Php1,000 European-Inspired Valentine’s Day Celebration

My husband and I have been celebrating Valentine’s Day together for 7 years. We’ve had romantic dinners, we traveled, watched concerts, and went on staycation – and every year, I’d always end up being the receiver of everything nice and fancy.

In reality, the idea of demonstrating “love” during Valentine’s Day means big business, as couples spend a huge sum of money for one day alone (sometimes, for even just a few hours). Does that mean the more you spend, the more meaningful your celebration becomes? Not really. I’d rather spend money wisely and have my date’s five hours of quality and undivided attention, than spend Php 4,000 (or more) on the usual romantic dinner date, surrounded by other couples in a restaurant.

Let’s say I’ll treat my husband this Valentine’s Day and I only have Php1,000 to spend. What I would do is sharpen my budgeting skills and whip up something tasteful at home. Yes, I’d rather choose to make some magic in my kitchen than brave the Manila traffic or wait in line for hours at a fancy restaurant. Plus, this will remind him of our honeymoon in Paris as I prepare a European-inspired dinner.

Set-Up

Because it’s a special day, I’ll take out the best dinnerware we have at home, including goblets and complete set of cutlery intended for formal dining. I’ll put my tealight candles in a small bowl or glass to make the entire place as romantic as possible.

Food

Appetizer: I’ll prepare cream of mushroom soup that’s ready in less than 10 minutes. In addition, I’ll put together a simple salad made with lettuce and tomatoes. For the dressing, it will be a combination of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), balsamic vinegar, salt and freshly ground pepper. This dressing is the most basic salad dressing you’ll find in many European countries.

Main Course: If it’s a European-inspired dinner, the main course has got to be pasta! I’ll make it light, quick, and easy to cook. My choice is sardines pasta as it is easy to prepare and the basic ingredients are readily available at home (i.e. salt, pepper, garlic, and onion). I’ll add garlic pesto bread in a bowl or a small basket, with EVOO and balsamic vinegar dip on the side.

Dessert: My husband loves ice cream, so I’ll get him a pint and choose a brand and flavor that’s different from the usual.

Ingredients for appetizer and the main course

Ice cream for dessert! I'd love to have Raspberry Rapture or Banana Sundae (or both!).

This post is my entry for Valentine’s Day Blogging Challenge by MoneyMax.ph. MoneyMax.ph is an online comparison portal in the Philippines that provides a wide-range of financial and telecommunications products and services that suit every Filipino's needs.