Tag Archives: Valentine’s Day

St. Valentine’s Day Trivia Quiz

Ready for a little Valentine trivia? See if you can answer these fun trivia questions about St. Valentine’s Day and the old pagan rituals from which it evolved.

Take the Valentine’s Day Trivia Quiz

The Sweet History of Valentine’s Day Conversation Candy Hearts

These cutesy conversation candy hearts have been around for more than a century — take a look at the cool history, some of our favorite candy heart sayings, and a fun Valentine’s Day gift to make with the colorful candy.
by Holly D’Anna
The Story Behind Conversation Candy HeartsThe sweet candy hearts that fill up store aisles and candy dishes in early February got their start around the time of the Civil War. The original candies, called cockles, were made from sugar and flour and contained mottoes or sayings, which were printed on thin paper and rolled up inside the folded, shell-shape candy.Daniel Chase, the brother of the New England Confectionery Company (NECCO) founder, began printing sayings on NECCO candy in the 1860s. The candy became popular at weddings, where sayings such as “Married in satin, love will not be lasting” and “Married in white, you have chosen right” foretold humorous prophecies of the new marriage.The conversation candy hearts that we know today date back to 1902, when the company printed sayings on candy shapes including postcards, baseballs, horseshoes, and watches. The sayings are updated every year and the hearts have been used in creative crafts, cake decorations, cute Valentine’s Day gifts, and — sweetest of all — marriage proposals.

Fun Facts About Candy Hearts

  • The New England Confectionery Company (NECCO) makes more than 8 billion candy hearts every year to keep up with the demand for the sweet treat.
  • Every day from late February through mid-January, around 100,000 pounds of conversation candy hearts are made.
  • The entire amount produced during this time sells out in six weeks. Candy hearts are the best-selling Valentine’s Day candy.
  • In 2010, for the first time in 145 years, the company discarded all of the sayings for the conversation hearts and created a new line with expressions selected by the public.
  • The most popular new sayings for conversation candy hearts are “Tweet Me,” “Text Me,” “You Rock,” “Love Bug,” “Soul Mate,” and “Me + You.”
  • In order to get the old sayings, you can have them custom made — but you’ll have to buy a full production run (1.7 million candy hearts!).

Chocolatey Photo Frame

Kellogg’s® Cocoa Krispies® offers this great recipe.

Kellogg's® Cocoa Krispies® photo frame

Make this delicious photo frame with Kellogg’s® Cocoa Krispies®.

Ingredients: 

  • 3 tablespoons butter or margarine
  • 1 package (10 oz., about 40) regular marshmallows — OR — 4 cups miniature marshmallows
  • 6 cups Kellogg’s® Cocoa Krispies® cereal
  • Canned frosting or decorating gel
  • Food coloring
  • Assorted candies and/or multi-colored sprinkles

Directions: 

1. In large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat.
2. Add Kellogg’s® Cocoa Krispies® cereal. Stir until well coated.
3. Using buttered spatula or wax paper evenly press mixture into 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan coated with cooking spray. Cool.
4. Trim desired photograph to about 10 x 6-inches. Cut a piece of wax paper to same size as photograph. Place wax paper on center of cereal mixture. Top wax paper with photograph. Cut narrow strips of wax paper to fit just over edges of photo. Pipe frosting on wax paper covering the edges of the photo, keeping frosting off of the photo. Decorate edges of cereal mixture with frosting and/or candies. Best if served the same day.
MICROWAVE DIRECTIONS: In microwave-safe bowl heat butter and marshmallows on HIGH for 3 minutes, stirring after 2 minutes. Stir until smooth. Follow steps 2 through 4 above. Microwave cooking times may vary.
Note:
For best results, use fresh marshmallows.
1 jar (7 oz.) marshmallow crème can be substituted for marshmallows.
Diet, reduced calorie or tub margarine is not recommended.
Store no more than two days at room temperature in airtight container.

Honeymoon Mousse

Yield: 8 Servings
Prep/Total Time: 20 min.

Honeymoon mousse

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup cold evaporated milk
  • 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups heavy whipping cream
  • Chocolate curls, optional

Directions:

In a blender, combine the milk, vanilla, sugar, chocolate and salt. Cover and process until smooth, about 1 minute. Transfer to a large bowl. In a small bowl, beat cream until soft peaks form. Fold into chocolate mixture. Spoon into dessert dishes. Refrigerate until serving. Garnish with chocolate curls, if desired.

Kraft® Almond Heart Napoleons

Almond Heart Napoleons

Fall in love with this tasty treat from Kraft®!

Ingredients: 

  • 1 pkg. (17.3 oz.) frozen puff pastry sheets
  • 1 1/2c. cold Half-and-Half
  • 2 Tbsp. almond-flavored liquer or 1/2 tsp. almond extract
  • 3.9 oz. pkg. JELL-O French Vanilla or Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding
  • 1/2 c. powdered sugar
  • 2 tsp. hot water
  • 1 square Baker’s Semi-Sweet Chocolate, melted

Directions: Thaw the pastry at room temperature for 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Unfold the pastry.

Using a 2 inch heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut each sheet into 12 hearts. Place on ungreased baking sheets.  Bake 20 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove from the baking sheets and let cool completely on wire racks. Spilt each heart in half horizontally.

Pour the half-and-half and almond liquor or extract into a bowl, then add the dry pudding mix. Beat with a wire whisk 2 minutes or until well blended. Refrigerate 10 minutes.

Spread about 1 tablespoon of the pudding mixture onto the bottom half of each heart; top with remaining pastry halves. Stir the hot water into the powdered sugar to make a thin glaze. Spread on top of the hearts. (If glaze becomes too thick, add more hot water.)

Drizzle the melted chocolate on top to form thin lines.

Yield: 24 Servings

Make Special Memories this Valentine’s Day

Create Valentine Memory Boards

Valentine memory board

Create functional art

Capture heartfelt valentine memories and display them on pretty memory boards to give a room seasonal panache.

Wrap 1/2-inch-thick square or rectangular cork pieces in fabric. Choose Valentine’s Day patterns, or select coordinating fabrics in pinks and reds to best suit the holiday. Lightweight fabrics, such as cotton, wrap best. Fold the corners, wrap the fabric to the back, and staple in place. Mount the panels with removable hooks and picture hangers to make it easy to change them out.

Light up the Night with this Votives

votive candle

The candles are as sweet as your valentine mood when you add this accent. Fill plain glass votive candleholders with candy nonpareils for seasonal color. Small glass beads from the crafts store offer a similar look.

Create a Candy-framed Photo Frame

Candy-heart frame photo frame

Make memories last

Craft this candy-heart frame as a sweet homemade gift for your Valentine. Measure a cardboard circle to fit on top of a picture frame. Glue the candy hearts on the cardboard head-to-head, adding another layer on top. To finish the easy gift, glue the cardboard with the candy hearts onto the frame.

You can alternate colors on a single frame, or adhere the hearts with the sayings facing up for a more creative and personalized approach.