No Calorie Valentines
by Madelyn Miller, the TravelLady
Cupid has failed you and now it’s time to take love matters into your own
hands. Let this Valentine’s Day be your year start.
 • Finish off your Valentine’s Day look with a head-turning lipstick from
Make-Up Designory. For a punch of intense red try Ladybug, a deep satin red
with blue undertones or for a subtly-romantic shine, try Pink Twinkle, a
sheer, light violet pink with a slight gold glint. SRP: $15 each. Available
at mudshop.com
• Who needs a box of
chocolates when you can lather yourself in the luxuriously-smooth Chocolate
Vanilla Body Crème from Kaia House
 Organics? A deliciously-decadent blend of
cocoa butter, vanilla, and organic willow bark, this moisturizing crème is
extra thick and all natural. SRP: $30. Available at
www.kaiahouse.com
 • Treat your toes to a dash of
Valentines Day inspired-color by applying a sexy red lacquer from China
Glaze. For a bold look try Ruby Pumps, a glam red with a dash of sparkle;
for your fingers try Red Stallion, a light, romantic faded red. SRP: $6.50
each. Available at Sally Beauty Supply stores and salons nationwide.
• The enchanting blend of black currant, jasmine and vanilla will make
him fall in love all over again. Dionis’ Love Collection pays homage to the
labor of love with a full collection of bath and body products perfect for
every inch of your skin. The Love Gift Bag is the perfect Valentine’s Day
gift, this three-piece set includes: Love Liquid Soap, Love Lip Balm and
Love Extra Rich Hand Cream, all housed in a preppy-chic drawstring bag,
trimmed with pink and white gingham. Suggested retail price: $14.95.
Available at www.dionissoap.com
• Every sleeping beauty needs adequate rest to look refreshed and fully
rested before her day of romance. The Happy Company’s Red Eye Mask is a
full-proof way to obtain eight hours of sleep time bliss. The soothing eye
mask features a gel insert which cools in the refrigerator for a soothing,
cooling experience, while the unique eye shape shields bright lights and
distractions. Suggested retail price: $12. Available at
www.thehappycompany.com.
 • Spritz yourself with the scents of love and cuddle close all night
long. Fragrancenet.com offers a variety of love-inspired perfumes including:
Moschino’s I Love Love with citrus undertones and zesty fruits. SRP: $80;
Fragrancenet.com price: $40.19; Vapro International’s 100% Love will have
him begging for more with spicy, oriental splashes of fragrance. SRP: $45;
Fragrancenet.com price: $18.19. Available at
www.fragrancenet.com
Chocolate Soap with an Amazon Twist
 Made with the jungle’s
greatest aphrodisiac, chocolate, a great Valentine’s Day gift idea (with an
Amazon twist) is Wembé’s Chocolate cleansing bar from their new line of eco-lux
soaps. The unique, multi-tasking cleansing bar smells like rich chocolate
(without the calories!) and acts as a skin softener, an antioxidant, and can
help smooth wrinkles.
 Each soap, with its exotic aroma and intense energy, is 100% organic,
paraben-free, and moisturizes the skin, leaving a soft, fresh and smooth
feeling.
www.wembe.com
 Give a Relaxing
Therapeutic Massage this Valentine's Day - It's the Gift that is Good for
your Relationship
The gift of massage is a great alternative to traditional Valentine's Day
gifts and one that can actually help individuals be more attentive to their
significant others.
Massage therapy offers an escape from the pressures of modern life by
providing a relaxing, rejuvenating experience that suits any schedule.
Massage therapy has been proven to relieve stress levels and promote ongoing
stress management to make individuals better equipped to handle daily issues
- like the little things that can make us less available for our significant
others. Additionally, massage therapy boosts immune system functions and can
help relieve depression to enable a happy, healthy approach to daily life.
And it has no calories
Massage Envy believes that everybody deserves access to customized
massage therapy. That's why they offer affordable massage sessions with
flexible appointment times seven days per week to fit even the busiest
schedules. .
A Massage Envy gift card is the perfect way to say "I love you" to those
most special to you - including yourself. And with the proven, ongoing
benefits of massage, it is the Valentine's gift that's actually good for
your relationship.
www.massageenvy.com
There are no calories in Fantasies
 It’s so sad. Each year you can see untold millions of men scrambling at
the last minute to do something romantic – a bouquet of obligatory roses, a
box of heart shaped chocolates or reservations at one of the popular, but
invariably, hectic local restaurants. It’s like the lemmings jumping off the
cliff into the sea.
Now there is an incredibly well designed and exquisitely produced
cookbook for the romantically impaired. Denver Colorado based Eric Lee has
created a masterpiece. His cook at home recipes are readily recreated even
by those who lack credible cooking experience and skill. He may
single-handedly rescue many relationships that would otherwise be doomed to
eating fast food and frozen dinners.
And while this suggestion does ultimately have some calories, just
reading and fantasizing is romantic in itself.
I got a sneak preview and wanted to lick the pages.
Exquisite Mouthwatering Food is The Key to the Ultimate in Romance and
Relationships!
