Valentine’s Day has never been my favorite holiday.  I don’t really like over-paying for dinner and fighting the crowds.  My 3 year-old and 5 year-old, on the other hand, are very excited about Valentine’s Day.  They can’t wait to hand out their Valentines at school and are very excited about the idea of heart shaped candy boxes.  Since they are more excited than we are, my husband and I decided it would be fun to have a family Valentine’s Day dinner.  Inevitably, I am in charge of the menu for these types of plans and I am trying not to procrastinate.  My daughter feels strongly that the dinner must be red and heart-themed.  So, I have been searching for a menu and here is what I came up with.

Menu:

1. Spinach Salad with Heart-Shaped Carrots (I am not fooling myself; my kids will most likely only eat the carrots).  Image and instructions courtesy of SnapGuide.com.

2.  Red Pasta – I’m going to make the Maccaronara from the A16 cookbook, but any red sauce will do.  Image courtesy of www.chefsfeed.com.

3.  Heart-Shaped Ice Cream Sandwiches.   Image and recipe courtesy of http://www.thecandidappetite.com (link here).