Friday, February 5, 2010

Valentine Food Tip/Trick

valentine food 4
It is so easy to turn everyday foods into Valentine Foods.  During the whole month of February almost every meal I make is love themed.  It is so easy to do by either making red foods, making foods red, or making it heart shape (or all 3)!
valentine food 2
Here is my first tip/trick.  These are those chocolate squeeze containers (that’s the official name).  I actually use these all the time.  On the weekends I make up batches of things for the next week’s meals.  I like serving hot meals for breakfast and these containers make that easy.  I make up a double batch of pancake batter.  I cook up one batch and refrigerate (or freeze).  The next batch I pour into these containers and put them in the fridge.  In the morning I can pull these out and make pancakes just as easily as I can pour up 4 bowls of cereal! 
Oh an extra tip here is that we LOVE Betty Crocker’s pancake recipe.  Seriously it’s so yummy.  I keep the pan greased up with butter, so then I don’t butter my kids pancakes (it really does end up being less butter this way, so much healthier).  My kids can either have chocolate chips in theirs or they can have syrup on them, but not both (I have my standards!).  I usually use whole wheat flour and have just substituted it straight out for the regular flour.  It is dryer, doing this, but in this recipe we like it just fine.  The pancakes just are not quite as fluffy.  My kids have never commented on noticing the difference!
 valentine food 3
The real reason I use those squeeze containers is to make shapes (using them to prepare ahead of time is just the bonus).  This month we are going with all hearts.  It even makes baby hearts so easily.  Is it just mine or do your kids LOVE to have baby anything?!  I always make up miniscule pancakes and they call them the babies.  I divvy those up equally. ;)  It’s the little things in life, isn’t it?
 valentine food 4
Don’t those hearts look great?  The reason they have tails on the bottom is that for some reason that is the way I draw hearts.  On paper I think it’s cute.  In pancakes…well, not so much.  But I couldn’t get my hand to “draw” these hearts any other way. 
I also always do my kids initials too.  I’ve been known to make animals as well.  Though my drawing skills are not the greatest.  So they are more just shapes, and then my kids decide what they look the most like.  Someone with mad drawing skills could really rock these pancakes though…that would just not be me.
valentine food 1
Last tip.  Those awesome markers.  They are edible!  Well, not the markers themselves but the ink you write with.  Be creative.  Anjeanette wrote on her banana peel!  How awesome would that be?  These write on just about anything (I didn’t say anything, because not so much with writing on saucy things, etc).

Rebecca

I am linking up to Fireflies and Jellybeans Party and Poppies at Play, and Skip To My Lou!

10 comments:

Jo Shabo said...

cool! what a CUTE idea! thanks for sharing!

CitricSugar said...

I'm going to have to try some of those markers...

Also jealous of how perfectly heart-shaped your pancakes turned out. Mine are usually non-circles. :-)

RootsAndWingsCo said...

CitricSugar-As I said, my shapes aren't usually that great because of my lack of my "mad drawing skillz"! My children actually get quite into the "guess what the shape is" game. It is kind of like the one where you watch clouds and call out what shapes you see. Yeah, it's a lot like that. But these squeeze bottles really do help!
Rebecca of the R&W Gals
PS As always thanks for your comments! You rock!

LollyChops said...

I see Valentines pancakes in Ron's future (and the dogs too since they like pancakes as well). hehehe

Love this idea!

Hills N Valleys said...

My dad used to make me shaped pancakes. Where do you get those bottles?

Very cute idea! I like the way you make your hearts btw!

RootsAndWingsCo said...

Over Yonder- I've seen those bottles at all of the local craft stores (Michael's and Joann's) as well as Walmart. THey are with the cake decorating section. They are actually for melted chocolate, I believe. I use them for that, too! ;)

Fawnda@Fireflies and Jellybeans said...

I love the pancake idea! VERY fun!

Andy Porter said...

That is a great idea! I've always tried to create shapes out of pancakes, but they've never turned out looking like anything. Those bottles would be perfect! Thanks for the tips! I'll have to find that recipe. I've need a good one!

Thanks for the link!

Andy
Poppies at Play

Meredith said...

Well duh! Why didn't I think of that! My husband is always the cool parent because he always makes the neatest animals and cartoon character pancakes. I fail. I fail miserably. Their heads fall of, they tear in half, what was once suppose to be a bunny now resembles Shrek. Not now!!! I'm going to try this out for sure!! Thanks for the great idea!

Anonymous said...

When I think of all the times i made my children pancakes in shapes pouring the batter from a measuring cup, I cringe at the thought that I never thought of this simple, brilliant idea!! SOOOOOO much easier. I used to make my sone pirate ships the hard way! Can you imagine!

Thanks so much for sharing this tip!