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I'll continue to have two ladies to take care of for a few more years until my daughter finds some guy who'll treat her right. At age 14, Briahna is now almost 6 foot tall but as Parks & Rec doesn't place an upper age limit on the Daddy-
Daughter Dance we'll do that on February 7, our seventh annual dance. (Pics from two years ago are here.) Dinner for Bri and I is now always at the Frog Leg Inn not only because the service and food are great but as the staff also knows her she gets special treatment. (Our first two of these dinners in '03 and '04 were elsewhere as I hadn't yet learned about the Inn.) And she always orders two virgin Strawberry Daquiris, the Deep Fried Alligator and Coconut Shrimp appetizers, and the Grilled Shrimp with Steak entree.

On the 14th Mary and I will either eat at the Frog Leg Inn ourselves or I'll cook something for her. If I'm cooking I normally don't figure out what that'll be until after my date with Briahna as the staff at the Inn usually have good suggestions. Someone had given us a gift Mastercard for our wedding almost 5 years ago and that's how we had our first dinner at the Inn. As we're now close friends with them and I run the Inn's web site, it's our go-to place for most special occasions anyway and they certainly treat us right.

My boyfriend and I decided a couple weeks ago (at my prompting) that we should stay in and cook dinner together instead of going out this year (last year dinner was insanely expensive - we could have bought groceries for multiple nice dinners for what that one dinner was). Now he has decided he wants to cook it all, including dessert!!! Which is nice and all... but what do I do? I wanted to cook too!

I'm fully into not going out on v-day. It was fun to go out last year, because it was my first v-day with a boyfriend, but it's just too expensive, menus tend to be price fixed and not that good, and it's overrated. As honeybumper said, it's about being together!

My man will be in Alberta while I will be back here in Ontario on Valentine's Day so most likely I will have dinner for which ever kids are around at home. Generally I too like to stay in and have Valentine's dinner as I find they crowd restaurants too much - and the prices seem to magically inflate (grin). I'm thinking of doing a traditional turkey dinner this year - I'm in the mood for it!

I actually had a great Valentine's dinner out, once, with a (mixed gender) group of friends--all of us were single! It was fun, and a no-pressure, no-expectation type of thing. We had much more fun than most of the couples, from what I could see!

This year, I am going out on the 15th to see a show at BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music) and dinner afterwards, again with good friends to celebrate singlehood. So I would say, yeah, way to going out on the 14th if you're single, and no way if you're not!

I'll second therealchiffonade and add the additional fact that many restaurants substantially increase prices. No I'm not cheap I just won't pay double for what we could have at regular prices on the 13th or the 15th.

@Perky you are forgetting the most important Valentine you could ever have, YOURSELF! treat your self to a good piece of chocolate and a glass of wine and celebrate the only person in your life who never leaves you and who you never have to guess what's going through their mind, love yourself girl, you know we do and we've got exceptional taste!

We will go out, but either the day before or day after V-Day to avoid the madness. On V-Day whatever we are in the mood for, leftovers if we celebrate the day before V-day, maybe I will make some everyday thing at the house, go to unromantic joints the V-day diehearts will avoid, carry-out or delivery.

@LPC ~ that is the sweetest thing ever! A Daddy - Daughter PROM! She must have felt so special. And you both looked amazing! What memories for you both.

@huney ~ thanks, I needed that. ;-)

@bareneed ~ I won't repeat myself, but I had the Valentine's Day to beat all Valentine's Days and that memory is beautiful. It can't be recreated - hence, the tears. On the other hand, if you are craving something salty, I have plenty to spare and could ship them by the quart?

We will probably stay in, this will be the first time we've actually been able to spend V day together. It'll either be me making his favorite chicken fried steak, mashed taters, and the works or something more my style like steak and lobster, etc.

DH just shocked me by asking me to make reservations - he is usually violently anti-Valentine's Day. On the plus side, I don't think it's a big thing over here so hopefully the food won't suffer :-)

@Perky - I'll be sending you a long-distance hug on the 14th! I know what it feels like to be away from family on holidays....

@perky if you lived in Seattle we would take you to pre/post V-Day and then on the day have you meet (not a blind date or set up situation mind you) type whatever we all want to do "gathering".

Hillary: LOVE me some salmon.

Dearrie: oh, my, is it hot in here?

Traveller: Often alone is nice. Try the movie "Doubt." Outstanding acting.

Perky: Treasure that memory. Tis better to have loved and lost....

Megannesta: I couldn't agree more. It's worth the dishes in the sink to stay home on this night.

Great responses and pics! Thanks!

@Bareneed, her gown this year is Oscar-worthy! Stop in sometime and have turtle soup at the infamous Chateau Louise. The gang takes great care of people! Ask for the Mayor of our town, and someone there will call her. She happens to be my wife.

@Perky, never forget you have friends who care.

@-perky- That would be great if you came out. We would show you around Seattle all the great stomping grounds. We could have a dinner party in your honor. Most in important we will introduce you to Patrick T. It might make you crazy because there would be 3 Pat's at the house. I am Patricia R, my BF is Patrick M, and then the friend Patrick T lol. The airfare is really inexpensive right now. Patrick T loves to cook and is a foodie as well, very nice guy, BF has known him for 35 years.

@luna that is a lovely pic of your daughter. Man she is almost 6 foot tall at 14 yrs, is she doing any modeling? That restaurant the Frog Leg Inn looks like alot of fun, wish they had something like that here. Also the alligator with the dipping sauce, I bought some alligator and want to grill it because I don't have a deep fryer, do you have a recipe for that dipping sauce they use for that alligator at that Inn, or do you think that with grilling alligator a lighter sauce might be better, I don't know, this is the first time I will prepare and eat alligator.

@chew on that- I hate salmon except smoked, kippered, or cakes. But when I saw your salmon on your sight I changed my mind, you have the recipe for that on the site? Are you planning on making the salmon again this V-Day?

My husband and I started the tradition of eating in for valentine's day to avoid the crowds. Last year I made creamy polenta with mushrooms and tomato sauce, some acron sqaush on the side and then for desert creme brulee.

@ag ~ are you aware that the acronym for Singles Awareness Day is SAD? Damn. We need to cheer that up.

How about Swingles In Nighties Day? SING. Or Singles Will Induce Nirvana Day? SWING. Those are off the top of my pounding head and it's very late. Perhaps some others will help us aloners with a happier acronym? Let those creative juices flow!

@perky-AHHHHHHH HAAAAAAAAA Pat T is a bit younger then you ROTFL, but the boy will love ya baby. He works at Boeing as an Engineer building that massive plane they said was supposed to be ready, what 3 yrs ago? He is a teddy bear and plays a mean guitar, loves to cook and eat as well.

We drive up to point reyes and gorge ourselves on oysters rather than fighting for reservations and getting gouged. Far better -- and more special -- than a restaurant.

Dinner is something light at home once we get back from the day's oyster tours. mmmmmm, can't wait!

my bf and i always cook together for important holidays. our first vday together, we both showed up with food we were going to make, both intending on surprising each other by cooking. so adorable you could throw up, right?
i cant really imagine going to olive garden or something, being surrounded by tons of other couples all trying to have a romantic evening... romantic evening are best spent in private ;)
i dont even want to start thinking about what we'll make... maybe shrimp... eh foods not the important part of the day ;)

We have decided to recreate the meal we cooked on our first Valentine's Day (for dinner - for lunch, he met my parents!). We've gone out the last few years, but I'm never totally happy with the meals we get on that night (limited menus, making you order dessert when you order dinner which I absolutely hate, etc.).