Clean Eating Valentine’s Dinner

So this post might get a little “spicy”. Just warning you. If you are a member of my family, you may want to stop reading now. I’m jussayin’….

It has come to my attention that certain foods are believed to be aphrodisiacs. Now, whether or not they work remains to be seen. But I say, it never hurts to give the old “vroom-vroom” a little kick start. Am I wrong? (Okay. So maybe this post won’t be THAT spicy. I am using terms like “vroom-vroom” after all. So I think it’ll be a safe read.)

Armed with my list of aphrodisiac foods, spices and aromas, I set out to create a clean eating menu for Valentine’s Day (Yep, it’s right around the corner!). A meal that would not only add a little spice to the dishes I was cooking, but to my life as well (Let’s face it. After kids, it takes work and planning to get “spontaneous”).

So here’s what’s on the menu for Valentine’s Day this year at my house. I could report back to you on the effectiveness of those foods and spices, but my family reads this blog (even when I start a post with a warning for them not to). So I think I’ll just leave you with some ideas you can try for yourself.

Here’s how my Valentine’s Day will unfold:

(All recipes mentioned below will be posted in the coming weeks. So stay tuned!)

Exercise
To start the day off right, I’ll be getting in a rigorous workout. Exercise is not only good for your body, but it’s great for your sex drive as well. Anything to get the blood pumping!

Scent
There are lots of aromas that are said to be aphrodisiacs. Musk and patchouli are two of them. But I’m not a fan of either, so I’m going with a third choice… vanilla. I’ll purchase some vanilla oil to burn in an oil burner to scent the room. Vanilla is said to produce a euphoric feeling that helps the nervous system. It works directly on sexual stimulation and is a very pleasant, non-invasive scent.

Atmosphere
Folks, if you want to inspire some romance in your partner, you absolutely HAVE to set the right atmosphere. There’s just no way around it. Here’s what you need to get started:

• A babysitter – Need I say more?
• Candles - Beeswax candles are best. Their aroma will mingle well with the vanilla on my mantel and it won’t put out the toxins into the air that paraffin candles will. Who needs toxins when you’re trying to get frisky? (Just be sure you place the candles in a place where they won’t get knocked over)
• Some good background music – Nothing to overpowering. Something gentle and easy to relax to. We love jazz, so I’ll be scavenging for all our best CD’s.
• A comfortable eating area – If all you have in your dining area is a rigid table and chairs, then consider setting up your meal in a more comfortable area. Perhaps, lay down a large blanket in the middle of the living room with lots of large pillows to lounge on. That’s my plan!

Food
Now we get down to the star of the show. The meal.
A Valentine’s meal is best served spicy. If you don’t tolerate spicy foods, you can cut way back on the spices to keep things a little milder. But relatively speaking… the amount of spice in your “dessert” will be relative to the amount of spice in your meal. So the following menu will include lots of spice!

The Menu

Foods to avoid
What you won’t find on my Valentine’s Day menu are any heavy carbs. I’ll be leaving out the rice, pasta and bread. There’s nothing like that “weighed down” feeling in your stomach to kill the mood. Better to keep things filling, yet light.

Other Menu Ideas
If my menu doesn’t sound appetizing, here are a few sites I used as sources for this article. They contain many foods believed to be aphrodisiacs.

• GourmetSleuth.com
• EatSomethingSexy.com
• AlterNet.org

What are your plans for Valentine’s Day? Do you do something special every year, or just wing it? Do you stay low key or go all out? Do you cook dinner or go out to dinner? Share some ideas!

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