From the inbox: Northbrook's Prairie Grass Cafe offering Valentine dining

If you're wanting to skip the city this Valentine's Day at head out to the burbs, Prairie Grass Cafe in Northbrook will be offering Valentine's Weekend specials and should you want to celebrate with your littlest sweethearts, a children's menu is available, as well.

Celebrate Valentine's Weekend at  Prairie Grass Cafe in Northbrook Northbrook, IL (February 2014) -- Celebrating Valentine's weekend (February 14 and 15) with the entire family is always special, and enjoying a great meal with your loved ones makes the day that much better.  Prairie Grass Cafe (601 Skokie Blvd., Northbrook, 847-205-4433) Chefs Sarah Stegner and George Bumbaris have prepared delicious Valentine's Weekend menu specials, including a complimentary heart-shaped cookie for children. The cookie recipe used is Sarah's grandmother's. The regular menu also will be available. The Prairie Grass Cafe Valentine's Weekend specials not on the menu include: "Three Sisters Garden" Farmer Greens with Roasted Squash, Pomegranate, Pumpkin Seeds, "Pleasant Ridge Reserve" Cheese and Herb Vinaigrette, $9.50; Wild Striped Bass with Olive Oil Poached Winter Vegetables - Splashed with Aged Balsamic, $34; "Creekstone" All-Natural NY Strip with Sweet Potato & Bacon Gratin, Ragout of Mushrooms, $39, and Thin Apple Tarts with Crème Anglaise, $10. A separate children's menu is available as is Prairie Grass Cafe's regular menu. Dinner is served from 5 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.; the Valentine's Weekend specials will be available on both Friday and Saturday night (February 14 and 15).  Sarah's Grandmother's Valentine's Day Heart Cookies Chef Sarah Stegner and Chef George Bumbaris Featuring all Natural Icing - No Food Dyes!    1½ cups Flour ¾ tsp. Baking Powder ¼ tsp. Salt ½ cup Sugar ½ cup Butter - Softened  ½ Slightly Beaten Farmer's Egg 1½ Tbsp. Local Cream ½ tsp. Vanilla Extract Mix together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Cut the butter into the flour mixture. Add the egg, cream and vanilla. Blend thoroughly. Chill the dough.  Roll the dough out on a floured surface to desired thickness and cut with heart cutter. Bake cookies at 400° for 8-12 minutes or until very lightly browned around the edges. Allow to cool and frost with natural pink frosting. Natural Pink Frosting: ½ cup Butter - Softened  3 cups Powdered Sugar 3 Tbsp. Local Cream 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract One small red beet peeled In a mixer blend the butter and sugar - add the cream and continue to beat until smooth. Add the vanilla and mix well. Using a coarse microplane grater - grate approximately 2 Tbsp of red beet into frosting. Stir by hand with a rubber spatula till frosting is bright pink.  Transfer the frosting to a sieve and push through using the rubber spatula, leaving the beet pieces in the sieve.   About Prairie Grass Cafe Prairie Grass Cafe (601 Skokie Blvd.; Northbrook, IL; 847-205-4433) supports Chicago's Green City Market and local sustainable farms, selecting the freshest ingredients to reflect the season. Prairie Grass Cafe currently serves lunch Monday - Friday 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and dinner Monday through Sunday. Dinner is served Tuesday - Thursday from 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 5 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., and Monday and Sunday 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Prairie Grass Cafe also serves breakfast Saturdays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Sundays 9:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. Light fare is available in the bar Monday through Friday 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. For more information or to make a reservation, please call (847) 205-4433 or visit www.prairiegrasscafe.com