This page has lots of fun ideas and information about how to keep the romance in your relationships!  Have fun!

Aphrodisiacs

(And here all along you thought they were just foods!)

Fruits

Apricot: Plump, pungent flavored apricots are considered a symbol of a sensual
nature by the ancient Chinese.

Banana: Its shape, its sweet, soft flesh and its creamy, lush texture all contribute to this fruit's reputation as an awakener of sexual feelings.
Some in medicine have attributed the high content of chelating minerals and
an enzyme called bromelain in bananas as an aid in boosting male erectile
efficiency but much research needs to be done before a definite conclusion
can be reached. We do suggest you contact a physician regarding any serious
erectile dysfunction.

Peach: The Chinese have long associated the peach with ripe sexuality. Its red
blush color, silken fuzzy skin, juicy flesh and aroma make it a natural choice. Take a peek at Edouard Manet's once controversial painting, Dejeuner sur l'Herbe, and while your eye will first turn to look at the beautiful nude woman sitting next to the two clothed scholars, you will also notice the succulent peaches andother fruits she has brought to this very sensuous picnic. Everything that is ripe, sensual and arousing, the artist has placed in her corner of the painting. Very stimulating.

Pears: One only has to think of the scene in the movie adapted from Henry
Fielding's novel, Tom Jones, to know the erotic appeal of pears. Mrs. Waters, seductress/cook, is seated across the table from young Mr. Jones, their feet entertwined, gazing into each other's eyes, exchanging morsels of food while wanton juices from the pears they are devouring drip down their chins ... truly a sensual food setting.

Figs: Espoused to be Cleopatra's favorite fruit, the Ancient Greeks celebrated the arrival of a new crop of figs by ritual copulation. (Many believe that the shape of fresh, ripe figs resemble female genitalia: you decide.) Figs usually ripen midsummer so mark your calendar to celebrate the fig harvest with your lover!

Grapes: "Beulah, peel me a grape!" - Mae West's famous line in the film, She
Done Him Wrong. Grapes are thought to be the oldest fruit and their reputation as an aphrodisiac seems to be as old. For the morning after, a fruit plate including a bunch of firm and juicy green and red grapes will start his morning off right. Use your imagination on how you want to eat them. Pop one halfway in your mouth and press your lips close to his to share or let lust enhance your creativity in how you serve it up!

Papaya: This fruit bespeaks passion! Its musky fragrance and sweet, succulent
flesh is a tropical delight. The small glistening black seeds encased in the
fruit resemble another food touted as an aphrodisiac, caviar. If he likes it
a little exotic, let him nibble on this.

Oranges: Orange blossoms are symbol of virginity and purity. "Reclaim" your
virginity, surprise him with a bouquet of orange blossoms and a sweet note,
tempt him with a refreshing plate of orange slices marinated in Grand
Marnier and dipped in chocolate. Then wait for him to seduce you all over
again! Age old customs tell us that lovers who bathe in orange scented water
after the first time they make love will have a long and lust-filled union.
Try it!

Vegetables

Asparagus: Firm, long tender stalks evoke erotic images in one's mind. Bert Greene writes that in nineteenth century France, convention degreed that a
bridegroom's prenuptial dinner contain at least three courses of warm
asparagus because of its reputed aphrodisiac powers!

Carrots: This root vegetable with its phallic shape is truly erotic. Early Middle Eastern royalty regarded the carrot to be a significant aid in seduction and enjoyed it often. Grown deep in the earth this vegetable inspires his deepest, most private fantasies. Either raw or cooked, this vegetable can ignite his passion to incomparable excess!

Chinese Proverb: Those who constantly eat vegetable roots can do
anything.

Cucumbers: One of the most fun and playful vegetables. It doesn't take much
thought to realize why it's included as an aphrodisiac. It's phallic shape
and firm texture make it a natural.

Seafood

Caviar: This expensive, egg shaped food has earned itself a reputation as a
stimulate of sexual desire. Serve it chilled with toast points. You may
serve it with minced onions, lemon wedges and chopped hard-cooked egg but if
it's a good caviar a garnish is unnecessary.

Oysters: This may be the best known of aphrodisiacs. Some see a resemblance to a woman's most private parts and are drawn to savor the tasty creature. Others delight in the texture of the ever sexually changing mollusk, which has
spent its life alternating between female and male. Serve them in the raw
(uncooked, in the half shell) or try a new recipe.

Other

Truffles: An air of mystery has always surrounded the truffle. The fragrant
muskiness of the truffle and its rarity keeps it on top of any list of
aphrodisiacs. Paula Wolfert tells of a famous saying about truffles, "Those
who wish to lead virtuous lives had better abstain."

