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Instructions
Things you will need:
- A hectic weekly schedule
- Friends constantly staying at your house
- Too much pressure
- Coconut milk, yellow curry paste, red & orange bell peppers, leek and chicken
- Chai tea
- A good book to read
Step1
First, when your girlfriend says that her friend is coming in from out of town in order to participate in a protest/riot, don't panic. When you find out that she'll be coming over the day before Valentine's Day, thus throwing a wrench in your plan to whip up a last minute Valentine's Day plan, still remain calm.
Step2
Dedicate your evening to cooking them a delicious dinner. Here's a dead-easy and absolutely divine meal:
Fry a large leek in a wok or large pan. Add diced chicken (1-2 chicken breasts is a good amount), stirring frequently.
Once the chicken has had a chance to whiten on its edges (a minute or two), add the coconut milk (1-2 cans).
Add some yellow curry paste (a couple teaspoons, perhaps) and then the diced bell peppers.
Let simmer for around 10-20 minutes.
I also cooked up tamarind-coated roast potatoes, but in retrospect that was sort of overkill. We had way too much food.
Step3
Realize at the end of the evening, as you put the leftovers away, that you totally forgot to plan a single thing for Valentine's Day. Decide that the leftovers are your Valentine's Day plan.
Step4
Sleep in the next morning. Get out of bed with your girlfriend well past noon. Put on some tea, and lay around on the couch and talk about your far-off dream of moving to Dominica.
Step5
Eat leftover curry & rice, drink tea, read books, and cozy up under an old blanket on the couch. We have a blanket that feels like one of those old grandpa sweaters, except big enough to about six people to crawl under. I highly recommend such a blanket if you have one.
Step6
Leave the house to get dinner at the falafel place down the road. Absolutely don't go somewhere fancy on Valentine's Day, when stressed-out young couples are working hard to put on their fake personas. Go somewhere friendly and cheap and delicious. Eat a donair. Have a tamarind juice. Laugh at the gaudy decor.
Step7
At the end of the day (and throughout, of course), let your girlfriend know that you are absolutely in love with her, and that you couldn't ask for a more serene day. This will be the truth, and she'll be able to hear that in your voice.
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Tips & Warnings
- You can be in love without being in stress.
- Notice how I spent my energy entertaining for her friend when she was in town, rather than focusing on some arbitrary holiday and the arbitrary expectations around it? Also a highly recommended move.
- Seriously, the coconut curry is a standby in this house, and should be in yours too. So delicious, so easy, such good leftovers.
- If you are dating someone who really wants the whole chocolates & flowers thing, then insert chocolates & flowers in between the steps above! The point is: cater to what you both really want to be doing with your Valentine's Day, and do what'll make you both peaceful and happy.
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