Paper Palate

The Sacramento Bee is looking out for you.  While it’s easy to go grab one of those heart-shaped box of chocolates (although, nationwide, 36 million of the darn things will be sold for Valentine’s Day), there are more options available these days to win the heart of your beloved.  The Bee recommends making dinner using red and white heart shaped pasta and make devil’s food cake for dessert.  You can use a heart shaped pan for the cake or make some heart shaped cookies.  Plus, think of all the cute heart-shaped sprinkles you could put on them?

Another option is to get your sweetheart some roses, but not the kind that can be bought from a florist.  Get some long-stemmed, hollow milk chocolate roses from Dove instead.  See’s Candies also offers boxes other than the usual heart, including ”a tuxedo box, a puppy and kitten box, a basic red heart box and several others.” 

Some more lighthearted choices include an M&Ms character wearing a beanie that spins and shows you a romance fortune that reads like one of those candy hearts.  Things like: “friends 4 ever,” “a secret admirer,” “Love U” or “be mine.”  If you would like get something sugar-free sweeties, the Bee recommends York’s valentine heart box filled with dark chocolate-covered peppermint patties.

Also, keep an eye out for Hershey’s Kisses with messages like ”Kiss me quick” or a solid chocolate fish in a trophy framed box called “You’re A Keeper.”  No excuses now, so go buy some chocolate!