"Whoever says 'truffle' utters a great word which arouses erotic and
gastronomic memories among the skirted sex and memories gastronomic and
erotic among the bearded sex." Brillat-Savarin, 1825

Although these jet black nuggets of incredible flavor are quite expensive, a small amount goes a long way. Learn the secret of the lusty French and for that special occasion go ahead and splurge.

Chocolate: Valentine's Day is a time when the gifts of chocolates are given or
received, ever perpetuating chocolate's reign as a part of wooing our lover.
It's designation as an aphrodisiac remains basically undisputed for centuries. Chocolate has long been purported to have such a intense ability to increase the sexual appetite, this apparently causing it to be banned from some monasteries a few centuries ago.

Champagne: A symbol of luxury and celebrations, champagne is viewed as "the drink of love." There is a saying that whiskey makes a girl stop arguing, beer
soothes her, gin disarms her, rum cajoles her and champagne arouses her.
Champagne has proven to be a lavish tool to stimulate lust in one's lover!

TIPS

The following are tips for keeping the romance alive.... as stupid as these tips may sound, they really do work.  I know all too well how couples get comfortable with each other and the romance and fun sometimes slips away.

How do you say "I love you?" Sometimes, its just in the way you prepare dinner! Here's a playful trio of cook books that manage to combine romance and humor with very tasty recipes!

*  COOKING IN THE NUDE: QUICKIES - quick and easy-to-prepare recipes.
   HOW965........................................................$9.95

*  COOKING IN THE NUDE: PLAYFUL GOURMET - scrumptious recipes that
   appeal to the stomach and libido! HOW973......................$9.95

*  COOKING IN THE NUDE: JUST MARRIED - romantic recipes for Newlyweds.
   HOW999........................................................$9.95

Fun & Games:

Every time my boyfriend and I go out we play this game... every time you
see a license plate with double #s or letters we say it out loud.   For every double # or letter you get to kiss the other person. And if you see triple #s or letters you give 2 kisses, and quadruple #s or letters you give 3 kisses, and so on. You can just kiss their hand or cheek if the other person is driving, or you can wait until a red light or when reach your destination to give your kisses. It makes getting to places much more fun :)

Write out a love note or poem on a piece of paper and then cut it up into puzzle like pieces. Then send one a day to your boy/girl-friend!

Go to a local jeweler and buy a small, silver square keychain. take it to a trophy shop and have them engrave something on it. Then it will be a constant reminder of your love for him/her.

I have been dating my boyfriend for about two years, and we get into the
boring rut of staying home and not doing anything exciting. We  both have busy work weeks, and so our time is limited to the weekend. I decided to pull us out of the boring rut...but how was I going to do this? One Saturday, I sent my boyfriend out to do some errands. I followed him in my car, making sure to be discreet. Each time he got out of the car to run into a store, I stuck a note on his car windshield telling him where to go next. At his last stop, I attached a  note that told him to meet me where we first kissed. He pulled up to the park to find me with a picnic basket in hand. He walked over to me with a smile a mile wide and kissed me. Surprise and keep you love on their toes!!

Bits 'n Pieces

1)  Purchase a bag of Hershey's Kisses; remove all the little "kiss" tags. Tie them up in a pretty little ribbon and send them by mail to your partner. Make sure you include a note with instructions saying that "each 'kiss' can be redeemed at any time." My boyfriend still pulls one out from time to time.

2)  My boyfriend and I keep our romance alive by having an "affair" on our computer! We send each other sexy emails, but we don't talk about it at home. It is like a secret, but we both know we are playing with each other!

3)  I pick a night and  set up a "treasure hunt" for my boyfriend. There will be a note on the door telling him to find the next clue. I will have wine in the refrigerator with a note sending him to a box; in the box will be a sexy nightie, with another note to go to the bathroom where there is a bubble bath waiting. And so on until  we have a memorable evening!

4)  My boyfriend  surprised me one day when I came home after a long day with a "Fantasy Bag." In the bag was massage oil, along with detailed instructions from my boyfriend on what to wear, where to go, and what to do. It was labeled, Fantasy Bag #1. It's up to me to make up bag #2 for him! This keeps both of our fantasies fulfilled.

5)  Get a small silver box (like the jewelry ones) and put something little in there that your significant other likes (say golf tees). Leave the box on his dresser. Then, throughout the year, leave the box in places he'll find with little things he likes. As soon as he sees the box, he'll know it's for him

6)  Of course, cuddling is always the best tip!!!

