Cereal Marshmallow Snack with Cranberry Seeds

 These easy to make Cereal Marshmallow Snacks get a naturally pretty red color and a little nutritional boost thanks to the addition of cranberry seeds...

This post is sponsored by BabbleBoxx on behalf of Ocean Spray.

With Valentine's Day fast approaching, I wanted to share a quick & easy treat with you all that is perfect for sharing with your loved ones this weekend. Not only are these Cereal Marshmallow Snacks super simple to make, but they also happen to have a little "secret" nutritional powerhouse ingredient mixed right into them- Ocean Spray Cranberry Seeds!

Not only do these little red seeds give a 100% natural red color to any recipe that you add them to you (Hello! Perfect for Valentine's Day!), but they also provide a host of health benefits. Cranberry seeds have been proven to support a healthy digestive system, heart, & brain, as well as giving you a little immunity boost to boot. 

So move over, chia and flax seeds! And make way for Ocean Spray Cranberry Seeds. 

10 Kid Approved Valentine Treats

From cute to easy to just plain sweet, you are sure to find the perfect dessert to say "I love you" to your kiddos in this collection of 10 Kid Approved Valentine Treats...

Is it just me or does Valentine's Day take on a whole other meaning after you have kids? Pre-kids, it was all about the roses, and a fancy dinner out, followed by champagne by candlelight (not that you still can't do all of those things after you have kids, but it is definitely a bit more challenging to coordinate the romantic theatrics. ;) ). 

Post-kids, you find yourself elbow deep in perforated Valentines for the classroom party while simultaneously trying to wrap a shoe box in red cardstock. If that isn't true love, then I don't know what it is, folks.

When the Valentines are all finally addressed and the last heart shaped sticker has been attached to that shoe box, I like to turn my attention to making a sweet treat for Valentine's Day for the kiddos. Sometimes I whip up a little something that is perfect for sharing with the whole family, and sometimes I like to make an easy dessert that my daughter can help me with. 

Chocolate Strawberry Skillet Granola

Studded with sweet dried strawberries & mini chocolate chips, this easy to make Chocolate Strawberry Skillet Granola only tastes like a decadent treat... 

I am a BIG fan of the chocolate and fruit combos for Valentine's Day (or any day really ;) ). Cherries with chocolate? YES! Strawberries and chocolate? Heck yeah! 

Chocolate covered strawberries are just synonymous with Valentine's Day, am I right? So I decided to take a cue from this popular sweet treat for this time of year and transform it into a tasty & healthy granola perfect for pouring milk over, serving over top of your favorite yogurt, or for putting into pretty glass jars for easy gift giving. 

Typically I bake my homemade granola, but for this Chocolate Strawberry Skillet Granola I broke out my trusty cast iron skillet. I have been wanting to try and make a skillet granola for a while now. 

The cook time for a skillet toasted granola is about 1/3 of the usual baking time for granola. And the results? Whoa! I was not disappointed in the slightest with this skillet granola. :)

Studded with sweet dried strawberries & mini chocolate chips, this easy to make Chocolate Strawberry Skillet Granola only tastes like a decadent treat... 

12 Perfectly Romantic Desserts for Two

From chocolate to cupcakes to cobbler, you are sure to find the perfect dessert in just the right portion size for a date night-in with these 12 Perfectly Romantic Desserts for Two...

Even though I put together this little round-up of delicious desserts with a certain upcoming romantic holiday in mind, I am here to tell you all that this collection of desserts for two isn't just for the love birds or romantic date nights at home. I mean, recipes for desserts for two can have so many other perfectly acceptable uses. 

Like, you have had a really long week. Like really long. And you want to splurge on a sweet treat, but find the idea of eating an entire pan of brownies or a dozen cookies a little ridiculous.

Or maybe you are in the mood for a sweet treat, but don't feel like having a ton of leftover cake or cobbler tempting you all weekend long. 

I mean, it is hard to let such tasty goodies just go to waste, right? 

Or forget the husband, boyfriend, girlfriend, etc altogether! How about a dessert perfect for a girls' night in with your bestie? 

So please banish the idea from your head that you must be part of a couple in order to truly appreciate and enjoy these 12 Perfectly Romantic Desserts for Two! ;)

I carefully collected these dessert for two recipes from some of my favorite food blogs to make sure there was a little something in here to please just about everyone's sweet tooth. 

From chocolate (because duh!) to cupcakes to cobbler, you are sure to find the perfect dessert in just the right portion size for a date night-in, to smooth over a rough week, or to round out that upcoming girls' night...

Pomegranate Champagne Cosmopolitan

A classic cocktail gets a romantic and bubbly makeover in this Pomegranate Champagne Cosmopolitan...

It is no secret that my husband and I are pretty much homebodies when it comes to popular holidays like New Year's Eve and Valentine's Day. We would much rather stay at home, cook a special dinner-in, and enjoy a bottle of wine or mix up a cocktail or two. 

Honestly, I would love to go out for a romantic dinner for two at a swanky restaurant, but when you factor in wait times & the bill that is guaranteed to be double the norm the romanticism kind of flies out the window for me. 

But cozying up at home with a home cooked or take-out dinner for two and a couple of beautiful cocktails is speaking my love language. ;)

Every Valentine's Day I try to concoct a new cocktail for my husband and I to celebrate with. This year I am taking a cue from a cocktail classic, the cosmopolitan. (Just curious- am I the only one who can't drink a cosmo without thinking of reruns of Sex and the City?)

So what makes my Pomegranate Champagne Cosmopolitan special? The addition of pomegranate vodka & bubbly champagne! :) 

The color of this cocktail just screams romance and Valentine's Day. And how could you ever go wrong by adding some bubbly to the mix? (Hint- you absolutely cannot. ;) )