Welcome to our newsletter,

We are almost done with the switch over of our blogs and had hoped to of had 3 major sites done January we managed to get 2 of them and are close to finishing of the 3rd FunCupcakeIdeas has taken a little longer then hoped. We had to give our Squidoo lens some attention which has taken our head writers help so this is why the delay. The good thing is when we are done our Squidoo lenses will deliver even more value to you and us.

February means it is time to think of the ones we love and I would like to dedicate this issue to romance and my loved ones and bring you a Valentine’s Day special.

We have added to our first Tumblr blog (http://chicken-marinade-recipe.tumblr.com/) and plan to launch blog number two for our pizza lovers out there and one for appetizer recipes as well we hope to launch another one for our Mexican food site shortly we are in the process of working up content as we speak. We try to use these to bring you up to date food info and update them regularly.

On the social seen we just past the 18 thousandth fan on Facebook and hope to make huge gains this year as we find this is the best way to give you up to the minute info of new content whether on our sites or one of our Squidoo lenses or HubPages Hubs, plus the tumblr accounts. Our most social site continues to be our flagship MexicanFoodRecipes.org your bookmarks have helped more people discover this wonderful cuisine and site, we appreciate your support.

Best wishes,

Christine

As always you can find this and all our past newsletter on the web at our main company blog along with loads of unique and original recipes from all our sites.

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Valentine Gifts for the One You Love

Everybody is different, which is why you need to think carefully about valentine gifts. Traditional valentine gift ideas include long-stemmed red roses or delicate orchids, chocolates, candies, or jewelry, depending on your budget and other factors, but nothing says true love quite like homemade gifts.

This could be some kind of sweet treat, like a homemade chocolate cake or even a batch of cute valentine cupcakes, or it could be clothing of some description. If you are not into baking or knitting, you can still be romantic and pick out a gift from the store, but your partner is sure to appreciate the effort you put in, if you do try to make something yourself.

Consider cupcake recipes, for example. Baking cupcakes is very simple and you can put four or six in a white box and tie it with some red or pink ribbon. What a beautiful, delicious and special gift that would make, and your partner will love the fact you have baked and decorated them yourself.

Nifty Valentine Gift Baskets

A gift basket can be as economical or as expensive as you can afford, and there is no limit as to what goes in there. You might like to bake some goodies and present them in a gift basket, perhaps along with some flowers, or you might like to buy a gift basket with gifts already inside, and then pop something else in, to ensure your gift is unique.

If you want to make a valentine gift basket yourself, you will need to buy the basket and the contents and assemble it yourself. Fill the basket with a red or pink robe (to sit the other items on) a bottle of Champagne, some chocolates, and maybe even a romantic DVD. This is everything you need for a romantic evening in.

Another option is to use food, so you could include a package of homemade valentine cupcakes, some good quality chocolates, and perhaps a bottle of wine. If you and your partner do not eat many sweet things, then what about a selection of cheeses, some olives, crackers, caviar, and a jar of gourmet chutney. The sky is the limit with valentine gift baskets, especially if you are making your own instead of ordering or buying one.

You might wish to include perfume or aftershave, clothing, a cuddly toy, some gadget your partner has been hankering after, luxury bedding made of Egyptian cotton, or something else which is unique and romantic. Everyone’s idea of romance is difference, and you know your partner best.

More Valentine Gift Ideas

If you are totally stuck, then you might like to give chocolate, but avoid standard chocolates and opt for something which defines good taste and superior quality. You can get some kinds of chocolates in pink or red valentine packaging. Perfume is another classic choice, although you might like to find out more about what types of perfume your partner likes before buying something unsuitable. Scents are very personal, so only get this if you are sure which kind to choose.

If you are looking for valentine gift ideas for a new romance or for someone who has not been in your life for long, you might like to go for something like a weekend away, homemade cupcakes, or hand-dipped strawberries. Valentine gifts for a long-term relationship can be trickier because you have probably given most valentines gift ideas out there, from weekends away and jewelry, to flowers and chocolates. There are still some valentine gifts you could choose though. What about a new espresso machine or an expensive piece of jewelry or watch?

The sentiment means more than the value, so put your time and effort into something homemade, and your loved one will surely fall in love with you all over again.

Easy Cupcake Recipes to Make at Home

Cupcakes make a great snack and they are a much-appreciated treat. You can enjoy a cupcake without guilt, since their diminutive size keeps them light. Have you ever made your own cupcake recipes? It might surprise you to discover just how easy cupcakes are to make yourself. You can use a cake mix to make them, or you can make your own cupcake recipes from scratch, using a few basic ingredients you might already have in the refrigerator and pantry.

