Valentine’s Day is on Thursday and I don’t know about you, but we are pretty excited over here. . . probably the most excited? My 5 year old daughter, Phoebe. Her kindergarten class is, of course, having a little party and will be decorating cookies, playing games, enjoying some treats and collecting Valentine’s Day cards from her classmates. Could it get any better?
I actually love all the pink and red craziness that you see everywhere now. . Truth be told, I’m a sucker for the pink, red and white m&m’s. And I think I especially enjoy this holiday now because of my girls. . I love seeing the holidays through their eyes. And because I am trying to channel my inner DIY craftsy-side more and more, I couldn’t resist sharing these Valentine’s Day cupcake flags from Sew. Craft. Create. . . aren’t these adorable? I will be making cupcakes and other goodies and using Heidi’s adorable cupcake flags.
My husband and I stay home on Valentine’s Day and eat dinner here with the girls. I can’t remember the last time we went out to dinner for Valentine’s Day. . probably before we had kids. These days, I very much prefer cooking and eating at home. . that’s not to say I don’t enjoy a date night with my husband at least once a month where we get a baby sitter and actually get to enjoy a meal with each other. How often do you have a date night with your spouse or significant other? I can’t believe we almost went an entire year without regular date nights. We let work, the kids and our busy schedules get the best of us but now we know these date nights are good for us, the kids, our family and our marriage. I know this now and you’d better believe that I always make sure we have the sitter booked and everything scheduled!
I wish everyone a happy Valentine’s Day this year. These Green Olive, Goat Cheese and Basil Crostinis are one of our favorites and are so simple and easy to make. We will be eating these before dinner and this for dessert.
I hope you are able to enjoy some time with your loved ones and – even though I enjoy Valentine’s Day mainly because of my kids now – let’s remember we don’t need a day to remind us we need to express our love and appreciate the special people in our lives . . . we should be doing this everyday.
Enjoy!
Green Olive, Goat Cheese and Basil Crostini
Ingredients
- 1/2 baguette sliced 1/2 inch thick and toasted
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil + more if needed split
- Picholine Manzanilla or other green olives, chopped (1/2 cup)
- Black kalamata olives chopped (1/2 cup)
- 1/2- 1 teaspoon crushed garlic use however much you want
- 3/4 cup soft goat cheese 6 ounces; soft goat cheese if preferred so it's easily spreadable but a little chunky works too (whatever you can find at the store and prefer)
- about 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar + more if needed
- 1/2 cup basil; torn for garnish
Instructions
- To prepare the toasted baguette: Heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan on the stove over medium-high heat and place baguette pieces there. Toast until bread becomes golden brown; flip and toast both sides until crunchy.
- In a medium bowl, mix the chopped olives, olive oil and garlic
- Assemble: Spread each slice of toasted baguette with 2 teaspoons of the goat cheese, top with 1 tablespoon of the olive mixture, splash some balsamic vinegar over each one and top with the torn basil. Arrange the crostini on a platter and serve!
Recipe adapted from Food and Wine.
Sunday Supper
Check out what the rest of the Sunday Supper group is bringing for Valentine’s Day!
Valentine’s Day Breakfasts, Apps & Main Dishes:
- Asparagus, Clam & Bay Shrimp Pasta from Galactopdx
- Bacon Double Cheese Burger Bites from In the Kitchen with KP
- Cheese Stuffed Cannelloni from Curious Cuisiniere
- Garlic Shrimp Bruschetta from MarocMama
- Green Olive, Goat Cheese & Basil Crostini from Hip Foodie Mom
- Indian Shrimp Pulao from Soni’s Food
- Individual Beef “Phyll-ingtons” from Cupcakes & Kale Chips
- Ranch, Bacon and Cheese Crisps from Daily Dish Recipes
- Red Velvet Pancakes with Cream Cheese Frosting from Peanut Butter and Peppers
- Rissóis de Camarão | Portuguese Shrimp Dumplings from Family Foodie
- Spicy Red Cabbage Quiche | Veggie Quiche Recipe from Masala Herb
Valentine’s Day Sweet Eats:
- Banana Bourbon Blondies from The Messy Baker
- Banana Cream Napoleon from Food Lust People Love
- Brown Butter M&M Cookies from Dinners, Dishes, and Desserts
- Brown Butter Rolo Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies from Damn Delicious
- Chocolate Baumkuchen from Webicurean
- Chocolate Bread Pudding from La Cocina de Leslie
- Chocolate Chip Banana Cake with Banana Cream from The Lovely Pantry
- Chocolate Covered Bacon from I Run For Wine
- Chocolate Covered Stuffed Strawberries from Country Girl in the Village
- Chocolate Mousse from Mom, What’s For Dinner?
- Chocolate Roll filled with Nutella Cream from Basic N Delicious
- Chocolate Velvet Ice Cream with Cherry Sauce from Vintage Kitchen Notes
- Cinnamon Sugar Tortillas with Chocolate Sauce from The Roxx Box
- Coconut Sweetheart Cookies from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
- Coeur a la Creme from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
- Cream Cheese Mints from Simply Gourmet
- Dark Chocolate Pomegranate Mousse with Coconut Cream from Sue’s Nutrition Buzz
- Dark Chocolate Raspberry Torte from Kelly Bakes
- #GlutenFree Chocolate Almond Cloudless Cake from Cooking Underwriter
- Heart Shaped White Chocolate Cakes with Raspberry Cream from Noshing with the Nolands
- Homemade Cherry Mash Candies from Juanita’s Cocina
- Maple-Date Bars from Diabetic Foodie
- Meyer Lemon Marmalade from Shockingly Delicious
- Mini Samoa Bundt Cakes from Ruffles & Truffles
- Molten Chocolate Lava Cake from Gotta Get Baked
- Peanut Butter and Jelly Cupcakes from The Meltaways
- Pistachio and Chocolate Souffle from Small Wallet Big Appetite
- Raspberry Custard Tart from Kudos Kitchen
- Raw Fudge Love from Mama’s Blissful Bites
- Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
- Red Velvet French Macarons with White Chocolate Cream Cheese Filling from The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen
- Red Velvet Ice Cream Sandwiches from Cravings of a Lunatic
- Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies from Magnolia Days
- Red Velvet Sugar Cookie Bars from Chocolate Moosey
- Red Wine Cupcakes with Mascarpone Frosting from The Urban Mrs.
- Strawberry Shortcake! from The Foodie Army Wife
- Strawberry Valentine Cake Hearts from Ninja Baking
- Tres Leches Tea Cakes with Honey Riesling Soaked Fruit from Neighborfood
- Valentine’s Bakewell Tarts from Happy Baking Days
- Valentines Chocolate Apples from Big Bear’s Wife
Valentine’s Day Drinks:
- Blood Orange Vodka Martinis from The Catholic Foodie
- Bloody Raspberry Cocktail from My Cute Bride
- Strawberry Gin Fizz from girlichef
Valentine’s Day Tablescape: A Romantic Table For Two Please fromAn Appealing Plan
Join the #SundaySupper conversation on Twitter on Sunday, February 10th to talk all about Valentine’s eats and treats! We’ll tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET and you do not want to miss out on the fun. Follow the#SundaySupper hashtag, and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. Check out our#SundaySupper Pinterest board for more fabulous recipes and food photos!
