Decking the halls...red and pink!

I wrote a post yesterday about prepping and celebrating Valentines day.  In an effort to make this week special I began doing a little decorating/crafting and baking. I use the term baking loosely because I used the oven for 1 minute exactly. Anyway, so far I have done a Valentines day garland, fruit roll up fortune cookies, and peanut butter chocolate pretzels.

Valentines day garland:
What you need:
Construction paper and/or scrapbook paper
Scissors
Tape

What you do:
1) Fold paper in half and cut out a large heart.
2) Cut out a smaller heart inside the bigger one so that each paper is an outline of a heart.
3) Arrange an order.
4) Cut the bottom of every other heart.
5) Link them to the hearts on each side of them, and tape the bottom of the heart on the back and the front using clear tape.
6) Hang in a window, on a door, on a porch, etc.

Fruit roll up fortune cookies:
What you need:
Fruit roll ups (1 per fortune cookie you want to make)
Round cookie cutter or clean kitchen scissors
Parchment paper
Sharpie pen

What you do:
1) Cut a thin strip of parchment paper, and write your message.
2) Unwrap the fruit roll up and stretch it (GENTLY) slightly, but make sure that it doesn't break.
3) Fold fruit roll up in half and stretch gently again.
4) Cut a circle out of the fruit roll up.
5) Put the message in the center and fold the circle in half pressing the top together.
6) Press into the center of the half circle and pull the sides down so that it makes a fortune cookie shape.
7) Wrap in parchment paper and pass out at work or send in your significant others lunch.

Unwrap fruit roll up

Stretch fruit roll up

Fold in half, stretch, cut into circle

Place message in the middle and fold.

Press in the center of the circle and pinch in the sides.

Enjoy!

Peanut butter chocolate pretzel bites:
What you need:
Heart shaped peanut butter chocolates (you can also use the dark or milk chocolate hearts)
Mini pretzels
Valentines m&ms

What you do:
1) Preheat oven to 350.
2) Lay out pretzels onto cookie sheet.
3) Unwrap peanut butter chocolates and place on top of pretzels.
4) Put in oven for 1 minute. For real people.  1 minute.  No more. Mine were in for less than 5 seconds more and they were slightly melty.
5) Take them out and put a pink, red, white, or dark pink m&m on them.
6) Put them in the fridge to harden them a little bit.
7) Use a spatula to put them into a Tupperware. Store them in the fridge or serve them.