Valentines Dinner Idea

Dinner for Expressing Your Love

This Valentines Dinner menu is a wonderful way to celebrate a special relationship or just treat yourself and your loved ones in the middle of a cold winter.

I know because this was the exact Valentine's Dinner I once prepared for my husband and me. But because we would both be at the restaurant on Valentines Day, we celebrated with this menu the night before.

Valentine's Day is said to be the most romantic day of the year.

But I must confess, my husband is not always the most creative fellow in the world.

Yes, I get card, flowers and some very nice chocolates. Isn't this what they have all been "trained" to do?

So I wonder if our expectations are such that Valentine's Day can actually become one of the least romantic days of the year? I suspect that many men, and probably some women, are actually on "auto-pilot," behaving somewhat like robots programmed by the commercial interests in the world (flowers, chocolate and a card). It makes me sometimes wonder whether many people celebrate the day out of a sense of obligation rather than desire.

That was what I was feeling after our first several Valentines Days together, but then, like a miracle, my husband changed. He saw the effort I was taking to cook a Valentines Dinner, light candles and set our table with linen ...and he changed.

Every Valentines Day he does something different, with one exception. He no longer buys a commercially made card. He makes his own card to give to me and every year, in that card, he composes his own personal and wonderful message to me. No one else in the world gets the same card - at least they better not! :-) I really appreciate his effort and thoughtfulness.

Then there is always a surprise. One year he made Valentines Day last for the rest of the month. He cut out some small pieces of paper and wrote on each piece a special message. Some were further expressions of his love, others were chores he knew I wanted him to do, some were small but important things to do together like take a drive or go somewhere overnight, and a few were promises of special little gifts (I got to choose).

If you found this page looking for a really special Valentines Dinner Menu with the needed recipes - you have found the right page. Without going into detail, let me just say that the little effort I made to prepare this meal for us was ...well ...was well worth it for both of us.

Note: I know I probably don't have to mention this but somehow I feel obligated to do so. Your meal can be rich and taste fabulous - and it should, but keep the portions reasonable. Too much food will make you and your loved one sleepy.

Valentines Dinner Menu Idea

Appetizer: Crab Cakes

Move over, Maryland! But remember - on this night, this is an appetizer rather than an entree - keep the portion small.

Salad: Mandarin Oranges, Wild Baby Greens and Sugared Walnuts!

This is a simple, simply delicious and elegant looking salad to enjoy before the entree.

Champagne Shrimp Pasta!

With a champagne-cream sauce, this makes for a great romantic dinner anytime of the year, especially on Valentine's Day. You'll have enough champagne left so you and a loved one can toast to each other’s love and health in candle light. And with pasta …garlic bread is great!

French Chocolate Pie!

If this dessert doesn't "seal the deal" nothing will. Have a piece with the rest of the champagne!

(Need a beverage idea? See some choices.

Don't forget to check out other Valentine's Day Menu Suggestions.