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By Brenda Hyde
We become parents, and take on the
responsibility of raising and caring for our
children. This is a special task with hardships, and
yet wonderful rewards. But, what happened to those
two people who met and fell in love? Did you turn
into Mama and Daddy with no hope of another romantic
evening alone? Of course not! You just need to
change your perspective and get those creative
juices flowing. It's Valentine's Day, you don't have
a reliable baby-sitter and money is tight. What can
you do?
THE PLAN
There is life alone for parents, and it happens
after the children are in bed. The key to planning
your romantic evening is thinking ahead and getting
everything into place. Dad visits the video store
earlier in the afternoon to rent a movie you both
agree on. Shopping for your romantic meal (yes, just
for the two of you) is done ahead of time. Keep
everything simple and the meal light. The romance
comes when you are both relaxed and not putting
expectations on each other. The children are in bed,
and you now have first names other than Mom and Dad.
THE MEAL
These are recipes and tips for a light meal that you
can enjoy cooking together. You will find sharing
the meal preparation, even if do not you usually
share the cooking, to be the beginning of your
romantic evening as you accomplish something special
together.
The Main Dish: Shrimp Scampi
Noodles
1 1/2 cups wide noodles, uncooked
1/3 cup butter
1 clove garlic minced
1/4 tsp. dried basil
1/2 pound fresh shrimp, shelled and deveined
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp. fresh parsley, chopped
Fresh lemon wedges
Cook noodles according to
directions; drain. Meanwhile in large skillet over
low heat, melt butter, add garlic and basil. Cook 30
seconds, stirring constantly. Add Shrimp; cook,
stirring constantly until shrimp turn pink, about
3-4 minutes. Sprinkle with lemon juice, salt and
pepper; stir in parsley. Toss hot noodles with
sauce. Serve with lemon wedges. Serves 2.
Note: If you wish, you can
substitute boneless, skinless chicken. It will take
longer to cook, perhaps 10-15 minutes if you cut
into smaller chunks before adding to your skillet.
The Salad and Bread:
Remember, you want to keep your meal very light.
Since it's just the two of you, a simple idea is to
buy a salad kit from the produce section. Most kits
come with croutons and dressing. A Caesar variety
would be very good with this dish. Also, you can
pick up a loaf of French bread, a baguette or two
croissants from the bakery section and serve with
butter.
The Dessert: Pots de Creme
This is a rich dessert that can easily be made in
the morning or anytime during the day. It does need
to chill several hours.
1 ounce unsweetened chocolate,
broken into pieces
1/2 cup light cream
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg yolk, slightly beaten
1 tablespoon butter, softened
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Whipped cream topping
Combine chocolate pieces and cream
in medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring
constantly with wire whisk, until chocolate flecks
disappear and mixture is hot. Add sugar and continue
cooking and stirring until mixture begins to boil.
Remove from heat; gradually add to beaten egg yolk,
stirring constantly. Stir in butter and vanilla.
Pour into pretty bowls or glasses, cover with
plastic wrap directly on surface of chocolate, Chill
several hours or until set. Garnish with whipped
topping.
THE REST OF THE EVENING
The key to your whole evening is remaining flexible
and not putting expectations on each other or the
circumstances. If one of the children wake up, even
several times, take turns getting them back to
sleep. If it's getting late, then eat your meal in
the living room while watching your movie! Put down
a nice blanket and turn your meal into a picnic.
Remember to keep your sense of humor as a parent and
a partner. The extras are up to you. You may want to
add candles, a nice bottle of wine or sparkling
grape juice! You need to get to know each other
again as romantic partners, and in turn it will help
you become better, loving parents raising your
children together as a couple.
Contributed by
www.seedsofknowledge.com |
