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I love event planning; it was one of my favorite things about being in the restaurant business.
				Valentine&rsquo;s Day is a mini-event that should be well-planned. We can&rsquo;t always count on our significant others to do the planning, so we may need to take charge and nudge them along. There are plenty of things you can do safely to make this Valentine&rsquo;s Day one to remember.
				The 14th falls on a Sunday this year, which offers opportunities for celebrating throughout the day. While you might shy away from fighting for reservations at your favorite restaurant, there are plenty of other options to surprise your valentine, including my recipe for a delicious peppercorn filet with cream sauce, which you will find at the end of the column. I&rsquo;ll celebrate with a couple of the ideas below and I hope you find some inspiration in my suggestions as well.
				&#8226; Enjoy a Valentine&rsquo;s Day brunch. You don&rsquo;t need to wait for dinner to celebrate. Serving breakfast in bed or a delicious brunch is a great way to start the day. From heart-shaped pancakes to classic Eggs Benedict, everyone loves brunch. It&rsquo;s also a great way to include your kids if you&rsquo;re having a family Valentine&rsquo;s Day.
				&#8226; Head out for a day of outdoor fun. If the weather is mild, and your valentine is an outdoor enthusiast, plan an open-air activity you both enjoy. Find an ice skating rink, plan a day on the slopes, hike to a scenic overlook to take in the view, or bike around a favorite park. Finish the day watching the sunset or warming up by a bonfire. If the night is clear, download a stargazing app, such as SkyView or Stellarium, find a dark spot, and enjoy the beauty above. Imagine how impressed your valentine will be!
				&#8226; Plan a surprise tour of meaningful places and other favorite locations. Think of the place you first met, setting of your first date, the site where you proposed, possibly a park you both love, etc. Those locations meaningful to you as a couple within driving distance. Pack a lunch or stop for a bite along the way.
				&#8226; Bring a movie/picnic in the park theme to your living room. Cozy up in front of your fireplace or TV for a movie and picnic-style lunch, complete with heart-shaped cookies. This can be an inexpensive afternoon of Valentine&rsquo;s fun for couples or families alike.
				&#8226; Set the table for a romantic dinner for two. Pour a couple of glasses of wine or beer, turn on some music, and cook a meal together. It can be fun, engaging, and very romantic. With Valentine&rsquo;s Day falling on a weekend night, you&rsquo;ll have plenty of time to cook together. Even if your valentine is not as skilled as you in the kitchen, they can help chop vegetables, prepare a salad, or measure ingredients. Teaching them will be part of the fun. Set the table with your fanciest dinnerware and don&rsquo;t forget the flowers. Cap it off with a living room dance party for two. This might become a Valentine&rsquo;s tradition.
				&#8226; Transport yourself to a wish-list vacation destination without leaving home. If France has been on your travel wish list, transform your dining room into a Paris Caf&#233;. Think champagne, baked Brie with crusty French bread, Beef Bourguignon, and classic French dessert crepes. Decorate your table with pink and white flowers, hints of gold, and plenty of candles. Don&rsquo;t forget the mini Eiffel Tower replica and music to complete the mood. You can do this with any destination: Italy, Greece, or a tropical island.
				&#8226; Order takeout from one of our fabulous area restaurants. If you can&rsquo;t score a reservation for a romantic dinner, and cooking isn&rsquo;t your thing, order takeout. Many area restaurants will be open on one of the busiest dine out nights of the year, so takeout is a perfect option. Plan and order well in advance. Need some ideas? Here are some of my date night favorites: Johnathan&rsquo;s Restaurant for the best Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes in the area, Cork Bar & Restaurant for Red Chili Garlic Shrimp, Pazzo for Chicken Cinzano and Rigatoni alla Buttera, Grico&rsquo;s for Pepper Crusted Filet with Pepe sauce and Rikasa for the French Cut Prime Pork Chop with Apple Cider Pan Sauce. You can&rsquo;t go wrong with any of these options.
				&#8226; Livestream a Valentine&rsquo;s concert. If you Google Valentine&rsquo;s concert livestreams, you will find several options, including Josh Groban&rsquo;s Valentine&rsquo;s Day livestream concert. There are costs involved, but it would be a thoughtful and welcome gift if your valentine is a fan.
				&#8226; Make a bucket list together. Surprise your valentine with a bucket-list planning session. Sit down with your laptop, some travel brochures, and a journal to formulate a couple&rsquo;s bucket list together. Fill your list with places you&rsquo;d love to travel, things you&rsquo;d like to experience or achieve, personal development and career goals, and other bucket-list adventures. It&rsquo;s a great way to plan for and look forward to a beautiful future together.
				&#8226; Write an old-fashioned love letter. In this world of texting, when was the last time you wrote a love letter? Try it instead of a card this year. Craft the words from your heart. What made you fall in love with your valentine? Make a list of everything you appreciate and love about them, and be sure to include some special memories. This will mean so much more than flowers or candy.
				I hope the ideas above help you with planning a special day. If you decide you&rsquo;re cooking at home, try my peppercorn filet recipe. It&rsquo;s delicious and a favorite for special occasions. Whatever you decide to do for Valentine&rsquo;s Day, have a wonderful day with the one you love.
				Peppercorn Filet with Brandy Wine Cream Sauce
				2 beef filets (8 oz each)
				1 Tbsp butter softened
				1 Tbsp butter cold
				2 Tbsp green peppercorns rinsed and drained
				1 tsp Dijon mustard
				2 Tbsp brandy or cognac
				1 shallot, diced
				&#189; cup whipping cream
				&#188; cup white wine
				Salt & black pepper
				Sprinkle filets with salt & black pepper. In a bowl, crush 1 &#189; Tbsp green peppercorns and mix with Dijon mustard and 1 Tbsp softened butter. Spread the mixture onto both sides of filets. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
				In a cast-iron pan or another frying pan, heat remaining Tbsp of butter. Add filets and cook over medium-high heat until well-browned on both sides; this will only take a few minutes on each side. If you like them a done a bit more, you may want to leave them in the pan a bit longer. Remove the pan from the heat, pour the brandy over the filets and ignite. Be very careful with this, because you will have flames. Only do this if you&rsquo;re experienced with flaming in a pan. Baste the meat with juices until the flames are out and remove filets from pan. If you prefer not to flame, just remove the filets and pour the brandy into the pan and simmer until it has reduced.
				To the same pan, add chopped shallots, cream and wine. Bring to a boil, scraping pan drippings into sauce, and continue stirring. Boil, continuing to stir until sauce is reduced and thickened. I like my filet done a bit more, so I return them to the pan during this process to cook in the sauce a bit longer. If you like yours on the rare side, don&rsquo;t return them to the pan.
				Remove the filet to serving plates and top with sauce. Sprinkle reserved peppercorns over the sauce. Serve with your favorite sides.
				***
				Ruth Corcoran is a professional marketer, former restaurant owner, and community advocate. She resides in Bear Creek. Readers can reach Ruth by emailing ruth@corcoranpr.com.

Life at Full Throttle: Plan a Valentine’s Day to remember