Home is where the heart is, so why celebrate Valentine’s Day anywhere else? And, this year many couples are choosing to spend their Valentine’s Day at home in the safety and comforts of their own home due to COVID-19.

There’s a lot to be said for putting a little extra thought into your Valentine’s Day celebration. Check out our list of tips for enjoying a romantic Valentine’s Day at home and making your sweetheart feel extra special this year. Best of all, no reservations are required!

winter groundword propane home

  • Soften the Mood – Dim the lights and turn on the fireplace. Create the ambience you want with the click of a button with a propane fireplace. Not only is a propane fireplace more cost effective and efficient, but they also don’t smell, and you don’t have to worry about replenishing wood and cleaning up ash.

     

  • Recipe for Love – The quickest way to someone’s heart is through food – are we wrong? Show your sweetheart you can cook a restaurant worthy meal at home this Valentine’s Day. It’s a fact that propane stoves offer more even heat distribution and better control than electric stoves which is why 90% of professional Chef’s prefer cooking with gas.

  • Grill Your Heart Out – Fire up the grill instead – just make sure your cylinder is full ahead of time. You wouldn’t want to run out of propane on Valentine’s day afterall.

  • An Evening Under the Stars – finish the evening off, with a view of the evening sky. Some say love is written in the stars. With a little help of propane gas accessories such as portable heaters, fire pits and patio torches, you’re sure to stay warm and keep your love burning throughout the evening.

A Fool-Proof Valentine’s Day Meal

Chef John’s Shrimp Cocktail

Recipe and photo C/O: Chef John | AllRecipes.com

Ingredients

Poaching Liquid:

  • 3 quarts cold water
  • 1/4 onion, sliced
  • 1/2 lemon
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and bruised
  • 2 sprigs fresh tarragon
  • 1 tablespoon seafood seasoning (such as Old Bay®)
  • 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
  • 1 bay leaf

Cocktail Sauce:

  • 1/2 cup ketchup
  • 1/4 cup chili sauce
  • 1/4 cup prepared horseradish
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 3 drops hot sauce, or to taste
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 2 pounds shell-on deveined jumbo shrimp

Directions

  1. Stir water, onion, lemon, garlic, tarragon, seafood seasoning, peppercorns, and bay leaf together in a large pot; bring to a simmer and cook until flavors blend, about 15 minutes.
  2. Whisk ketchup, chili sauce, horseradish, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and salt together in a bowl; refrigerate until chilled, at least 15 minutes.
  3. Bring poaching liquid to a rapid boil. Cook the shrimp in the boiling liquid until they are bright pink on the outside and the meat is no longer transparent in the center, about 5 minutes. Transfer shrimp to a bowl of ice water and immerse in ice water until cold; drain. Arrange cold shrimp on a platter and serve with chilled sauce.

Romance In A Bowl Salad

Recipe and photo C/O: KILIHILA | AllRecipes.com

Ingredients

  • 4 cups baby salad greens
  • 1 carrot, peeled and sliced
  • 2 green onions, chopped
  • 6 strawberries, hulled and sliced
  • 12 fresh raspberries
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1/4 cup seasoned almond slices
  • 1/4 cup dried currants
  • 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
  • 1/2 cup seasoned croutons
  • 1/2 cup herbed vinaigrette salad dressing, or to taste

Directions

In a large bowl, toss together the salad greens, carrot, green onions, strawberries, raspberries, garlic, walnuts, almond slices, currants and feta cheese. Divide between two salad bowls. Top each bowl with some croutons and serve with vinaigrette dressing.