Boulder Colorado Chef Eric S. Lee, says he’s discovered exactly how men can jumpstart, even supercharge
their romance and relationships and make them last. “The key to sweeping a
woman off her feet,” he says, “is with food.”
Lee’s brand new cook book Sweeping Her Off Her Feet with Food is packed
with delicious mouth-watering , aphrodisiac-laden instructions for
preparing, cooking and presenting knock your socks off romantic recipes.
Here is a simple, easy to use cookbook for the romantically deprived.
“This book has been a labor of love for me for years now. It is a perfect
storm blending my fascination with creating great dining experiences and the
ecstasy that can only be found in love,” Eric S. Lee
Sweeping Her Off Her Feet is a 150-page, beautifully illustrated book contains step by step
instructions for four of the most wonderful gourmet full course meals lovers
could possibly dream of. Sample recipes for one of his totally orchestrated
meals is provided below.
The directions he provides are so simple and easy to follow that it won’t
really matter if they think they can’t or just don’t know where to begin. He
makes the cooking easy. The book is also packed with romantic suggestions,
tips for setting the mood, like how to set the dinner table, and wine
recommendations for every recipe.
The sample recipes:
Salmon with Fresh Mango Salsa
Heart-Shaped Pasta with Prosciutto, Fresh Tomato, Peas and Arugula
Shrimp and Red Pepper Aioli Crostinis
The Best Bread Pudding She’s Ever Had With Bourbon Crème Anglaise
Salmon with Fresh Mango Salsa
2 Six – eight ounce Salmon filets (do not get steaks!)
1 Fresh mango peeled and cut into 1/2inch cubes (some grocers carry fresh
Mango already skinned in jars—produce dept)
1 Jalapeño seeded and diced (1/8 inch)
1/2 Red bell pepper diced (1/4 inch)(save the rest for roasting)
1/4 cup diced red onion (1/4 inch)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/3 cup oil (preferably olive oil)
lime
salt & pepper
Mango Salsa
Cut lime in half and squeeze the juice from both halves into a midsized
mixing bowl whisk in half of the oil. Add the rest of the ingredients except
salmon, remaining oil, salt and pepper in a midsized bowl and gently toss
until well mixed. Be sure and stir using a large (wooden if possible)
serving spoon, from bottom using your spoon in an upward, over and down
folding motion to get all of the juice from the bottom mixed in with the
rest of the ingredients. Add a dash of salt and pepper and gently mix again.
Cover and refrigerate. Can be made one-day ahead.
Grilled Salmon
Turn outside grill on to medium high to heat up the grates. Place the
salmon filets on a platter skin side down and rub remaining oil onto the
meat until completely covered. Try and get some of the oil onto the skin.
Feel free to use a bar-b-que sauce brush for this. Sprinkle liberally with
salt and pepper.
When grill is hot place filets on the grill, flesh side down and let cook
for 5-7 minutes. Turn over and let cook another 3-4 minutes until salmon is
just cooked through. Some like their salmon medium rare. If this is you cook
a little less. If you need to check for doneness, though I try to avoid
this, take a knife and gently slice into the top of the fish to ensure it is
cooked to your preference. If it “flakes” all the way through but is still
moist it is done. Since you will be topping it with the beautiful salsa
you’ve made it won’t matter if you have “butchered” it a little.
Optionally, when salmon is done, take a metal spatula and insert it into
the crease between the skin and the flesh and slide it all the way through
until the skin is removed. Place each filet on top of a bed of sautéed
spinach (page 39) on a beautiful plate.
Top with Mango Salsa and serve.
Suggested Wine - Chardonnay / Pinot Noir
Heart-Shaped Pasta with Prosciutto, Fresh Tomato, Peas and Arugula
6 ounces *heart shaped pasta or pasta bowties, cooked until done, but
slightly firm and drained (reserve 1/4 cup pasta water)
1/3 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup chicken broth (or 1 teaspoon bouillon dissolved in 1 cup warm
water)
6-8 paper-thin slices prosciutto, cut into 1” ribbons (ask for it this
way in the grocer’s deli)
3/4 cup frozen peas
2 small Roma tomatoes seeded and diced (just cut into quarters and scoop
out the seeds)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 cups roughly chopped arugula or 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in clam base or chicken broth
Salt and freshly cracked pepper
4 tablespoons shredded Parmesan
Optional: 10 large shrimp
Heart shaped pasta available and
www.CheeseImporters.com
Preheat large sauté pan on medium-high heat. Add oil and garlic, and
sauté garlic until it begins to soften, approximately 20-30 seconds—do not
let it brown. Add white wine and cook until reduced by half. If using shrimp
add now. Add base or broth and bring to a boil; add reserved pasta water,
prosciutto, peas, tomato and shrimp, and cook for about 30 seconds. Stir in
lemon juice, remove from heat and let stand another 30 seconds. Fold in
pasta and arugula or basil. Salt and pepper to taste, divide between two
dinner plates or pasta bowls, and top with shredded Parmesan.
