The Best Valentine’s Day with Elsie Davis

Crabby Valentine’s Day. This is a tradition that began 15 years ago and we are gearing up for this year’s annual event. It began as a way for my husband and I to do something special together for Valentine’s Day. We were tired of the overcrowded, overly expensive, and overly loud restaurants, so we decided to go all out and eat fancy at home. The idea for Crabby Valentine’s Day was born. Alaskan King crab is super expensive, and we treat ourselves once a year. Candle light dinner. Amazing red wine. You get the picture. And all at a fraction of the price restaurants would charge. No noise beyond beautiful piano jazz music softly playing in the background, and lively conversation between family and friends. We have a beautiful ambience with the countryside out our backdoor and hopefully a lovely sunset. No one has to be a designated driver. And best of all, crab is easy to cook…simply drop it in a pot of steaming water. We serve it with a baked potato and broccoli, so again, nothing difficult to cook or clean up.

We made it a couples only event and have hosted up to 3 other couples. I purchase a huge box of Alaskan King Crab legs at Costco for the event. When folks arrive, they pick out the crab legs they want, they’re weighed, and marked to identify ownership using different colored rubber bands. Each person/couple pays for the King Crab legs they’ve chosen, and they bring a bottle of wine.

For decorations, I use basic Valentine’s Day hearts and sparkles, but the main one is the sign. It was originally a Happy Valentine’s Day sign that was converted into a “Crabby” Valentine’s Day sign with a few minor tweaks. We keep tabs of each event by filling in a heart with the year. It’s hard to believe this is our 16th year. We’ve had to make some adjustments to the rules in order to embrace life’s change, but togetherness is still the theme. And we still have the no-kids-allowed rule. It’s what keeps the unique dining experience centered on romance.

I love Crabby Valentine’s Day so much, I’m now writing a series based on our special holiday with a crabby twist.

Elsie Davis is a USA TODAY bestselling author. She discovered the world of Happily-Ever-After romance at the age of twelve and has been hooked ever since. She’s a Hallmark Channel movie fan, enjoys reading sweet romance, and loves creating her own fun stories, keeping them appropriate for all ages who love romance…pre-teen to grandparents. Elsie writes from her heart, hoping to share a little love in a big world. An award-winning author and active member of RWA, she writes contemporary romance and romantic suspense. She writes from her heart, hoping to share a little love in a big world. She will never forget the moment of exhilaration when she first got the email offering her a contract for publication. A moment that has repeated itself, and one that keeps her energized and moving forward.