Roughly spoon into heart shapes on tray and bake for 10 minutes
- Let cool
- Melt the remaining 1/3 cups of white and dark chocolate in separate bowls and drizzle on top of cookies
Those heart shaped cookies are the best!! Such a fun looking party you planned!!
Thanks so much Ami!
I’m going to be the wet blanket and tell you that I hate Valentines Day and refuse to spend an inkling buying chocolates or anything in heart or red form 🙂
Ok, so not completely true. I always tell my hubby I don’t want flowers or chocolate on VDay but we end up getting the kids some thing, it’s more of a kids holiday anymore anyway.
Just like this party…..I mean hangout. Totally a fun idea!
Nazneen – I am not a huge fan of Valentine’s day either – but, since my daughter was a toddler, I have loved to see the excitement she feels – us parents, we are always suckers for our kid’s happiness right? 🙂
What a spread of Valentine’s treats, Shashi! You’re an amazing mom for sure!
Aww-thanks so much Marissa!
You are the best mom ever! I totally want to come to your party! Everything looks incredible! Love those red velvet cookies and beet grilled cheese – so pretty and creative!
Thanks so much, Kelly! Oh and come on over – I will make extra cookies just for you! 🙂
You are the coolest teenage mother I know- and just look at all those delicious recipes. February is definitely the perfect month for beets! #client
Thanks so much Jenna!
Yes, February is a GREAT month for beets – I know I have shared more beet recipes this month than I did in the last 6 months of 2014!
This is the CUTEST idea I have ever seen for Valentines day! I love how you and you’re daughter have a tradition like that 🙂 And seriously props to you mom of the year for throwing a “hangout” like this LOL I wish I could join! But on another note, my boyfriend is coming into town V-day weekend and I’m loving the idea of doing something like this…just with the addition of wine of course 🙂
Thanks so much Selena!
You know wht, I didn’t even think this would work for grownups too! Thanks lady!
I am loving all of your beet recipes! Perfect for Valentine’s Day! I used to buy Capri Suns all the time when my kids were little, and every now and then I’d sneak one for myself.
Thanks so much Kristen! I must admit, I sneaked a couple for “taste-testing” too 😉
How fun! I totally want to come!
Come on over Rebecca! 🙂
Looks like a swell party to me! I’ll be right over for the leftovers. 🙂
Come on over Melanie – though the last time my daughter had her friends over -there wasn’t much leftover – so you might wanna get here early! 🙂
I love everything I see on the table! The grilled cheese-my favorite! Still haven’t tried beets for red velvet, but will do soon!
Thanks so much Mira!
The grilled cheese has been a favorite of my daughters for a long while – my fav are the cookies for sure!
I’m loving the rustic spread! And everything on the menu, too. It’s been a while since I’ve had a “hangout,” but I’d be more than happy to come to one like this 😉 Me and my mom have a tradition of exchanging Valentine’s cards every year… the boxed kind that are meant for school kids 😆 I don’t know how it started, but we’ve been doing that for as long as I can remember along with some chocolate or a bag of candies. It’s nice to have those traditions 🙂
Aww – you are so right, Amanda – I love your’s and your mom’s exchange of boxed V-day cards and chocolate! Hope you had a wonderful weekend!
What a feast! The hangout sounds like so much fun and the food looks amazing! My daughter recently had her first Capri Sun at a friend’s house and she loved it!
Thanks so much Sonali – I think my daughter had her first Capri Sun at a friends house too – she had her first ice cream at this same friends house…hmmm!!! 🙂
I knew I could count on you making red velvet the authentic way…with beets! I’ve never tried this route, but I think I might eventually be inspired by all the beet-liciousness that you keep throwing my way. I love that Valentine’s Day is on a Saturday this year, too! Time to party like it’s 1999! 🙂
Thanks David – but I don’t have red food coloring in the house – so beets will have to do!;)
In the process of my daughter “helping” me with these beet dishes – she had this idea to use beets and cocoa to make it look like she cut her hand – she took a picture and sent it to friends and family and within seconds both our phones started blowing up – and she couldn’t stop laughing!
I’ve been throwing the idea of using beets for red velvet around my taste buds…but now you have done the hard work for me! Those cookies are SO cute…and I kind of want to come to your party…totally diggin’ that menu! Pinned!
Thanks so much Taylor! If you are not a huge fan of beets, you won’t really taste them in the cookies with chocolate – instead of me telling you – lady, you better come on down and taste test them for your “face hole”! 🙂
Those cookies look so cute and I love that they are actually healthy! I haven’t had a Capri Sun in probably 15 years but boy did I have a lot throughout my childhood! Glad that they’re adding less sugar now!
Thanks so much Elizabeth!
Love the cookies! I did not know Capri Sun still existed. Have not seen them since I was in school. Every year Dave and I go out for dinner 🙂
Aww – I hope you and Dave have a wonderful Valentine’s Day dinner, Tandy!
Btw, thanks so much! The cookies are my favorite too!