The Way to a Kid’s Heart …

…is through sweets and treats! Fill Valentine’s Day with sugary and savory snacks that are sure to create a love buzz at home or the class party.

BY ZARA ABBASI | PHOTOGRAPHY BY KATIE CHILDS

The holidays just keep coming, don’t they?! That can be a good and bad thing.

Good, because it helps us focus on fun things and celebrate life. Bad, because, well you know, it can be overwhelming and most of us are short on time as it is. Thankfully though, Valentine’s Day is not as exhaustive as its heavy-hitting predecessor: Christmas.

With Christmas out of the way, I’ve had a month to breathe and regroup and am actually ready to celebrate again. For me, it’s usually about the kids anyway. My husband and I don’t typically celebrate Valentine’s Day alone; we usually do a fun dinner with the kids and involve them in whatever we want to do. We make fun treats and get them chocolate and watch a movie and that’s all the celebration they need. It’s pretty fun and easy.

It’s only when the school parties come into play that ideas can come up short on what to do. Some schools have completely disallowed school parties and no outside food or treats can be brought in for the students. In those circumstances, there’s no option but to bring nonedible treats such as cute pencils, little boxes of slime (a parent’s dream come true … catch the sarcasm?), Play-doh or art sets. There are tons of cute options if that’s the route your kids’ school has requested.

If, however, your child attends a school where class parties and treats are still allowed, or is homeschooled, then the options are much more plentiful! Here, I’ll share a few fun and cute ideas that require minimal work, time and ingredients because, let’s face it, the kids will gobble it up in just a few seconds anyway.

If your child’s class has a full-on par-tay, then there’s a chance they’ll need savory foods to balance all the sweetness. This is as easy as the following recipe, and serves as a really cute snack. I’ve made this often for my kiddos and it’s really versatile. I’ve turned it into a full lunch by stuffing shredded chicken in there, too. But for class purposes, I’d keep it simple and then serve with a little marinara on the side.

2 pieces premade pie dough

1 to 2 cups mozzarella or cheese of your choice

Egg wash: 1 egg plus 2 teaspoons water

Marinara sauce on the side to serve

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Roll out pie dough and use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out an equal amount of hearts.

3. Use a tablespoon or two to put cheese in the center of one side of the heart.

4. Use a little egg wash with either a small pastry brush or your finger to go around the edges of the heart, and use another piece of heart dough to place on top. Press down on all the edges with a fork to completely seal the edges.

5. Place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.

6. Allow to cool slightly because the cheese will be very hot inside. Serve with marinara sauce.

7. Alternatives: Stuff with chicken, cheese and pesto and serve with alfredo; stuff with cheese and pepperoni and serve with marinara sauce; stuff with cut-up grilled veggies and serve with marinara or alfredo sauce. Can also sprinkle garlic salt and oregano on tops before baking for a little extra flavor for older kiddos.

A charcuterie board may sound insanely bougie for kids, but if they like Lunchables they’ve already been primed to love the concept of a charcuterie board. I have many friends who homeschool their kids and instead of just staying in their own homes all day, they plan group activities or hold a class for many other homeschooled students. One particular friend is hosting this year’s Valentine’s Day party for her community’s homeschooled kiddos. She is the one I thought of for this particular concept.

If you decide to have an in-home party or card exchange, then this is an adorable idea to not only wow the kids, but use as a centerpiece because it looks so festive. The best thing about this board is that there is nothing to measure or bake (if you don’t want to). The magic is in the placement of all the goodies you choose. You can make it a completely sweet board with your favorite cookies, candies and snacks or you can sneak in meats and cheeses if they’d like it. You can even use the accompanying two recipes and place them on this board. You’re probably thinking, “But what if I don’t have a board or platter that’s big enough?” No problem at all! Line your kitchen counter or table with a large piece of wax, craft or butcher’s paper. Tape it down and use a sharpie to decorate around all the items. It’s a great way to also let your guests know what they’re eating. Have fun and enjoy!

Selection of meats and cheeses

Cookies such as chocolate-dipped Oreos, vanilla wafers or chocolate chip cookies

Candies such as M&M’s, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, conversation hearts or lollipops

Snacks such as Gold Fish, pretzels, Cheez-Its, crackers or chocolate-covered pretzel rods

1. On a large board, platter or taped-down paper, start arranging like items.

2. Don’t use straight lines, but try to create some movement for the eye.

3. Start with some of the larger items and fill in with smallersized items.

4. Play with the setup until it looks full and balanced.

5. Most of all, have fun with this one. It can be as simple or complex as you’d like.

Do you love cute Valentine’s Day cookies? Do you abhor having to cut them out and try to decorate them? Are you laughing right now, because you wouldn’t even attempt that?! Me, too. I have grand plans and then they all fall apart when the time comes because I have three kids and no time. So this is the cutest way to get Valentine’s Day cookies that taste great, look adorable and are actually fun to make. Break these apart and place in adorable little bags with ribbon as class gifts.

Favorite sugar cookie mix or dough (store-bought is absolutely fine)

1 to 2 bags of candy melts in the color(s) of your choice

1 cup conversation heart candies

Sprinkles, edible glitter, any other small candies of your choice

1. Make your sugar cookie dough or roll out store-bought dough on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. Use flour to prevent sticking and bake according to directions. Let cool a few minutes.

2. Melt the candy melts according to directions and pour on the cookie. Swirl the two colors if you prefer.

3. Sprinkle on the conversation hearts, sprinkles, glitter and any other candies you selected.

4. Let the candy melts harden, then break apart the cookie into pieces. Voila!