Alert, alert! V-day fast approaching! This odd holiday seems to contrast the “holiday spirit” we indulged in just two months ago. Instead of being kind to all the strangers you meet, discrimination is encouraged. You’re supposed to make that special someone feel significant.
As more shares in Valentine’s Day have been claimed by for-profiteers, we’ve been increasingly urged to show affection via grand financial gestures. We’ve been told a guy gesturing to something in a glass case and swiping a plastic rectangle means he’s proven worthy of our love.
Without claiming any expertise, I can confidently assert that love is not simply hand-eye coordination with a PIN code thrown in.
What’s a more valuable gift to give on Valentine’s Day? It’s both simple and boundless: Give a gift that you can’t purchase. Give time. Effort. Contemplation. Experience. Want to show someone that they’re important to you? Clear your schedule for them, think about who they are and try to do something meaningful. (This is especially useful for us broke college kids who wouldn’t be able to afford a fine material good anyway.)
Have you picked up on what I’m laying down yet? That’s right, I’m suggesting you cook for them. What’s free and accessible amidst our summery, snow-piled campus? Trusty Sodexo.
As a senior who was vegetarian until last year and now keeps essentially a paleo diet, I’ve come to appreciate how malleable Sodexo’s offerings are. This list includes a couple easy “DIY To-Go with Sodexo” meals, which you can easily fix up for that special someone ;). Pick up the ingredients as listed and then all you need is access to a stove or microwave, and dishes to eat with. To bring the evening up to a simmer, add a towel or blanket to the mix, light some candles and host a bonafide indoor picnic!
Meal 1:
- Pasta from Mangia Mangia (I recommend penne)
- Get as many cherry tomatoes as you can
- Fill your to-go cup with grated yellow cheese
- Add red wine vinaigrette to your cheesy to-go cup
- Get thick-cut bread and butter packets from the bagel area
Heat cherry tomatoes until they are cooking all the way through. Leave a few spinach leaves out. Stir in everything else until the cheese is visibly melted. After serving, top with remaining spinach leaves for garnish. Serve with heated buttered bread.
Meal 2:
- Plain pizza from Mangia Mangia and separately get
- Raw veggies and pineapple from the salad bar
- Steamed veggies from Magellan’s
- Grilled chicken or sausage from the grill
- Sriracha or bbq sauce from the condiment area
Combine and bake in your dorm over at 325 for 5-10 minutes. :)
Meal 3: (inspired by an Elissa Hickey recipe)
- Ask Mangia Mangia to fill a condiment cup or two with pesto
- Fill your to-go box with spinach, kale, chickpeas and broccoli
- Fill your to-go cup with soft serve, a cookie or two, and a little bit of cereal. Be sure to stick this in a freezer before dinner is served!
You want to cut the broccoli into tiny pieces, and put it in first when you cook it. Then add chickpeas, then kale, then spinach, and finally pesto when everything is visibly cooked. (Sounds basic. Tastes AMAZING.) For dessert, mix and serve everything in your to-go cup.
I hope that these ideas have been useful, or at least nudged you to do something minimally monetary for someone this next week. Happy Love Day! Before I go, here are three things to remember:
1) Someone doesn’t have to be a love interest for you to make them feel special
2) Take a chance and talk to that cutie in your class
3) Wrap it before you tap it. ;)
Love,
Emmeline
**Images from**
http://www.vamshare.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/couple-on-park-bench.jpg
http://d3vsdfvkxh87qp.cloudfront.net/articles_images/n8/1449852597318/im…
http://yestoyolks.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/IMG_1367.jpg
http://www.foodinaminute.co.nz/var/fiam/storage/images/recipes/buck-s-ro…
http://www.tastespotting.com/features/wp-content/uploads/kale-chickpea-p…