Valentine's

Our Valentine's Day was a simple celebration, but nonetheless, a good day. Although I had already made plans to make dinner, I got a text from E. J. mid-day that read: "I'm just throwing this out there, but pepperoni rolls are 2 for 1 tonight".

We very rarely eat out or get take-out, so the mere thought of picking up a relatively cheap and tasty dinner (which meant I didn't have to cook) was a huge Valentine's Day gift in itself.

They don't look like much, but they're delish

After dinner we took a walk, searched for the perfect rocks to throw in the pond, and headed inside for bath time once it was dark.

Best iPhone pic I could get

After washing up K for bedtime, E. J. gave her a little Valentine's surprise - a box of Hersey Kisses (we discovered her love for them during Christmas).

Chocolate cures all

Even though she's still a little leery about eating some things with her sore gums from teething, she was able to easily down a Kiss. Funny how that works.

Just to add a dose of reality to Valentine's Day, once Kathryn was sleeping, I vacuumed and steam cleaned our bedroom and did a load of laundry. My motivation to get a few things done was dessert waiting for us in the fridge.

I found a delicious recipe (here) this summer. I've made this different take on 'rice crispies' a handful of times and they're a sure hit. They're SO easy and only take about 5 minutes to prepare. I love that you don't use butter or marshmallows in them, however, I add some extra ingredients to complete negate any 'healthier' qualities they once had.

Healthier (but not really) Peanut Butter Rice Crispies

1 1/2 tablespoons coconut oil

2 cups peanut butter

1/2 cup agave nectar (or honey)

4 cups rice cereal

12 oz bag of semisweet chocolate chips

Coconut (optional - can be sprinkled on top)

Place wax paper on a 9x13 baking dish

In a large pot on low heat, mix the peanut butter and coconut oil until they are both melted and smooth.

Add agave and still well

Take the pot off the heat and fold in the Rice Crispies

Pour in chocolate chips and stir quickly (you don't want all of them to melt)

Immediately put in prepared baking dish and put in the fridge for a few hours.

Cut into squares and enjoy!

***Since it was Valentine's, I took these to another level (as seen in picture above). I used some candy coating and dunked each half of the bars in a thick layer of chocolate. They did not disappoint***.

:: Happy Valentine's Day! ::