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
haha your daughter is cute. ^.^
Yeah I am into beet too right now. I think so beet is going to be the valentines veggies in the future. People will think that beets are part of the valentines “tradition” in a few years and we bloggers will be the cause of this. 😉
You promised no more beet recipes 😉 But seeing as it was your daughter’s request, I’ll let you off!
Gotta say, I love that your daughter REQUESTED beet grilled cheese! You’ve taught her well. Also, these heart cookies are ADORABLE! You did such a great job with them!
No Valentine’s Day tradition here. Maybe a candlelight dinner? Uhm, I am not sure… your red velvet cookies would be perfect!
Can I come over for Valentines- I’ll bring chocolate ;)! My aunt told me she just found a bag of brown rice flour in the store near her place- sending her this recipe, especially as she has been on a baking spree lately! The mention of Capri Sun takes me back to my childhood- I was hooked on the apple flavour…good to know it still exists!
Oh my gosh – great cookies!! I haven’t had a Capri Sun in so many years – it’s so nostalgic for me.
Isn’t it funny how once they become teenagers, everything changes. Here they’re called ‘Gatherings’ and I used to dread them. Your party sounds very well planned xx
Charlie – you are so right – the biggest change is the lingo – sometimes my daughter texts me stuff I cannot make head or tail of! 🙂
Thanks so much! xx
haha hangouts … I still sooo call them parties. Guess I’m not so young or hip 🙂
I love this spread you put together and those cookies!! I have so many roasted beets right now … I need to make me some cookies!
You and me both, Ashley! 🙂
Yes – beet cookies are the way to go! Btw – thanks so much!
It’s been a long time since I’ve been allowed to play with teenagers – what fun and like Kim, I want to know what they say about the beet cheese sandwiches. 🙂 I think they sound wonderful.
Hahaha – Maureen – anytime you wanna play with teenagers, hop on a plane and skip on over! I have actually made the beet sandwiches before – and fed them to my daughter’s friends – at first quite a few of them were weirded out by the color – but after a bite – i usually don’t hear too many complaints.
Wow, Sashi the spread looks so adorable. Your girl is so lucky, she has a nice sweet mumma to throw a V day party for her with her friends. Your beet collection is amazing sweety and so is this sandwich.
I keep caprisun for the boy’s lunch box…they do like it.
Hope the kiddos love it.
Thanks so very much Asha! We do love beets in this house – beets and chocolate and beets and cheese are favorites! Hope you and your family had a wonderful weekend!
What a great idea – so fun to have a “hangout” to celebrate Valentine’s Day. I want to hear if all the girls (and guys?) like the beet grilled cheese sandwiches!!!
Kim – I was telling Maureen, I’ve fed my daughter’s friends these beet sandwiches before and at first the color weirds them out – but after a bite – i usually don’t hear too many complaints 🙂
Shashi, I can’t imagine anyone complaining about any of your cooking!!!
Aww – thank you Kim – I so appreciate your kind words
Beet grilled cheese??? This sounds so strange… in the best way possible!!
Also, I remember capri sun from my school days. I used to LOVE those juices!
Haha – Thanks so much Cathleen!
Beet grilled cheese..now that is something new! I always crave a grilled cheese and bowl of tomato soup during these chilly months.
Emily – you gotta try a beet grilled cheese – beets and cheese re insanely amazing together!
What a great Valentine’s themed party… my son requests a Capri Sun in his lunchbox almost every day. So I am very familiar with this four pack of 10. 🙂
Thanks so much Ramona!
Hang out is right, I would love to have these recipes at a valentines picnic 😀
Those cookies, definitely a fave!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Thanks so much Urwashi! Now a picnic sounds wonderful – I cannot wit for picnic weather here!
This looks like it is going to be a smashingly fun party. Love your beet cookies of course and a little melted chocolate to dip in some fruit is always a good idea. Have fun! Sharing, of course!
Thanks so much Bobbie! Melted chocolate seems to be requirement for teens and adults alike 🙂