Weird & Wacky ways to say I love you!

1) Giftwrap a wishbone in a jewelry box. Send it to her/him with a note that says, "I wish you were here."

2) Kidnap her/him! Blindfold her/him; drive her/him around town until
she's/he's definitely lost; then reveal your destination: Her/His favorite restaurant, or maybe a romantic inn!

Sweet Stuff

1) You know, of course, that green m&m's are aphrodisiacs, don't you? With that as a start . . .
 -  Present him with a bowl full of them.
 -  Carefully open a one-pound bag of m&m's and empty it out.   Refill it entirely with green M & M's. Seal it up so it looks like new. Give it to him for a snack. Fill his box of Cheerios (or anything else he likes) with green M & M's.

Fun Stuff

1) The coolest jigsaw puzzles I've ever seen are made by two companies that both have incredible catalogs. In addition to their regular puzzles, they'll create custom puzzles that you can use for all kinds of personal occasions. They've been used to spell-out wedding proposals, wish personalized birthday greetings, and help celebrate anniversaries.

l Stave Puzzles: 802-295-5200
l Bits & Pieces: 1-800-JIGSAWS

2) Write her/him a check for a million kisses.

Married w/ Children

1)  Instead of having the babysitter come in while you go out, have the babysitter take the kids out while you two stay home! Send all of them to a movie - a double feature. ("Now, what was it we used to do with all this peace and quiet? Oh, yes . . . !")

2) Guys: Give your wife a gift on your kids' birthdays. (Why should the kids get all the gifts? Your wife is the one who did all the work!)

Cooking for Romance

1) Having someone cook for you is intrinsically romantic. Some research suggests that cooking for someone you love can increase endorphin levels. Cooking together is fun too!

2) Fresh fruit always seems to be romantic and sensual. Some ideas: ripe pears with blue cheese, curried mango slices, chocolate cups with pears poached in wine and drizzled with caramel, champagne honeydew soup (see the recipe below),

Melon Soup Recipe

large sweet honeydew melon
1/4 cup minced fresh mint (I chop mine in the coffee bean grinder, after it
been  cleaned out, of course)
juice of one fresh lime
1/8 cup warm (for thinning) honey
3/4 cup cold champagne
Scoop all the flesh from the honeydew melon. Puree in blender.
Warm honey, lime juice, and mint together till honey pours easily.
Mix honey mixture into the melon puree.
Chill mixture till very cold (or until you are ready to serve).
When ready to serve stir in 3/4 cup ice cold champagne.
Serve in rice bowls
Serves 6 to 8 people

3) Picnics can be very romantic! Put some of these ideas in your picnic basket: roasted vegetables,chicken breasts with pine nuts, honey and dried apricots, baby lettuces & rose petals with a light touch of extra virgin olive oil & raspberry vinagar, spinach and romaine greens with smoked oysters, greek olives,
orange slices, and red onion slices.

4) Textures in food appeal to the senses. Stimulating combinations: soft &
crunchy, and sweet & hot.

5) 'Hot' foods - Mexican, Indian and Thai, for example - inspire a physical
reaction for some people, and they taste great too.

Keeping Open the Lines of Communication

1)  20 Special Things: Sometimes you don't really realize how special all the little things you do for each other really mean. I'd suggest listing about 20 of the tiniest things you just love and send it to your significant other - things like the way they wink at you just cause or smile at you across the room.

2) Love Notes: When you are expecting he/she to come home leave a trail of little post-it notes all over the house with little clues on them, leading from one clue to another. Every now and then leave a little romantic gift with it. After they get the last clue it will be the best one of all, YOU!

3)  Video Love: Get together a bunch of pictures of you and your love. Then find a song that means a lot to both of you. Have a videographer make a video slide show with your pictures and then add the music to the background. You can really show them how much you care and have video memories to last a lifetime. I did this for my boyfriend on Valentines Day. He was speechless.

4)  Make a Tape: Put together a tape of memories, think of your favorite love songs the two of you heard together or places you've been where you have heard certain songs that remind you of each other. With the tape write a love letter and for each song remind them of the special moment you shared together. Then go into the mountains with a portable tape player, play the tape, and dance under the stars. Very romantic.

5) More Love Notes: I love leaving little love notes around the house, but you want to make sure that you leave them where your love one will find them. Two
ways this can be done.

a) buy magnetic letters (bookstores sell) and place them on the refrigerator as they are bound to go there sooner or later.
b) use a soap bar and write your romantic message on the bathroom mirror. It won't do damage to mirror and is easy to get off with a little water.

