Mayfield Electric & Water Systems

Cooking spray
3 tablespoons margarine
6 cups mini (or 60 regular-size) marshmallows
Red food coloring
9 cups Rice Krispies cereal
Heart-shaped cookie cutter
Plastic bags, yarn

1. Lightly coat a 10- by 15-inch baking sheet with cooking spray and set it aside.
2. Melt the margarine in a large pot over low heat. Add the marshmallows, stirring them continuously until they melt. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in drops of red food coloring until the color suits you.
3. Add the Rice Krispies, stirring until they are evenly coated with marshmallow. Spoon the mixture onto the baking sheet.
4. With waxed paper (or lightly buttered hands), smooth out the mixture, spreading it to an even thickness.
5. Cut out hearts with the cookie cutter. Place each heart in a clear plastic bag, tie on a yarn bow, and they're ready for giving.

   Makes seven 5-inch hearts

1 cupcake
Chocolate frosting
Green-tinted coconut
* 5 candy or frosting roses
3 strands red whip licorice

1. Unwrap the cupcake and frost in a basket-weave pattern using a basket-weave tip, as in the photo. (An easier alternative is simply to pipe a decorative edge around the top of the cupcake.)
2. Add the coconut grass and the candy roses. Braid the licorice for a decorative handle.
3. * You can also make your own roses with a rose tip and pink frosting.

COOKIE DOUGH:
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cream of tartar

BUTTERCREAM ICING:
1 1/4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 to 2 tbsp. milk

1. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the egg and beat well, then mix in the vanilla extract. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and cream of tartar. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, one third at a time, until thoroughly combined
2. Divide the dough into 2 equal portions and flatten each into a disk. Cover each disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours, or until the dough is firm enough to work with. If it becomes too firm, soften at room temperature for about 5 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. On a floured surface, roll out the dough to a 1/4-inch thickness. Then, use a butter knife or cookie cutters to cut out the cookies into X's and O's. Remind your child that giant letters need to be wider than smaller ones to keep them from breaking easily.
4. Using a metal spatula, carefully transfer the cookies to a baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between them. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes (longer for really big cookies) or until lightly browned around the edges.
5. Remove the cookie sheets from the oven, place on wire racks and cool for 2 to 3 minutes. Using a metal spatula, transfer the cookies to the rack and cool completely.
6. While the cookies are cooling, make the buttercream icing: Beat together the sugar, butter and vanilla extract. Add the milk a few drops at a time until the mixture is spreadable. Makes 1 1/2 cups.
7. Frost the cookies with the icing and sprinkle on tinted red or pink sugar, if desired.

   Makes about 3 dozen cookies, depending on their size

12-ounce can pink lemonade concentrate
1 cup raspberry sherbert
12-ounce can of lemon/lime soda

1. In a pitcher, mix the lemonade concentrate with the recommended amount of water.
2. In a separate pitcher, combine the sherbert with 1 cup of the lemonade mixture.
3. Add the soda, stir, and serve.

   Makes 3 cups

Large high-quality chocolate bars
Assorted toppings for coating
Assorted treats for dipping

VALENTINE ICING
Icing pens (small tubes of icing available at baking shops and grocery stores)

1. Simple place the bar in a zip-top plastic bag and microwave one minute at a time on high power until just barely melted. You can also melt the chocolate by placing the bag in a pot of simmering water. For white chocolate, only use the water method.                       
   Note: Before your kids start working with the chocolate, be sure the bag isn't too hot for them to hold.
2. Cover a cookie sheet with a piece of wax paper and lay down a lollipop stick, popsicle stick or half of a straw.
3. Snip a small hole in a corner of the zip-lock bag. With the chocolate, draw a heart shape around the top part of the stick or straw and then fill it in.
4. If your kids have trouble making the heart shape, just have them form a circle. Continue until the chocolate is used up. You can decorate the still-warm lollipops with shredded coconut, nuts or sprinkles.