Sweetheart and Savory Dessert

We will be presenting a Sweetheart Meeting for our VFN General meeting on Thursday, Feb. 11 at 10:00 a.m.Please feel free to make samples of the attached recipes to eat at the meeting. Also if you would like to share a Sweetheart Story that would be nice. There will also be a brief history of the origins of Valentine’s Day presented. Please wear your Valentine finery.
Thank you, Gail & Trudy

VFN’s Monthly Coffee meets on the 2nd Thursday, February 11th, at 10:00 A.M. R.S.V.P. to your Hostess,Judy

3-INGREDIENT CHOCOLATE DIP

INGREDIENTS
1 1/4 cups good chocolate chips, dark, semi-sweet , whatever you prefer
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 tsp. Coconut  milk

DIRECTIONS
Place 1 cup chocolate chips, evaporated milk and coconut oil in a microwave proof bowl. Microwave on high for about 1 1/2 minutes. Stir until smooth and incorporated. Do not microwave again. Stir in remaining chocolate chips and continue stirring until they are melted and the dip is thick and smooth. Serve with fresh fruit, churros, angel food cake, pretzels, cookies, graham crackers etc. There are no wrong choices here. Enjoy.

MAGIC SHELL HARDENING CHOCOLATE TOPPING FOR ICE CREAM

INGREDIENTS
1 cup or 7 oz. bittersweet good quality chocolate chips
2 Tbsp coconut oil

DIRECTIONS
Heat the chocolate in a bowl over a pot of hot-not boiling- water until melted. Add the coconut oil and stir until dissolved, about one minute. Spoon over ice cream in serving bowls. Chocolate will harden after a few seconds. Enjoy!

Vegetarian Tea Sandwich: Beets & Apple & Curry 

MAKE THE BEET/ CREAM CHEESE MIX
2 med beets, precooked, diced
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 TB poppy seeds
pinch salt
pinch white pepper

With a fork, mash together the beets and cream cheese, until beets really meld into the cream cheese, then mix in the rest of the ingredients.

MAKE THE SANDWICHES
4 slices Northside Bakery Pumpernickel Pullman bread
beet/cream cheese mix
The Good Spoon Curry Vegan Mayo
3 golden delicious apples, cut in half, then sliced thinly

DIRECTIONS
Place bread side by side. Spread cream cheese mix liberally on one slice. On the other slice, spread about a TB of the mayo. Layer rows of the apple slices on top of the mayo. Close sandwich, press to unite both halves, and trim the crusts off.
Cut on the diagonal into 2 triangles, then cut those in half so that you end of with 4 triangles. Cut those 4 triangles in half again, so that you end up with 8 total. 

Dainty Egg and Chive Tea Sandwiches for Tea-Time

I am compiling a sandwiches cookbook, or sarnies as we call them in the UK, and here is my first recipe! Sandwiches come in many guises, from simple and elegant to hearty and robust; in my cookbook I aim to have them ALL in there! Sandwiches tick all the boxes for so many meals and events: the obvious high teatime table, cricket teas, picnics, packed lunches and quick snacks. These sandwiches are dainty and elegant and would be ideal for the teatime table. The use of fresh chives gives them a bit of a lift and you must try to use the salad cream as well as the mayonnaise; salad cream has a pronounced vinegary flavour which cuts through the richness of the mayonnaise and eggs.

INGREDIENTS:

4 medium free range eggs

1 tablespoon salad cream

2 tablespoons mayonnaise 

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives

8 slices thin sliced brown bread

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place the eggs in a small pan and cover with water. Bring to the boil and cook for 6 minutes. Drain and run the eggs under cold water until cool.

2. Peel and then coarsely grate or crumble the eggs into a bowl. Mix with the salad cream, mayonnaise and chives and season with salt and pepper to taste.

3. Cut off the bread crusts with a serrated knife – put them to one side for home-made breadcrumbs.

4. Butter the bread and divide the egg mixture between 4 bread slices. Top with the remaining bread. Stack 2 sandwiches together and cut into 3 fingers, then serve.

5. Cook’s tips: Pierce the rounded end of each egg with a pin before cooking to help stop the shell from cracking.

6. Cooling the eggs under cold water stops them from cooking further and prevents a dark ring forming around the yolk.

7. For easy peeling, peel the eggs under cold running water over a colander to collect all the bits of shell. The water stops the shell from sticking to your fingers and the eg