Galentine's, Valentine's & everything in between

Many people loathe Valentine's day, and I can sort of understand why. If you're single, you are forced to see endless posts of happy couples on the internet, and you can't go out without being inundated with romantic couples at dinner or in bars. It's a nightmare! But fear not, you beautiful singletons and skeptical non-singletons alike! This is where Galentine's comes in to save the day! Galentine's day is a term coined by Leslie from Parks & Recreation, and is celebrated by girls and their friends on the 13th February.

The true meaning of love

Last year, on my year abroad in France, my friends and I celebrated Galentine's on Valentine's day (due to our men being dotted around the world) in true style - we went to watch a strip show. It was suitably awkward and hilarious at the same time due to the fact the strippers were of a reasonably large size and extremely un-sexy. So obviously this year had to compete.

Last year's Galentine's "treat."

On Friday afternoon the residents of 46 Finchley Road met at Revolucion de Cuba for some happy hour cocktail happiness. It was absolutely rammed, but the atmosphere was great. There was a live band playing, and they were absolutely incredible! Revs de Cuba isn't usually the cheapest place to go out, which is why happy hour is the best time to go. I got two cocktails for £7.50 which is quite a bargain! The best part about Revs de Cuba are the fun cups the drinks come in, some of which have managed to find themselves in our cupboard (oops). Sadly one of my drinks wasn't the tastiest I've ever had, but for such a bargain I didn't complain too much and downed it to move onto my mojito, which was made to perfection.

Yumyumyumyum.

Will you be my Galentine?

Sadly the party had to end as I was going out to a different type of party that night and we were all getting a little bit peckish. While I was getting ready to go out the girls ordered chinese, which I managed to sneakily steal some bites of (absolutely delicious!) and then it was time to go! I went out with my other Galentines, some of the girls from French. It was absolutely wonderful! Pretty much everyone I know at uni was there; the music was good, and the company was even better! Being sensible(ish) I decided not to drink a huge amount so that I could be on top form for the big VDay itself, as I had promised to cook a delicious dinner for my Valentine. However, when we party, we party hard, and we somehow managed to stay up till 8am before grabbing a hash brown from Macdonalds and crashing into bed. 

After waking up fresh faced and ready to face the day at 2, I lazed with the boys a little before rushing home at 5:30 to get everything ready for the evening. I don't understand how people manage to cook 3 course meals and not get flustered! All I had to do was cook a main course and a cake and it took me nearly 3 hours! First I told Robin to come at 7:30, then 8, then 8:15 and then 8:30. By some VDay miracle it was all ready when he arrived. I (stupidly) didn't take a picture of the finished meal, so I'll just have to described it. I cooked chicken breast stuffed with boursin cheese and wrapped in parma ham served with roasted peppers and asparagus and roast potatoes cut into heart shapes (I can be cute when I try). It was absolutely delicious! I was extremely proud of myself, and will definitely be making it again!

The pudding, if I say so myself, was sensational. I baked a white chocolate cake smothered in butter icing decorated with little jelly hearts. It's already pretty much all gone...

Valentine's day is treat day...

I received a beautiful and incredibly well thought hand-made card which has been pinned on my pin-board above my desk so I can cheer up whenever I'm struck with uni work-load blues. We finished Valentine's day by watching "Adaptation" with Nicolas Cage in. It's a good film, but bloody weird, and the ending was very unexpected! Perhaps a romance or comedy would have been better, but it was enjoyable none the less! I love a relaxed evening, and this one was perfect.

I hope you all have a wonderful Galentine's and/or Valentine's!

M x

Cake recipe:

175g butter

175g caster sugar

3 eggs

100ml semi-skimmed milk

200g self raising flour

200g white chocolate

1 tea spoon vanilla extract

Butter

Icing sugar

Decorations of choice

Heat the oven to 180 degrees (gas mark 4)

Whisk the butter and sugar together until soft. Add in each ingredient in order and whisk until smooth.

Melt the chocolate until completely melted (no lumps!) and stir into the cake mix, then stir in the vanilla extract. Pour into two cake tins and pop into the oven.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, leave for a for a few minutes to cool in the cake tins then take them out and leave them to cool on a rack.

Once the cake is cool start making the butter icing. I'd never made it before so my housemates showed me how to do it and this is what I understood...

Plop a lump of soft, room temperature butter in a mixing bowl and add in a fair bit of icing sugar, smush them together with a fork until soft and whippy. Continue to do this till you have the quantity you need. Keep tasting it to see if you need to add more sugar (who likes butter flavour icing?!) and then add a teeny tiny drop of vanilla extract if you want to add a little extra flavour. Smooth it in the middle of the cake and all over the top and sides then decorate with whatever delicious goodies you choose!