Valentine's Day: History, love and misery

As I'm sure you're aware from the deluge of pink and red and hearts, that happy love-struck day known as Valentine's Day is near. For some this means a romantic getaway for two, for some this is just another dinner and a movie with nicer clothes, for some this means getting a sitter for the kids for the first time all year, for some this means a night of eating ice cream and crying, and for some this means absolutely nothing other than the fact that it's a Friday. None of these reactions are right or wrong, and don't let anybody tell you differently. So why is it called "Valentine's Day" and not something simple like "Love Day"?

Saint Valentine

Saint Valentine is the man for whom this sappy holiday has been named, but ironically he both did and did not lead a very romantic life. He lived in a time when society was very lax on relationship rules, polygamy was kind of the norm, but of course the Catholic church didn't like that one bit. They were pretty convinced that to have any 'relations' it should be within the bounds of a marriage, and a marriage was between one man and one woman, period. Unfortunately there was this emperor guy, Claudius, who persecuted the Church at the time, and did not allow people to marry within the church. Well, mister Valentine was like a secret cupid, and for those couples who wanted to be married within the rules of Catholicism, he would marry them. 

As these things often go, Valentine was caught and throw in prison, where he was tortured for contradicting the Emperor. But being such a nice guy, he kept helping people even in prison. There are stories of him praying for a man's blind daughter and healing her, the father was so astonished he converted to Catholicism. Then, in 269 AD, Valentine was sentenced to a three part execution: a beating, stoning, and finally beheading. All because he wanted to unite young couples in love. Under the doctrine of the currently not-in-fashion church beliefs. However, he left his legacy by reportedly writing a letter to that man's no longer blind daughter before his death, and signed it "from your Valentine" (Source: CBN). It should be noted that some sources argue whether this legend of St. Valentine is based on one or two separate people (Source: Catholic.org). His official feast day is of course, February 14.

For more on the history of Valentine's Day, see this Huffington Post article, and History.com.

How to survive VDay financially

Now, this year, Valentine's Day happens to fall on a Friday. It also just happens to be President's Day weekend, meaning the following Monday is a holiday. This is a total jackpot if you want to plan a long weekend with your sweetie. However, it also means that there will be more people traveling, and places which cater to Hallmark holidays such as this are jacking up prices like mad. Hotels, gas stations, restaurants, you name it. Not to mention cards and candy for your kids' classroom, flowers for the wife, dinner, wine, chocolates, and lingerie, and so much pressure. All this spending just as taxes are around the corner and starting to weigh on your mind. How do you survive this without burning a hole in your wallet?

1. Celebrate on your own terms

Just because some Catholic guy got beheaded in Rome a long time ago doesn't mean you need to recognize his sainthood with an over-priced steak. Besides, calendars have undergone a few make-overs since then, so our February 14th isn't even the same. The Wall Street Journal has an article by Brett Arands wherein he calls for a VDay revolution. He makes the splendid point that even by a simple comparison of hotels one week later versus on the big weekend, you can save 25% or more if you simply choose a different day to celebrate. Pick any day you want and shower your sweetie with love. It will probably be even more special, because then you will be the only couple with excessive PDA instead of everyone in the building.

2. Have an at-home date night

Much like a stay-cation, home date nights are a fantastic way to still break your routine and spend quality time together without breaking the bank. The possibilities are limited only by your imagination. Get cooking or baking, have a movie/Netflix marathon, or play some games together. You could have a nice dinner ready when your special someone gets home from work, like my Male & Female Style Pizza or make my homemade pizza dough from my Vegetarian Pepper Pizza (and top as you wish). Bonus points for making it into a heart shape.

Here are the Top 10 Stay-Home Date Ideas from AskMen, and the Top 50 Date-Night Ideas from Redbook.

3. Get away for cheap

If you are really feeling the cabin fever and want to get out of the house, or take advantage of the extra time off, try getting away but not to your typical hotel. Camping is always a great budget option, and you could look into traveling further south for warmer climates if you've been stuck inside during recent snowstorms. House sitting/swapping is also an option if you're feeling adventurous. Here's a good article on 10 things you need to know about home swapping from USA Today.

Now that you have tons of ideas, get to planning, or even better plan nothing at all. This totally applies if you're single too. Take yourself on a date, go see a movie, make something fancy for dinner, have your own personal wine tasting. If you don't have a "partner" or "significant other", spend the time to shower yourself with love. After all, if you don't love yourself then you can't rightfully love someone else. In fact even if you DO have a partner you should show yourself a little love. No matter what you decide to do, enjoy yourself and anyone else you're with, make happy memories, and be safe.

What's your favorite romantic date idea?

