Valentine's Day Dinner Party

Valentine's Day Dinner Entertaining

The key to a successful dinner party is to stay organized by breaking down the work of planning, shopping, and cooking into manageable, do-ahead tasks. Use the following tips as a starting point, and you'll master the skills to hosting a Valentine's Day dinner party with confidence and ease.

The Occasion

Begin by choosing a Valentine's Day theme that will tie the entire party together. Take you cue from the season and the guest list, creating an elegant soiree.

Where and When

Next, choose a day and a location that will fit your desired theme. Look for creative ways to use your space that make the most of its best features, perhaps staging your party in the kitchen, family room, or on the deck. A 7:00pm starting time works well for most dinners. Allow an hour for cocktails and mingling before the meal.

Guest List and Invitations

Jot down a list of guests to invite, and round it out by adding people with complementary interests and backgrounds. Add a few extra names in case you need to invite more people.

For casual get-togethers, an e-mailed invitation or a phone call is appropriate. More formal parties call for invitations sent through the mail. Don't forget to include all the details, including RSVP information. Allow four to six weeks' advance notice for formal occasions, less for informal ones.

Hosting and Serving Tips

* As the guests arrive, pass flutes of chilled Prosecco (Italian sparkling wine) on a napkin-lined tray. * Set the table with good-quality linens and silverware and plain white plates that showcase the food. * Use slender white candles at varying heights to create a warm, welcoming mood. * If you have a fireplace, build a fire and consider serving drinks and appetizers or dessert and coffee beside the hearth.

About the Author

For more information on entertaining or becoming an event planning coordinator visit http://www.stylisticsoirees.com

valentines Day Recipes

Valentine's Day Baking Recipes

Some interesting history about chocolate and strawberries: The ancient Mayans and Aztecs considered chocolate an aphrodisiac. Strawberries have been considered an aphrodisiac since ancient Rome. But the history of these two delectable treats hardly matters. All you need to know is that the combination is sure to please your lover on Valentine's Day.

Chocolate Strawberry Cake Squares The decadent chocolate fudge combined with the sweet flavor of strawberries in this recipe will have your lover wanting more. And the best part is that it's quick and simple to make. It serves two so it is a perfect treat for Valentine's Day.

2 slices pound cake 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons hot fudge sauce 2 tablespoons Amaretto 8 strawberries, sliced

2 tablespoons hot fudge sauce, melted toasted slivered almonds vanilla ice cream

In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons hot fudge sauce and Amaretto. Microwave on high for 30 seconds. Put half of the sauce on one dessert plate and half on another. Put the cake slices in the fudge sauce. Put the strawberries in even layers on top of the cake. Microwave each cake square on high for 30 seconds. Top with the 2 tablespoons hot fudge sauce, slivered almonds and ice cream.

Chocolate Strawberry Ice Cream Dessert A delightful treat for your valentine with Oreos, chocolate and strawberries. A perfect chilled dessert to help steam up your romance.

50 Oreo's, crushed 4 tablespoons butter, softened 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened 1 cup chocolate syrup 1 package (8 ounces) whipped topping, thawed 1/2 gallon strawberry ice cream, thawed slightly 1 pint strawberries, sliced chocolate syrup

In a small bowl, mix the crushed Oreo's and butter. Put 1/3 of this mixture into a 9 x 13-inch pan. Beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the chocolate syrup gradually to the cream cheese. Fold the whipped topping into the chocolate mixture. Put the chocolate mixture on top of the crumbs and then add another 1/3 of the crumb mixture over this layer. Slice the strawberry ice cream into 1 inch thick slices and put over the chocolate layer. Top this layer with the remaining crumbs. Freeze at least overnight. Allow the dessert to sit out for about 15 minutes before cutting it into bars. Put the sliced strawberries on top of a bar and drizzle with chocolate syrup.

About the Author

With a passion for baking and story telling, Jill Seader shares baking recipes and stories at http://www.YourBakingStory.com . Come enjoy the stories and recipes or get some recipe scrapbooking supplies to create your own baking story. Happy Baking!

Its' Valentines's Day Again!

What are the two most hated days of the year for single women? It's probably no surprise: New Year's Eve and Valentine's Day. Well, you have survived one already a few weeks ago. Now, you have to prepare for getting through the next one -- next month.

Why do most single women hate February 14? Because Valentine's Day is a holiday that shouts, "You must be in love." Commercialism has designed this day for lovers. Hotels and restaurants and jewelers and florists (etc.) all have specials for men and women in love(Or at least, men and women who are partnered or married!). And if you are not with a special man, you feel left out.

This is why so many women hide out on Valentine's Day. Yet, here's a curious fact. This day, devoted to lovers, has a nefarious beginning. There are a number of stories about how Valentine's Day got started. Ironically, two of the more common ones are connected to murder and rape. One version says Valentine's Day is named for a Christian saint who was murdered for marrying men and women at a time the Emperor needed men to go to war. If married, goes this story, men wouldn't want to leave their families. The emperor needed single soldiers so he killed the man who was marrying the couples. Another version says Valentine's Day actually derived from a pagan holiday where a lottery was held for young men to win a young woman (probably a teenager of younger) for the male's sexual pleasure.

You can choose any story you prefer as the origin just as you can choose how to relate to Valentine's Day. It can be a day of shame because you do not love and are not loved by a special man, or you can honor this day by acknowledging those people who make your life better. When you were in elementary school, you knew Valentine's Day was not about lovers; if was about love and caring and friendship. It can be the same today -- if you choose.

If you choose to see it as about love and caring, then you don't need to hide out, or claim you hate February 14. You can participate in the holiday -- by your definition. You have no reason to be embarrassed about being single; you don't need to hide. Find ways to celebrate the day with those you care about. Send or make cards, have a Valentine Day meal with close friends, greet people with a "Happy Valentine's Day" and mean it. Participating in the holiday tells the world you love yourself and you love others. You can mope or you can celebrate your life -- the life you have at the moment. There is no telling what your life will be like later today, tomorrow, next week. So celebrate whatever you have. After all, right now is the only life you have. And, any day that reminds you of the people you love and cherish is a day worth celebrating.

About the Author

Dr. Karen Gail Lewis is founder of Unique Retreats for Single Women. She's a marriage/family therapist and author of several books about single and married women. Join her for a FREE teleseminar on Unspoken Truths About Being Single in a Married World. Register at http://www.DrKarenGailLewis.com