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Whenever I want to spend some romantic time alone with my husband, we make plans to go out somewhere and always include going to eat at a restaurant as part of the date. Unfortunately, these moments are few and far between because of the busy lives that we lead as parents. Since it’s always so difficult to get some of that one-on-one time together, it’s important to make the best of the time that we do get to spend as a couple. One way to spend some very romantic time together is to prepare a meal at home and stay in.
By staying in, you eliminate some of the frustrating factors that keep married couples with kids from being able to have dates that often. You won’t have to worry about fitting going to a pricey restaurant into your meal budget because you can plan a delicious and creative meal with even limited finances. Also, there isn’t the added concern of finding a restaurant that is kid-friendly and can accommodate your children. Let’s face it, some of us just don’t have anyone reliable to watch our kids in order for us to go out with our spouse.
It’s important to plan ahead for this romantic meal by thinking about what your sweetheart’s favorite meals are or possibly cooking a new dish that they have never tasted with some of their favorite ingredients. Hormel Foods has some wonderful recipe ideas that might inspire you to create just the right meal for your loved one.
Once you’ve decided what you are going to prepare, you can pick a setting for your romantic rendezvous. Are you going to serve him or her breakfast in bed? Perhaps you can both have a romantic meal in the dining room with all of the bells and whistles. Think about whether you will serve a series of small meals or one main course to your loved one.
Asian Lettuce Wraps
To help get your creative cooking juices flowing, here are some meal suggestions from Hormel to get you started:
- Appetizer: Asian Lettuce Wraps are simple to prepare yet have a sophisticated look and taste. Heat a combination of chicken, water chestnuts and a House of Tsang® stir-fry sauce of your choosing in a wok or skillet. Arrange the mixture in the center of each lettuce wrap, top with your favorite veggies and enjoy!
- Main course: Impress your guests with a tasty Sausage and Pepper Pasta. Customize the simple dish that combines rigatoni pasta and Hormel® Natural Choice® spinach asiago chicken sausages with your loved one’s favorite jarred pasta sauce.
- Breakfast: Don’t sacrifice precious sleeping time by creating a time-consuming breakfast dish. Try topping off toasted frozen waffles with Hormel® Cure 81® ham, strawberries and maple syrup. Or, spread toast with cream cheese, create a heart in the center of the toast with blueberries and spoon strawberry jam in the center.
Once your meal is planned and prepped, it is very important that you set the mood for your romantic meal. Adding little romantic touches such as candles and mood music will definitely be appreciated by your significant other. It will show them that you made the extra effort to make this event special and intimate for both of you.
Sausage and Pepper Pasta
Lastly, remember that the dessert is sometimes the highlight of the whole meal. After all the cooking and planning, you will probably be too tired to whip up anything complicated so why don’t you just heat up Hormel Country Crock® cinnamon apples and spoon over ice cream so that you can both get to the real dessert, wink, wink!
Disclosure: In the spirit of full-disclosure, I’ve partnered with Hormel Foods as part of the Hormel Foods Extended Family Blogger Program. While Hormel Foods provides me material and necessary resources to complete various activities, all statements and sentiment in Tough Cookie Mommy are my own.
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