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VALENTINE'S DAY
GIFT IDEAS
Gifts for HIM
It can be difficult to buy Valentine's Day
gifts for men, but this gift guide is a good place to start! From
the latest electronic gadgets to good 'ol sports standbys, you'll
find plenty of ideas to help get you started. This is also? an
opportunity to fulfill on anything that was missed on his holiday
wish list.
1. Collectible memorabilia (fanwear from his
favorite sports team, movie scripts, or anything toward his
collection/hobby.)
2. Toys for? the little boy within? (electric
scooter, remote-controlled cars and planes, XBox, PlayStation)
3. Gadget? galore (digital
camera/camcorder, MP3/DVD player.)
4. Tickets to a sporting event (NBA, NFL,
MLB)
5. Silk boxers
6. Swiss army knife or pocket survival tool
7. Gifts for the office (Briefcase, Cross or
Montblanc pens, nice desk accessories)
8. Nice leather wallet or money clip
9. Indoor/outdoor weather station
10. Passes to a local golf course (or spring
for passes to a resort course)
11. Adrenalin-pumping fun (race car driving,
bungee jumping, parachuting)
12. A subscription to his favorite magazines
13. Board games? or dart board
14. Home beer brewing kit
15. Some of his favorite cigars
16. CD or DVDs
17. Watch or cufflinks
18. Cologne
19. Homemade Cakes and Sweets - the way to
every man's heart!
20. Gift certificates (always a staple and
great for those who prefer to do their own shopping)
Our sponsor for this special Valentine's Day
issue, http://www.beansandbears.com
also has a lovely choice of gifts for Valentine's Day.
VALENTINE'S DAY RECIPES
RASPBERRY CENTER ANGEL CAKE
Ingredients:
1 pkg. angel food cake mix
1 pkg. frozen raspberries, thawed (10 oz.)
1 cup whipping cream
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
Prepare angel food cake according to package directions.?
Cool, and remove from pan as directed.? Cool cake thoroughly.
With a sharp knife slice horizontally about 2/3 of the way to the
center of the cake about 1/3 of the way from the top of the cake
and repeat the process about 1/3 of the way from the bottom.
With a spoon, distribute the raspberries into the slits around the
cake.? Spoon all the liquid into these slits also.
Whip the cream, add vanilla & sugar.? Frost the entire
outside of the cake, omitting the center hole.
Refrigerate.
BANANAS
FOSTER
4 ripe bananas
1/3 cup butter or margarine
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup light rum
Vanilla ice cream
Peel & cut bananas in half crosswise, then cut the halves
again lengthwise.
Melt butter or margarine over medium heat in a large pan, stir
in brown sugar. Add bananas, cook for 3 or 4 minutes, stirring,
until heated through. Heat rum in a small saucepan until it is
close to simmering. Pour the rum into a large ladle & ignite
it, pour over bananas. Serve over ice cream.
LOVE PUNCH
9 1/2 cups of water
1(12-ounce) can frozen grapefruit juice concentrate, thawed
1(5.5-ounce) package raspbery-flavored soft drink mix(sugar-sweetened)
1(2-liter) bottle lemon-lime-flavored carbonated beverage
Ice
In a 6-quart container, combine water, juice concentrate, and
soft drink mix; blend well. Refrigerate until chilled. Before
serving, combine? juice mixture and carbonated beverage in
a large punch bowl. Serve over ice.
LOVER'S FONDUE
3 sq. unsweetened chocolate
1/2 c. light cream
3/4 c. sugar
3 tbsp. butter
pinch of salt
3/4 tsp vanilla
Fresh Fruit (Strawberries, apples, bananas, grapes, dried fruit)
Combine chocolate and cream in a
sauce pan. Stir constantly over low heat until mixture is smooth
and blended. Add sugar, butter and salt. Continue to cook 3-5
minutes until slightly thickened. Remove from heat, add vanilla.
Keep warm in small fondue pot.
Dip fruit.
HOME DECOR
Valentine's Day Decorating Ideas
You don't have to go wild to spice things up
for Valentine's Day ??” romantic decorating doesn't always come
packaged in satin sheets and fire-red velvet pillows. No matter what
your everyday decorating style may be, simple touches and a few
additions to your normal d?©cor can spark up the heat. Just check
through all your cabinets for your prettiest or finest dishes and
linens and use them to display the items in the ideas that follow:
- Add to your room a few more candles, flowers, champagne, and
foods that you can eat with your hands such as strawberries and
chocolates.
- Fold crisp white napkins into heart shapes for a romantic
dinner or picnic
- Deck out bed trays with your finest linens and crystal and
nice silver bowls of fruit and plates of cheese.
Often, a simple tablescape in your chosen
theme will do quite nicely for small-space decorating. You can
choose from many options, depending on the style or effect that you
want to achieve. Check out the following ideas to find out what
works best for your space:
- For a touch of fun, place a door mirror down the center of
your table to use as a table runner. Scatter little candy-shaped
hearts with cute words on them down the middle. Nestle a few
votive candles in jars filled at the bottom with red heart
candies and place them on the mirror. For place cards, use your
Valentine greeting cards instead. Prop them on water glasses or
toss the envelope and stand them in the center of your place
setting.
- For an elegant look, set your table with simple white linens
accompanied by your best crystal and china. A few silver
candlesticks, some soft music, and a beautiful bouquet are all
that you need for a stunning tablescape.
- For an even more dramatic, elegant look, drape garlands of
strung faux pearl beads or crystals to mirrors or chandeliers.
- For a cozy, more intimate feel, spark up your spaces for
romance by using just a little hot color to make a large impact.
Infuse a few red pillows, with some plush faux fur throws, and
light the candles, baby!
- For a simple look, spruce up a small dining or occasional
table with a nice bunch of fresh flowers. Purchase a ready-made
bouquet from your florist, or make your own arrangement or
wreath to hang on your door. Highlight a table arrangement by
spotlighting it under a track light, or place a can light from
below to make a dramatic up light.
Use Petals! Call florists and ask if they
have boxes of scrap flower petals for sale. Often, florists break
apart the heads of roses and other flowers that are half spent or
that shipped broken, and they sell them for just a few dollars a
box. Obviously, they may be low on these little gems around
Valentine's Day, but it's worth checking.
Here are just a few ideas for what you do
with these petals:
- Scatter them along pathways, indoors or out, to lead your
sweetheart to a special, romantic location.
- Sprinkle some over your bed.
- Run a bath and put a couple handfuls into the bath water.
- Toss some petals on your dinner table in between place
settings or along a table runner.
VALENTINE'S DAY
CRAFTS
CANDY HEART SACHET
What you need:?
8"x l0" sheer fabric or
glassine envelopes or sheets of glassine Narrow red ribbon;
Pinking shears, ruler, large-eyed needle; Bag of small Valentine
candy hearts.
What to do:
1. Trace and cut two 6" heart
shapes from the fabric or glassine. Use pinking shears to cut
shapes.
2. Thread large eyed needle with
ribbon and sew three sides of the heart sachet, leaving top
opening to insert the heart candies.
3. Fill the heart pouch with candy
hearts and sew up the remaining opening of sachet to center and
tie into bow.
VALENTINE'S DAY BOOKMARKS
Cut a 5"x2" strip from
red construction paper. Cut white or pink heart shapes
about 1/2" to just under 2" wide. Paste the hearts onto the bookmark.
Punch a hole in the center of the
bookmark, about 1/2" from the top and put red ribbon through
the hole and tie.
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