Does everyone go overboard for Valentine's day? The cards appear as soon as Christmas is over, all the staff of the Rover's Return on Coronation Street want the night off, and today, the Times is giving recipes for twee little Valentine suppers. Do people really want to eat heart-shaped pies and (wait for this) "heart-shaped cinnamon toasts with rhubarb and red orange compote and honey yoghurt"? Does anyone have the time to fiddle about constructing these romantic little treats?
But I do have a soft (if nostalgic) spot for Valentine's day, for my first (and sadly, late) husband, whom I barely knew at the time, wooed me most successfully by posting me a Valentine arrangement of fresh snowdrops on damp moss in a tiny tin.
Who could say no? I didn't.
We are usually pretty subdued about Valentine's day. We certainly don'tt eat heart-shapped anything or rhubarb.
ReplyDeleteOur primary tradition is that my wife, who can bake but not cook meals, takes over the cooking for that night and makes boxed macaroni and cheese. It's silly on the surface, but it's a tradition with sentimental roots, so we like it.
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ReplyDeleteBoxed macaroni and cheese...do you eat it out of the box? eat the box? box the macaroni? Nevets, do please share your secret (unless it's too intimate...).
ReplyDeleteBoxed macaroni and cheese is easy-make meal made popular by Kraft. It's essentially dried macaroni that you boil up and then a packet of powdered cheese sauce that you mix into the boiled macaroni with milk and a little butter. Voila. :)
ReplyDeleteShame on you, Nevets! It's easier to make it properly yourself!
ReplyDeleteBy the way, what happens to the box?
The box get recycled.
ReplyDeleteAnd... probably... lol
Snowdrops on moss in a tiny tin... how romantic! No wonder you didn't say no, Frances!
ReplyDeleteHow lovely about the snowdrops. :)
ReplyDeleteI remember writing a poem about Valentine's Day when I was still a teenager at school (but going out with my boyfriend, who's my husband now - still), saying how tacky all the cards in the shops were but that at least they were celebrating love! Ah - poor little romantic fool that I was.
We're not really romantic these days but we do still give each other cards: normally jokey ones!
Hi, Alis. Yes - it was quite irresistible (and is why I have a thing about snowdrops).
ReplyDeleteHi, Olivia. John sends me a card every year, through the post, with (what he thinks is ) heavily disguised handwriting that is instantly recognisable. Sometimes I send him one. But that's it. I couldn't make a heart-shaped pie (or anything else, come to that) to save my life.
But as for Nevets and his boxed macaroni cheeses - I don't know whether to laugh or cry (no offence, Nevets)!
You can do both, Frances. It's fair. hahaha
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