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