Pink Frozen Fruit Salad

Ingredients:

* 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
* 1 quart strawberry ice cream, softened
* 1/2 cup miracle whip
* 2 cans (17 oz size) fruit cocktail, drained
* 1/3 cup chopped nuts

Directions:

Combine cream cheese, ice cream and salad dressing, mixing until well blended. Fold in fruit and nuts. Pour into 9-inch square pan.

Freeze until firm. Chill until serving.

Pink Cloud Cake for Valentine's Day

Ingredients:

* 3 packages (3 oz. size) Jello
* 2 cups boiling water
* 2 packages (10 oz. size) frozen strawberries, partially thawed
* 1 angel food bar cake, broken into bite-size pieces

Directions:

Dissolve Jello in water; add strawberries. Beat for 4 minutes. Add cake to Jello mixture pour into mold. Chill until set.

Phyllo-Wrapped Salmon with Roasted Red Pepper

Ingredients:

* 1 cup roasted red peppers (fresh or jar from Italian market),
* 12 sheets frozen phyllo pastry, thawed,
* 6 tablespoons melted butter or nonstick spray,
* 6 (5 oz.) skinless salmon fillets, 1 inch thick

Directions:

Puree red peppers.

Layer 2 sheets phyllo on work surface, brushing each with butter or spray with nonstick spray; leave remaining sheets of phyllo covered with plastic. Place 1 fillet crosswise on the pastry, 5 inches from the narrow end. Top with 1 Tbsp. puree. fold the 5 inch section of pastry over the salmon and fold in the sides. Roll the pastry into a rectangular packet to enclose the salmon. Brush with butter on all sides or spray with nonstick spray. Repeat with the remaining pastry and salmon.

Place packets on baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 30-35 minutes until the salmon is cooked through and the pastry is light golcen brown. Top with the remaining pepper puree.

Penne Vodka

Ingredients:

* 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil,
* 1 tablespoon butter
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 2 shallots, minced
* 1 cup vodka
* 1 cup chicken stock
* 1 can crushed tomatoes (32 ounces)
* Coarse salt and pepper
* 16 ounces pasta, such as penne rigate
* 1/2 cup heavy cream
* 20 leaves fresh basil, shredded or torn

Directions:

This recipe will make enough for 2 couples. If you plan a romantic evening where more than two's a crowd, reserve half the sauce to freeze for another supper before the addition of basil, and only cook 1/2 to 2/3 pound of penne.

Heat a large skillet over moderate heat. Add oil, butter, garlic, and shallots. Gently saute shallots for 3 to 5 minutes to develop their sweetness. Add vodka to the pan, 3 turns around the pan in a steady stream will equal about 1 cup. Reduce vodka by half, this will take 2 or 3 minutes. Add chicken stock, tomatoes. Bring sauce to a bubble and reduce heat to simmer. Season with salt and pepper.
While sauce simmers, cook pasta in salted boiling water until cooked to al dente (with a bite to it). While pasta cooks, prepare your salad or other side dishes.

Stir cream into sauce. When sauce returns to a bubble, remove it from heat. Drain pasta. Toss hot pasta with sauce and basil leaves. Pass pasta with crusty bread.

Peaches In Spiced Red Wine

Ingredients:

* 2 large peaches
* 1/2 cup dry red wine
* 3 tablespoons sugar
* 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom

Directions:

Blanch peaches in medium saucepan of boiling water 30 seconds. Transfer to bowl of cold water using slotted spoon. Pull off peel, using small sharp knife. Pit and slice peaches. Transfer peaches to medium bowl. Add all remaining ingredients to peaches and mix to dissolve sugar.

Refrigerate at least 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, before serving.

Passion Fruit Mimosa

Ingredients:

* 1 cup chilled Champagne
* 1/2 cup chilled passion-fruit juice

Directions:

Divide Champagne between 2 flutes and top off each with passion fruit juice.

Mock Pink Lady

Ingredients:

* 1 1/2 cup Milk, homogenized
* 2 tablespoons Lemon juice
* 1 tablespoon Grenadine
* 1 tablespoon Sugar, granulated -Ice cubes

Directions:

Measure milk, lemon juice, grenadine, sugar and ice cubes into blender. Blend until ice is gone. Serve immediately.

