So Valentine's Day is a week away and there may or may not be a lot of fuss on your part: I'm thinking not, as you may still be "spent" from all the excitement of the past two months I am opting for a quiet twilight picnic in the backyard with light fare that's simple and delicious.

This idea was prompted by a picnic basket I received as a Christmas present with red and white lining; and the evenings are so cool now that it just makes sense, all we really need is an old blanket and a throw to cuddle up in.

If you don't have a picnic basket, that's fine, you're only taking a few strides to the backyard so a large tray will do; think of Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa, and pack the tray with simple foods you enjoy eating that don't require a lot of fuss.
Red candles, chargers, napkins, glasses and plates that you probably usually use only at Christmas time would be great to use now to bring in the passionate red of Valentine.

Here are a few tips to make the simple extraordinary for a romantic Valentine without a lot of time and effort:

1. For your floral arrangement or floating candles, put a few drops of red food colouring in the water so that white roses or candles, for example, really stand out against the red.

2. Buy the roses from the flower guy at the traffic light, it's cheaper than in the shops, and you can mix a cluster of red and white roses together in a tight bunch for a simple but beautiful arrangement.

3. Dessert is as simple as washing a pint of strawberries and putting them in a bowl, then melting a cup of semisweet chocolate chips in the microwave for 30-40 seconds, dip and enjoy.

4. Also, you can buy a frozen cheesecake at the supermarket (they are delicious) and use a heart-shaped cookie or petit four cutter and cut out little bites of cheesecake, spoon some ready-to-use strawberry topping over them and you are done.

5. And if you really want to go the extra mile with dessert, a heart-shaped cake is simpler and less expensive than you think, no need to go out and buy a heart-shaped pan, that could cost you as much as $2,500 for something you may only use once. A quick and easy solution is to bake your cake in a regular round or square tin, make a heart template by folding a sheet of legal size paper in two, draw a half of a heart from the folded side, cut out the shape, unfold the paper and you have a perfect heart. Copy this shape on stiff card paper or a cake board and cut out the heart. Make sure that the cake is cool and simply place the heart template on the cake and using a serrated knife, carve the cake into a perfect heart, frost, decorate with sliced strawberries and cherries, whipped cream, coloured sprinkles or fresh roses and enjoy.

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