There are many holidays that are meant to be a celebration of family, friends, and memories. Valentine's day is a holiday that is meant to be a celebration of love. While that love can relate to family and friends it is quite often interpreted as a celebration of romantic love. While it would be nice if we could all go out and enjoy dinner together each Valentine's Day at our favorite restaurant that is not always a possibility. After all, someone has to prepare and serve the foods, put on the productions we see, and drive us to and from those locations or any number of other important features. There is also, of course, the little matter of the fact that for many of us, Valentine's Day falls a day or two prior to payday.
Image by Mundoo via FlickrDon't despair however - cooking for two is a great romantic option for that special day, and can be a lot of fun if you pour your heart and soul into the meal planning and preparations. It is even more fun if you do it together! Great Valentine's Day favorites include dishes that we don't eat every day such as steak and lobster, streak and shrimp, well steak and pretty much anything but also include foods that are believed to be aphrodisiacs such as oysters, truffles, chocolate (ever wonder why the stores fill with boxes of chocolate around Valentine's Day?), and asparagus.
If this isn't your style or you just want a nice romantic dinner you might want to brush up on your seafood recipes such as shrimp scampi, roasted salmon, lasagna, chicken alfredo, and countless other favorites that you and the love of your life may share. If nothing else seems appealing go through your sweetie's personal list of favorites and cook something that is a personal favorite for them. Even if it's chicken and dumplings they'll appreciate the effort and that you put his or her favorite on the table. It's almost always the thought that counts and he or she will appreciate the thought that you put into the meal.
Dessert is also very important when it comes to preparing the perfect Valentine's Day feast. While you do not want anything so heavy that you can't move afterwards, a light dessert of chocolate soufflé, or cheesecake is an excellent ending to a beautiful meal. You want to be prepared to do a little moving around afterwards - whether swinging on the front porch or dancing in the den to get the blood flowing and work off those extra calories. Of course both of these things can be a great prelude to other romantic activities that work off some serious calories!
Image by Viterxo13 via FlickrIn addition to cooking your favorite meal for two for your Valentine's Day celebration of love you will also want to set the mood for the evening with a nice setting. Get out the formal table cloth, the good China, the formal silver, and light a few candles in the room. Have champagne on ice and some romantic music playing in the CD player. If you have a fireplace be sure to light a fire so that there is a warm glow in the room. You want your dinner to be an event rather than just another meal in your daily life!
Perhaps the most important thing about making your Valentine's Day cooking worthy of a romantic event is to send the little ones (if you have any) off to a sitter or home with the grandparents for an evening. It makes the preparation and enjoyment of a meal much more enjoyable if you are able to do both without constant interruptions from those children you adore. It is good to have time alone and important for sanity and for relationship building with the person you are supposed to be sharing your life with.
Making your Valentine's Day dinner special for the two of you will help create many wonderful memories that you can share in the months and years to come.
