LOVE & ROMANCE
MAKEOUT KITCHEN
WITH TIM AND ALI BREITBACH
Valentine’s Day:
To Dine Out or In?
E
very year, Valentine’s Day falls on a different day of the
week, and your relationship - whether single, dating or
married for decades - is an ever-evolving force of its own.
Consequently, deciding what to do each year takes some
thought, depending on the situation at hand. Rather than
go through the motions and just head out to your favorite place to eat,
or try and work your way into the newest, trendiest spot in town, ask
yourself what it is that you really want to celebrate.
If romance and a more playful connection is what you are looking
for, then consider dining in. It will most likely be cold outside, and the
holiday falls on a Wednesday this year … so staying in might be a good
option. And the money you save could go toward a nice present or
flowers. But there are things to keep in mind when doing a Valentine’s
Day dinner at home.
Ali and Tim on their
wedding day
40
GAZELLE STL
1. Make it special. Don’t do what you would do on any other Wednesday.
Get off work early, set a mood, choose a theme, and make sure the
aromas around the house are conducive to warmth and togetherness.
2. Do it together. Pick a meal that you create together. Then it is not one
person cooking and the other getting too tipsy. Get tipsy together
while preparing the food, if you are so inclined.
3. Lighten it up. Big, heavy meals and overly rich deserts make it less
likely that your meal will lead to where you want the evening to
go later. Try a themed meal with finger foods or tapas, and leave
yourselves wanting more. Or have a second course, perhaps after a
fun intermission. Don’t deal with big life issues, either. Good or bad,
they can be exhausting.
4. Move away from the table. If you always eat at the table, create a
comfy place closer to each other so you feel much more connected
and less distracted.
5. Go with the flow. If you feel the need to be romantic, interrupt dinner
and come back to it, if desired. If the meal isn’t your goal, don’t let it
block your time for fun.