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To do this week: Be your own Valentine

It's Valentine's Day. No matter what your relationship status, there’s a way to claim the holiday as your own.

Be yours this year.
Be yours this year.Read moreDAVID MAIALETTI / Staff Photographer
    by Staff Reports
    Published 

On the to-do list this week: It’s Valentine’s Day. No matter what your relationship status, there’s a way to claim the holiday as your own. If you’re in the mood for romance, there are ways to do it up, despite the pandemic. If you’re more in the make-your-own-brownies-then-eat-them-out-of-the-pan-with-your-hands mood, well, we’ve got you covered, too.

And remember: We’ve collected our best Philly tips all in one place here.

Stay healthy, stay safe, and, as much as possible, it’s still a good idea to stay home.

— thingstodo@inquirer.com

Know this

  1. ❄️ Who’s responsible for shoveling snow in Philly? Here are the rules. by Grace Dickinson

  2. 🛍️ What are some good Black-owned businesses to support for Black History Month?

  3. 🥶 How can I keep my pipes from freezing in cold weather? by Bethany Ao

» Ask us a question through Curious Philly: inquirer.com/askus

Do this

Here is one highlight from our weekly events calendar:

  1. 🚗 Movies at Exton Square (Movie / in-person / drive-in / kid-friendly) On weekends starting February 12, the parking lot at Exton Square Mall turns into an entertainment hub: guests can buy tickets online for drive-in screenings of films like Blockers (Feb 12 & 21), Christopher Nolan’s Tenet (Feb 12 & 19), A Star is Born (Feb 14 & 20), and more. Tickets are $50 per car for close-up rows and $32 per car for farther-away spots. Popcorn, candy, soda and more snacks are available for purchase at the drive-in. ($32-$50, Opens Feb. 12, parkinglottheaters.com, map, add to calendar)

🔎 Find more of this week’s safe events, and we even have a kid-friendly events calendar, too.

Make it a date

Here’s everything you need for V-day, no matter how down with love you are:

  1. If you want to find a fun activity. There’s actually a lot to do (that’s all pretty safe). There’s a Mural Arts tour, a selfie mural, a comedy workshop, and more. We’ve got a special Valentine’s Day calendar with all of it.

  2. If you want to dine like it’s a normal Feb. 14. We have a lot of options for you. There are specials you can order in, a few places worth booking a reservation for, and cooking classes if you want to make something special at home. We’ve got your most delicious bets here.

  3. Celebrate Galentine’s Day instead. What’s Galentine’s Day? “It’s only the best day of the year,” says Parks and Recreation shero Leslie Knope. The show gave us many things, but this annual celebration of female friendships, held annually on Feb. 13, may be our fave. We recommend sending chocolates to the important women in your life, from one of these excellent Philly chocolate shops.

  4. If you hate Valentine’s Day. We get it. Commiserate at the anti-romance story slam from First Person Arts, where people tell stories about their terrible exes. ($29, $25 if you buy in advance, Feb. 13, 7 p.m., firstpersonarts.org, add to calendar)

  5. If you’re all in. We’ve also found the best places to buy engagement rings in Philly. Just going to leave this link here.

Get outside

OK, forget Valentine’s Day for a second. It’s February. There is snow. That is not what most of us would consider good news. But there’s an upside: It’s sledding time. Whether you want to feel get your adrenaline pumping by whooshing down hills at top speed, or you are looking for more of a little-kid pace, we have the 15 best slopes for your sled in the city, suburbs and New Jersey.

Make a Thermos of hot chocolate, layer up and work your way through our selection of slopes.

» READ MORE: Philly’s best sledding hills

Treat yourself

You deserve this. Jamila Robinson has the brownie recipe you need in your life right now. Think of it as a Valentine’s Day gift to yourself.

Ingredients:

  1. 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for pan

  2. 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate (60 percent or higher), coarsely chopped

  3. ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-process)

  4. ¾ cup all-purpose flour

  5. ¼ teaspoon baking powder

  6. ¼ teaspoon salt

  7. 1 cup sugar

  8. 2 large eggs

  9. 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a buttered 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper.

  2. Melt butter, chocolate, and cocoa in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Let cool slightly.

  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.

  4. Using an electric mixer with whisk attachment, beat sugar, eggs, and vanilla on medium speed until pale, about 4 minutes. Add chocolate mixture; beat until combined. Beat in flour mixture, scraping down sides of bowl, until well incorporated.

  5. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake until a cake tester comes out with a few crumbs and top of brownies begins to crack, about 35 minutes.

  6. Let cool in pan, about 15 minutes. Lift out brownies; let cool completely on a wire rack before cutting into squares.

— Adapted from Martha Stewart Living, 2004.

» READ MORE: The Valentine’s Day chocolate recipes you need right now: A pie, a custard, and a really good brownie

Bookmark it

We’ve been answering questions about COVID-19 for many months now, questions like When do I replace my face mask?, Can I get the flu and the coronavirus at the same time? and How can I wear a mask and not fog up my glasses?

We break down all the answers to your questions. And we’ve collected all of our stories at inquirer.com/covid-tips