5 year anniversary gift idea

Valentine's Day is the perfect time to stir up something special for those you cherish. Start with this easy-to-create, beautiful tabletop and I-adore-you dinner menu from entertaining guru Jennifer Rubell. "It's romantic and fun to celebrate a love-filled holiday with your family or friends," says Rubell.

THE LOOK OF LOVE

Make a memorable first impression on Your guests with a beautiful tablescape. Layer plates, serving pieces, and accessories in the same color family. Red and pink are the traditional colors of love, but you can use any color that puts a song in your heart and a smile on your face. If you tend toward the eclectic, unite the look with touches of white, such as plain dishes, crisp white napkins, and small bouquets of carnations. Keep it simple (and less hectic!) by using what's on hand. The extra-special look should come from personal touches, such as gifts, trinkets, or framed photos, which you can place strategically around the table. Pull down keepsake plates that usually hang on the wall. They add flair when paired with contemporary china. Embrace, don't hide, mismatched items or chipped dishes. Flaws make loved ones unique and cherished. Why should it be any different with tableware?

Cupid says:

Flowers help make the tabletop beautiful but they don't have to be expensive. Choose widely available flowers such as carnations. For fun, bunch a bouquet or two together tightly, pave style. "Pave" means paved in French. To get the look, (above) pack flowers together, all the same height, to fill a low vase and make a carpet of petals.

Write from the Heart

Personalized journals are a perfect takeaway from the sweetest of holidays. Write a sentiment to each family member or friend and place the journal on their plate. Or, pen a love poem on a card.

Opposites Attract

Mixing and matching the table setting makes the evening feel fun rather than fussy. Pair traditional floral plates with sleek modern ones. Or combine different sets of silverware, from your grandmother's sterling to your everyday stainless. That ornate gravy ladle or berry spoon you seldom use? Use it to serve soup or to scoop whipped cream onto a special dessert.

HEART-WARMING FLAVORS

The menu you serve on Valentine's Day should be a special feast, including favorite flavors with a few surprising twists. Make the most simple appetizers look and taste decadent; add a newly discovered aromatic cheese, such as a blue or Stilton, to a cheese plate, or brush toast points with a lemon, basil, or truffle butter. Remember, finger foods are easier to serve and great for revving up conversations at the beginning of the evening. You can feed them to your partner in a stolen moment and kids love them. Kick up the heat with a spicy broth for the seafood main course (see page 202). Leave out the hot peppers for little diners. A mild fish such as halibut or cod pleases every palate and goes well with the white bean and prosciutto salad. And, it's light enough to leave room for dessert.

A Colorful Menu

Sparkling Pomegranate Spritzers Parmesan Breadsticks Cannellini Salad with Prosciutto Chips Poached Halibut and Peppers Roasted Thyme Tomatoes Bittersweet Bark with Cinnamon Candies Melted Ice Cream Mousse Double Thumbprint Cookies

Recipes begin on page 200

Cheers!

Make a signature cocktail to start off the eyeing. Pomegranade or cranberry juice adds sweetness and a blush of color to sparkling wine. Mix the juice with a clear lemon-lime soda for the kids.

Big Dipper

Start the evening with a stress-free appetizer that guests can dip to their heart's content. Set out a bowlful of fast-to-make Parmesan Breadsticks with a trio of tasty sauces--one, a quick blender dip, and two ready-to-serve store-bought favorites.

SWEET ENDINGS

Everyone looks forward to dessert, so make it extra yummy. You can delight guests with familiar, fed-good standbys such as ice cream, but add a dash of the unexpected--try a decadent chocolate sauce, strawberry preserves, or a drizzle of liqueur. Stir up some old-fashioned fun by asking guests to help you make cookies with their own stamp (see page 204), then serve them warm from the oven.

