Happy Valentine's Day

Doubt thou the stars are fire;
Doubt that the sun doth move;
Doubt truth to be a liar;
But never doubt I love.

William Shakespeare

Here are some recipies and activities to share with the people you love:

Stained Glass Valentine's Cookies
Materials:
plain sugar cookie dough
cookie sheet
aluminum foil
lollipops or hard candy
mixing bowls
spoons
rolling pin

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the candy in ziplock bags and crush with a mallet (keep colors separated in different bowls). Prepare the cookie dough and roll the dough into 1/4" strips. Make heart outlines with the dough and use the foil to make frames for your cookies. You should be able to look through the holes in your outlines and see foil. Fill the heart-shaped space with the crushed candy. Bake 8 to 10 minutes in a 375o F oven and allow cookies to cool. Peel off the foil and enjoy.

Queen Of Hearts Tarts

Let the children help make these tiny tarts for a fun valentine snack. In a mixing bowl blend together 1 cup flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 4 tablespoons margarine and 2 tablespoons water. Form the dough into 16 or 18 balls. Make a deep thumbprint in each ball to form a tart shell. Place the shells on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. When cool, fill the tart shells with strawberry or red raspberry jam or jelly.

Heart-Shaped Cake

Use a favorite recipe to prepare cake batter. Pour the batter into one round pan and one square pan. Make a platter for the cake by covering a large piece of cardboard with foil. Place the square cake on the platter with one corner facing downward (diamond shape). Then cut the round cake in half and place the halves against the top two sides of the square/diamond cake to make a heart shape. Cover the entire cake with white, pink or red frosting and decorate as desired with other colored frostings or cake decorations.