<p>Teriwtt- I have been shocked at how fast those priority mail boxes arrive. I regularly send a priority flat rate box across the country. Like clockwork they arrive in a day and a half. Often I send one Friday afternoon Ca time and it is on the east coast Monday morning. Though I often send standard first class mail to the same address and that seems to take 4 or 5 days sometimes.
You all also got me feeling guilty. Went to Longs drugs to pick up some Valentine candy for the college age kids and the shelves were already pretty bare. With one kid allergic to peanuts I wanted to find the York peppermint hearts but no luck.</p>
<p>If you have Californian kids, there is the quenticential Sees Candies:</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.sees.com%5B/url%5D”>www.sees.com</a></p>
<p>MotherofTwo - please pass along that recipe - the cookies sound delicious. Thanks in advance.</p>
<p>Chocolate-Covered Cherry Cookies</p>
<p>1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 16 oz jar maraschino cherries (about 48) (recipe says 10 oz jar, but that is too few cherries)
6 oz semisweet chocolate pieces
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk</p>
<p>In large bowl, stir together flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder and baking soda.
In mixer bowl, beat together butter or margarine and sugar on low speed of electric mixer until fluffy.
Gradually add dry ingredients and beat until well blended.
Shape dough into 1-inch balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet.
Press down center of dough with thumb.
Drain cherries well and reserve juice - Place one cherry in center of each cookie.
In small saucepan, combine chocolate pieces and sweetened condensed milk, and heat until chocolate is mleted. Stir in 4 teaspoons of reserved cherry juice.
Spoon about 1 teaspoon frosting over each cherry, spreading to cover cherry.
(Frosting may be thinned with additional cherry juice if necessary)
Bake in a 350 degree oven about 10 minutes or until done.
Cool on wire rack.
Makes 48.</p>
<p>These are not the easiest cookies to make, but they are festive for Valentine’s day and very good! Good luck!</p>
<p>In every care package I send, I include a scratch-off lottery ticket tied to the most current holiday. In this year’s Valentines packages, aside from chocolates, I also included microwavable Campbell’s Select Soup and microwavable Chef Boy R Dee. (And I always include the necessary plastic utensils in case my kids are all out.)</p>
<p>MofT- it’s wrong in so many ways, I know, but my kids like the cherry chocolate cookies without the cherries inside. </p>
<p>UCD- you must have esp. I was ordering See’s chocolate hearts for son while you were posting that link… Still time for delivery before Thursday.</p>
<p>The cookies without the cherries would be really good iced chocolate cookies. And a lot less of a pain to make too :)</p>
<p>Inspired by this thread I have searched out the coolest chocolateer in London and on Monday will arrange a care package for her to pick up at the store unless they will deliver it. I think Mayfair is a bit of a hike for her. I am hoping it works out.</p>
<p>DS was emphatic that I NEVER sent him baked goods. Tried, but he doesn’t approve. As I said in post #1, he’s a philistine. But I’ll send him something anyway! Candy + CD. He’s a musician.</p>
<p>I love those prioity mailing boxes from the P.O. I sent a box of girl scout cookies, Russell Stovers individual heart candy, converstation hearts, other junky candy. Soy Joys and other energy bars, sock and unds and the fraternaty shirt he forgot over the break and a DVD. And a homemade valentine. You can get a ton in those boxes and it’s a real bargin for $8.95!</p>
<p>Gosh - you guys are making me feel so guilty. I obviously have my work cut out for myself. </p>
<p>I think I will go to the Party Store and send a Valentine’s party package. Lots of silly valentines stuff. I was actually thinking of sending a miniscule bottle of Chambord, but that is probably illegal!</p>
<p>OK, I feel totally inadequate. DH went to see DS’s athletic event today. I sent him with a brown handled-bag containing a heart-shaped box of mini Reece’s cups, a card with a $20, and an I-Tunes gift card. I’m clearly a slacker mom…</p>
<p>MotherofTwo - thank you so much for posting your recipe - it sounds amazing! Just a quick question - do you put the icing on before or after you bake them. I would think after, but the way you wrote the recipe, it looks like you put them into the oven already frosted. I can’t wait to try it out.</p>
<p>Home made cookies and an I-tunes card will cross the country for DD.</p>
<p>I sent my daughter some conversation hearts called “Bittersweets”. There are 3 different types - Dejected, Dumped, and Dysfunctional. Example - one of the Dysfunctional hearts says “Do My Dishes”. D and I share a goofy sense of humor.</p>
<p>Over Christmas break my daughter tried on a gorgeous red cocktail dress with very small silver polka dots - fit her perfectly and would be darling any time of year. At that time it was a bit pricey and she really had no “reason”/occasion to buy it so she decided not to spend the $$$. But I knew she loved it. I kept in eye on it over the last month, and was able to get it a couple of weeks ago - originally $105 marked down and with extra couple savings for $19!!! That’s what I"m sending her along with some chocolates!!!</p>
<p>How perfect, abasket! Don’t you love when that happens?</p>
<p>Valentine’s, Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas are not Valentine’s, Easter, Thanksgiving, or Christmas without See’s :). Got my Valentines boxes for office staff and children stashed away, along with a bag of my favorite (cashew brittle covered with white chocolate) for me :)</p>
<p>I have not yet had to send a care package since we drive the care packages to the dorm. But next year for sure I will. When I think care package I am so boring. I think: packages of Airborne. (and see’s)</p>
<p>You think Airborne and I included a new toothbrush with Valentines chocolates. We can’t help ourselves, patient.</p>
<p>Worrywart: LOL!! I’ll add a toothbrush to my list ;)</p>
<p>After 3 years of sending “fun” packages to both my college aged kids, I now send a small package of favorite candy and $50 check. I’ve learned, especially from S, that much of that stuff was good for a chuckle, but even with US Priority Mail, cost more to send than it was enjoyed!</p>
<p>I still have to hold myself back from buying all the cute, quirky things I’d love to throw in a box! I’d love to do it, but think the $ is appreciated more. And I think that sometimes they end up costing us less. That stuff adds up!
PS However, I love the story about the red dress. I was able to do something like that once for my D too. That was an exceptionally appreciated care package!</p>