6)  Turn Me On: Unplug the TV... Put a note on the screen saying "Turn Me on Instead"

7)  Love Game: Take a deck of cards and write pleasurable things on each one!
(like-"5-minute massage" or "kiss me somewhere you haven't") Then play a game and use the cards in them.

8)  The Balloon Game: First pick a color scheme. For example: Red. Buy a red sexy nighty, 25 red balloons, 5 red candles. Then fill the balloons with little notes. Ex. 1/2 hr. body massage (use your imagination.) Place them all around the room. Then light the candles and place them around the room. Cut off all the lights. Put on the sexy nighty and wait for your sweetheart to arrive. A bottle of wine preferable red), and a few finger foods. Ex. strawberries. The food is optional. Once the wine is poured begin the game. Your game begins;
the object of the game is for your partner to pop 5 balloons without using their hands. Once they pop those balloons you have to grant them the wishes inside.

More Fun Ideas

1) Spell out I Love You in glow-in-the-dark stars upon the bedroom ceiling so when she/he goes to bed, it would be up there for her/him to see.

2) Send her/him one card for every year for her/his birthday (example: 25
cards for a 25 year  old). Also would work great for anniversaries.

3) Camp out in your living room or backyard. Share a sleeping bag.

4) Decorate their car with "Just Married XX Years" every year for your
anniversary.

5) Using alphabet cookie cutters, create a romantic message using jello or home baked cookies.

6) Use a calendar program or go to Kinkos and have a calendar made of all of your romantic and significant dates. Include pictures from your life together if you can. Get a copy for both of you (and remember to have one for the office).

7) Save an empty wine bottle. Next time your partner is in the bath, place
a love note inside the bottle, cork it, and let it float in the bath before they  get in.

8) Record "You have mail" in your voice and sneak it into their computer
and set it up for the new mail sound.

9) Take some roses, die them blue, and deliver them with a card that reads "Life without you would be bluer than blue."

10) Give your significant other 11 roses with a card that reads "to complete this dozen, gently place them in the vicinity of your heart."

11) Bring your significant other three roses and tell them: "this one is for my mind, which is always thinking of you. This one is for my heart, which will always love you. And this one is for my soul, which will always be yours."

Games & Things

1) Books: Recipes For Romance, Leslie and Jimmy Caplan - 50 Ways to Sweeten your Love Life.

2)  Games: More Foreplay - Over 700,000 possible sensuous and sexual activities.

3)  Get an eraseable marker (like those used on white boards) and write something inspiring on your bumper/windows/door/etc.

4)  Get a bunch of WILD flowers (not roses) and deliver them. It's a lot different than just ROSES!

5)  Get her a new, light-colored umbrella and write some cute and romantic
things on it... so that next time the sky comes down, she just has to look up to be inspired :-)

6)  Send a lipstick imprint of your lips,lamentated so that they can keep with them.

Love Recipes

Cupid's Cyberspace Cupcakes

Plan A: Don't cook, just buy some plain ones.
Plan B: Buy the mix to make them.
1 box of Duncan Hines Strawberry Cake Mix
Ingredients to make and ice the cupcakes (read the box)
Either way you get them, use the following to decorate..and play!

P.S. The fun is in decorating!!!!!

Frozen Strawberries
Those little sprinklie things, chocolate or mosaic colors:)
Red Hots candy
Redi Whip in the can
Conversation hearts (the one with the messages on them from 2nd grade)
Hersheys Kisses

Start with iced cupcakes. Pink or white icing looks good. Use a little of each ingredient to make some of your own designs. Eat some candy, and whipped cream while you are decorating them. It makes the experience more fun.

Cupid's Exotic Love Tea

1 cups water
1/4 cup honey
1 cup apple juice
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
6 Celestial Seasonings Cranberry Cove Tea Bags

Bring water and juice to a boil. Stir in honey and cinnamon. Add the tea bags. Remove from heat. Let stand for one hour.   Add 6 cups cold water Pour into glasses with ice. Sit back, sip and fall in love. Can be stored in the refrigerator for three days .

Cupid's Red Velvet Ice

2 pounds fresh cranberries
4 cups unsweetened apple juice (separate into 2 cups each)
3/4 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon grated orange rind

Wash cranberries, combine with only 2 cups apple juice and sugar in a large pot. Cook on high/medium high until cranberries pop..about 8 minutes. Put through a food mill. Add remaining ingredients and chill. Put this mixture into an electric freezer or a hand cranked one. Read the directions on your freezer for the time or crank till it freezes. Serve frozen mixture in champagne glasses. It will work :)
 

If you have comments or suggestions, email us at
devriesb@vianet.ca