Lacy Valentine Cake II

Ingredients:

* 1/2 cup warm water -- (105 to 115f)
* 2 packages active dry yeast
* 1/2 cup warm milk -- (105 to 115f)
* 3/4 cup sugar
* 1/4 cup butter or margarine -- softened, PLUS"PLUS" means this ingredient in addition to the one on the next line, often with divided uses
* 1 tablespoon butter or margarine -- softened
* 2 eggs
* 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1/2 cup chopped maraschino cherries -- drained
* 1/2 cup chopped slivered almonds -- toasted

ALMOND ICING

* 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar -- sifted
* 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
* 3 tablespoons milk

Directions:

Place warm water in large, warm bowl. Sprinkle in yeast; stir until dissolved.

Add warm milk, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 cup butter, eggs, salt and 1 1/2 cups flour; blend well. Stir in enough remaining flour to make soft dough.

Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 4 to 6 minutes. Place in greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover; let rise in warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Pat maraschino cherries between paper towels to remove excess moisture. In medium bowl, combine cherries, almonds and 1/4 cup sugar; reserve.

Punch dough down. Remove dough to lightly floured surface; divide in half. Roll one piece to 24- x 7-inch oblong. Melt remaining butter; brush half on dough to within 1/2-inch of edges. Sprinkle half of cherry mixture on surface. Beginning at long end, roll up tightly as for jelly roll. Pinch seam to seal; carefully roll back and forth to stretch to 26-inch rope. Place, seam side down, on greased baking sheet. Form into ring; pinch ends together to seal. Shape into heart.

With sharp knife, cut slits starting at outside edge of heart, 2/3 of the way through dough, at 3/4-inch intervals. Turn each section on its side to show filling. Repeat with remaining dough, butter and filling. Cover; let rise in warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Bake at 350F for 20 to 25 minutes or until done; switch positions of sheets in oven halfway through baking time for even browning. Remove from sheets; cool on wire racks. Frost with Almond Icing.

Almond Icing: Combine 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted, 1/2 teaspoon almond extract and 2 to 3 tablespoons milk. Stir until smooth.

Waldorf-Astoria Red Velvet Cake

Ingredients:

* 1/2 cup Shortening
* 1 1/2 cup Sugar
* 2 Eggs
* 2 ounces Red food coloring
* 2 tablespoons Cocoa -- heaping
* 2 1/4 cups Plain flour
* 1 teaspoon Salt
* 1 teaspoon Vanilla
* 1 teaspoon Baking soda
* 1 cup Buttermilk
* 1 tablespoon Vinegar
* 1 teaspoon Butter Flavoring (if desired)
Frosting

* 3 tablespoons Flour
* 1 cup Butter (Not Margarine- you can tell the difference in the flavor).
* 1 teaspoon Vanilla
* 1 cup Milk
* 1 cup granulated sugar
Directions:
Cream Shortening, sugar and eggs. Make a paste with coloring and cocoa and add to mixture. Add salt and flour with buttermilk and vanilla. Alternately add soda and vinegar and don't beat- just blend. Bake in two 9-inch pans (greased and floured) for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Layers may be split to make four.

Frosting:

Cook flour and milk on low heat until thick. Then cool (I put it in the freezer for this.). Cream sugar, butter, and vanilla until fluffy. Add to flour-milk mixture. Beat until mixture is like whipped cream. Spread on layers. Sprinkle with nuts if desired

Victorian Gingerbread Valentines

Ingredients:

* 2 1/2 cups unsifted flour
* 2 teaspoons cinnamon
* 1 1/2 teaspoon ginger
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 cup margarine
* 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
* 1/3 cup dark corn syrup
* 1 large egg

Directions:

In large bowl, sift together flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt.

Blend together margarine and brown sugar until smooth. Add corn syrup and egg; beat well. Add dry ingredients, about one-third at a time, mixing until smooth after each addition. Chill dough one hour.

Roll out half of dough on lightly floured surface to one-quarter-inch thickness. (Reserve other half for decorations or for a second batch of cookies.)

Using heart-shaped cookie cutter, press out cookie shapes or use knife to cut around a pattern. Place hearts on cookie sheet. Decorate as desired. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes until golden. Remove and place on wire racks to cool. Store in covered container.