Mini Heart Strawberry Pies

Today I made some miniature strawberry heart pies.  I love them - they scream Happy Valentine's Day!


They were super easy to make because I used store-bought pie dough.

Ingredients:

store-bought pie dough 

strawberry jam

1 egg

tablespoon of milk

granulated sugar

Directions:

The store-bought pie-dough comes with two rolls of pie dough in each box.  Bring the pie dough to room temperature and roll the dough a little thinner on a lightly floured surface. Cut out 12 hearts.

Put a tablespoon of strawberry jam in the middle of each heart. Note: in the above picture I used a Silpat but parchment paper would also work in a pinch.

Roll out the second piece of pie dough with the rolling pin and cut out 12 more hearts. Place them on top of the jam hearts. Using the blunt end of a skewer punch little holes around the hearts.

Put the cookie sheet with the hearts into the refrigerator. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Meanwhile combine and egg with milk in a small bowl.

Once the oven is ready take the cookie sheet out of the fridge and brush the egg mixture over each heart. Sprinkle with a small amount of sugar.

Bake for 10-12 minutes until the hearts are golden brown.

Serve with a little vanilla ice cream! Happy Valentine's Day!

Preparing to Substitute Teach First Grade

I am preparing to substitute teach first grade .

I have these cute little  fuzzy coloring "Did you think to Pray?" Because I like to talk a little bit about prayer in every class that I teach.

This week I am planning on giving the kids a little handmade rosary and we are going to pray a decade.

We are also going to learn a little about Saint Valentine this week.

In honor of Saint Valentine I made  the kids these heart lollipops out of melted candy canes. I think they will really like them!

For snack time we are going to have heart shaped brownies - drizzled with red tinted chocolate.

Another take home treat is a mini Hershey bar with a scripture label.

First graders love the color - this week I found a lot of coloring sheets with heart and love themes.

They color so beautifully.  And the coloring keeps them busy and occupied. It is difficult to be a substitute teacher.

This first grade class was adorable. I hope they have a wonderful Valentine's Day! 

Felt Envelope For Valentine Gift Cards

I started making little Valentine felt envelopes for gift cards. They are so easy and fun to make.

Supply List:

felt in pink and red

contrasting embroidery thread

needle

scissors

ruler

buttons 

Directions:

Cut a piece of felt into a rectangle. I cut mine into 8" x 4" and 10" x 4".

Fold the felt rectangle in half and cut the top into a point.

Now the envelope can be folded into thirds.

 Stitch the bottom with a running stitch.

Fold the bottom up about one third and start stitching around the edge, bottom, sides and all the way up over the point with a running stitch. Sew a button over the point.

If you don't have any buttons - a felt heart can be sewn over the point.

On the above envelopes I forgot to sew the bottom - but the envlopes work the same.

I am planning on making these little felt gift card envelopes for birthdays and other holidays. 

These little envelopes can be used for gift cards, love notes or a sweet candy treat. Happy Valentine's Day!

Valentine Lolllipops

I made these little Valentine lollipops for the first graders that I am going to substitute teach this week.

They are so easy to make! The most important thing is to  remember to buy a box of mini candy canes at Christmas time.

All you need are mini candy canes and lollipop sticks.

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. Remove the wrappers from the candy canes and lay them on a Silpat or parchment paper in a heart shape with a lollipop stick. Bake for about 3 minutes.

When they come out of the oven pinch the melted candy canes over the lollipop stick and make sure the top pieces touch into the heart shape.

Once the lollipops have set - they can be put into little bags and tied with a red ribbon. They look super cute put into a vase.

I make these lollipops every February.  Happy Valentine's Day!

Blueberry Pizza with Honeyed Goat Cheese

Today I made a blueberry pizza for lunch. Blueberries have been on sale this week! This pizza is super easy to put together and so delicious.

Ingredients:

1 naan flatbread

2 tablespoons honey

4 ounces goat cheese

handful of fresh blueberries

3 slices of prosciutto - cut into 1' pieces

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Put naan on a baking sheet.

Combine the goat cheese and honey - to make a paste. Spread the honey/cheese mixture on to the naan.

Then sprinkle with the blueberries.

Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes.

When the pizza comes out of the oven sprinkle with the thyme and prosciutto. 

This pizza is sweet, savory and so delicious!