Make Valentine’s Day memorable for your special someone with some good lovin’ and pancakes in the morning

Both Pancake Day (Shrove Tuesday) and Valentine’s Day fall on weekdays this year. While there might be a lot going on, from work commitments to packing lunches for kids, it’s still a perfect opportunity to make your special someone feeling extra special. We’re talking about a romantic breakfast and some feel-good, stress-busting intimacy.

“Making a big hoopla for Shrove Tuesday and Valentine’s Day are very important opportunities in your romantic relationship to mark, declare your love for each other and deepen the bond of attachment,” says Dr. Fran Walfish, a Beverly Hills, Calif.-based family and relationship psychotherapist, author, The Self-Aware Parent, regular expert child psychologist on The Doctors, CBS TV, and co-star on Sex Box, WE tv.

“Start by surprising your honey with a sexy breakfast in bed. Present him (or her) with a tray decorated with fresh flowers, bestowing piping hot homemade buttermilk pancakes with a dollop of butter on top. Next to it place scrambled eggs, mushrooms, and fresh yummy, sexy oysters. Serve him a cup of hot cocoa topped with whipped cream and he’ll be yours forever.”

For dessert? How about some early morning sex, which also happens to be beneficial to a couples’ health. According to Dr. Walfish, research also shows that sexual activity is an anxiety reducer. This means that if one or both of the partners is under tension or strain, sex in the early mornings can act as a perfect de-stresser so you can both begin your day with a feeling of bliss. And we all know, reduced stress can help lead to better sleep.

“Early morning sex kick starts your day off with you both on the same page,” she says. “Often, one spouse wakes up on the wrong side of the bed and is grumpy while the other is cheerful.  This makes it challenging to emotionally connect.  Physically (sexually) connecting puts you immediately into a place of emotional bonding.”

While spontaneity can be nice, it’s okay to schedule some adult sexy time. Sometimes, it’s also nice to have a preplanned thrill early in the morning rather than waiting for the impulse to strike.

Before we get to the recipes, some sexy tips for parents.. you’re welcome

Morning is the perfect time for being intimate without interruptions by the kids. Children are in their deepest phase of sleep in the early morning hours and will not accidentally pop in.

But what if your kids are awake or in the next room? “Most children over the age of 7 years who have no special developmental challenges can be allowed to watch a video or play by themselves with toys while their parents are in the other room,” advises Dr. Walfish. “Parents can lock the kids ‘out’ of their bedroom, but never lock children “in” their own rooms. My vast experience with couples who are parents is that usually one is extra cautious and afraid of getting caught by the children, while the other is titillated with higher excitation adding the hiding/secrecy aspect to their sexual encounter.”

Seductive, tantalizing pancake and breakfast recipes

You’ll have your lover wrapped around your finger when you show up at the bedroom door with breakfast – before or after your bedroom adventures. These delicious day-starters can woo even the sleepiest partner and rouse them for whatever comes next.

Heart-shaped Banana Pancakes with Pecans

These heart-shaped banana pancakes from SavoryTooth.com, are made using ripe bananas and topped with chopped pecans, maple syrup, and whipped cream. You can buy a heart-shaped mold from Amazon or at a kitchen supply store.

Makes 4 servingsIngredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 ripe bananas mashed
• 1 egg beaten
• 1 tbs white sugar
• 2 tbs canola oil
• 1 tbs baking powder
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp salt

Instructions

Combine and mix dry ingredients together in a bowl: flour, white sugar, baking powder, and salt. Repeat for wet ingredients in another bowl: whole milk, egg, canola oil, vanilla extract, and mashed bananas.

Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture, stirring it in. Stop stirring as soon as it is just blended; it will be a little lumpy.

Heat a nonstick pan over medium-low for a few minutes. Add silicon heart molds to the pan. Pour about 2 tablespoons into each mold. Cook until the bottom of the pancake is golden brown, about 2 minutes, and then remove the mold and flip the pancake, cooking another minute until done. Repeat with more pancakes until the batter is depleted.

Serve the pancakes with toppings of your choice, such as sliced bananas, powdered sugar, chopped pecans, maple syrup, and whipped cream. 

Sultry Strawberries ‘n’ Cream Buttermilk Pancakes

Recipe by Chef Bradford Kent of Olio Pizzeria and Café for Romancing the Stove: the unabridged guide to aphrodisiac foods by Amy Reiley

Makes 4 servings

Instructions

• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 2 tbsp powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 3 tbsp granulated sugar
• pinch cinnamon
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup nonfat milk
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup strawberries, thinly sliced
• maple syrup

1. Chill the bowl and whisk of an electric mixer.
2. Scrape the pulp from 1/2 the vanilla bean, reserving the rest for another time. Add it to the chilled bowl along with the whipping cream and powdered sugar. Whip until the cream forms soft peaks. Refrigerate until serving.
3. In a medium-size mixing bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and cinnamon.
4. Whisk eggs in a large mixing bowl. Add in milk, buttermilk, vanilla and vegetable oil, mixing until thoroughly combine. Fold in the flour mixture and allow batter to rest for 10 minutes.
5. Heat a griddle or heavy skillet over medium heat until it is hot enough to make a few drops of water scatter before evaporating. Brush griddle with vegetable oil and ladle 1/4 c batter onto the skillet for each pancake.
6. Cook until they bubble on top, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook until golden.
7. For the sultry experience, feed pancakes to each other straight off the griddle, topping each (or each other) with strawberries, freshly whipped cream and a drizzle of maple syrup.

Warm Champagne-Soaked Apricot Muffins

Courtesy of Eat Cake Naked: aphrodisiac recipes to heat up your love life by Amy Reiley and Delahna Flagg

The best part about this recipe is that you can make as many muffins as you need and save the rest of the batter for up to a week in the refrigerator. You can woo your lover every morning with warm, butter-drenched muffins. Who is going to say “no” to you when you’re holding a plate of hot, champagne-laced muffins? Keep in mind, champagne is hands-down one of the world’s greatest aphrodisiacs.)

Serves 12, dairy-free, diabetic-friendlyInstructions

• 1/2 cup dried Turkish apricots
• 1/2 cup Champagne or Sparkling Wine
• 1 1/2 cup rolled oats, divided
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup almond, soy or rice milk*
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp grape seed, avocado or canola oil
• 1 tsp flaxseed meal or ground flax
• 3 tbsp water

1. Finely chop apricots and transfer to a small bowl. Add the champagne and soak the apricots in the champagne for 1-2 hours.
2. Process 1 cup of the oats in a food processor or blender to the consistency of a coarse flour.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the oat flour and remaining 1/2 cup of oats, whole wheat and all-purpose flours, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon. Set aside.
4. In a separate bowl, lightly beat the egg then add the non-dairy milk, honey and oil. Stir until well combined. (You can use a mixer for this step if you prefer.)
5. Add the ground flax and water to the wet ingredients and stir until the flax is completely combined.
6. Add wet ingredients to the oat and flour mixture and stir until just mixed.
7. With the gentle touch usually reserved for a lover, fold in the apricots and Champagne.
8. If you are not making the muffins right away, transfer the batter to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. You can use the batter to make 1 or 2 muffins at a time to eat warm, or bake the whole batch.

To bake:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Spray as many compartments of a muffin tin as you need with a non-stick cooking spray.
3. Fill each cup 3/4 full and bake for 16-18 minutes, until cooked through.
4. Serve warm. If you’re in a decadent mood, smear with butter and a little apricot jam.

*We don’t recommend dairy milk for this recipe, as the acidity of the champagne may make it curdle slightly.