I remember sitting at the computer last year around this time and trying very hard to not be cynical about Valentine's Day. I understand that there are those of you who are madly in love and who are looking forward to celebrating "V" Day with your sweetie in a traditional manner. You know, roses, fine dining, wine, a box of chocolates and candle light romance. But for me and many of those like me, this day represents much more, and much less...so here I sit again with the same delima.
I can't remember a Valentine's Day that I really enjoyed. Remember when you were in elementary school? Everyone made there own bags or boxes with their names on them, decorated with hearts and glitter. Then each kid would bring in Valentines to share with their class mates, put them in each box/bag along with some candy. On the big day everyone got to go through their bags at school and oo and ah over the cards, giggle about which boy/girl gave them a "love" card...That's when my trouble began. Honestly every year on this special day I got sick, not just a little cold, usually full on flu or bronchitis. So sick that I had to stay home and miss out on all of the fun. Every single year. Now, what does that tell you? Was it foreshadowing for things to come, or was I suffering from post Valentine's Day disorder? Sure, my Mom would always go and pick up my bag (I went to a poor public school so we couldn't afford boxes; we used brown paper bags) and we'd read them all together when she got home. But that wasn't the same. No giggles with my school mates or the thrill of getting to eat the forbidden candy at school. And how embarrassing for my Mom to read the "love" cards that I inevitably received.
As I grew up and began to date, I always seemed to be single on "V" Day. It was like clock work. Things would be going great through Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years and about the first week in February either I'd lose interest or they would so by 2/14 there would be no roses in site. Occasionally I would receive flowers from some boy who was crushing on me but on whom I was not crushing. Awkward. The tradition continues...
As I matured, married and settled down "V" Day became a Hallmark Holiday that was more annoying than anything else. Our favorite restaurant would have some silly, expensive menu in place of our standard dishes that drew us to the place to begin with. And forget getting in without a reservation. Flowers were marked up twice what they were worth and by then I was always on a diet so getting chocolate was just a tease.
When my daughters were little I always tried to make the day very special for them to over compensate for my lack of happy V day memories. But as they grew up and began dating, anxiety set in. Seemed they had inherited my V day issues. I remember one year my youngest daughter who was very young at the time, maybe 7 or 8, actually had a boyfriend on V Day. Cat and I didn't and I believe we had both been recently dumped. So it was extremely exciting when Char's little 8 year old boyfriend brought all three of us a little gift. How funny (and sad) that this little boy had the foresight to know that it was up to him to make sure we all had a special little V day surprise. I really liked that kid; wonder what happened to him? Anyway, then it wasn't just my heart to worry about but theirs as well. So much stress.
How many people really know what Valentine's Day is about? Popular legend states that St. Valentine of Rome was imprisoned and eventually executed for performing weddings to soldiers who were not allowed to marry. (We could use him around these days too, right?) He was the "savior" to the broken hearted. So this day that has evolved into, since the high middle ages, an occasion in which lovers express their love by presenting flowers, cards and confections actually got its roots in heart break and forbidden love. Now that I can relate to! So I guess there is something enticing about Valentine's Day after all.
In the words of one of my all time favorite guys, Mr. Ernest Hemingway, "I have discovered that there is romance in food when romance has disappeared from everywhere else..." So let's cook up a little romance this weekend with a couple of my favorites and top it off with a dessert that is meant to be shared.
Edamame Potato Salad
6 small purple fingerling potatoes
6 grape tomatoes cubed
8 oz shelled edamame
8 oz purple cabbage
Red wine vinegar, olive oil, lime juice
Salt and Pepper
1 bag of mixed green salad
Fresh cilantro
Blanch the edamame and cabbage set aside
Boil the fingerling potatoes - I cut them in cubes, skin on and put them in boiling water then cool for about 10 minutes
Mix potatoes, edamame, cabbage with 1/4 cup of red wine vinegar, 1/4 cup of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of lime juice, plus salt and pepper to taste. Serve over mixed greens and top with tomatoes and fresh cilantro
This is a complete meal but there is always room for dessert! End this lovely dinner with fresh strawberries dipped in melted dark chocolate then placed in the frig for about an hour. Dip them in whipped cream for a decadent treat.
