valentine’s day celebration boards

Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be about fancy (and expensive!) dinners with your significant other. These days, it’s common to stay in or even hang out with your friends or little ones. If you’re looking for fun ideas for a relaxing evening in, look no further. The best part about these celebration boards is that you can customize them with your favorite or seasonal ingredients. 

Breakfast in bed
Is there anything more luxurious than breakfast in bed? Kick off the day with a board filled with fresh fruit, scrambled eggs, and breakfast meats. To help reduce salt and fat, we chose low-sodium luncheon meat and turkey bacon over pork, but you can use whatever you want! 

Ingredients

• Eggs 
• Low-sodium luncheon meat
• Turkey bacon
• Rice
• Strawberries
• Raspberries

Instructions
Prepare eggs (we scrambled them), luncheon meat, and turkey bacon to your liking. If you have cookie cutters, you can make fun shapes out of your meat and fruit. 

Arrange food on a tray or board. 

Sweet treats
If you’re not in the mood for breakfast or you’re ready to move on to dessert, here’s a grazing board that’s as sweet as your valentine. 

Ingredients

• Assortment of cookies and heart-shaped desserts and snacks (we used shortbread cookies, red whoopie pies, veggie hearts, and gummy hearts, lollipops, and marshmallows).

Instructions
Start by arranging largest items first. For our board it was the shortbread cookies. Then, place any containers you want to use and add smaller items to fill in the gaps. We found some truffles and chocolate covered pretzels so we included them, too. 

Celebrating friendship
Here’s the perfect way to show your friends that you appreciate them! First, treat your pals to a DIY spa treatment and then finish with a light lunch inspired by afternoon tea. 

Self-care kits
The items you include in your self-care kits are up to you and depend on what your friends will enjoy. If your friends are into skincare, provide samples of toners, serums, and moisturizers. Have a variety of sheet masks. If they love mani-pedis, offer nail kits and nail polish. Other ideas include face rollers, spa headbands, scented candles, and essential oils. The possibilities are endless!

Light refreshments
Incorporate a mix of savory and sweet snacks. We chose to serve hot tea, but it’s also easy to make mugicha, matcha, or fun ice cubes perfect for spa water.  

EGG SALAD SANDWICHES
This sandwich is as simple as can be. You can add mustard, relish, or fresh herbs like dill and chives, but we’re sticking to the basics.

Ingredients

• Eggs, hard boiled
• Mayonnaise 
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Bread (we used white and whole wheat)

Instructions
Peel eggs from shell and place in bowl. Mash eggs and add mayonnaise until it’s the texture you desire. Add salt and pepper to taste. Place egg salad between bread, cut off crusts, and slice in half. If you have cookie cutters, you can make shapes in the bread. 

CUCUMBER FINGER SANDWICHES
This cool and refreshing sandwich is surprisingly filling. Some people add everything bagel seasoning or dill to the cream cheese. Or they use flavored cream cheese. We’re keeping it simple. 

Ingredients

• Cucumbers
• Cream cheese
• Bread 

Instructions
Use a mandolin to slice cucumbers into long ribbons. Or you can thinly slice by hand. Add cream cheese to two pieces of bread and add cucumbers. Cut off the crusts and slice in half. If you have cookie cutters, you can make shapes in the bread. 

Assemble your board
Here’s where your creativity can shine. Add your sandwiches and other snacks. Use any dishes or plates you have and watch your friends swoon. 

Get your keiki involved
Here’s an entertaining activity for the whole family that gives candy boxes a second life and makes fruits and veggies fun to eat. 

Supplies

• Candy boxes with candy removed

Note: It’s more fun if you leave in the candy tray since it will give you places to put your treats. Even though the smaller candy boxes didn’t have trays, we used them as is. 

Ingredients

• Fruits (we used raspberries and strawberries)
• Vegetables (we used broccoli, carrots, celery, and tomatoes)
• Cookies (we used heart-shaped cookies and a red whoopie pie)
• Candy (we used heart shaped lollipops and gummies)
• Assortment of your child’s favorite snacks (we used heart-shaped marshmallows, chocolate covered pretzels, and veggie sticks)

Instructions
Fill candy boxes with fruits, veggies, and other snacks. Or, have your kids fill the boxes without sampling too much candy (if possible). 

Enjoy the fruits (and other treats) of your labor! Happy Valentine’s Day! 

Love is in the air
Here are more Valentine’s Day recipes and activities for the whole family:

chocolate covered strawberries
diy felt fortune cookies
diy valentine’s day window clings
felt rose pencil topper
love bug fruit cup
puppy and love bug pencil toppers
you-make-me-smile cheese and crackers
valentine’s day beef stroganoff