Things to Do and Sweet Treats for Valentine’s Day
Want to shake things up for this year’s Valentine’s Day celebrations?
Make it special with these creative ideas and delicious recipes!
Once again, the holiday of love has found its place on our calendars. Do you know how you will be spending your 2023 Valentine’s Day?
If you are looking for fun, engaging, and unique ideas to make this Valentine’s Day extra special, you are in the right place!
As a local trendsetter for making magical moments and elevated experiences, Table & Thyme is excited to share our latest holiday tips!
Keep reading for Valentine’s Day ideas and recipes you don’t want to miss!
5 Delightful Things to Do This Valentine’s Day
Whether you are celebrating Valentine’s Day with some self-love and appreciation, spending it with beloved friends, or canoodling with your special someone, there are a ton of ways to ensure a memorable evening.
Check out these ideas for an unforgettable Valentine’s Day in 2023:
Make a Shared Bucket List
Valentine’s Day is about slowing down and honoring all the memories you’ve made with the person (or people) at your side. Add to the fun by incorporating all the memories you hope to make together in the future!
Make a bucket list of every date, outing, vacation, road trip, or milestone you can do together. Set intentions to continue making memories worth remembering in the years to come!
Recreate a Special Date
Even if you and your boo are still new to the whole couple thing, recreating your first date can be a fun way to spend Valentine’s Day together. It’s a great way to reconnect and appreciate the little things that made you fall in love in the first place. Or, it can be an opportunity to learn new things about your favorite person!
This isn’t a V-Day activity that’s exclusive to couples, either. If you and a group of pals plan to spend the day together, recreate a special day from the past with them, too! Maybe it was the day you met or a day that led to a series of inside jokes. Remember a day you shared that continues to bring a smile to your face and make it happen again!
Tell Them How You Really Feel
If you are spending Valentine’s Day together, and it’s not in a platonic way, odds are someone has already spilled the beans about their feelings for the other person. Even so, the holiday is all about basking in the beauty of love, so why not run with it?
Brush off your classroom presentation skills and put together a slideshow that highlights everything you love about each other. Share your favorite snapshots, stories, and details about your relationship that make it so special to you. Not only does this strengthen the bond you share, but the reassurance of being seen and appreciated by our partners is a gift that cannot be bought.
This idea is perfect for those taking an unconventional approach to the holiday, too. Whether it’s a Galentine’s Day or an anti-Valentine’s Day party, a brief presentation featuring the funniest moments you’ve shared together can make your 2023 Valentine’s Day a lively event sans the romance!
Who Can Resist a Sweet Serenade?
Throw caution to the wind this Valentine’s Day with a shameless karaoke sesh!
Put together a playlist of your favorite songs and special dedications for a night filled with hearty laughs and genuine love.
Don’t forget to document this embarrassing declaration of love for future enjoyment, too!
Spread the Love!
Love is something central to the human experience, not just an idea made up for a holiday to sell heart-shaped boxes of chocolates. And it comes in many forms beyond Cupid's arrow, too.
Spread the love this Valentine’s Day by giving back to the community and people that surround you! Put together gift baskets of V-Day goodies to hand out to friends, coworkers, or anyone you find, or spend the day volunteering together!
8 Darling Desserts to Make for Valentine’s Day
Beyond planning the 'what to do,' Valentine’s Day is a holiday heavily associated with decadent treats and exceptional dinners.
You don’t have to make reservations at the hottest restaurant to commemorate the occasion. We covered a few incredible dinner recipes to make at home in our Guide for an Unforgettable Valentine’s Day, so be sure to take a look!
In the meantime, here are 9 festive Valentine’s Day desserts to try!
Brownie Batter Dip
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons nut butter
- 3 Tablespoons maple syrup
- 3 Tablespoons dark cocoa powder
- 2 Tablespoons oat flour
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 Tablespoon chocolate chips
- A pinch of salt
Directions
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the cocoa powder, salt, and oat flour until well-mixed.
- Then, add the maple syrup, vanilla extract, and nut butter to the bowl and combine until you form a thick chocolate paste. If it becomes too thick, adding a few Tablespoons of milk should thin it back out.
- Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Serve immediately with fresh fruit, graham crackers, or on its own! You can also place it in the refrigerator for a chilled treat at a later time.
Pear and Brie Skewers
Ingredients
- 1-2 pears, cubed
- Arugula, fresh
- Brie, cubed
- Balsamic glaze
- Walnuts, chopped
Directions
- Prepare the pears and Brie by cutting into bite-sized cubes.
