Tomorrow is the day of love, doves, and boxing gloves (you'll understand later)! Well, in other words, tomorrow is Valentine's Day! Whether or not you have a significant other, I hope you can spend tomorrow with someone you care for. Love comes in all shapes and sizes, colors, genders and makes life on Earth a little bit sweeter. As Hugh Grant said in Love Actually, "If you look for it, I got a sneaky feeling you'll find that love actually is all around."
Something that has a special place in my heart is movies! So tomorrow, whether you are cuddling up with your bae, dog, or avocado plushie, here are four romance films to watch and Valentine's Day snacks to eat while viewing love unfold on screen.
The Photograph and Pretty Popcorn
Mae has learned to love from a distance. Her mother, famous photographer Christina Eames, taught her the hard way. But when Christina dies unexpectedly, one photograph sends Mae down the never-ending tunnel of her mother's secrets. The investigation leads her to a romance with a journalist, Michael Block, and suddenly Mae lets her love spill closer than ever before.
Michael and Mae are a sweet and salty mix. Finishing off each other's witty jokes and exhibiting a love so deep it hurts. This Pretty Popcorn recipe is perfect if you want a mix of sweetness and salty in your life.
Pretty Popcorn Recipe
Ingredients
One bag of microwavable popcorn (Orville Redenbacher's is my favorite brand)
3/4 cup pink chocolate candy melts
1/2 cup white chocolate candy melts
Valentines M&Ms (or regular ones!)
Valentines sprinkles
Directions
Microwave popcorn according to the instructions on the bag. Set aside.
Place the pink candy melts in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 40 seconds. Repeat for 20-second intervals until the candy is melted.
Drizzle the melted pink candy over the popcorn and toss the mixture until it is coated evenly.
Melt the white candy melts and drizzle it over the popcorn.
Immediately add the sprinkles and M&Ms.
Enjoy!
Rocky and Gushing Cake Pops
Rocky Balboa is an underdog fighter from lower-class Philadelphia, boxing the pain away with his trainer, Mickey Goldmill. After the opponent of reigning world heavyweight champion Apollo Creed gets injured, Rocky is suddenly chosen to fight this undefeated mastermind. But amid his training days, he falls for Adrain, the sister of his smart mouth meat packing pal. "Adriannnn" and Rocky are ride or dies until the end.
Rocky gets beat up a lot, and in these times of crisis, no one makes him feel better than sweet, sweet Adrian. But these red velvet cake pops might just be the new hottie in town.
Gushing Cake Pops Recipe
Ingredients
1 box of red velvet cake mix
1 box of cream cheese frosting
2 cups of white chocolate chips
1 tbsp coconut oil
Directions
Make the cake and bake according to the box's directions.
Crumble your cake into a large bowl and stir in the frosting until the mixture is like stiff cookie dough.
Shape mixture into around 20 cake balls and place on a cookie sheet.
Freeze the cake spheres for 15 minutes.
Add white chocolate chips and coconut oil to a microwavable safe bowl and microwave for 30 seconds intervals until creamy.
Stick a toothpick into each cake pop and dip them into the white chocolate covering completely. Allow excess to drip into the bowl.
Add sprinkles if desired, and enjoy!
Shrek and Heart Poppin' Punch
Once Shrek's solitude in the swap is interrupted by annoying fairy tale characters, he learns that they were all banished from their homes by evil Lord Farquad. Eager to get them off his land, he cuts a deal with Farquad to rescue Princess Fiona so she can be his bride. Saving the princess is tough, but it is even more challenging for Fiona to hide her Love for Shrek and her life-altering secret.
Shrek probably didn't come to your mind at first when I mentioned romance movies. But five year old me had taste because, because according to my mom, I watched Shrek obsessively at that time. What can I say? I'm a sucker for ogre romances. This Heart Poppin' Punch feels just like Shrek and Fiona's tricky love relationship.
Heart Poppin' Punch Recipe
Ingredients
8 oz of Cranberry Juice (I love Ocean Spray)
8 oz of Sprite
1 cup of strawberries
Directions
Pour cranberry juice and sprite in a lovely cup and mix!
Pop in a few strawberries
That's it!
But I'm a Cheerleader and Cheery Mug Cake
Megan is a cheerleader and considers herself a typical American teenage girl. She has a nice room, cool friends and a boyfriend, who she doesn't like kissing that much. So she is shocked when her parents say she's a lesbian and send her off to True Directions, a wacky boot camp painted in pastels, to alter her sexual orientation. While there, Megan meets Graham, a rebellious teen lesbian, and for the first time, love feels right.
Until you meet the person you have a soft spot for, like Meg, try this awesome mug cake my friend Clementine introduced me to.
(This is a modified recipe of Food Network's chocolate mug cake)
Cheery Mug Cake Recipe
Ingredients
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
3 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp cocoa powder
¼ tsp baking powder
3 tbsp milk
3 tbsp vegetable oil
3 tbsp chocolate chips
A package of Valentine's Day-themed M&Ms
Sprinkles
Haagen Daz vanilla ice cream (optional)
Directions
Put the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, and baking soda into a microwave-safe mug. Blend thoroughly with a fork.
Add the milk and vegetable oil and blend until smooth.
Stir in the chocolate chips, M&Ms, and sprinkles
Microwave on high for 90 seconds.
Let it cool for 2-3 minutes before eating.
Scoop vanilla ice cream on top of or beside the mug cake and enjoy!
I hope you have an amazing day tomorrow and feel the best you’ve ever felt. I LOVE this blog, and you reading this right now ! 💖 You have a special place in my heart. Stay tuned for a Black History Month post on my Instagram @sanaissliceoflife and a surprise post later this week ;)