Red Velvet Rice Krispie Treats {Happy Valentine's Day}

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

The day to celebrate new love, young love and overpriced $40 boxes of chocolate.

{oh was that too forward}

What I meant to say was Happy Hallmark Holiday! The one day a year that everyone is expected to send and receive flowers, chocolates and mushy cards. Well, I am not a cynic... but I'm not buying it.

I have always believed that when you are with someone you love or want to express and share your love, then you do not need a specific day dub'ed for that reason alone... it should be expressed on a whim, {a random Tuesday I always say} just because you thought of me and love me.


Too much to ask for? I don't think so.


In fact, when I started dating Paul I made it very clear that I don't like heart boxes of chocolate, I kill flowers before they can even get to water and I will never accept some fluffy stuffed teddy bear with "hugs and kisses" on it. It's just not me.

 Lucky for me, Paul still understood that just because I do not give in to the popular holiday doesn't mean that romance and thoughtful whims are out the window. Last year in March he surprised me with an evening in the city for dinner and tickets to go see Wicked. It was amazing.

Even though it wasn't his favorite show, he did it for me and we still had a fabulous time. That is a great guy.

Aaaaaand every so often I get flowers "on a random Tuesday".
How perfect is he!

Anyways, so just because I am not all about Valentine's Day, I still can have fun with it, especially when it comes to making adorable treats for friends and co-workers.


I mean, what other function was Pinterest created other than to spark ideas and share cute fabulous crafts with the world?


My thoughts exactly!


Plus, I am a foodie... so you know I will be cooking up some type of delicious dinner to munch down with my guy.

I found Red Velvet Rice Krispies and I being that my new Pinterest mind is always turning, I thought {especially for Valentine's Day} to make these treats and use heart cut-outs for a really 'homemade' valentine gift.


Simple and sweet... {just like me}

Fair warning: read the ingredients. When I first tried to make these I dumped the whole box of mix into the marshmallows because I was hooked into a movie and didn't pay attention. Round two to the grocery store and in the kitchen went much better.

To make the pops {thinking outside the box} I grabbed a bunch of extra chop sticks we had piled up from all our sushi nights and cut the zip tops off of sandwich bags to make individual kris pie pops.

The pops taste fantastic {as a result of sneaking the leftover edges} and they look adorable for my homemade Valentine's. I know my friends and co-workers are going to love these... and of course I snuck a small baggie of them in Paul's lunch box.

The best guy deserves a pretty sweet girl ;)

Red Velvet Rice Krispie Treats

Ingredients
3 tablespoons butter
1 (10.5 ounce) bag mini marshmallows
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup red velvet cake mix
6 cups Rice Krispies cereal
2 tbsp cocoa powder
vanilla frosting, melted

Line a 9×13-inch pan with wax or parchment paper; coat well with cooking spray. Set aside.

In a large saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add marshmallows, cake mix, cocoa powder and vanilla stirring frequently, until melted and smooth. Fold in the cereal until well combined and coated.

Transfer sticky cereal mixture to the prepared pan, pressing down until the top is level. Cut into shapes, if desired, and drizzle frosting over top.


Photos by A Healthy Jalapeño
Recipe adopted by Pass The Sushi

My Perfect Valentine's Dinner Menu {at home of course}:

Appetizer

Blue Cheese Canapes with Pecans and Grapes

Entree

Blueberry Fields Forever- Salad

Grilled Top Sirloin Steak with Garlic-Whiskey Butter

Crispy Smashed Garlic and Herb Roasted Red Potatoes

Dessert

Chocolate-Raspberry Ganache with a Graham Cracker Crust

Cocktail

Sparkling Pomegranate Bliss

Enjoy!