Valentine's Day 2009- Taking off the pressure

First let me preface this post by saying, Valentine's is the one holiday I am thrilled not to be a man. Think about this, men get off so easy on most holidays. Women generally do all prep for most of them. However, Valentine's Day is the one holiday where the heat is on if you are a man. Especially if you are a man in a commited relationship.

While I am not anti-Valentine's Day by any means (I love all the colors especially). I do feel Valentine's has become too commercialized and too much pressure for us all. Men have to come up with the PERFECT gift and treat their wives in a sicophantic romantic way. In addition, Society gives us more and more crap to buy every year which doesn't help.

Here is my thoughts on Valentine's Day. And like every post on this blog will be , it's just my opinion. Take it as that, please. I think Valentine's Day for a couple should be a low key holiday, not break the bank romantic. If you know me at all , you know I am a closet romantic. I love ROMANCE.. especially old school wine me/dine me romance. However, I feel one day a year to emphasize it with all the bells and whistles just because the calendar tells us to is a bit overrated. I like to show my honey I love him 365 days a year. That is what romance is about, the little things. Not the grand gesture.

My favorite way to spend Valentine's Day is exactly like we did today. First off, we have to visit my mother in law. She has the unfortunate luck of having her birthday on Valentine's Day. My honey has to see his Mama on her birthday, like any good son should. Second, we have started a tradition of the BIG Valentine's meal prepared by me.

Most of you know, I love to cook. Cooking is my way to destress, be creative, and show my family how much I love them. Feeding people is one of the things that gives me pure joy in life (sorry to get off on a tangent). I feel that on Valentine's Day staying home and preparing a special meal for my honey is much better than being in a crowded restaurant fighting for a table.

This year my Valentine's Menu is as follows:

Cornish Game hens stuffed with a mixture of long grain and wild rice with apples and onion

Fresh Green Beans sauteed with roasted almonds and bacon

Herb Roasted New potatoes

Individual baked fudge cakes topped with homemade amaretto spiked whipped cream

a bottle of Tosti Asti Spumante


Try going out for a meal in Huntsville,Texas that will beat that. Plus, I enjoyed preparing it.

Thank you for listening to my anti-Valentine's rant. I hope whatever you do with your special person (whether it be a sweetheart or just a friend) it is fun and lacking in pressure. Just enjoy yourself! After all isn't that what life is about?

Love ya,

Julie