FAMILY FAVORITES FRIDAY: VALENTINE ACTIVITY

Sometimes, with young children, it is hard to get away for a date night on Valentine's Day.

Other times, you prefer to share the love with the whole family and include them in your plans.

One way to make Valentine's a special day for everyone
in the family is to have a cookie decorating contest.

We did this several years ago. It was a fun, creative activity and everyone enjoyed it.

I made rolled sugar cookies and cut them out using a heart cookie cutter. I also made frosting and tinted half of it pink.

If you are short on time you could use purchased frosting and cookie dough.

I divided the frosting into plastic zip top sandwich bags and snipped a bit off one corner of the bag. Frosting tips can be used in the bags, just cut a bigger hole for the tip to fit into.

To make the activity more festive, I purchased some Valentine balloons for the table.

After dinner, we all gathered around the table and decorated our cookies.

As you can see from the photos, we had a variety of creative designs- from softball cookies to smiley face cookies.

What fun family Valentine's Day activities do you do?

ROLLED SUGAR COOKIES

3 cups flour

2 tsps baking powder

¾ tsp baking soda

½ tsp ground nutmeg

1 cup shortening

2 eggs, beaten

¼ cup milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Combine dry ingredients, cut in shortening with a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal.

Combine remaining ingredients in separate bowl; stir well and pour into crumb mixture. Stir with a fork until dry ingredients are moistened. Shape dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and chill at least one hour.

Divide dough in half; wrap one portion and store in refrigerator. Roll dough to 1/8 inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut with a 3-inch cookie cutter and place on lightly greased cookie sheets.

Bake 8-10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool on wire racks. Repeat procedure with remaining dough. Yield: 6 dozen

VANILLA BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

1½ cups butter

4 cups sifted powdered sugar

2 tablespoons milk

1 tsp vanilla

Cream butter at medium speed of electric mixer; gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add milk, beat until spreading consistency; stir in vanilla. Yield: 3 cups

To tint frosting pink:

Remove ½ of frosting from mixing bowl into different container. Add 1 -2 drops red food coloring to the frosting in the mixing bowl. Mix on low until all color is incorporated.

TA-DA!