Cupid says:

The best desserts bring out the kid in all of us Be sure to include cherished foods and flavors, such as ice cream, chocolate, cherries, and cinnamon candies. Want something more adult? Even melted chocolate ice cream tastes all grown up when quickly mixed with whipping cream to make an irresistible mousse, and it's a cinch to prepare.

Yummy Break-Up

This chocolate bark can go straight from the freezer to the table, and guests can serve themselves by breaking off their own pieces. Any leftover bits can be sent home in gift bags.

Double Thumbpring Cookies

Offering a variety of goodies, buffet-style, lets guests decide exactly how much they want to indulge. For a comfy change of scenery, arrange plates of sweets on your coffee table and invite guests into the living room.

And don't forget the chocolate. What is Valentine's Day without it? Make favorite chocolate confections rich and decadent; incorporate unique spices and flavors, such as cinnamon, citrus, mint, and rosemary. Or make a chocolate dessert from your childhood and share a happy memory with your own children.

A Touch of Love

Let your children or friends add their thumbprint to these precious cookies, then bake them while you serve coffee. Let everyone fill their own cookie with jam.

DIVINE DETAILS

These loving ideas--for adults and kids--are sure to make the evening unforgettable.

For Adults

Guests love thoughtful gifts and other special sentimental touches.

MUSIC: Instrumental music, from jazz to classical, is a safe bet for dinnertime entertainment. Or go for standard songbirds; try Nat King Cole's "Love Songs," Tony Bennett's "The Art of Romance," or Cole Porter's classics sung by contemporary artists on the "De-Lovely" soundtrack. For a more personal touch, create and play your own CD full of songs that are meaningful to you and your spouse. If your get-together is a girlfriends' affair, make a compilation of songs from your favorite road trips.

LIGHTING: Nothing is more romantic than candlelight. Cluster different size pillar candles for a centerpiece, or scatter votives across the table and windowsills. Or write guests' names on self-adhesive labels, stick them on votives, and place one in the middle of each plate to designate seats.

THOUGHTFUL GIFTS: Give a book as a valentine. In a blank journal, write a sentence on each page, telling your friend or family member why you love them or recounting a funny story in your relationship. Slip a movie gift certificate in each napkin ring--a good way to ensure you will all get together again before the next Valentine's Day.

TAKE-HOME TREASURES: Write the evening's recipes on note cards and tie them with a red ribbon. Give them to guests as they leave, attached to a favorite condiment or spice used in the meal.

FOR YOUR SPOUSE: Buy wine from a significant year, such as your wedding anniversary or the year your first child was born.

AFTER THE PARTY: There's no better way to wind down than a great love story. Curl up to watch romantic standbys, such as "An Affair to Remember," "Shakespeare in Love," and "Sabrina."

For Kids

Keep the kids entertained with arts & crafts projects and Valentine-theme games.

GAMES: Hide valentines around the house with children's names on them. While adults are arriving and sharing cocktails, kids can go hunting. Enlarge and photocopy a picture of you and your children from a special occasion, laminate it, and cut it into fun shapes for a puzzle. Or use photocopies of old family photos of great-grandparents and other relatives. Have kids guess who's who and learn about other loved ones in the process.

LIGHTING: Let children decorate glass votive holders with acrylic paints. Choose light colors-pink, white, yellow--so light can flicker through.

THOUGHTFUL GIFT BOOKS: Invest in a heavy scrapbook or leather-bound journal and write a message of love each year. Bring it out every Valentine's Day to add a new message and reminisce on years past. Or lay clever "coupons" at each child's plate. One can be for an extra hour before bedtime, another for an ice cream outing with friends.

CANDY: Buy simple chocolate bars and replace the wrapper with a personalized one; you can print a child's picture or write her name on it.

SUGAR HIGHS: Another sweet idea--Have kids decorate their own sugar cookies and take them home (or eat them) at the end of the evening.

AFTER THE PARTY: Bubble baths are fun for all ages. Throw in some pink suds or body crayons to make it special.