We associate Valentine’s Day with sweet treats. We also tend to associate chocolate, strawberries, cherries and raspberries with the holiday that celebrates love.
Red Velvet Cake, Queen of Hearts Tart, Dark Chocolate Cake with Raspberry filling and Chocolate Chip Cherry Cookies say Valentine’s Day to the people lucky enough to eat them.
Yes, they are rich and delicious, and they are supposed to be. It’s nice to have something special to make the day something to remember.

Raisins are good for you, but don’t hold that against them. Not only do raisins get an A for nutrition, they also get high marks for flavor. They’re low in fat and are a favorite of athletes looking for high energy snacks.
But that doesn’t mean that they should only appear in trail mix.
The recipes featured this week utilize raisins in stuffing, baked beans, cake and ham sauce. We hope you’ll give them a try.

You could probably write a complete book about hot dogs and still leave something out. Everybody has a favorite.
Most of the time I tend to stick with what I know, which consists of a pack of wieners (which I call weenies) from the grocery store, buns, onions, ketchup, mayonnaise and slaw.
I’ve never been a hot dog chili fanatic because that’s just another way to add calories to a food that doesn’t need any help in that department. Slaw dogs are at the top of my list.
However you like your hot dogs, these recipes could make the whole hot dog experience a little richer.
And not every hot dog served requires a bun. Sometimes, if you’re in the right mood, a just plain weenie is good.

Peter Piper is famous for picking peppers, but his are all pickled.
Peppers are colorful, flavorful and offer an amazing range of temperatures. Some like them hot, some like them cold. But there’s sure to be a pepper out there with your name on it.
Decide how much heat you like and go from there. One of my favorite peppers is the red bell. It’s readily available and has a sweet mild taste that almost everyone can enjoy.
But there are many more. Please try some of these recipes and decide for yourself which you like best.