I was very amused with the results of my Valentine’s Poll so far. I didn’t think I would get such a wide mix of responses when readers were asked what they REALLY wanted to get for Valentine’s Day, if anything. Somehow, I wasn’t surprised with a massage topping the wish list. One of the best material presents I have ever received is a portable, foldable professional massage table from Hammacher Schlemmer, it is wonderful. So I get the massage wish. The second most popular request was Marketman’s mangosteen jam. Hahaha. You are all such kind hearts. Flattery will get you everywhere, so more on the jam in the next post. Red roses came a relatively weak third, obviously a cliche, but really, I think it’s more that florists have really taken advantage of consumers and charge exhorbitant prices for flowers during Valentine’s Day… besides, I personally think in this day and age it might be more appropriate to give a living rose bush than cut flowers… but you can’t carry it so easily on a date… I’m glad chocolate ranked fourth, and I see many still wish for an equally outrageously priced Valentine’s night meal…
Actually, I am so aghast by restaurant pricing policies on February 14th, that for many years we (Mrs. MM and I) have refused to eat out. Instead, we have held several “Anti-Valentine’s” Valentine’s Dinners in our home over the years. Unfortunately, we don’t have one scheduled for this year. Essentially, we invite several couples or friends to dinner, usually 12 in all, and we do an over-the-top meal at home, avoiding the restaurants and eating better and more economically than if we got caught up in the commercial brouhaha. Often these meals have a RED theme, like lobster, shrimp, tomato soup, rare meat, etc. The dinners are well attended, and everyone heaves a collective sigh of relief that they don’t have to battle for a reservation or table at one of Manila’s chi-chi restaurants. If I am particularly industrious, I will also have lots of red roses in the house, and folks can take home what makes them happy… Maybe next time we do the dinner I will have masseuses and masseurs on standby as well!
At any rate, for this post, I had this bizarre idea that I would have the kid photograph a very edited portion on my arm/back with the top picks from the Valentine’s poll. Let’s just say it wasn’t a particularly pretty sight, so bag that idea! Hahaha. :) Instead, the top photo is a very tame version of what could have been… In the second photo, I assembled some of the poll favorites and if I had to give each and everyone of you the Valentine’s Grand Prize, you would receive a soothing Swedish massage, slathered with mangosteen jam (ewww, pretty gross), over a bed of red rose petals and when that was over, have a few ripe strawberries in between chunks of dark chocolate and sipping some champagne. You would then have a dinner cooked by your spouse and he or she would rush to do the laundry…while you inspect your silver heart bracelet and try and figure out if it is from Greenhills or the real magilla.
As for flowers, we do them in a big way. But I do them about 5-6 days before Valentine’s day. It is at about this time that I also have two sisters-in-law who celebrate their birthdays so I am being practical when I hie off to Dimasalang and bring home a Valentino-sized hoard of Valentine’s flowers. Here in the pails above are 22-24 DOZEN red roses, purchased wholesale. About 14 dozen roses were arranged simply but en masse in 2 glass vases, that were then wrapped up and placed in “delivery crates” so they didn’t spill before they got to the birthday celebrants. Then for the house, we made several arrangements ranging from 16 roses in a recycled box for The Kid, to about 20 roses floating in a glass vase. Long-stemmed roses were also placed in taller crystal vases…
I won’t divulge the cost of all these roses as 2/3 or them were given away as presents and the recipients may read this post, but I can proudly say that despite the incredible abundance of having 250+ blooms, I spent less than many folks will spend on Valentine’s Day for just a couple of dozen roses from a top florist!
Happy Valentine’s to all of Marketmanila’s readers, unless you are one of 47 who picked “I can’t stand Valentine’s, so I don’t want anything…” :) As for the mangosteen wish, stay tuned for the next post!
27 Responses
Happy Valentine’s Day MM, Mrs. MM and the Kid!
I almost voted for “I can’t stand V-day” because I really don’t celebrate it at all! But I saw the option for mangosteen jam so I voted for that! Looking forward to your next post on the jam and all else that will follow!
Happy Valentine’s day to you and Mrs. MarketMan too, MM. This thing about the mangosteen wish is pretty exciting! Am gonna stay put and wait for it. :-) :-) :-)
I voted for Strawberries because I will be at La Trinidad tomorrow at 7am :)
May everyday be full of love for all.
Happy Valentine’s to you and family, MM! Love your bunch of red roses! Lucky recipients!
Sorry, I missed the Valentine’s poll. Given the next chance, I would have chosen a massage,sans the mangosteen jam. How do you know that Swedish massage is soothing? I’d rather have the jam on a nicely-toasted sourdough or newly-baked scones, thank you! And yes, champagne to go with it, would not be too bad either.
Happy Valentine’s Mr and Mrs MM and the Kid!
