Meet My Valentine: Tex!

Hey Ya’ll,

I’ve got myself a legit sweetheart this Valentine’s Day and I’d love to introduce him to all of you! It’s my new dog,Tex!

I adopted him last weekend from the West Los Angeles Shelter. Here’s the link to their site, in case any of you live in the area and are thinking about adopting a new pet: http://www.laanimalservices.com. Here’s a sampling of some of the cuties who are in need of good homes and available for adoption ASAP!!!

Head to: http://www.laanimalservices.com for more information on these rescues.

Back to my Tex, here’s a short video featuring some of his amazingly adorable tricks:

If that wasn’t enough cute overload for you, here’s a pic of Tex snuggled into his new bed:

I am so in LOVE with him. Do you have a pet? Post a photo of your furry friend in the comment section below! Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!
-Brian

Valentine’s Day Breakfast Ideas Bursting with Love

Image via MarthaStewart.com

Hey Ya’ll,

As promised, I’m sharing some of the cute ideas for Valentine’s Day meals that I’ve seen scattered across the web. To kick things off, I figured I’d focus on the very first meal of the day: Breakfast!

You can keep things fast and easy by simply changing the shape of your breakfast, like these adorable hard-boiled eggs (pictured above) or these very tempting cinnamon rolls (pictured below).

Or you can really put your heart into it by preparing a heart-y spread that’s sure to start your Valentine’s day off on the right foot…

Invest in various sized heart-shaped cookie cutters. They come in handy for more than just pancakes!

Bacon is the way to most anyone’s heart. That is, unless they’re a vegetarian.

Cut your potatoes into flat discs, then use your smallest heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out individual hearts before tossing them into your skillet with some olive oil and rosemary.

Use a heart shaped cookie cutter to remove the center of your toast and place in warm skillet. Crack your egg into the center of the bread and cook for 3 minutes.

If you’d like to take a more decadent approach to breakfast, try making red velvet scones with cream cheese frosting (click the photo below for the recipe) or strawberry Nutella stacked french toast (click photo below for the recipe)!

Image and recipe via http://www.somethingswanky.com/red-velvet-scones/

Images and recipe via http://www.recipebyphoto.com/strawberry-nutella-stacked-french-toast/

Whatever you decide to make for breakfast, be sure to include a festive beverage with your meal. Again, you can keep it simple by adding a splash of O.J. and a strawberry to a glass of champagne or pour your sweetheart their usual coffee with a little extra love!

Now all you need to do is decide where you’ll be serving your Valentine their breakfast. You could serve them breakfast in bed… in the kitchen… dining room… outside on the patio… or even on a picnic blanket after your morning hike (assuming that it’s warm where you live!).

I hope you fell in love with a few of these ideas. More Valentine’s Day meal ideas to come so be sure to check back!
-Brian

Give a Little Love: Valentine’s Day Inspired Drinks and Garnishes

Hey Ya’ll,

No matter what kind of Valentine’s Day bash you’re hosting, I recommend making the holiday a bit more memorable (or less, depending on how strong they are!) by creating a specialty cocktail for your party.
As far as ingredients go, anything that creates a pink or red color works great on Valentine’s Day. Recipes that use pink lemonade, cranberry juice, grenadine or pomegranate juice, are the perfect place to start. You can also go all out and make decadent chocolate martinis!

Another fun ingredient to play around with is Goldschlager, a cinnamon liqueur that actually has flecks of gold floating in it, adding a romantic sparkle to any drink! Here’s a sweet recipe that combines a few of these festive ingredients:

Ingredients:
1/2 oz. Goldschlager
1/2 oz. Malibu Rum
1 oz. Absolut Vodka
1 splash of Club Soda
1 splash of Grenadine

Instructions:
Combine ingredients over ice and shake very well. Strain and serve over heart shaped ice cubes.

Next, come up with a fun name for your concoction like the “Flaming Heart” or “Love Potion No.9” and add fun garnishes like a heart-shaped lollipops or candy hearts.

You can also buy heart-shaped rubber molds at most party stores to make make heart-shaped ice cubes. Make them extra festive by adding arrow-shaped toothpicks!

Tip: Set out dishes of maraschino cherries, raspberries, strawberries, pink swizzle sticks or even a Twizzlers, so that guests can add another shade of red to any drink!

Tip: Make your drink even more special by hiring a bartender or even a few cocktail servers to work your party. This way, guests don’t have to bother with making their own drinks and you don’t have to spend the evening explaining how to make them! If this isn’t in your budget, write the recipe down and make sure it’s clearly displayed by the bar.

Also, if this is the only drink that you’ll be offering at your party, I recommend splitting the ingredients into a few smaller carafes, so that people can use the same ingredients at the same time.

Do you have a drink recipe you love that’s perfect for V-Day? Leave the ingredients and instructions in comment section below!

Click HERE for a few more fabulous drink recipes and let the good times and Valentine’s Day inspired libations flow!
-Brian

Give a Little Love: Valentine’s Day Inspiration!

Hey Ya’ll,

Valentine’s Day is less than a week away!!! If the holiday snuck up on you this year, don’t fret. There are many different ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day, regardless of your relationship status! And starting today, I’m sharing my favorite party themes, activities, recipes, and gift ideas to help make your V-Day all about the love—no matter who you’re celebrating with this year.

A brief history…
Although there are varying opinions as to the origin of Valentine’s Day, many experts believe the history of the holiday dates back to a Roman named Saint Valentine who was martyred for refusing to give up Christianity. He died on February 14, 269 A.D., leaving behind a farewell note for the jailer’s daughter, who had become his friend. He signed the letter “From Your Valentine”. Another version of the story says that St. Valentine served as a priest at the temple during the reign of Emperor Claudius. Claudius then had St. Valentine jailed for defying him. In 496 A.D. Pope Gelasius set aside February 14 to honor St. Valentine.

Either way, the holiday seems to date back to the Romans, which inspired my first Valentine’s Day idea: Toga Party! I recommend throwing your toga party the weekend before the actual holiday. This way, anyone who has plans Feb. 14 will still be able to attend. For your party invites, let your guests imaginations run wild by telling them they’re invited to Roman orgy!
Let them know that instead of wearing traditional white sheets, they should draped themselves in red or pink or fabric covered in hearts!

And rather than wearing roman medallions, encourage guests to wear giant hearts on a necklace, or add cupid wings, a laurel leaf crown with hearts on it, or even red, pink or white wigs!

You could even call the party something cute like “Beau and Arrow” and then set up a station where guests can decorate real arrows with pink streamers and red glitter and felt hearts to replace the arrow’s tip. In fact, tomorrow I’ll be sharing a bunch more Valentine’s Day inspired party activities like this one. Until then, I hope today’s post reminds all of you that Valentine’s Day is for EVERYONE! And a toga party is just one of many different ways you can create an extraordinary experience this Valentine’s Day!
-Brian