More Valentine Sweets xoxo

I am going a little stir crazy and when I get like this...I either online shop, organize the house or bake.  I decided to bake after cleaning the house.  I know my husband will appreciate that I skipped the online shopping today.  I am actually shocked that I haven't purchased anything online during the blizzard!

I decided to make these mini pies today.  They were super easy and tasty.

Oreo Cookie Dough Mini Pies:

Ingredients: (one box of pie crust made 12 mini pies)
oreos
chocolate chip cookie dough
egg
pie crust


Preheat the oven to 400

Take out the pie crust and let it rest for 15-20 minutes at room temp.  Roll out the dough and use a heart cookie cutter to cut out the mini pies.

 Place a fourth of an Oreo cookie and top it off with a few pieces of cookie dough. 

 Place another heart on top of the filling. Use a fork to press the seams together.  Poke a hole in the top.  Brush the tops with egg wash.  Bake for 8-10 minutes.  Let cool and enjoy!

Homemade Valentines and Blizzard Activities

Star Wars
I saw the original pin on Pinterest and was excited to make Nolan homemade valentines for his friends.  Nolan is obsessed with Darth Vader...well the imperial march.  I think he would be petrified if he saw him in action.  I printed the file on light pink cardstock.  I found glow sticks at Michaels and poked them through to look like a light saber.  I hope his friends enjoy their valentines. 

Thumbbody Loves You:
I wanted to make valentines for our family.  It was very simple and fun.  I stamped Nolan's thumbprint and drew a face on it.  I was able to use my new heart cutter from Michaels.

Sending a hug:
Nolan's grandparents live in NC and I wanted to send them a unique valentine.  I measured Nolan's arm span with valentine ribbon.  I then traced his hands and attatched them to the ribbon.  I found a poem on Pinterest.

Toddler (Blizzard) Approved Activities:

One of Nolan's favorite books is "Snowy Day" by Ezra Jack Keats.  It is part of our nightly reading.  We have watched the video several times as well.  I found this pin on Pinterest.  I laminated the sheet and gave Nolan a dry erase marker.  After listening to the story, Nolan traced Peter's many tracks.  This is a great motor skill activity.  He loved it.  I made a sheet for my goddaughter too.  I think she'll enjoy it.

We had a blast tracing numbers.  My friend Beth told me about these.  I found them on Amazon and Nolan loved them. 

The set also comes with shapes.  I gave Nolan a shape to circle.

Red Velvet Whoopie Pies with Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:
For the cookies:
2 c. flour
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
8 tbsp in salted butter..room temp
1 c. light brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 c. buttermilk
1 oz red food coloring

For the frosting:
8 oz cream cheese
5 tbsp unsalted butter..room temp
2 tsp vanilla extract
2.5 c. confectioner sugar (sifted)

I planned on making these later in the week, but the blizzard of 2013 changed my plans. I have been going stir crazy. We were lucky because we never lost power or heat. My family was without power for 24 hours and we were counting our blessings.  I decided to make these for two reasons, red velvet is my weakness and I love Valentine's Day. Who am I kidding?  I love February because I celebrate my birthday all month.  I decided to make these for Mike to bring to work.  These were time consuming but I needed a break from playdoh, puzzles, stamps, sledding and playing trains.

Preheat the oven to 375

Trace a heart cookie cutter on a piece of parchment paper. 

Whisk all the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl.

Cream the butter and brown sugar in a mixer for about 2 minutes on medium speed.  Add the egg and mix.  Blend in the vanilla.  Put the mixer on low and add a third of the dry mix, followed by 1/2 of the buttermilk.  Repeat until the buttermilk has been added and then mix in the final third of dry ingredients.  Blend in the food coloring.  I added a little more than an ounce.  Everything I touched left a red fingerprint but it was worth it. 

Transfer the mixture into a pastry bag.  The recipe called for a rounded tip, but I couldn't find one.  I used a swirl top and smoothed out the hearts before adding them to the oven.  Use the pastry bag and make a heart shape inside the traced heart. 

Bake for 7-9 minutes and rotate halfway between the baking.  Let the hearts cool on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. 

As the hearts are cooling, make the filling.  Cream the cream cheese and butter together, then add the vanilla.  Gradually add the sugar slowly to the mix.  Place the filling into a pastry bag. 

Pair the cookies up by shape and size.  Flip one of the cookies and pipe the frosting.  Sandwich the cookies together and press gently.  Place in the refrigerator in an airtight container.  Yum! 

Nolan enjoyed a whoopie pie for dessert.

Valentine's Day Decorations

I love decorating the house for Valentine's Day.  My Mom always decorated when we were growing up and still does today.  I know some people don't like the holiday....but I love it.  I have some simple decorations that I put up today. 

Heart Dollies:  I bought two packages from Michaels and hung them with fishing wire in the windows of our house. 

Paper Heart Garland:  I bought a heart punch at Michaels and cardstock.  I punched them out then hole punched the hearts.  Nolan helped me string the hearts on brown twine. 

Paper Hearts in a Clear Vase: I put the extra hearts from the garland into the vase.  I also cut one inch strips and made hearts using a glue gun.