Cupcakes come in many types and flavors. You can get double chocolate ones, a simple vanilla cupcake with buttercream frosting, fruit-topped cupcakes, filled ones, and so many more, and there are lots of recipes to whet your appetite at FunCupcakeIdeas.com where you will also find all the best cupcake articles and cupcake cooking tips.

How to Make Yummy Cupcakes

Making delicious cupcakes is as simple as combining your ingredients, dividing the batter between muffin cups, and baking the cupcakes until they are done. When they are cool, you can frost them and decorate them however you want. Cupcakes are great for any season or occasion, and they also make nice gifts. What about making some romantic cupcakes for your Valentine? Valentine’s Day cupcakes are always appreciated.

Kids and adults love cupcakes and these little treats are great served with a glass of milk or with a cup of coffee. If you have never made your own cupcake recipes before, why not visit FunCupcakeIdeas.com, where you will find everything you need to get you started.

 

Valentine Recipe for Kids

Valentine’s Day is not just for the grownups. Kids love to play a role as well. So how are you going to get your kids involved this Valentine’s Day? One way they could be helpful is to assist you in the kitchen, if you are planning to make a special valentine dessert or a batch of valentine cupcakes.

Perhaps you want to make something special to surprise your partner, and giving a special homemade gift from you and the kids is sure to delight your other half. Cupcakes are always a good idea because there are lots of different cupcake recipes to choose from. Also, it is easy to find valentine type decorations at this time of the year, so you can make a pink frosting for your romantic cupcakes and get the kids to help you with the chocolate candies or heart-shaped jellies you use for the decorations.

Kid-Friendly Treats

If you want to make a Valentine’s Day treat for your kids, to remind them of how much you love them and how special they are to you, then you could make some cute cupcakes for them, or you could even make something else.

Chocolate-dipped strawberries are easy and fun to make, or you could use cherries instead. What about a chocolate fondue? Dipping fresh fruit or marshmallows (or both) into melted chocolate is something which is guaranteed to put a smile on your kids’ faces.

The Perfect Dessert to End Your Meal

Dessert recipes are something that every home cook should add to their repertoire. A dessert not only offers something sweet, and an opportunity to use fresh seasonal produce, but it is also the perfect way to end your meal. Desserts are just as good after a casual meal as an elaborate one, although the type of dessert you want to make might be different.

If you want to serve something simple, what about making a fluffy mousse, or a layered gelatin dessert? Kids love colorful gelatin recipes and so do adults. A more elegant dinner might call for something like a homemade chocolate mousse or a sherry trifle. A lot of dessert recipes can be made ahead and kept in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve them. Others, such as bread pudding or fruit cobbler, need to be baked, and you can serve these hot or warm, with custard or whipped cream.

Choose the Best Dessert Recipe

When choosing which dessert recipe to make, to end your meal with, consider the meal itself. If you are serving something heavy and filling, you might prefer to serve a sorbet or simple gelatin recipe, as a light finish. If the meal is simple and light, you can serve something heavier as the next course. Perhaps you fancy making a frosted chocolate cake or another rich recipe.

You can find all the dessert recipes you will ever need at SimpleDessertRecipes.org including gelatin recipes, cheesecake recipes, tips for making great mousse, hot dessert recipes, and plenty more.

Clever and Creative Valentine Food

There are traditional food ideas for Valentine’s Day and more modern ones, so you can take your pick, depending what you want to make, how much time you have to spare, your budget, and what kind of food your loved one prefers. If you want to make something creative, you might prefer to consider cakes, cupcakes, and cookies.

You can choose from all kinds of different recipes and make something totally unique. Keep with the valentine theme by featuring pink or red frosting or decorations. There are easy cookie recipes and cake recipes, as well as more complex ones, so whatever your experience you can find a good recipe to suit your skills.

You can pick out some special decorations for your valentine cookies or cakes, and maybe even write your loved one’s name in frosting. This is perhaps more for advanced cooks than absolute beginners are, but you will get kudos for trying!

Handy Valentine Meal Tips

Perhaps you want to make your valentine a romantic meal, and then you will need to plan which creative valentine food to make. Think of an appetizer, an entrée, and a dessert. The appetizer and dessert could be put together in advance and chilled in the refrigerator until required, freeing up your time to make the entrée.

You could start off with a glass of bubbly, and then serve a small chilled salad, perhaps featuring delicacies like asparagus or French cheese. For your entrée, why not go for a good quality steak, served with fries and perhaps onion rings or garlic mushrooms. For the dessert, you could make valentine cupcakes, or serve a rich chocolate mousse. Hand-dipped strawberries are a nice option, and you can feed these to one another.