Sometimes “simple” can have the biggest impact, great dates don’t have to be out on the town. Gerry Ellen dishes out her ideas for a romantic night in.

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Eating and dining and romance all go together like chocolate and roses. It’s a whirlwind of love and grounded relationship bliss.

We don’t need to have a specific holiday or momentous celebration to create magic in the kitchen. It just needs loving hands, quality food, perhaps a bottle of nice wine and definitely some candles to usher in the feeling. Romance is in the air… yet, isn’t it always?

What better way to snuggle up to your significant person than to cook together, being all domestic and playful right there amidst the oven and fridge and stove? I can think of nothing I’d enjoy more than a handful of fresh ingredients from the garden and a lover to share all that magic with in some sort of homey environment.

There is that saying that “the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.” I might have to go a few steps beyond and say that the only way to attract a quality mate—whether male or female—is to join forces in the kitchen and make that time part of the entire evening. So one person puts together the salad while the other partner tends to the grill or sauté, there are no gender preferences as to who is doing what in the kitchen or on the patio, as long as the end result is a meal worth noting and bringing even more warmth to the heart.

With that feeling still emanating in your taste buds and belly, here are a few enticing recipes to keep the fire going, both on and off the grill and stove:

Mediterranean Night

Shop together for items in specialty or farmer’s markets. Olives, raw nuts, wholesome grains, exquisite bread to dip in olive oil, fresh herbs and spices versus tons of salt, the freshest seasonal fruits and vegetables and a bottle of medium-bodied red wine. Add in some fish or light chicken, if you so desire and voila—a beautiful meal is ready to prepare.

With both partners tending to certain dishes during the process, the meal just became more romantic. Candlelight, music to titillate the ears and heart, a nice walk under the stars and the evening is ready to go to the next level, wherever that may lead.

Picnic in the Backyard

With spring here and the temperatures becoming milder, why not plan for a simple outdoor gathering in your own back yard? Set up some lawn chairs facing each other or a beautiful nature spot that elicits peace and harmony. Have homemade potato salad, a large bountiful array of freshly cut vegetables paired with hummus, a fresh piece of trout or some other main course that might suit your lifestyle, beliefs and taste buds, and sparkling water with lemon to keep things fresh and alive and awake.

Sit outside just before dusk. Talk about love as you gaze up at the stars. Reminisce about things that matter most in this world. Have paper napkins and plastic forks. Or better yet, use your hands. How fun is that? Silly and different and anything outside makes for something wildly romantic.

Breakfast for Dinner

The first and most important meal of the day just got better. Create a scenario where the two of you just woke up, messy hair, sleep in the eyes and interchangeable pajama tops and bottoms. Slowly make your way into the kitchen, hand in hand, or hugging at the waist. Forage in the refrigerator with both your skulls stuck way in wondering what to concoct. Grab the eggs, the butter, the side dish materials, the vegetables, some freshly squeezed orange juice and have a pot of hot water brewing. This is breakfast at night time.

Play some inspirational and possibly crazy wake-up music. Laugh. Dance. Dip and sway together. Sip tea, coffee and each other’s lips. Make an omelet. Get the oven ready for some cinnamon toast. Cut the fresh fruit. And wallow in the fact that because you missed breakfast earlier, due to some rather lovely bonding in the wee hours of the morning, that the chance for waffles and granola and yogurt and a spectacular buffet spread has now arisen. Even if it’s lots of food, no doubt you will burn it off later. Might as well fuel up for a romantic interlude when the sun goes down.

Wherever you are within your partnership or newly found relationship, integrating some unique and spontaneous play to keep the romantic fire and bliss revved up will surely be something to document down the road.

Let the love live on!

 

[image: via Howard Holley on flickr]