I was going to come up with some great meal to fix for Valentine’s Day this year and show how I made it, what ingredients I used, why it’s so great, etc., but I decided against it. For ideas on what to fix, though, here are some past posts:

Cedar Planked Salmon

Foie Gras

Shish Kabob

And maybe end with chocolate pot with burnt caramel and sea salt sauce

And let her pick the wine; if she prefers a white to a big red, but you like red, have a white instead, and don’t complain about it.

Instead of something new to cook, I’m going to talk about what means more than cooking a great, romantic meal one day a year… Getting to know your significant other.
One day a year seems to be set aside to force men to think romantically. If it’s forcing them to do so, they’re as likely to just stop at the grocery and pick up cheap roses as they are to really think about their wife. How many times do we see the cliche of a man still waiting until the drive home from work before barely remembering to get some flowers and a card?

Is a gift always the right thing?  Maybe, maybe not.  It’s not a bad thing, so, guys, don’t forget something.  And make it something for HER, not for you to think you’re being romantic.  Flowers can be fine, but does she really like red roses?  I have gotten my wife flowers, and I’ve gotten her roses because roses do kind of mean something.  But I’m more likely to get her calla lilies because I know that’s her favorite flower.

But do gifts really mean that much to your spouse?  Do you know your significant other’s love language?  Here’s a simple love language test to figure it out.  Here are my results:

I happen to know my wife’s love language is gifts, which doesn’t mean everything has to be from Tiffany; I know she also likes small things that I get as long as I was thinking of her.  She also expresses love in this way.

So instead of worrying too much over just the right thing to cook this Valentine’s Day, how about taking an hour, giving your significant other your undivided attention, and taking the test to figure out each other’s love language?

Then, to continue this for more than a day, I’m going to suggest you and your significant other read the book His Needs, Her Needs, by William F. Harley, Jr.  If you do, also buy 2 highlighters, one pink and one blue.  Then each of you read it, chapter by chapter, highlighting the things that are important to you (woman uses pink, man uses blue).  Reread each chapter, concentrating on the highlighted areas your SO marked as well as the purple areas, where you both marked.

Look at this Valentine’s Day as more than a Hallmark Holiday.  Take some steps to get to know your significant other more.