German Chocolate Peanut Butter Kisses

Valentine’s Day 2010

♥    ♥   ♥

Spending♥

The holiday this year is expected to generate $14.1 billion in retail sales in the United States. The number is down from last year's $14.7 billion, because a number of consumers are choosing not to spend money on Valentine's Day this year.

The average U.S. consumer is expected to spend $103 on Valentine's Day gifts, meals, and entertainment, about 50 cents more per person than in 2009.

Spouses are spending less and plan to pay $63.34 on Valentine's Day gifts for their significant other, down from last year's $67.22 average.

Friends and co-workers will spend significantly more than they did last year, and more will be spent on pets.

Gifts♥

Spending for practical gifts, such as winter clothing and accessories, is up, while only 35.6 percent of those celebrating will plan an evening out. That's down from last year's 47 percent.

U.S. men will spend nearly twice as much on the holiday as U.S. women. In 2010, the average man will spend $135.35 on Valentine's Day gifts, while a typical woman will spend $72.28.

Cards♥

As usual, greeting cards will be the most common Valentine's Day gifts. Fifty-five percent of U.S. consumers plan to send at least one.

About 190 million cards are sent each year. That figure doesn't include the hundreds of millions of cards schoolchildren exchange.

Candy♥

• About 47 percent of U.S. consumers will exchange Valentine's Day candy, which will cost about $1 billion. About 75 percent of that billion is from sales of chocolate. Chocolate has been associated with romance at least since Mexico's 15th- and 16th-century Aztec Empire.
• About eight billion little candy hearts were made last year, with sayings such as "Be Mine.

What are you doing this Valentine’s Day? And what do you normally get/give for gifts?!

German Chocolate Peanut Butter Kisses

Makes approx. 28 cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 box German Chocolate cake mix
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 c vegetable oil
• 1 bag Reese’s PB hearts
• 1 c roasted peanuts

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 F. Mix cake mix, eggs, and oil thoroughly. Set aside.
• Grind up peanuts in food processor and pour into a shallow bowl or plate.

• Start taking wrappers of a hearts.

• Roll cookies into 1-inch balls and follow by rolling them in the ground peanuts.
• Bake 3 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet for 9-12 minutes.
• Cool for 2 minutes then press Reese’s heart into the middle.

• Let cool completely—2 hours.

1 more day of Valentine’s treats tomorrow—save the best for last!