TDKP: Our Ultimate Proactive Post Valentines Date
February 15, 2020
We always tend to celebrate Valentine’s day on our own terms on a different date or in the comfort of our own home, not only is it more cost efficient (gotta save them coins) it’s much more personal and intimate. This is because we hate the valentine’s rush, where every restaurant is fully booked, traffic is intense because it’s “sweldo weekend”, and the overcrowdednes just ruins the romantic vibes. Plus our schedules don't usually match up.
For this year, I left the planning to Jeff, for a change, but the controlling side of me is like “oh oh I want to plan tooo” so I helped, by making a day plan, where we’d spent an entire day doing couple-y activities that we’d both enjoy.
Trust me it was not an easy feat, Jeff and I are very different people, where I’m very extra and uptight while he’s very simple and laid back. My idea of fun is exercising, jogging, and learning skills, his idea of fun is lying in bed, watching netflix series, and eating. So, I had to find a way to merge both in one ultra mega date.
We kicked things off with a Jogging date, as you all have known by now, we’re trying to live a healthier life so what better way to start our Post Valentines Date than with a non romantic, very sweaty, and extremely tiring jog around the neighbourhood
Gotta love our matching Adidas Drifit Shirts
We ran for almost a cumulative total of 2hrs and 5km
Our first stop was Chachago, cuz we’re obsessed, It’s our cheat day so might as well treat ourselves to taiwanese milk tea and some curly fries (The best type of fries, fite me)
Jeff had their Cookies and Cream and I had the Coffee Diamond w/ Jelly which I’m now obsessed with. We basically spent the entire noon planning our lives LOL.
There was a funny incident where they didn't have a dipping sauce for the curly fries, I didn't know if that's how it is or if they just ran out, anyway I didn't need it, but Jeff did, so when he asked the manager, the manager gave us his unused packet of ketchup from Mcdo that came with his lunch earlier that day, kudos to them for providing what the customer needs.
Chachago Regalado
Pacific Park Residences, Regalado Ave, Quezon City
Hours - 11am -11pm
0916 712 6521
Our second stop from jogging is this place right beside Chachago, the Style Avenue: Fashion Cafe, It’s one of those boutiques that consigns products from online shops, anyway they have this huge selection of overrun shoes and shirts. I always go here during my jogging sessions cuz their products are awesome
Look at us touching stuff we didn't buy
We were suppose to simply be there to WINDOW SHOP, but we ended up getting new kicks as valentine’s gift for each other.
Left - From Jeff to Me, Right - From Me to Jeff
Style Avenue: Fashion Cafe
Pacific Park Residences, Regalado Ave, Quezon City
Hours - 10am -7:30pm
0955 733 5465
We were still jogging at this point, we just had various of stop overs after two lapses in the neighbourhood thus the athletic wear, anyway for our third stop we went to the Good Shepherd church to give our thanks and set our intentions somehow
Personally I am agnostic, but Jeff is very much religious so I go with him as the supportive boyfriend that I am, ahohoho, also I was born catholic so this is all I know.
Our last stop was at the grocery store, to buy ingredients for our formal post valentine’s dinner. I taught Jeff where to get the best discounts and a little tips and tricks about grocery shopping, for example, If you only need a certain amount of sausages, instead of buying the expensive whole pack, the grocery has this Deli section that sells sausages for 10-12php a piece.
He wanted to prepare spaghetti for our dinner but since I’m now extremely health conscious, we made substitutions,For all the health nut out there listen up, there is such a thing as LEAN GROUND CHICKEN, which is high in protein and low in calories, also there are pasta alternatives that are way less in calories and more healthier, but Jeff didn’t want that so we got the regular one instead (compromise folks)
Upon returning home we had a little rest time, then we went in to cook.
Context, I’ve always been the homemaker in the relationship (not the woman, get your life, stop equating homemaking with being a woman, and stop thinking that in a same-sex relationship there’s a man and a woman, it’s 2020 people, we’re both men who likes ****) Like I love to cook, do carpentry, re-arrange and organize the home. FOR 6 YEARS I’VE BEEN ASKING JEFF TO COOK FOR ME, cuz I just want my significant other to cook for me, you know a little role reversal if you will.
The First Time Chef, Peeling Onions for 30mins
IT’S JEFF’S FIRST TIME TO COOK AN ENTIRE MEAL BY HIMSELF, he was taught by his sister, Ate Jen. So he was excited to show off a little bit. hahaha.
My side of the station
I on the other hand was preparing my fail proof baked bangus with bechamel sauce (bechamel sauce is not entirely a substitute to tartar sauce since each have a very distinct taste but both are great with fish, but bechamel has WAY less calories compared to tartar sauce)
Along the way I had to coach Jeff a little bit, show him some techniques that I’ve learned over my 20 years of cooking experience, and teach him some alternatives to make the food less “sinful” if you may.
And of course the main event, OR IS IT? *wink* we finally get to sit down, enjoy each other’s company in a romantic formal dinner set up, I of course brought out our finest china (which you’ve probably seen countless of times in this blog since we only have 2 fine china sets)
And of course the moment I’ve been waiting for for 6 years, the taste of Jeff’s cooking (that’s not Lucky Me Pancit Canton) NO BS, it was good, I loved it, I love it so much that I literally broke my cheat day diet ceiling and had, not seconds, but thirds.
Jeff's First Masterpiece
We spent the entire night recalling our childhood, as well as our early teen years, we event got to discussing what’s wrong with Philippine local TV stations, over a bottle of wine and gorgeously textured and flavored pastries from this indie pastry shop called Cuisson. (I’ll leave details below)
I just find it amazing that in our 6 years together (turning 7 this May) we are still able to find innovative (for us) ways to celebrate events and sort of keep the spark alive. Yes, we’ve done all of things at some point, but never at the same time, usually we’d only have one or the other. Plus Jeff’s finally cooked which is definitely something new.
If I’m being honest, there was a time when we thought that we finally reached the peak of the relationship or the romance, that everything from then on was sort of a downhill in the romance department, but then life amazes us with chances and opportunities to renew, and revive the fire that was already there we just sometimes fail to recognize that it exists. Life is beautiful in that sense, it constantly amazes me in ways I cannot even begin to explain.
We have this sort of tradition in the family to give something to each other for valentines so we did, and boy did we up our game, instead of the regular flowers, I DIYed some dessert bouquets for the entire fam with desserts we bought from Cuisson's (The huge red velvet krinkles), some smaller ones from my sister's friend and a lot of these grocery pastries.
Also here’s Cuisson’s Contact details as promised if you wanna try their delish pastries;
IG - @cuissonmnl
# - 09950351985
YOU CAN FOLLOW ME AND CONTACT ME AT MY SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS
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