Sexy Nacho's

 

I love lazy days with my husband. Spending time with him doing absolutely nothing can be the absolute best. Those are the times I do not want to spend hours in the kitchen. This is the perfect little munchie to feed your Man. With the use of one little 1 inch ring mold you can quickly make messy nacho's a perfect bite. 

You can use store bought items, or if you are like me, you can make them from scratch. If you click the links below you will get a recipe for each item. Here is all you need:

Black Bean dip

Pico de gallo

Guacamole

Tortilla Chips

Lime for garnish

 

Place your 1" ring mold on top of your chip. Fill with guac, bean dip and pico de gallo. Push through the ring mold and you get perfect bite sized nacho's. 

Romantic Tip: Rekindle the flame. Many couples get caught up in their jobs, parenting, church etc... and don't take time to nurture their relationship with each other. Talk to your mate about choosing a special day out of the week to go on a date where you can spend time with each other and dress up. Stick to it. I have been married for 14 years. We have had ups and downs but can honestly say we are more in love now than when we got married. The secret isn't so secret. We take the time to make our relationship a priority. 

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Captain Randall's Cocktail

I thought I would share with you my husbands favorite Sunny Day Cocktail. He is a Sailor and our friends call him Captain Randall. So this is Captain Randall's Cocktail:

1 shot Captain Morgan Spiced Rum

2 shots fresh squeezed lime juice

1/2 shot glass coconut nectar -or agave nectar

1 shot glass water

Ice

Mix 1/2 shot glass of coconut nectar or agave nectar with 1 shot hot water. Stir until nectar is dissolved and it makes a simple syrup. Add Spiced Rum and Lime juice. Stir. Add ice to fill tumbler glass and garnish with a slice of lime.

Romantic Tip: 
There was a popular song a while back that stated a man wants: "a lady in the street, but a freak in the bed". While the statement may sound crude. It is true. I dare you to ask any man. Contrary to what most young girls believe, Men do not want their Woman to dress slutty in public. They want little subtle hints. Anklets, necklaces, a Nice dress that gives a hint of cleavage. A little lace, a slit... those are teasers that work perfectly. Not too much and not too little. Reserve the slutty stuff for when you are home alone. If you can get that mix perfect then you will drive your man crazy. 

Citrus Cocktail

Hello Citrus trees! Lemons, Limes, and Oranges. I love the smell, taste, and color of Citrus. Look at how pretty they are: 

Time to do some juicing and serve up a yummy cocktail for the man!

Here is all you need: 

4 Oranges

3 lemons

3 limes

1/2 cup coconut nectar

equal parts vodka

Juice your fruits. Add 1/2 cup coconut nectar and stir until dissolved. Measure your liquid and add an equal part vodka. 

Romantic Tip: 
Take care of yourself. Make sure you keep clean and smelling pretty. Scent is one of the strongest forces behind actions. Find the smell your Man likes, perfume, soap, lotions, shampoos and oils. Don't over do it. Almost everyone just loves the smell of clean. It is indescribably sexy.
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Scallop Bisque

Whenever I buy scallops I always end up with one or two that just didn't stay together. I don't like to waste anything if I possibly can help it. So I like to make a soup out of it. It is very tasty. My husband loves it. It is my twist on lobster bisque, but using scallop meat instead. The flavor is wonderful and filling. This recipe will make two small servings of scallop bisque. 

1 TBSP butter

1 TBSP chopped onion

1 TBSP chopped celery

1 TBSP chopped carrot

1 bay leaf

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 cup whipped cream

1/2 cup dry white wine

2 jumbo scallops cut up

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion, celery, and carrot. Cook and stir until tender, about 8 minutes. Stir in the chicken broth, wine, and season with salt and cayenne pepper. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 5 minutes. 

Add Scallops and simmer for another 5 minutes. Pour the mixture through a sieve. 

Remove the bay leaf.

Put the strained broth back into the pan and add the cream. Bring to a boil and then lower heat and simmer for 5 minutes stirring frequently. 

While broth is cooking divide meat and vegetables between two bowls. I like to use a circle food mold for this. 

Pour broth over the vegetable and scallop mixture. Garnish with your favorite herbs and Cayenne pepper.

