Your Ultimate At-Home Valentine's Day Guide
We’ve pulled together everything you need to stay safe and sound in the comfort of your own abode, while showering the people you love with L.O.V.E.
You’ll find simple and yummy recipes to make together, fun and games to play together, a PLAY-list to encourage hours of dancing together, and the best batch of Rom-Coms to watch together... while wrapped in your cozy Puffer HUG, of course!
Big love and HUGS from all of us on the PLAYFUL team!
Xoxo,
Meredith
Let’s Dance!
Show em’ your best moves, or simply snuggle up to your new favorite Valentine’s Day PLAYLIST on Spotify!
Belly Up to The Snack Bar
We believe that no one should spend hours in the kitchen on Valentine’s Day...unless slaving over a hot stove is your love language. Instead of a complicated, time-consuming Valentine’s Day dinner, consider a batch of elevated appetizers that are hearty enough to take center stage. Here are a few of our favorite no-sweat snacks that are super fun to make together.
Big LOVE “Grazing Board”
Wings are the easiest thing to make and always a crowd favorite...even a crowd of 2. This creative grazing board, from our friend Beau Coffron, incorporates a fun heart shaped baking pan as your wing-ding receptacle for extra Valentine’s Day flare.
Beau makes school lunches fun with creative food art that both kids and parents love. Check out and follow @lunchboxdad on Instagram for more of his awesome tips, everyday inspiration, exciting recipes, and fantastic lunchbox creations!
Directions:
- Arrange your favorite chicken wings in a heart-shaped pan or just a heart shape on a cutting board.
- Surround them with carrots, celery, olives, peppers, grapes, baguettes, bacon, and peanut butter filled pretzels.
- For dipping you can include ranch dressing, traditional blue cheese dressing, hot sauce, and a bacon cheddar cheese dip!
Dinner... on a Stick! - Shrimp Caesar Salad Sticks
Simple and elevated, these Shrimp Caesar Salad skewers are a quick and healthy main dish.
Ingredients:
- 1 pound cleaned, raw shrimp
- 1 bunch Romaine Lettuce, cleaned and cut into bite-sized chucks
- 2 cloves garlic
- ½ lemon
- salt
- pepper
- paprika
Directions:
- Place the butter in a large pan and melt over medium high heat. Add the shrimp and season with salt, pepper, and paprika.
- Cook the shrimp 2-3 minutes per side, until shrimp are pink and opaque
- Add the garlic and cook for one more minute
- Assemble each salad skewer by alternating grilled shrimp and romaine lettuce chucks. Drizzle with your favorite Caesar dressing, sprinkle with fresh grated parmesan cheese, and place on a pretty platter or snack board.
- Enjoy!
Dinner... on a Stick! - Spicy Grilled Cheese Sticks with Tomato Bisque “Dip”
There’s nothing quite as warm and cozy as the perfect grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup combo. They make the perfect couple, don’t ya think?
Ingredients:
- For Spicy Grilled Cheese Sandwich
- Sharp Cheddar Cheese
- Spicy Pepper Jack Cheese
- Sourdough Bread
- Butter
- For Ina Garten's Cream Tomato Bisque (Dip)
- 3 tablespoons unsalted buttergood olive oil
- 1½ cups chopped yellow onion (1 large)
- 3/4 cup chopped shallots (2 large)
- 1 cup chopped leek, white and light green parts, washed and spun-dry
- 3 (28-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes, preferably San Marzano
- 4 cups whole milk
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- grated Italian Parmesan, for garnish
- minced fresh parsley, for garnish
Directions:
- Spicy Grilled Cheese Sandwich
- Preheat skillet over medium heat. Generously butter one side of a slice of bread.
- Place bread butter-side-down onto skillet bottom and add the cheeses
- Butter a second slice of bread on one side and place butter-side-up on top of sandwich.
- Grill until lightly browned and flip over; continue grilling until cheese is melted.
