Valentines ideas for foodies

You may think Valentine’s Day is a commercial waste of time, but a day set aside to celebrate love can’t be an all bad thing. And since love actually is all around, here are a few ideas of things to do with your foodie valentine (without mortgaging your kitchen). It’s a leap year, so we hope the girls are listening.

Boys
Boys like to keep moving, right? Get out of the house and spend the day exploring some new part of your city. Go for walks in the forest, visit a part of town you’ve never seen, take a wine tour to unfamiliar farms. Take a backpack filled with good things and have a celebratory picnic at the summit of the mountain, or a previously-undiscovered scenic square. Baguettes and muffuletta are ideal for these scenarios as they travel well and tastes even better after a few hours.

Girls
Girls love to be spoilt and surprised, and a little bit of DIY effort goes a long way ti impress. Bake her cupcakes (here’s how to do it), give her a foot massage or cook her dinner. Even if it’s not the best cake, dinner or massage she’s ever had, she’ll be super impressed that you went to the trouble. For a super easy and impressive dinner, try this strawberry, peanut brittle and goats cheese salad. Or if you’re feeling bold – head to the beach for a sunset dinner on the go – here’s are some tips and a menu for a perfect summer picnic for two.

Friends
You love your friends, right? Round them up and picnic. Sharing food and wine is super social, whether you’re with one or many loved ones. Too lazy to make your own picnic? Some enterprising businesses will do a picnic basket for you – Rotisserie 360 is offering very reasonable picnics for Valentine’s Day, just be sure to book in advance to make sure you get one. Then pop off to Kirstenbosch, the beach or just a neighbourhood park and enjoy quality time with your friends. If you are packing a salad, put this super-charged salad to the test. Just remember to pack the dressing separately, or it might become a soggy mess.

Family
Valentine’s Day is all very well for lovers, but when you’ve got three kids it’s a little different, right? Wrong. Use Valentine’s Day to show your family how much you love them. Get the kids involved with making pancakes, cake, or even dinner. Try these hamburgers with salsa or bacon and cheese muffins.

After something sweeter? This apple cake is super easy and fast to put together with the kids. Use Valentine’s Day as a learning experience – explain the origins of St Valentine’s Day, and show them that it’s not all about romantic love, pink hearts and red flowers.

Valentine’s Day needn’t be about unnecessary spending of huge amounts of cash but you sure can use it to show your loved ones, whoever they may be, that they are.