As I grew up and began to date, I always seemed to be single on "V" Day. It was like clock work. Things would be going great through Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years and about the first week in February either I'd lose interest or they would so by 2/14 there would be no roses in site. Occasionally I would receive flowers from some boy who was crushing on me but on whom I was not crushing. Awkward. The tradition continues...
As I matured, married and settled down "V" Day became a Hallmark Holiday that was more annoying than anything else. Our favorite restaurant would have some silly, expensive menu in place of our standard dishes that drew us to the place to begin with. And forget getting in without a reservation. Flowers were marked up twice what they were worth and by then I was always on a diet so getting chocolate was just a tease.
When my daughters were little I always tried to make the day very special for them to over compensate for my lack of happy V day memories. But as they grew up and began dating, anxiety set in. Seemed they had inherited my V day issues. I remember one year my youngest daughter who was very young at the time, maybe 7 or 8, actually had a boyfriend on V Day. Cat and I didn't and I believe we had both been recently dumped. So it was extremely exciting when Char's little 8 year old boyfriend brought all three of us a little gift. How funny (and sad) that this little boy had the foresight to know that it was up to him to make sure we all had a special little V day surprise. I really liked that kid; wonder what happened to him? Anyway, then it wasn't just my heart to worry about but theirs as well. So much stress.
How many people really know what Valentine's Day is about? Popular legend states that St. Valentine of Rome was imprisoned and eventually executed for performing weddings to soldiers who were not allowed to marry. (We could use him around these days too, right?) He was the "savior" to the broken hearted. So this day that has evolved into, since the high middle ages, an occasion in which lovers express their love by presenting flowers, cards and confections actually got its roots in heart break and forbidden love. Now that I can relate to! So I guess there is something enticing about Valentine's Day after all.
Edamame Potato Salad
6 small purple fingerling potatoes
6 grape tomatoes cubed
8 oz shelled edamame
8 oz purple cabbage
Red wine vinegar, olive oil, lime juice
Salt and Pepper
1 bag of mixed green salad
Fresh cilantro
Blanch the edamame and cabbage set aside
Boil the fingerling potatoes - I cut them in cubes, skin on and put them in boiling water then cool for about 10 minutes
Mix potatoes, edamame, cabbage with 1/4 cup of red wine vinegar, 1/4 cup of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of lime juice, plus salt and pepper to taste. Serve over mixed greens and top with tomatoes and fresh cilantro
This is a complete meal but there is always room for dessert! End this lovely dinner with fresh strawberries dipped in melted dark chocolate then placed in the frig for about an hour. Dip them in whipped cream for a decadent treat.
My favorite Valentine's Day is from the 4th grade. Cards were distributed and we huddled into our respective cliques to read them. My friend Donna, who at ten was the Dolly Parton of our elementary school, opened a card. She gasped, her jaw dropped, and her face went pale. She looked up at us with her big green eyes, slowly got up, and went to the teacher, freshly opened valentine in hand. Donna handed the card to our teacher, Miss Brannigan, who we affectionately called “Miss B.” As Miss B read the card, her jaw also dropped, face lost color, and eyes widened.
ReplyDelete“Jimmy!” Miss B hollered.
“What?” he replied.
“Did you write this?!?” she continued to holler shaking the valentine in the air.
“Yea.” Jimmy shrugged with indifference. He looked at her like she was nuts.
Swiftly, Miss B rose from her chair. In seconds she had Jimmy by the arm and was dragging him off to the principal’s office.
While the rest of us sat bewildered as to what had just occurred and what that valentine said, Donna returned to our group.
“What did it say?” one of us enquired.
What it said not only became a joke to us, but eventually a term of endearment for the times when life got tough.
Donna started looked at us, blushed, and started to shake with giggles. “It said… ‘I like your tits’!”
Hey, at least Jimmy was honest.
Katie, I love this story. And I'm pretty sure I know Jimmy....
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