Valentine's treats and class snack ideas

Valentine's Day is on the horizon. Which, of course, means that I need to save me from myself. I volunteered to bring the class snack for my 3rd grade child's class and their 7th grade "buddy class" at the end of this week, which means I am a week early planning a Valentine's-themed school snack... and you all will have plenty of time to peruse some ideas before next week. I was up baking a double batch of heart-shaped sugar cookies last night, in anticipation of a fun diversion for the kids who are both having friends over to play tomorrow. We'll freeze the cookies for next week, though I'm not sure which child's class will be the lucky recipient of these after they're decorated? The buddy gathering this week is a morning affair, and something tells me that sending decorated sugar cookies in-- while cute and unanimously enjoyed-- might not go over well with the teachers who then have to peel the kiddos off the ceiling. A quick perusal of the post I wrote around this same time last year gave me some good ideas for special meals at home. And then there was the reminder that when I tried to be supermom last year, I baked with salt instead of sugar. Seriously. So, anyway, given my track record, I should probably just go buy some red foods like a watermelon and some dried cranberries and call it a day, but you know me. So, here's my round-up of Valentine's-themed school snack ideas and sweet treats (click the photo to go to that particular recipe):

berry and cream cheese pinwheels

mini yogurt parfaits made with red berries and strawberry or raspberry yogurt

a mini-version of my fruit skewers made with watermelon, strawberries, raspberries and red grapes

this heart-shaped scone recipe is excellent-- achem, when made with sugar, not salt

or my blueberry-yogurt muffins can also be made with frozen or fresh raspberries or cranberries 

to make them red and "Valentine's-themed"

I've also been querying readers over on my FB page and looking at some of my favorite blogs to see what other great ideas are out there. Here are a few that caught my eye:

• Sally, over at Real Mom Nutrition, told me that "they're making strawberry smoothies and having the kids try pomegranate seeds, frozen raspberries and red peppers + each child is getting a little chocolate heart"; 
• Mindful Momma had pinned this recipe for homemade fruit snacks from All Day I Dream About Food that looks neat; 
• Kelsey, The Naptime Chef, also mentioned that her daughter loves sparkling knox blocks made with fruit juice (not Kool-Aid), cut into heart-shapes so I am going to see if she has a recipe for that. Her other idea was to cut watermelon into heart-shapes, which the kids always love;
• Food and Whine features good old finger-jello hearts on their site, along with these heart-shaped quinoa coconut granola bites that sound delicious-- if nuts are ok in your school/home;
• Sweet Potato Chronicles dished up recipes for Thumbprint Corn Muffins, Flourless Brownies, and  Graham Sweet Potato Muffins with Cinnamon-Cream Cheese Frosting all of which sound amazing;
• The Spunky Coconut showcased a Gluten-Free Heart-Shaped Chocolate Cookie that look like they could be a winner for all of my gluten/casein-free readers; 
• Celeste over at Growing up Veg shared a vegan recipe for Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes that look yummy;
• And Jeanette's Healthy Living shared this recipe for gluten/dairy/egg-free heart-shaped cinnamon-spiced scones which sounds like a delicious treat option, especially if your diet is restricted in those ways;
• And last but not least on the sweet treat front, Welcoming Kitchen offered up a refined-sugar-free Vanilla Rice Pudding and Strawberry Parfait recipe which is like a dessert-version of my yogurt parfaits;

Whoa. A lot of sweet treats to consider. On to savory ideas...

• This savory heart-shaped bruschetta from The Jolly Tomato would make an excellent after school snack, or dinner for the kids. That will definitely appear around here in the near future!; 
• My friend, Cobie, reminded me that my jicama spears could also be cut into heart-shapes and dusted with chili powder or paprika. I think that's risky to bring in as a school snack, but I am definitely going to make this as a festive side for my own kids;
• And last but not least, an excellent platter of healthful heart-shaped foods, this one from The Good Stuff 411, would be perfect for an after school snack or variety in your child's classroom.