Heart Healthy Valentine's Day Dinner Party

• Homemade Sparkling Apple Cider with Raspberries and Strawberry Garnish
• Winter Gazpacho
• Crayfish Boil
• Banana Scream
• Shopping List and Party Planner
• Activities

Homemade Sparkling Apple Cider with Raspberries and Strawberry Garnish

Yields: 48 ounces

1 can frozen apple juice concentrate (for less sugar, use brands that have apple juice concentrate as their main ingredient rather than corn syrup, which you should avoid completely)
1 liter sparkling water, club soda, or seltzer water
1 small container or ½ pint of raspberries
1 small basket of strawberries

1. Combine frozen apple juice concentrate and sparkling water together in a pitcher and mix.
2. Pour the mix into glasses and add three raspberries into each glass poured.
3. Chop strawberries into halves and hang them from the lip of the glasses.

Winter Gazpacho

Recipe adapted from bigoven.com

56 ounces of whole tomatoes or 2 large cans
2 tablespoons wine vinegar
1 medium cucumber; peeled & finely
1 medium green pepper; finely chopped
1 small onion, chopped
6 tablespoons olive oil
6 stalks celery, chopped
1/4 tablespoon dry mustard
1/2 tablespoon salt
6 slices sweet pickles, finely chopped
1/4 tablespoon pepper, freshly ground
3 tablespoons pimiento, chopped
Hot sauce, a few drops

1. Drain tomatoes, save juice.
2. Place tomatoes, oils, mustard, vinegar, salt, pepper and hot sauce in blender and blend at low speed for about 1 minute. Tomatoes should be in small pieces.
3. Pour into the tomato juice as needed for your desired thickness and stir in cucumber, green pepper, onion, celery, pickle and pimiento.
4. Heat up in the microwave or on the stove, or you can chill the soup until it is very cold.

Crayfish Boil

Adapted from greatcajuncooking.com
Photo courtesy of Greenfish Communications

Yield: 5 servings

25 pounds crawfish
12 lemons, cut in half
10 medium onions, cut in half
¾ cup of salt
2 cans cayenne pepper
2 boxes crab boil
15 small new potatoes
Several ears of corn

1. Wash crawfish and purge in salt water. You can click here for simple purging directions.
2. In a 10 gallon pot bring about 4 gallons of water to boil with seasonings.
3. Add crawfish and potatoes and corn and bring to a boil quickly.
4. Cook for approximately 12–15 minutes.
5. Turn off fire and let soak for 5 minutes.
6. Remove from water and serve.
   

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Banana Scream

Adapted from familyfun.go.com

A healthy, easy dessert

3 bananas (the riper the banana, the sweeter the shake)
¼ cup nonfat milk
Plastic wrap

1. Peel the bananas, cut in half width-wise, wrap in plastic wrap, and freeze until firm.
2. Place in a blender, add milk and puree until creamy.
3. Sprinkle with cinnamon for a little extra kick.
   

Shopping List and Party Planner

Party Planner:

• Place bananas in freezer for dessert.
• Make cider and serve.
• Prepare Winter Gazpacho and serve.
• While everyone is eating prepare crayfish boil.
• Remove bananas from freezer and prepare and serve desert.

Shopping List

• Seafood
  • 25 pounds crawfish
    
• Produce
  • 11 onions
  • 1 medium cucumber
  • 1 medium green pepper
  • 6 Stalks celery
  • 6 slices sweet pickles
  • 3 tablespoons pimiento
  • 12 lemons
  • 2 cans cayenne pepper
  • 15 small new potatoes
  • Several ears of corn
  • 3 bananas
  • 56 ounces of whole tomatoes or 2 large cans
  • 1 can frozen apple juice concentrate
  • ½ pint of raspberries
  • 1 small basket of strawberries
    
• Pantry
  • 2 tablespoons wine vinegar
  • 6 tablespoons olive oil
  • Hot sauce
  • 2 boxes crab boil
  • 1 liter of sparkling water, club soda or seltzer water
    
• Spice Rack
  • 1/4 tablespoon dry mustard
  • 1/2 tablespoon salt
  • 1/4 tablespoon pepper
  • Cinnamon
• Dairy
  • 1/4 cup nonfat milk
• Miscellaneous
  • Plastic wrap

Activities

• Finding the warmth or daylight to play outside during the winter doldrums is tough for anyone. Here are some great games that will keep your children active within the comfort of your own home or a heated indoor recreation area.

  • Indoor Obstacle Course here.
  • Beanbag Race here.
  • If your children are too old for an indoor obstacle course, indoor climbing walls can be found all over the country. An extensive list of indoor climbing facilities can be found here.
  • Roller-skating is fun for everyone! You can find a roller-skating rink by clicking here.