Vegetarian Pepper Pizza with Acorn Squash Sauce

Pizza is popular in nearly every country and among all age groups. Who can resist a chewy doughy crust, tangy or creamy sauce, and toppings to make your mouth water? With infinite variations, pizza can range the gamut from a whole-grain & veggie-packed near-health-food to an unapologetic grease-laden diet disaster. Everyone has their own favorite topping and style.

Of course most people know that pizza is native to Italy. The History Channel website wrote up a nice article about the history of pizza you should check out for more information. The city of Naples, founded in 600 B.C., was home in the 18th & 19th centuries to a large working-class poor population. As such, they needed food which was cheap and easy to eat quickly. Flat bread baked with various toppings such as tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, and cheese, met this need. However, pizza did not catch on worldwide until the late 1940s.

Italian immigrants to America brought these recipes with them when they immigrated in search of jobs. Quickly, the smells and tastes of these flat breads began to grow in popularity, and local custom varieties began springing up. Toppings branched out from the typical tomato, basil, cheese, or anchovies and grew to include things like pineapple, BBQ chicken, bacon, and even dessert pizzas. Chicago became known for its "deep-dish" pizza with inches-thick crust, while New York City style meant thin crust pies with a slice bigger than your face. Chains spring up and now popular American-founded brands are represented in over 60 countries worldwide. 

This pizza I came up with was made with a bare minimum of ingredients, the dough does not need time to rise, and I packed in the veggies. The acorn squash hidden in the sauce makes it a bit sweeter than I'm used to, which I didn't mind. But if it's too much, try adding tomato paste and olive oil rather than diced tomatoes. And as always, don't be afraid to experiment! Have some asparagus left in the fridge? Ran out of mozzarella but have some blue cheese? Want to spice it up with jalapenos? Go for it!

Ingredients:

DOUGH

2 1/2 cups flour

1/2 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp salt

1 1/2 cup warm water

SAUCE

1 can diced tomatoes

1 acorn squash

Dash Italian seasonings

Dash garlic salt

TOPPINGS

1/2 cup spinach

1/2 jar roasted red peppers

Handful banana pepper rings

~2/3 cup mozzarella cheese

Step 1: Cut the squash in half and microwave 5 minutes, cut side up, with water in it. Flip and microwave another 5 minutes. Repeat until the squash is fork-tender and peels easily.

Step 2: In a blender, combine the can of tomatoes (with juice) and squash. Blend until it makes a smooth puree. Add spices here.

Step 3: In a large bowl, mix the dough ingredients. If too stiff, add more water or olive oil. If too wet or sticky, add extra flour. Sprinkle some flour on a flat surface and roll the dough out. Use your hands to shape it into a circle.

Step 4: Spread the sauce over the dough, leaving about 1 inch around the edges for crust. Layer on the toppings.

Step 5: Cover it all in cheese. You can substitute vegan cheese or just leave it off for a vegan pie.

Step 6: Bake on a pizza pan or cookie sheet at 350 for about 40 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbly.

Let it cool on a rack if you can wait that long!

Thanks Italy! 

What's your favorite kind of pizza?

Make your own pizza, male and female style

You may think I'm weird for saying this, but I don't like pizza that much. I know, how un-American of me. I will eat it if it's around, and I get an occasional craving for a weird one like chicken bacon ranch, but in general if asked what I want for dinner, the answer will not be Little Caesars. My current boyfriend could literally live off pizza and burritos. So we found a compromise, making our own pizza. That way I can have the things I want on it (veggies) and control the sauce, and he can have what he wants (as much meat as possible) at the same time. This is our version of men are from Mars, women are from Venus, in the kitchen.

Ingredients:

1 tube pizza dough (about $2 at grocery store)

1 jar pizza sauce (~$2)

Toppings of choice: Female half

Spinach & mixed greens

Onions & peppers julienned

Zucchini

Mozzarella cheese

Pineapple

Toppings of choice: Male half

Deli ham

Ground beef (pre-cooked, left over from burritos actually)

Bacon

Mozzarella cheese

Pineapple 

Step 1: Cook the meat if needed, spray a 9x13 oven safe pan. Roll the pizza dough out flat and press to the sides of the pan.

Step 2: Spread on as much sauce as you like. I don't like most pizzas because I end up scraping a cup of sauce off my slices, so I put it on thin.

Step 3: Layer the toppings.

 

 Step 4: Cover in as much cheese as you can handle. Because cheese is sent from heaven to make all foods taste better. Some calories are just worth it.
Step 5: Bake at 425 for ~20 minutes or until crust is brown and crispy and cheese is bubbling.

This recipe is as varied as your imagination, nearly any meat or vegetable can be a pizza topping, so if you like it then go crazy! You can use veggies left over from other meals. It's easy to make a vegetarian (or even vegan without the cheese) pizza. You can fold the dough in half to make a smaller deep-dish pizza. Try a bunch of variations and find what you like best.  No matter what you put on yours, its likely to still be much cheaper and healthier than a purchased one.