SHESPEAKS Your Power to Influence

Did you ever think the question, “Pass the potatoes please?” could bring you and your partner closer together?  With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, it may be the perfect time to pull up a seat next to your loved one and share a nice meal.

A recent article from USA Today shares some ideas about how the simple act of cooking and eating together can help strengthen your relationship.  Romance novelist, Kate Douglas, talks about her first date she had with her husband at a Cuban restaurant and the fact that his willingness to try exotic new things helped solidify their relationship.  Douglas says that if a couple prepares and/or eats at least one meal together a day they will keep their relationship healthy for years to come.

Douglas believes that just by experiencing the taste of food together a couple can heighten the romance between them. Douglas says, “In sharing a bite of a sandwich, watching someone enjoy the taste of something, the sensual pleasure of taste can transfer over to the sensual pleasure between two people.”

It makes sense that eating together daily can have a positive effect on our relationships since it is the one time a day you can truly focus your attention on your spouse, share thoughts, or simply talk about what you did that day.  Some no-brainer tips to add a little romance to your dinner would be to turn the TV and cell phones off, light some candles, and set the table.  These simple details will help to drown out any distractions and put a spotlight on you and yours during meal time.

Some more tips on how to spice up a special romantic meal are to make a meal you normally wouldn’t prepare together, like a nice breakfast after a date with your partner the night before.  Having a private cocktail party for you and your partner could also be a fun thing to try.  Serve new cocktails you’ve never tried before and make finger foods you can feed to each other.  

Do you think preparing or eating at least one meal a day with your partner could strengthen your relationship?

What types of meal ideas do you have for Valentine’s Day or your next date night?