- Cut your sandwiches into bite sized squares and slide each onto your skewer or stick
- Ina Garten's Creamy Tomato Bisque
- Heat the butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large (11-inch) pot or Dutch oven over medium-low heat.
- Add the onion, shallots and leek, and sauté for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender.
- Add the tomatoes, milk, cream, saffron, red pepper flakes, 1 tablespoon salt and 1½ teaspoons black pepper.
- Raise the heat, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the flavors are blended and the soup is slightly thickened.
- Off the heat, stir in 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Serve hot, sprinkled with the Parmesan and parsley.
- Enjoy and don't forget to dip!
Truffle Popcorn
The perfect snack for grazing or movies.
Ingredients:
- Amish Country Popcorn, Whirly Pop Stove Top Popper, or your favorite
-
Sabatino Tartufi Truffle Zest Seasoning
Valentine Brownie Pops
Ingredients:
- 1 box of your favorite brownie mix
- 2 Eggs
- 3 tablespoons water
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- lollipop sticks (from the craft store)
- 3″ heart-shaped cookie cutter
- Decorating icing, sprinkles, and sugar of choice
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Spray a 9×13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
- Combine the brownie mix, eggs, water, and oil.
- Pour the brownie batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake 25-30 minutes. Insert a toothpick around 30 minutes, if it comes out clean the brownies are done.
- Remove the brownies from the oven and let cool completely.
- Line a baking sheet with wax or parchment paper.
- Use the heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out the heart-shaped brownies.
- Gently insert a lollipop stick into the base of each brownie and place on the baking sheet.
- Drizzle icing onto each brownie pop and sprinkle with decorating sugar if desired.
- Place on your favorite plate or platter, and enjoy!
Cocktails for Two
Bubbles + Bourbon = The Perfect Couple
Ingredients:
- 1/2 oz Lemon juice, Fresh
- 3/4 oz Simple syrup
- 1 Ice cubes
- 3 dashes Angostura bitters
- 2 oz Bourbon
- 1 Champagne
Instructions:
- Mix all ingredients in order into a stemless wine or highball glass.
- Stir gently and garnish with fresh lemon rind
Cosmo with a KICK
Ingredients:
- 6 ounces Absolut Vodka (or your favorite)
- 2 ounces Absolut Pepper Vodka
- 2 ounces Grand Marnier
- 6 ounces Cranberry Juice
- 2 ounces Fresh Lime Juice
- 2 Lime Slices
Instructions:
- Mix all ingredients in order in a cocktail shaker with ice, shake well, and strain into chilled martini glasses
- Garnish with Lime slices
Players gonna PLAY
As our good pal Plato once said…”you can discover more about a person in an hour of PLAY than you can in a year of conversation.”
Playfulness is the cornerstone of our style collections, so it’s only fair that we share a few awesome games, perfect for your romantically fun night IN.
PLAYFUL Conversation Hearts Convo Starter
- Print out the PLAYFUL Conversation Hearts Printable
- Cut the hearts out
- Light some candles
- Put on the playlist we made ya
- Place all the hearts in a bowl
- Put away your phones
- Pass the bowl around, let each person pick a heart, and answer. Then pass the bowl on to the next person
- Let the sweet banter begin!
3 Funtastic Games to Play With Your Favorite People
Movie Romance-a-thon
Here’s a list of our favorite PLAYFUL Rom-Coms to watch and re-watch this Valentine’s Day:
- Something’s Got to Give
- You’ve Got Mail
- Valentine’s Day
- The Notebook
- First Wive’s Club
- When Harry Met Sally
- Bridget Jones Diary
- The Big Sick
- Waiting to Exhale
- 50 First Dates
- Sleepless in Seattle
- Roman Holiday
- Never Been Kissed
- Philadelphia Story
- Destination Wedding
- Pride and Prejudice
- La La land
- Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
- Moonrise Kingdom
- The Proposal
- A Walk to Remember
- The Lost Valentine
- P.S. I Love You
- Serendipity
- Before Sunrise