Many couples will be spending Valentine’s Day at home this year as opposed to dining in a swanky restaurant. They will swap stilettos for slippers, chef-prepared dishes for DIY charcuterie boards, and sickly sweet chocolates for something healthier and less binge-inducing. Here are a few fabulous items for planning your Valentine’s Day celebration at home!
DIY Charcuterie Board
Wisconsin, The State of Cheese® officially declared CHEESE the Universal Love Language (and I couldn’t agree more)! I live less than an hour away from Wisconsin and am obsessed with their dedication to all things cheese. Pick a few favorites and find a few new ones to try. If you have never had cheese curds, make sure to put those on your “to try” list! Visit WisconsinCheese.com for recipe inspirations, expert pairings, and more.
To create the perfect charcuterie board, aim for a mix of salty/savory and sweet with different textures.
Here are some suggestions for cheese:
Something tried and true: Aged Cheddar
Something new: Juustoleipa
Something sharp: Dunbarton Blue
Something different: Raspberry BellaVitano
And meats, try for a mix of whole muscle and encased: Prosciutto di Parma, Dry-Cured Chorizo, Genoa Salami, pate
Extras: Truffle Marcona almonds (Trader Joe’s!), cornichons, Dijon mustard, dried cherries or apricots, honeycomb, olive tapenade
Sweets…the Healthy Way
After eating your way through the pandemic, it is time to satisfy your sweet tooth with something healthier. I discovered Core Bars in Dark Chocolate Cherry– they have simple, organic ingredients, no preservatives, and no added sugar.
AND THEY TASTE GOOD. So many bars on the market have an odd texture or flavors that just don’t taste natural. One thing that is different about Core Bars is that they need to be refrigerated. They are good at room temperature for up to a week, but since they don’t have any preservatives, they need to be kept in the refrigerator. Why is this awesome? Because REAL FOOD doesn’t have preservatives! And yes, they have all the things- gluten-free, non-GMO, vegan, and organic.
I might use these for a dark chocolate fondue if I want to indulge! Cut the Dark Chocolate Cherry into small squares and dip into melted dark chocolate for a sweeter treat.
Cozy, Comfy Feet
If you are spending Valentine’s Day snuggled up by the fire, your feet need these incredibly cozy, comfy Lamo Serenity slides. They feature a memory foam footbed wrapped in Australian Sheepskin, so keep your feet warm but not sweaty. Lamo is a California-based company, so they are the epitome of chill and relaxed. These slides come in Cream, Mint, and Charcoal, and are the perfect pair of slippers to complement your everyday work-from-home loungewear.
If you are hosting a Galentine’s Day, these would be the perfect present to go along with a pedicure night! Have a friend or two over and slide into these while putting on pretty polish and sipping champagne.
Cheers to celebrating Valentine’s Day whatever your style may be- solo, with pals or with your partner!
