Prepare your sweethearts favourite meal. Create a romantic mood by setting the table with nice linens, candles, flowers and some great mood music in the background; I use the music channels included in my cable package – your options are endless. I have included links to a few of my favourite recipes to help you out if needed.

- Molten Chocolate Cakes or as I call them Heaven On a Plate
- Sweet & Spicy Asian Pork Shoulder (I use pork tenderloin instead of pork shoulder)
- Pot Roast with Winter Root Vegetables
- Roasted Chicken & Vegetables (I use cut up chicken breasts, add potatoes and an assortment of fresh vegetables such as zucchini, peppers, mushrooms along with the carrots. I omit the olives and bay leaves and sprinkle with seasoning salt, vegetable seasoning and fresh lemon juice)

- Maple Soy Salmon
o Salmon Fillet
o Lemon
o 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
o Nutmeg
o Cinnamon
o Garlic Powder
o Salt
o Onion powder or flakes
o Black Pepper
o ¼ cup soy sauce
o ½ cup maple syrup

1) Can be broiled or wrapped in foil and baked on a BBQ
2) Use half of the lemon and squeeze the juice on the salmon
3) Brush 2 tsp of oil on fillet
4) Sprinkle salmon with nutmeg, cinnamon, garlic powder, salt, onion flakes and pepper; let sit covered in fridge for 1 hour
5) Bake in oven at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes or until salmon flakes easily
6) BBQ on a tinfoil lined cookie sheet and cover with foil on medium for about 17 minutes (I use an old cookie sheet that is strictly for use on the BBQ)
7) In a small saucepan, combine soy sauce and maple syrup over medium heat until sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon (about 7 – 10 minutes)

Drizzle sauce over cooked salmon and serve

There are many people out there that are Anti-Valentine’s Day. Just this morning on the radio there was quite a heated debate about it; how it places too much pressure on men to perform on one specific date and that it makes single people feel inadequate, acting as a reminder that they have no one special in their life. I look at it as an opportunity to express how grateful I am to have someone to share my life with and who said that only they guy needs to be the one to feel the pressure. And realistically, it isn’t pressure if you are doing it out of love and respect for the one you are with. Over the next few days I will post some great gift ideas for the one you love, most which require little money, some thought and a bit of effort. I guarantee they will be appreciated by the recipient.

Idea #1

Buy an inexpensive container and fill it with slips of paper that express why you love them and special memories of moments that you have shared. Handwritten notes are more meaningful, if you have the time, but even if they are typed, they will still be meaningful. Write out as many as you can; ideally 365, one for every day of the year, but even if you can only come up with a dozen – I am sure it will be well received by your sweetheart. If you can only come up with a few – maybe it’s time to re-examine why you are in the relationship.