The Blender

There are a couple options for what to give the object of your affection on Valentine’s Day.
There’s always the heart-shaped box of chocolates or chalky candy hearts from a drug store, and the ubiquitous cliche cards that say something like “I choo-choo-choose you!” above a picture of a train. Of course, you could splurge on jewelry, maybe one of those “open heart” necklaces that actually looks like a snake made by Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman at Kay Jewelers.
But no matter what you decide, you’ll probably have to eat. And luckily, many restaurants serve special Valentine’s Day menus that go above and beyond their everyday offerings. Below are a few options. Because while celebrity designed jewelry is nice, you can’t eat cubic zirconia.

Willy Wonka is alive and well in Sunriver! For eleven days starting on Feb. 11, Sunriver Resort will be hosting chocolate dinners, tastings, drink specials, spa treatments and even a chocolate-themed 5k road race (this is Central Oregon, after all).

You may have heard of WWOOFers (Willing Workers on Organic Farms), volunteer farmers on organic farms who trade labor for housing and food. Central Oregon Locavore, an online community and marketplace for local farmers, is creating a similar project, called WWOLFs – substituting “local” for “organic” (although most of the farms are organic, too).

 
If you’ve ever entertained the idea of farming or just want a good workout and homemade meal, join WWOLF for a day on Rainshadow Organics’ farm in Terrebonne on February 13. It may seem a bit early to be growing vegetables, but, according to farmer Sarahlee Lawrence, “We’ll be building the soil for all the goodies it will produce in the coming months.”