Ohh…how I wish I can get a a bunch of red roses too with a bar of chocolate…
happy hearts’ day, mr & mrs. Mm
Happy Valentines to you MM and the Mrs. The same goes for everyone…paint the town red!!!
HVD! How’s sweet of you….thanks for our V gifts. I envy you because of your massage table. Home service massages are only great if you have your own massage table. Oh and don’t be grossed out by the mangosteen jam – I’m sure slathering it all over after a brown sugar scrub and then wrapping the body in warm damp towels would equate it to another home spa service. You can call it Mangosteen body wrap and charge for the service hehehe :-)
i bet mrs mm voted for spouse’s home cooked meal, can’t wait to see what it is… happy v day to you both and to all the readers too!
Happy Valentine’s day to you and Mrs. MM! So, how are you celebrating this special day tonight?
BTW, how do you manage to keep the roses looking fresh while stored for 5 to 6 days, especially in Manila’s hot weather?
I am not really a rose person (I prefer gerbera, daisies, and tulips), but when a gazillion roses are arranged like that, wow, they do take one’s breath away. My favorite is the floating-in-water arrangement–dramatic yet calming too. Happy Valentine’s, MM and family!
I love how you go all out for valentines day MM, so romantic and elegant and at the same time it’s also cost effective! :) To my opinion, i find it more romantic dining at home prepared by your partner or what have you, rather than going out in a restaurant. Back then, during bf/gf period,I get so “kilig” whenever we go out in a fancy resto for special occasions, but now that we’re married and have a family, it’s more cozy and we feel more relax to stay home and enjoy a homecooked meal.
Happy Hearts Day to ALL!
When my hubby and I were still dating, we always went out for a romantic Valentines dinner. Reservations had to be made at least a month in advance to secure a table in a prized restaurant of choice. 12 years in married bliss later (and much older and wiser), we let the young and foolish ones brave the restaurant scene on the dreaded V day.
So tomorrow night, once again I flex my culinary skills and serve a 5 course meal, complete with linens, music and dripless candles.
Valentine’s Day is florists’ day in every part of the world. From what I learned from people in the flower industry they only have two days in a year where they are super super busy – Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day. And I would say the florists in our part of the globe they have three busy days – Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and All Saint’s Day. Some florists lease a refrigerated container to keep their floral stock and arrangements and hire moonlighter delivery guys on this occasion. Same thing with restaurants they make on this occasion too. Nice arrangements you have here!
i never really liked getting flowers for valentine’s day. it’s as if the person who gave it to you (usually a significant other), was only compelled to do so because of the occassion. i prefer that i be given one when there’s no occassion.
then again, when i got a dozen gerberas and half a dozen star gazers this morning from my bf who’s back home in the philippines, i couldn’t help but change my mind.
HVD everyone! i wish one day, i’ll get invited to that “anti-valentine” valentine’s day dinner. i’ve been reading this blog for a long time and i know how generous MM could be when it comes to “spoiling’ his guests :)
Hi MM, with all the blooms you have, ever thought of making something edible?
I found out about candied rose petals recently but im having second thoughts to try make them due to pesticides.
Happy Valentine’s Day everyone! I am married to an extraordinary wonderful human being for nearly 19 years…wonderful man that he is, he has given me roses twice…His reason? I have been making these chocolate long stemmed roses for nearly 2 decades made out of chocolate plastique!… Each petal is hand formed and looks like porcelain roses when finished. So he says, if he buys them for me, they don’t even come close to the roses I make…hehehe! He is a workaholic and a blackberry-holic!! So Valentine’s Day for us is a quiet dinner at home prepared by moi…(which I think my friends-mentors would be proud of!!!
happy valentine’s day to you MM and to your family! happy heart’s day to all the regular visitors of this site. thank you MM for a very wonderful post, i really needed something to perk me up today and it sure made me happier reading this site. thanks to you again MM, you are such a blessing.
MM,
Where are the huge, red, sweet and luscious strawberries in the photos? Obvious ba what I voted for? Have a nice day!
MF
MarketFan, there is one in the champagne… :) I saw some at the grocery, enormous Driscolls with stem for dipping in chocolate but they were PHP895 for 12 pieces, or about $23 or $2 a piece… outrageous! :)
I like the simple arrangement in the last photo. And looking forward to Sunday night when the prices at Dampa flower market will be back to normal. I plan to buy lots of roses (in all the colors!).
I remember last year I told my hubby not to give me roses for valentine’s day, because of the exorbitant price. so what he did was give me a rose plant. I love it and it’s still alive and flowering this year.
Every year I do the same thing: Buy the largest box of chocolates from The Peninsula. My boys love it.
HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY MR.MM :-)
HAPPY VALENTINE’S EVERYONE!
those roses in the glass container with water is such a good idea!