Romance...

(Now listening to: Goldfrapp: 'Ooh La La') *wicked grin*


It’s been a while since I’ve described a ‘date’ between my love and I – I talk about Erin all the time. But what with our lives being hectic what-have-you I don’t always discuss the fact that we actually still ‘date’ each other – even though I have a ring on my finger…even though most of my time is spent with him…we still ‘romance’ each other.

Yesterday, I suggested a romantic picnic dinner. (Tuesday nights he does not have his children).

So my love in his usual amazing fashion put together a romantic picnic. He set up the yard with a canopy to sit under. He put together a menu. He got a bottle of Beaujolais

Of course because the weather gods keep track of our e-mails and saw we wanted to do something outside it poured yesterday – I swear we are going to have to invent a secret code word for picnic cause every time I suggest one it seems to rain or we have inclement weather – this is worrisome mainly because we are planning a picnic as our reception.

At any rate, here’s the menu (Note: other than the frittata the recipes below are just ones I grabbed off the information super-highway):

Bread with sun-dried tomato spread
(Just get some bread and slice it up – or get sliced bread and get some sun-dried tomato spread – found in your gourmet isle).

Chicken-stuffed mushroom caps
(an example of one such recipe is HERE - this was not the one my love used)

Picnic Zucchini Frittata
Serves 2

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
½ lb zucchini, sliced into 1/8-inch rounds
4 eggs
2 tablespoons milk
¼ teaspoon dried oregano and salt
Dash of pepper
1½ tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup green onions, sliced
½ small can (2 1/4 ounce can) of sliced ripe olives, drained

In a small frying pan with an oven-proof handle, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add garlic and zucchini; cook, stirring occasionally, until zucchini is tender. Remove from heat. In a bowl, lightly beat eggs and milk. Stir in oregano, salt, pepper, cheese, onions, olives, and zucchini mixture. Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to pan; place over medium heat. When oil is hot, pour in egg mixture and cook without stirring. As egg mixture begins to set, lift edges with a spatula and tilt pan to allow uncooked egg to flow underneath. Continue cooking until eggs are softly set, and the top still looks moist. Remove from heat. Place under broiler about 6-inches from heat, just until tops of eggs are set (about 2 to 3 minutes). Cut into wedges to serve.

For dessert (this is an example below of a recipe – Erin made ours from last night with store-bought ‘shortcake’ and mixed berries – which is quicker than baking it yourself):

Easy Strawberry Shortcake

2 1/3 c. Bisquick baking mix
1/2 c. milk
3 tbsp. sugar
3 tbsp. butter, or butter, melted
1 qt. strawberries, sliced and sweetened
Real Whipped Cream

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Mix first 4 ingredients until dough forms. Knead 8-10 times on surface dusted with Bisquick. Roll 1/2 inch thick. Cut with 3-inch cutter dipped in Bisquick. Bake on cookie sheet until golden brown, 10-12 minutes. Split shortcakes, fill and top with strawberries and whipped topping. 6 servings

And,

1 Bottle Beaujolais wine (in our case it was vintage 2005)

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Yesterday was kind of stressful for me (for him as well). Yet I walked into his house and was greeted by the smells of him having cooked part of the picnic. He had to run his son to his ex’s house – then he came home and cooked us our picnic dinner.

We ate in the family room at the coffee table sitting crossed-legged on the floor. We talked and enjoyed the meal.

Afterwards we laughed, wrestled a little, and talked about what we wanted to do that night – since it was raining the idea of going outside to play was not so viable (although I love to go out in the rain). Instead we decided to go bowling. We both kind of sucked but it was fun nonetheless.

We ended up the night by snuggling in each others arms and talking.

I am still amazed at just how much I love this man and how much he also seems to love me as well. I am hoping this trend will continue on for the rest of our days – but I take comfort in knowing that over a year later (much I am sure to the chagrin of certain creep I know out there) – we are still making love to each other in all kinds of wonderful ways.