A huge thank you to MELT Massage for Couples for sponsoring this post!
It was actually my 14-year old son’s idea.
“Mom, you know what we need to do sometime soon? We need to put together a full fried chicken dinner. We need to serve it in different ‘courses’ like with salad and rolls first, then the chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy and all that stuff, then a dessert.”
Wow. He’d been thinking about this, apparently. That and he was obviously hungry for fried chicken. (We roll chicken legs in whole wheat flour and sea salt then fry it on all sides in an electric skillet in palm shortening for about 45 minutes . It is so good.)
We decided that this was a perfect Valentine’s Day meal plan for our family. I told him we’d need to all work together to make it happen and that we could go all out to put together all the courses. Again, let me just say that I am amazed my 14-year old even came up with this.
Balancing Family Time and Couple Time on Valentine’s Day
There was a V-day a few years ago that I planned nothing and did nothing for our sons. Why? Because I assumed they were too old and too boy to care. Would you believe – that afternoon when they all realized that it was Feb. 14 they were all like, “Mom!! You didn’t make heart pancakes this morning! Where was the special red and pink lunch? Aren’t we doing anything for Valentine’s Day this year???”
How silly was I to assume they were beyond caring about my yearly attempt at lopsided heart-shaped pancakes?? My bad.
Ever since that year, I’ve made a few festive foods to make the day special for the boys. I love that they actually care. I love that this year we’re doing a little something different with our Fried Chicken Dinner and that we’ll all be working together to make it special for each other.
So what about making Valentine’s Day special for just Matt and me?
If you’ve read here long, you know that Matt and I don’t buy each other stuff on Feb. 14 and we rarely go out together to celebrate Valentine’s Day. It’s never been our thing. Typically Matt cooks a spaghetti dinner for us without any help from me. I love this. He loves this. It’s been good for our boys to see Dad doing something sweet and special for Mom – even with all six of us sitting around the table.
But later…
It’s fun to plan one-on-one couple time – and believe me when I say that now that our kids are older and busier and stay up later – Matt and I have to be intentional about finding and creating alone couple time.
Through the years, Matt has become my personal master masseuse. I am so spoiled by this. My shoulders would frequently be in knots if it weren’t for him taking the time to give me thorough massages. Me? I’m not as skilled as he, plus I am not even close to as strong physically. But I still give it my best shot. We both know that Valentine’s Day massages await us after our family Valentine time. (Fried chicken and massages. Does life get any better?)
The Gift That Keeps On Giving
Remember when I shared about the MELT video series a few months ago? This is how we have been learning to give the massage of all massages. Matt and I really appreciate that these videos are so tastefully done. We’re learning massage skills and techniques without feeling weird. We continue to access the videos from time to time to learn more or to remind ourselves of what we previously learned. It’s a gift that keeps on giving and will keep on giving because massages? Yes please forever and always. (Fried chicken dinners are also welcome.)
For You and Your Spouse
It’s fun to hear about different couples’ Valentine’s day celebrations and traditions. Some love going out – some love staying in. Either way, ending the night (any night of the year!) with massages is a win for everyone.
If you’re interested in giving your spouse a gift that will last way beyond one romantic dinner or box of chocolates…oh my goodness MELT is where it’s at. I wanted to let you know that the Melt Video Series (which is usually $147) is being offered to Heavenly Homemaker’s readers for just $89 now through February 14. It’s a sweet deal and the final time MELT will be bundled at this price. Think your spouse would love this gift? Definitely check it out!
So in summary, we’ll be having a fantastic Valentine’s Day which includes none other than fried chicken and ultimate massages, with a few ugly heart pancakes thrown in for good measure. Staying in to enjoy special plans is my very favorite way to celebrate a holiday.
How about you?
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Learn more about the MELT Couple’s Massage sale here. Best date night ever!
Christine says
Laura, will you please post red and pink meal ideas?
Laura says
Laura, I was thinking the same thing as Christine. Red and Pink Meal ideas would be great. Especially make ahead freezer meals.
Jennifer Pierce says
My kids are allergic to red dye, so they are not happy with Valentine’s and all the dye! Your red ideas would be a treat!
We had a summertime dinner last week in the middle of winter. Fried chicken with strawberry shortcake for dessert. Flip flops and summer dress was encouraged. It is fun to make some dinners special.
Nathana Clay says
I just posted my recipe for healthy, heart-shaped pancakes! Mitch helped save the day on making them into hearts. The recipe idea came as an attempt to help Rebekah get more iron. So the pancakes are made using oat flour, aka baby oatmeal. ;) It is our first Valentine’s Day as family. We are debating about whether or not to get a baby sitter. We may just pack her up in the stroller (if the weather is nice) and go to a nearby downtown (there are some great downtowns with fun stores) and walk around, maybe get ice cream or coffee, and admire some cute local shops. :)
Melissa says
Hello! Just wanted to know whether you really fry the chicken for 45 minutes?!!
Laura says
Yes, when it’s bone-in I find that it takes 45 minutes to cook it thoroughly. :)