- Layer a cube of pear, a few arugula leaves, and a cube of Brie on a toothpick, and set aside on a serving plate. Repeat as necessary.
- Drizzle balsamic glaze on the platter of skewers and sprinkle with chopped walnuts.
- Enjoy!
Red Velvet Cake Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 box red velvet cake mix
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- Chocolate hearts
- Red sanding sugar
Directions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, eggs, and oil to form a dough.
- Place the dough in the fridge to rest for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350° F.
- Then, use a spoon to portion the dough into small pieces. Roll the dough in clean hands to form balls, and place on a cookie sheet. Repeat until all the dough is used.
- Dust the cookies with the red sanding sugar and place them into the oven to bake for 15 minutes.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and place a chocolate heart into the center of each cookie while still warm.
- All the cookies to cool and enjoy!
Chocolate and Pomegranate Heart Candies
Ingredients
- Pomegranate seeds
- Dark chocolate chips
Directions
- Fill a heart-shaped silicone tray with pomegranate seeds as evenly as possible.
- Melt chocolate chips in the microwave, 30 seconds at a time, and stir until smooth.
- Spoon melted chocolate over the pomegranate seeds.
- Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until chocolate hardens.
- Pop the pomegranate chocolates out of the tray, and enjoy!
Valentine’s Day Pie Envelopes
Ingredients
- Pre-made pie crust
- Strawberry, raspberry, or cherry jam
- 1 Tablespoon milk
- 1-2 Tablespoons sugar
- 1-2 Tablespoons powdered sugar
Directions
- Preheat your oven to 450° F.
- Lay the pie crust out flat and cut into four even square-shaped portions, reserving the scraps.
- Cut four small hearts out of the dough scraps and set aside.
- On a baking sheet, arrange the dough squares. Spoon a dollop of jam into the center of the squares, and then fold the two sides and bottom corners inward to form the envelope. Brush the edges with milk, place the heart where the corners meet, and brush the heart once more with milk to seal the envelope.
- Sprinkle the envelopes with sugar and place them in the oven to bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the crust begins to brown.
- Remove the envelopes from the oven and allow to cool before dusting with powdered sugar and serving.
- Enjoy!
Stuffed Dates
Ingredients
- 1 package of pitted dates
- 1 container of cream cheese (plain or fruit-flavored)
- Walnuts, chopped
- Honey
Directions
- Carefully slice open the dates without cutting through completely.
- Use a spoon to fill the dates with cream cheese.
- Sprinkle crushed walnuts over the cream cheese and gently press them into the cheese.
- Lightly drizzle with honey and serve immediately.
Fruit Dip
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 7 ounces marshmallow fluff
- 1 Tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
Directions
- Put all ingredients in a bowl, and mix until well combined and totally smooth. If your cream cheese is a little cold, you may need to use a hand mixer.
- Serve with an assortment of fruit.
Strawberry Pie
Ingredients
- Pre-made pie dough
- 1 pound strawberries, fresh
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg, beaten
Directions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350° F.
- Thinly slice the strawberries and add to a large mixing bowl.
- Stir in the sugar, vanilla, and cornstarch with the sliced strawberries and set aside.
- Unroll and flatten the pie dough on the lined baking sheet
- 350 Slice strawberries and mix in a bowl with sugar, cornstarch, and vanilla.
- Unroll your pie crust on a parchment lined baking sheet. Spoon the strawberry and sugar mixture into the center of the dough, leaving a border of about 2 inches along the edges.
- Fold the edges of the dough towards the center of the pie and over the strawberries.
- Spoon strawberry mixture into the middle of the crust, leaving a 2 inch border.
- Fold and crimp the pie dough over the edges of the strawberry mixture, crimping as you go to minimize leaks.
- Brush the beaten egg along the edges of the dough, sprinkle with sugar, and place the pie in the oven to bake for 45 to 55 minutes.
- Serve warm and enjoy!
Have a Lovely Valentine’s Day with Table & Thyme!
Celebrate your 2023 Valentine’s Day in style with one of Table & Thyme’s handcrafted Graze Boxes.
Browse our selection of specially curated Graze Boxes made with fresh fruits and vegetables, artisanal cheeses and charcuterie, seasonal sweets, and more!
Our Mini Graze Box is perfect for two, while our Medium and Traditional Graze Boxes offer fine dining for close-knit groups and larger parties alike!
Get your splendid Graze Box just in time for Valentine’s Day by ordering today!
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