Romantic Tip:

Have a romantic night in. Cut out stars from heavy paper. Use construction paper or paper board. If you want to recycle you can cut them out from paper bags from the grocery store. If you have a lot of time you can paint them. Hang them by fishing line from the ceiling. Cut the line in different lengths so some of the stars will hang lower than the others. Have a lot of candles burning and ask your significant other to join you for an evening of dancing under the stars.

Garnish Like a Pro

I made my crock pot Enchilada Soup again today because I love it so much, but I wanted to amp it up a little with some garnish. I am slowly learning how to garnish and decorate food. "TRYING" to enjoy it. My husband really enjoys it when it looks as pretty as it tastes. I adapted this idea from apples and butter It turned out really cute! If you have a large biscuit cutter or a round garnish mold (I would recommend buying I use mine almost every day), you can garnish like a pro. Here is how I did this one:

Slice an avocado Using a mandoline -or-patiently slicing with a knife very thin.

Be sure to spray the mold with non-stick spray and then Place the thin slices of avocado in overlapping layers around the ring mold as pictured below.

Dice up the vegetables you want in the center. I used Cilantro, Tomatoes, Sweet onion and Jalapeno because those are the flavors that go with enchilada soup. I toss it all together with a little salt and pepper. 

Gently spoon the vegetable salad into the avocado ring.

Top with sour cream and a little cilantro.

Pour in the soup.

Remove the ring slowly to make sure the salad is holding its shape.

I sprinkled with a little cheese. 

Tada! Looks like it is professional!

Romantic Tip:

Create a romantic atmosphere with special lighting, candles, and essential oils. Make him feel pampered and it will make him want to have that special time together. I like to lay a comfy quilt on the floor and outline the edges with tea lights. Turn all the lights off and have a candle lit picnic. Make sure to have a silky soft nighty. He won't be able to keep his eyes and hands off you!

Hoisin Scallops over Cucumber Salad

One of my husbands absolute favorite things to eat is Scallops. Yes, they can be spendy, but a little goes a long way. They are very rich and flavorful. This is a nice dish to make your lover happy if they are seafood lovers. Where we live it is about $10 for 6 Wild Caught Scallops. Well worth it. The perfect meal to serve on Valentines day. You can just do 2 scallops, one for each of you as a starter, or you can make the whole meal. Here is the recipe for a meal of three each. If you are doing it as an appetizer as shown. 

6 Jumbo Sea Scallops

2 teaspoons canola oil

1 Tablespoon prepared Hoisin sauce

1 Cucumber

1 Tablespoon Sesame Oil

Peel and Jullienne cut a cucumber. The definition of a Jullienne is long strips of vegetables. This is done easily with a mandoline. Mandoline's are very inexpensive and I have found this to be my most used tool in the kitchen. You can find them as low as $9.99. Toss cut cucumber with sesame oil and plate. 

Make sure scallops are completely clean and that the side muscle is not still attached. If it is pull it off and discard... it's gross.

Bring the scallops to room temperature by drying them with a paper towel and set aside for about 30 minutes. 

Season the scallops with salt and pepper. 

Heat heavy bottom sauté or fry pan over medium-high heat. Once pan is hot, add oil. Place scallops in pan flat side down. Don’t crowd them. Leave scallops alone and don’t move them for 2-3  minutes. 

Turn scallops over, turn heat down, and drizzle with Hoisin sauce. 

Cook 1 more minute. Serve immediately.

Meal:

Appetizer:

Romantic Tip: 

Put little sexy notes everywhere he can find all day. Example: In the bathroom, when he gets ready for work in the morning, put a sticky note on the mirror saying how you will be thinking of him all day and you can't wait to please him this evening when he gets home. In his lunch, in his car, in his wallet... I once filled my husbands car with balloons and put a little love note in each one. When you do this He will spend the whole day dreaming about you and you about him.

French Dip for two

Are you running out of lunch ideas to feed your man? This one is really simple and you can put it all in the crockpot in the morning and go about your day, it is ready 4 hours later without any fuss. My husband says the Au Jus is perfect.

French Dip for two:

2 lbs. boneless beef (I used boneless rib-eye)

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 beef bouillon cube

1 bay leaf

2 whole black peppercorns

1/4 one sweet onion sliced 

1/2 teaspoon thyme 

1/2 teaspoon crushed rosemary

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic 

French bread sandwich rolls

Remove and discard all visible fat from the beef. Place trimmed beef in a slow cooker.

Crumble bouillon over meat and add a bay leaf and peppercorns. Next chop up rosemary, thyme, and garlic. I chopped all mine together and rubbed it on the meat.

Add soy sauce and onion. Pour mixture over roast, and add enough water to almost cover meat.

Cover, and cook on heat for 4 hours, or low heat for 8 hours.

Remove meat from broth. 

Slice meat very thin, and distribute on French Bread Rolls. 

Use reserved broth for Au Jus to dip the sandwich in.

Romantic Tip: Have you ever noticed that if you’re in a neutral, quiet mood, and a friend calls and is all ecstatic about some good news, you will automatically start to smile and be happy right along with them? The same works with your man. Before you meet up with your man tonight, check your mood. Stop and think for a bit and adjust your mood to the mood you want your man to have. It is all a mindset. Think about it. Why do you think strip clubs and gentleman's clubs are so popular? They walk in and the women make them feel like they are the man. They are all in sexy moods. This is a false reality. Create a real reality of that for your man at home and he will have no reason to ever want to go anywhere else. If he does he is a fool.

Deviled Eggs for two

Deviled eggs are one of my husbands favorite appetizers. The problem is, if I make a big batch, he will eat them all, and then feel crummy afterwards. I have started making a smaller batch. 2 full eggs each. It is the perfect amount for 2 people. 

4 large eggs, hard boiled and peeled

1/8 cup mayonnaise

1 tsp prepared mustard

Salt and pepper, for taste

Paprika, for garnishing

Halve eggs lengthwise. Remove yolks and place in a small bowl.

Whisk together yolks mayonnaise, and mustard. Add salt and pepper, to taste.

Fill egg whites evenly with yolk mixture. I squeeze it through a ziplock bag. Garnish with paprika. Store covered in refrigerator until serving time. 

Romantic Tip:

Make a list of the special days on the calendar that you celebrate together. 

What day did you meet, What is your yearly anniversary, or even the anniversary of your first kiss. On these days make a point to spend some quality time together. Cook a special meal and toast to the special occasion.

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Chocolate Pots de Crème

One of my husbands favorite dessert treats I make are Chocolate Pots De Creme. It is the creamiest Chocolate Custard. Instead of wowing him with a fancy presentation. Today I am putting them in wide mouth jars and I am going to surprise him with this gourmet treat while we go on a picnic to watch the sunset on the beach.

Romantic Tip: 

There is nothing more romantic than spending time with your man snuggling and watching the sunset. Pack some appetizers, aromatic candles, a blanket, music DVDs and wine or champagne to spend a whole evening with your man on the beach side or countryside watching the sunset. Nothing is more passionate then getting intimate while out in nature with your partner. Who knows what may happen after the sun goes down.

Chocolate Pots de Crème

adapted from Bon Appetit

1 cup heavy cream

3 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped 

1/8 cup sugar

3 egg yolks

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 300º. Place four ramekins or wide mouthed jars in large baking dish.

Add cream to a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and add chocolate. 

Stir till chocolate is melted add vanilla and mix thoroughly.

Whisk eggs and sugar in a large bowl, till thick and pale. 

Drizzle a bit of the hot chocolate mixture into eggs to temper, whisking constantly. I found it easiest to use my kitchenaid mixer for this.

Continue slowly adding hot liquid while whisking till all liquid is incorporated. Avoid incorporating air into mixture if possible. If you find you have some small, un-melted particles of chocolate at the bottom of the saucepan, gently heat till melted and add to bowl.

4. Place a fine mesh sieve over a large measuring cup. Strain custard. You may have the urge to skip this step. DON'T!

Pour custard into the jars, then pour enough hot water into pan to reach halfway up jars. I find it easiest to use a pitcher to fill the pan so none of the water spills into the jars.

Cover pan with foil and poke a few holes in foil to allow steam to escape.

Bake 25-30 minutes or till outer inch of custard is set. 

 

Screw on jar lids and refrigerate till serving time.

Serve with a dollop of fresh Whipped Cream.