Erase some of frustration involved in finding the perfect gift and enjoy the holiday of love and romance with these great Valentine’s gift-giving tips:

* Want to take a unique route but lack a good idea? Start searching for ideas online. Traditional gifts can be altered slightly with gifts that incorporate jewels, chocolate or flowers in an unusual setting. For example, a bouquet of chocolate-covered strawberries designed to look like a bouquet of roses, puts a unique twist on several of the more popular gifting items.

Or deviate completely from the traditional and look for gifts your loved ones would appreciate, but never expect for Valentine’s Day. Use your computer to help you find great gift ideas for others on your Valentine’s Day shopping list like your grandma and best friends. Use search terms like “gifts for grandma” and “Valentine’s gifts for friends” to help find ideas.

* If you have an idea in mind, find product reviews and recommendations from experts and savvy shoppers with a few quick online searches. Use forums like FatWallet to read reviews on products ranging from electronics to travel. This way not only will you be able to confirm that your idea is a great one, but also ensure you find the best prices, and the best retailer for that product.

* Don’t forget to search for coupons and deals to maximize your savings. Use Ebates.com to purchase the gifts for everyone on your list and earn cash back on every purchase through thousands of retailers. For example, if you choose to go the traditional route and order your girlfriend a beautiful bouquet of flowers from FTD, you can earn 20 percent cash back from your purchase, on top of any discount coupons available on Ebates.com. Keep that extra cash back handy to make your Valentine’s Day celebration even more special.

Many retailers provide free shipping or delivery, and you may discover you can stack deals, allowing you to save plenty of money this Valentine’s Day and helping to ease your gift shopping frustrations.

Celebrate the holiday of love and romance this year in style with great gifts for your loved ones. Go online, gather great and unique ideas and don’t forget to save while shopping.

The post Valentine's Day Gift-Giving Tips first appeared on The How Do Gardener.

On a holiday that celebrates our most genuine feelings, the world of online greetings lacks important personal connections. In fact, a recent survey, conducted on behalf of premium Swiss chocolatier Lindt, showed the majority of women (57 percent) like to receive traditional gifts on Valentine’s Day, such as chocolates or flowers.

However, it’s important to remember that you should buy carefully. Pay attention to the quality of the items you give, make a connection with your loved one’s favorite things, and your gifts will be as unique and special as the person who is receiving them.

Keep these ideas in mind as you shop for your loved ones on Valentine’s Day:

Handwritten Cards
What could be more meaningful than a heartfelt expression of love? Whether you’re telling a family member you’re thankful for his or her love over the years, or detailing all the ways you love your significant other, taking the time to carefully craft a note just for that person is a great idea. You can be sure they’ll treasure it. If you need some inspiration, consider choosing a photo of you with the person you’re writing to and telling them about your good memories of when the picture was taken.

Chocolates
Make your gift stand apart by putting a little added thought into it. Start by choosing premium chocolate, like Lindt, which is made with the finest ingredients and is sure to be the perfect gift option for everyone on your Valentine’s Day list. Secondly, think carefully about the preferences of the person you’re giving the gift to. If your spouse loves traditional flavors, such as milk chocolate, give him one of Lindt’s LINDOR Gift Hearts, which are filled with smooth-melting truffles. And since the survey revealed the majority of women wish a “Happy Valentine’s Day” to friends and family in addition to their significant other, don’t forget to surprise them with something special as well. Consider giving your mom or dad a seasonal bag of truffles with flavors such as Lindt’s limited-edition milk chocolate with a white chocolate center. And surprise a friend or co-worker with a ready-to-gift option, like a LINDOR Mini Gift Heart, which is a great choice.

Jewelry
The idea of giving jewelry might seem confined to a man giving a gift to a woman. But actually, anyone can give and receive jewelry – you might just need to adjust your thoughts on what falls into that category. For example, a handsome watch or playful cufflinks that perfectly match your man’s style can be a great gift. Husbands shopping for their wives can often feel overwhelmed by the amount of style options available, but taking a creative approach to shopping can make it easier to find just the right thing. Take some snapshots of her favorite pieces on your phone and bring them along to the jewelry store. Together with a sales assistant, use the photos to pick out something that will suit her perfectly.

Flowers
Skip the basic blooms and put a bit more thought into any bouquet you give. Think about the recipient’s favorite colors – you don’t necessarily have to go with pink and red just because those are emblematic of the holiday. If you’re stumped for which flowers to buy for your mother, ask your dad whether he knows her favorite blooms, or ask a florist to help you choose flowers with special meanings.

Of course, you can feel free to say “Happy Valentine’s Day!” on your sweetheart’s “wall,” but giving a heartfelt, timeless gift will make the holiday one to remember. For more classic gift ideas, visit Lindt.com.

The post On Valentine's Day, Tradition Beats Tech for your Sweetheart's Gift first appeared on The How Do Gardener.

Matthieu Chamussy, certified executive pastry chef and chef instructor in the Baking & Pastry Program at The International Culinary School at The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire, suggests a wonderfully French confection for this Valentine’s Day: the macaron.

Not to be confused with the shredded coconut dessert macaroons, macarons have become increasingly popular stateside. Some news articles say it may be overtaking the cupcake as the “au courant” “must-have confection.” If you search online for macaron gift boxes you can find a number of options ranging from $20 for a dozen to $90 for 35 from a high-end retailer.

If you want to try making your own meringue-based treat, Chef Chamussy offers up his recipe below for pink, heart-shaped macarons encircled with raspberries for this Valentine’s Day. Chamussy, born and raised in Paris, learned the art of bread and confection making from his grandfather early on and had the opportunity to learn from the prominent French pastry chef Francois Payard. Since then, Chamussy has worked all over the world including Paris, New York and Los Angeles.

When trying out the recipe, Colleen Johnson, lead instructor in the Baking and Pastry Program at The International Culinary School at The Art Institute of California – Orange County, advises “macarons look fairly simple, but there are a lot of tricks that you will learn with practice.

“Let your egg whites sit out at room temperature for 48 hours. I like to use a ceramic bowl and put a cloth over my whites. I also suggest grinding your almond flour and powdered sugar really well in a food processor, and then sifting it,” add Johnson, who also teaches a “Mastering Macarons” course at a cookware retailer in Costa Mesa, Calif.

“For my baking and pastry students at The Art Institute of California – Orange County, I like to have them check out a YouTube video about the macarons of renowned pastry chef Pierre Herme. It’s in French, but the video shows you how the ingredients come together,” says Johnson.

Even if your first attempt at baking macarons is imperfect, Johnson mentions that presentation is another important element of the culinary arts. “Proper presentation and plating can make even the tiniest morsel of dessert seem sumptuous and something to be savored,” she says.  For a plated dessert like heart-shaped macarons: “I like clean lines and color. So I would say a pink macaron would look simply great on a white plate,” she says. “Or, if you want to give your treats as a gift, I’d put them in long, thin cellophane tube and tie both ends with a lovely ribbon.”

Another great way to make this dessert even more special is to serve it with a glass of champagne, prosecco or cava, adds Chamussy.

Valentine’s Day Macarons with Raspberries

Ingredients:
Mixture 1
2/3 cup almond flour
2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup egg whites
Red color

Mixture 2
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1.3 fluid ounces water
1/4 cup egg whites

Finishing touches
Fresh raspberries
Raspberry sauce
Rose petals
Almond flour, food color and raspberry dessert sauce can be found at Trader Joe’s. User may use bottled egg whites from the grocery store.

Directions:  
Preheat oven at 300 F.

For mixture 1: Sift the almond flour with the confectioners’ sugar, stir until combined, set aside. Stir the red color into the egg whites. Add the colored egg whites to the almond flour and confectioners’ sugar, set aside covered with plastic.

For mixture 2: In mixer bowl, or in a stainless steel mixing bowl, start whisking the egg whites slowly. Mix the granulated sugar with water in a pot, set on stove to boil. When the syrup reaches 238 F., remove from stove. Start whisking the egg whites on high speed, add the syrup slowly in a steady stream onto the egg whites. Let mixture whip for four minutes. When mixture is done, it should be dense, glossy, very similar to a marshmallow.

Fold in 1/3 of mixture 2, into mixture 1, making sure the mixture looks homogenous.
Fold in the rest of mixture 2 into mixture 1, folding a little more energetically. Put this mixture in piping bag with a round tip.

On a parchment paper, draw heart shapes, spacing them out evenly to facilitate heat circulation in oven. This will be used as a stencil. Place another sheet of parchment on top.  Pipe the mixture following the traced heart, making sure not to pipe too thick in order to preserve that heart shape. Start with the outside of the heart, finishing with the inside of the heart. Let set at room temperature approximately 30 minutes until a “skin” is formed on the macaron.

Bake in the preheated oven, making sure to leave the door of the oven partially opened for the first 13 minutes of the baking process. Close the door after 13 minutes are up and bake another 10 minutes. Rotate. Bake another eight – 12 minutes depending on macaron size. They should be set up, not moving at all on the sheet and with no extra color. Let cool one hour. The macaron should gently come off the paper and be slightly moist in the center.

To finish the dessert, you will need two macaron shells. Place one upside down; start placing fresh raspberries on the edges, trim them if necessary to make them sit straight. Fill the inside with a good quality jam of your choice. Place the other side of the macaron on top of the raspberries. Decorate with a fresh rose petal (organic preferably), and a fresh raspberry. Serve with a good quality vanilla ice cream and a raspberry sauce.

The post Out-of-the-Chocolate-Box Ideas for Valentine's Day Treats first appeared on The How Do Gardener.