Filet Mignon and Balsamic Strawberries

Recipe and photo C/O: cdagirl | AllRecipes.com

Ingredients

  • 2 cups strawberries, sliced
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 4 (6 ounce) filet mignon (beef tenderloin)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 tablespoon chilled butter
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Mix together the strawberries, brown sugar, and balsamic vinegar in a bowl, and allow to sit for 1 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally.
  2. Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
  3. Heat olive oil in an oven-safe, heavy steel or cast-iron skillet over high heat. Sprinkle the filets with salt and pepper on both sides, gently place in the hot skillet, and sear each side until well-browned, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Slide the skillet into the preheated oven, and cook until they start to become firm and are reddish-pink and juicy in the center, about 10 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 130 degrees F (54 degrees C). Transfer the steaks to a platter, and tent with foil to rest.
  4.  For a different taste, try grilling your steak.
  5. Pour steak juices from the skillet into a small saucepan. Strain the strawberries and discard the liquid. Add the strawberries to the steak juices, bring the sauce to a simmer over medium-low heat, and melt the butter into the sauce, tilting the pan several times to gently incorporate the butter into the sauce. Serve each fillet topped with about 1/2 cup of strawberries and a sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper.

Grilled Bacon Wrapped Asparagus

Recipe and photo C/O: J&J Gas Service, Inc.

Ingredients

  • 24 asparagus spears, trimmed (or entire bushel)
  • 6 slices of bacon
  • 6 toothpicks
  • 3 tbsp. olive oil
  • Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning, to taste

Directions

  1. Pre-heat the grill and lightly oil the grate.
  2. Divide asparagus into sets of 4 spears.
  3. Wrap 1 slice of bacon around 1 set of asparagus securing the bacon by pushing a toothpick into the wrapped asparagus with a toothpick.
  4. Repeat with remaining sets of asparagus.
  5. Place bacon wrapped asparagus sets on baking pan (disposable or metal).
  6. Drizzle olive oil and seasoning on top.
  7. Cook on the preheated grill, turning asparagus sets occasionally, until bacon is cooked through and crisp, about 20 minutes.
  8. Remove toothpicks & enjoy!

Sweetheart Cupcakes

Recipe and photo C/O: Celeste | AllRecipes.com

Ingredients

  • 1 (18.25 ounce) package white cake mix
  • 1 1/4 cups water
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 3 egg whites
  • 8 drops red food coloring
  • 2 drops raspberry candy oil

Directions

  1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a standard muffin tin with paper cupcake liners.
  2. Beat the cake mix, water, vegetable oil, and egg whites together on low speed for 30 seconds, then on medium for 2 minutes, until smooth. Fill cupcake liners 1/3 full with white batter; set aside.
  3. Stir 4 drops of red food coloring into the remaining bowl of batter to make the batter pink, stir in the raspberry oil. Pour 1/3 of pink batter into a resealable plastic bag and set aside.
  4. Mix more food coloring into the remaining bowl of pink batter until it is an orange/red color and pour the batter into a resealable plastic bag. Cut a corner off the bag, stick the open tip into the center of each cup of white batter and squeeze in about two tablespoons of red batter.
  5. Cut the corner off the bag with the pink batter, stick the open tip into the center of the red batter and squeeze about 1 tablespoon pink batter into each cup.
  6. Bake the layered cupcakes in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes.
  7. Cool completely before frosting.

Easy Oreo Truffles

Recipe and photo C/O: Baker’s | AllRecipes.com 

Ingredients

  • 1 (16 ounce) package OREO Chocolate Sandwich Cookies, divided
  • 1 (8 ounce) package PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
  • 2 (8 ounce) packages BAKER’S Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate, melted

Directions

  1. Crush 9 of the cookies to fine crumbs in food processor; reserve for later use. (Cookies can also be finely crushed in a resealable plastic bag using a rolling pin.) Crush remaining 36 cookies to fine crumbs; place in medium bowl. Add cream cheese; mix until well blended. Roll cookie mixture into 42 balls, about 1-inch in diameter.
  2. Dip balls in chocolate; place on wax paper-covered baking sheet. (Any leftover chocolate can be stored at room temperature for another use.) Sprinkle with reserved cookie crumbs.
  3. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. Store leftover truffles, covered, in refrigerator.

💘 From all of us at J&J Gas Service, Happy Valentine’s Day! 💘

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