Skip to main content

Q&A: Do you celebrate Valentine’s Day? Tell us how or why not.

Published Date
Author Aimee

by Aimee

Oh, Valentine’s Day. A few of us could do away with the chocolate-dipped heart-shaped holiday, others embrace the opportunity for a romantic evening with their significant other, and the majority of us fall somewhere in the middle.

Danny and I have never stated a tradition of celebrating Valentine’s Day for a simple reason: I was always working. In our days of dating and for the first five years of marriage, I worked one of the busiest nights in the restaurant industry. (Mother’s Day and New Year’s Eve also rank high on a level of insanity.)

On February 14 I was otherwise occupied plating hundreds of chocolate deserts and decorating them with raspberry coulis. When I quit work to stay at home with my boys, I continued to associate Valentine’s Day with long hours, sore feet and demanding customers. I suppose that is how it is going to be from now on and that is fine.

Instead, we’ve made our own traditions, like keeping Friday evenings work-free, mixing a cocktail and having ‘us’ time. We have a terrific babysitter that enables us to get out to our favourite restaurants on occasion. Those allotted times to connect are essential in a marriage, especially during this stage of life with young children and two careers.

ginger custardPhoto by Megan.

So do you stay in or head out? Do you find Valentine’s Day hyped up?  What is the deal with all the red velvet? And why does the onus to plan something always fall on the fellow? I never understood that.

Also, why flowers and chocolate?

If I wanted to be spoiled, it would not involve chocolate (most likely made by forced child labor) or cut flowers (some of the most toxic things you can bring into your home). Instead I’d opt for:

  • a gift certificate for a massage
  • an afternoon off
  • a cookbook
  • a love note
  • a project finished around the house (romantic, I know)
  • a meal prepared for me
  • a morning to sleep in
  • a basket of locally made gourmet treats

What would you add to the list?

So, truth be told, we’re due for a date night in tonight, with dessert, too. We’re all recovering from colds and haven’t had sweets in ages. I’ll probably make these Ginger Custard & Raspberry Parfaits or Lemon Pudding with Raspberry Sauce. I’m craving the comfort of pudding and both recipes are so simple. Fortunately, my freezer is still stocked with berries from last summer. If mid-February isn’t the time to enjoy them, then I don’t know when is!

If you are celebrating Valentine’s Day at home tonight, you might want to check out Ashley’s tips for a romantic night in over on The Kitchn. It’s a great read and she’s a bit of an expert on the subject.

Whatever you do, here’s hoping your day is sweet.

Share your plans! Or un-plans. What are your thoughts on Valentine’s Day?

CURRENT SPONSORS:

Q&A: Do you celebrate Valentine’s Day? Tell us how or why not.

is a post from Simple Bites

© 2010-2013 Simple Living Media, LLC | All rights reserved - This feed is provided for the convenience of Simple Bites subscribers. Any reproduction of the content within this feed is strictly prohibited. If you are reading this content elsewhere, please contact hello@simplelivingmedia.com to let us know. Thanks.