Because we also celebrate our wedding anniversary this month, we tend to keep Valentine’s Day pretty low key in our house. We order heart shaped pizzas, and watch a movie at home, and forgo gift giving. It’s a fun tradition that we have had ever since we got hitched!

Of course, Valentine’s Day wouldn’t be complete without some sort of treat. This year I wanted to make something fun that I hadn’t tried before, Rice Krispies treats with Valentine’s Day M&Ms in them. They are very good, although I have to admit that I am a purest and do prefer my Rice Krispies treats plain! But they do look fun for the holiday, and that was really the whole point anyway.

What about you? Do you enjoy celebrating Valentine’s Day? Do you have any traditions?

My husband and I have New Year’s Eve traditions, but we never really had a tradition for New Years morning (aside from sleeping in of course). This year we tried making German pancakes, which I have found out have a lot of other names too. Yummy! I think that we have found a new tradition. Of course, since we had never made them before I turned to my friends on Facebook to find their favorite recipe, and my friend Jeanne (who is always posting about fabulous food she makes) came through with this recipe.

6 eggs
1 cup flour
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cube butter (1/4 cup)
lemon juice
powdered sugar
Heat oven to 425 degrees. Combine & blend eggs, flour, and milk in blender. Melt 1 cube butter in 13X9 dish. Pour batter directly into hot dish, bake 18 minutes (we did go to 21 minutes, so adjust for your oven as needed). Sprinkle with lemon & powdered sugar.

We didn’t have lemon on hand, so we topped ours with powdered sugar and maple syrup. So yummy! If you haven’t had them before and wonder what they taste like, they remind me a little of French toast, and we both thought they were really tasty. It’s also fun to watch them puff up while they are cooking in the oven.

Do you have New Year’s morning traditions?

Thanks to Duncan Hines for sponsoring my writing. There’s no limit to the baking possibilities, so grab your favorite Duncan Hines mix and Comstock or Wilderness fruit fillings and Bake On! www.duncanhines.com.

There is really nothing better than having a fun night in with the girls. Getting together to share treats, memories, and of course laughing until you can hardly breathe; what could be better than that? What’s even more fun than having a girls night out is having a girls night in during the holiday season! Even though everyone is busy, getting together to watch Christmas movies and exchange white elephant gifts is worth making time for! It’s such a nice break from the hustle and bustle of the holiday season.

My favorite choices for silly movies for a girls night in at Christmas are:

• A Christmas Story
• Elf
• Charlie Brown Christmas
• How the Grinch Stole Christmas (original version of course)

The original animated classics of Rudolph are great, and of course if you are in the mood to watch a true classic It’s a Wonderful Life is a tried and true favorite.

Decorating for the night is a big part of the fun as well. Not just the house of course, but have your friends wear “ugly” Christmas sweaters, or bring their own Santa hats. Or for even more fun, have a “sleep over” where everyone wears their most festive of pajamas! Even if you don’t truly sleep over, you can still have all the fun of staying up late and watching movies in your pajamas!

Be sure to include a table with treats of all kinds. Cookies, muffins, candy, and even “reindeer food” like carrots and celery. Drinks could include hot chocolate, mulled cider, and sparkling cider. There are so many cute options for Christmas themed paper plates now too, you won’t even have to do dishes after the party if you don’t want to!

Do you have your friends over for girls night in? What are some of your favorite things to do?

Remember to check out Duncan Hines’ website www.duncanhines.com to find some great recipes for your holiday get-together! I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective.