February is the month of Love
There’s no getting away from it, February is the month to celebrate love. Yes, I know and absolutely agree that we must celebrate love every day and not just one day a year but for lovers Valentines Day is a special day to celebrate and spoil the one you love. And no, you don’t have to celebrate love with a significant other. If you are single you don’t have to feel left our or overwhelmed by the commercialization of a lover’s day. There are 5 recognized types of love and everyone can celebrate love in many ways. Be creative and thoughtful, adopt someone elderly or lonely for the day and spoil them. With a bit of out of the typical “love between partners” box thinking you can make someone feel very special and create a lasting pleasurable memory for them!
Each year on February 14th, lovers acknowledge their love by exchanging greeting cards, chocolates, gifts or flowers with their special “valentine.” The day of romance that we call Valentine’s Day is named for a Christian martyr and dates back to the 5th century, but has origins in the Roman holiday for fertility called Lupercalia.
With Valentine’s Day falling in the middle of the hottest month of the year we have always turned to picnics and salads to celebrate the day. The less time spent in the kitchen at this time of year the better for me. The fresh produce shelves at the local markets and stores are my go to space and there is such delicious ingredients in season at this time of year. All those well recognized aphrodisiacal foods are on the shelves right now. Picnics are, in my mind, one of life’s simple pleasures and you can take them anywhere, just the place differs… depending on what the weather is doing. I don’t enjoy sand or dust with my meal so if the south easter is blowing we resort to plan B and enjoy our picnic indoors or on the patio if it isn’t too bad. Sunset picnics at this time of year are spectacular events. And I get my regular dose of serotonin from watching the sun going down. Such a feel good thing to do. Since the advent of grandchildren we often celebrate the day before or after and do our kids a favour and babysit the boys while they celebrate their love. This year our son and daughter in law celebrated their love picnic in style, inside the Two Oceans Aquarium at the V&A Waterfront, with the most spectacular under water backdrop. He sent us a photo of a gorgeous manatee watching them, sipping on champagne and snacking on delicious picnic foods while lounging on cushions on the floor. The possibilities are endless, depending on what you love doing.
I usually plan my salads around what produce I am able to find when I do my shopping so no picnic is ever the same. But my one rule of thumb for a Valentines picnic is that I look out for all those natural aphrodisiac ingredients. The interest in aphrodisiac foods began when Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, rose from the sea on an oyster and then gave birth to Eros. The first aphrodisiac food was born. An aphrodisiac food is one that is believed to stimulate libido and enhance sexual performance. These foods have been used as far back as the Romans and the Greeks to increase sexual powers. During those periods, people were concerned about fertility and sexual performance more so than passion itself, so a great amount of time was spent on determining what aphrodisiac foods would help these two separate concerns.
You will find all of these on a good aphrodisiac food list: salmon, prawns (both so sexy to eat!) figs, asparagus, avocado, oysters, caviar, champagne, chocolate, vanilla, almond, truffles, chilli, basil, garlic, honey, rocket, ginger, mustard, seedless green and red grapes, mango, papaya, raspberries, blueberries and strawberries.
Of course the Puffer Fish is also considered both a delicacy and an aphrodisiac in Japan. If the poisonous gland is not properly removed, the tiniest, teeniest, weeniest taste is DEADLY. The flirt with death is said to give a sexual thrill. Ummmmmm, I don’t think so! Not recommended, unless you are in Japan in a speciality restaurant and the chef shows you his certification and proof that he has never killed anyone and you’re in the mood for that particular kind of thrill!
If you would like to know more about aphrodisiac foods you can go and read here.
So then, switch off those pesky cellphones,tablets and pc’s, slip into something sexy, get the groove on in your kitchen with the food of love, set the table on the carpet or lawn, scatter those rose petals (Cleopatra was such a clever woman, poor Mark Anthony never stood a chance!), crank up the old love songs, burn some erotic essential oils (for example bergamot, rose, geranium, sandalwood, ylang ylang, black pepper and cardamom oil – these make a fabulous massage oil as well when 1 -2 drops of each are mixed into 50mls of a carrier oil like almond oil, light the candles and pour the bubbles! It is time for a little bit of romance darlings!
Happy Valentine’s Day to you all, both couples and singles. As I mentioned earlier, don’t limit love to only one day a year….love is so precious and the greatest of all things, it deserves THE place of importance in our everyday lives. Not only romantic love, but that all encompassing, unconditional, accepting, working love that is so essential to living joyous, fulfilled and peaceful lives!
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never dies” 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8
Find my recipe for delicious aphrodisiacal fig, smoked salmon, citrus and mozzarella salad here.
Valentines Prawn Salad with Goats Cheese and Citrus Vinaigrette here
The perfect steak with Blue Cheese and Mushroom Sauce
How about dessert? Chilli Chocolate Peanut Butter Hearts
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