Wine – Sauvignon Blanc, Vouvray
A great appetizer or late snack
Shrimp and Red Pepper Aioli Crostinis
1/2 pound small cooked shrimp (75-90 pieces per pound)
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 clove garlic
1 heaping tablespoon finely chopped roasted red pepper
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Salt & pepper, to taste
8–10 half-inch slices of toasted French baguette
Olive oil
Parmesan
Your choice of fresh herbs: thyme, basil or oregano, chopped
Salt & pepper
Optional: black olive tapenade (recipe follows)
Optional: crème fraiche or sour cream
Eric’s Quick Aioli
Combine mayonnaise, red pepper, garlic & lemon juice in a blender, food
processor or mixing bowl. Blend on medium-high speed until well mixed. Add
salt and pepper to taste. Chill at least 1 hour.
Toss shrimp and aioli together in a medium mixing bowl until shrimp are
well coated. Place back in fridge for at least a half-hour ahead of service.
Brush baguette slices with olive oil, sprinkle with parmesan and herbs
(if using), salt and pepper lightly, Place in oven, turn dial to “broil,”
and cook until lightly browned, approximately 3–5 minutes. Remove from oven
and let cool.
Tapenade
1/2 cup black salad olives
1/2 cup kalamata olives
3 anchovies
1 tablespoon capers
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon
Place all ingredients except oil in processor or blender and blend until
well chopped. Slowly drizzle in oil until mixture forms a paste.
Assemble Crostini
Place a tablespoon of the shrimp mixture on each toasted slice of
baguette. If using tapenade, place 1/2 teaspoon on top of shrimp, and then a
dollop of crème fraiche or sour cream. Sprinkle lightly with chopped fresh
herbs; garnish plate with a pretty flower and serve.
Wine – Pinot Grigio, champagne
The Best Bread Pudding She’s Ever Had With Bourbon Crème Anglaise
This recipe is going to make extra so she can take some to work and brag
to her friends about what a stud she’s got!
1 loaf French bread, cut into cubes and dried 2-3 hours
2 1/2 sticks melted butter (1/2 pound)
5 eggs
2 yolks
3 1/2cups heavy cream
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon vanilla
3/4 cup raisins
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place bread cubes in a 12” x 9” baking dish.
Pour butter over bread cubes and mix together until butter is soaked into
the bread. Combine next 9 ingredients in a medium-sized mixing bowl and
whisk until well blended. Pour mixture (custard) over bread cubes and gently
mix until all cubes are moist with the custard. Let stand for 3 minutes.
Pour remaining butter over the top, then sprinkle brown sugar over that,
making sure some of the sugar mixes with the butter. Place in center of oven
and bake for 50 minutes or until pudding feels firm to the touch and a
toothpick comes out clean. Top should be deep golden brown. Serve with Crème
Anglaise (recipe follows) or Haagen-Dazs vanilla ice cream…I’m sorry I just
love Haagen Dazs!
*Note: Though his girlfriend Trudi loves the this original recipe best,
his favorite modification is to substitute the raisins with 1 1/2 cups fresh
or frozen raspberries, 3/4 cup macadamia nuts and 1 bar of white chocolate
rectangles (not the baking squares—more like the thinner chocolate bar)
broken into pieces. Cut the cinnamon and nutmeg quantities in half. Also
substitute White Crème de Cacao for bourbon in the Crème Anglaise.
Bourbon Crème Anglaise
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
A shot of bourbon or whiskey (2 if you’re feeling thirsty--3 if you’re
feeling thirsty and she’s feeling frisky!)
In a medium mixing bowl, combine yolks and sugar and whisk until well
blended. Place milk, cream and vanilla in a medium sauté pan and warm on
medium-high heat. When cream mixture reaches a soft boil, take 1/4 of the
warm cream and add it to the yolk mixture, whisking gently until well
blended. Turn remainder of the cream to high heat and slowly whisk in yolk
mixture until sauce comes to a boil. Let boil no longer than 5 seconds while
whisking vigorously. Remove from heat and let stand for 15 minutes; then
chill in fridge for at least an hour. When sauces cools, stir in bourbon
until well blended.
Serve when ready.
About Eric S. Lee
 Born and raised from humble beginnings in Detroit, Michigan, Eric spent
most of his early adulthood honing his culinary talents in premier hotel
restaurants in the city's downtown area.
In 1989, Eric followed a lifelong yearning to live in a place that had
more peace and opportunity--and moved to beautiful Boulder, Colorado. He &
his partner opened and co-managed five wonderful restaurants, including: The
Sweet Tomato, an Italian restaurant, which was voted best in
Lafayette/Louisville, Portabello's a 250 seat restaurant in Longmont &
Platinum Grill in Lafayette.
Eric now lives just outside Boulder in Longmont, Colorado.
Sweeping Her Off Her Feet with Food
The Ultimate Guide to Romance and Seduction in the Kitchen
Eric S. Lee
Photographs by Julie Cardinal
List $29.95
Trade soft cover 150 pp color throughout
ISBN 978-0970-6701-4-1
Official Date of Publication Feb 14, 2010
Dreamworld Press, Longmont Colorado
Available soon at bookstores online and directly from
www.SweepingHer.com
Madelyn Miller is a travel and food writer with a passion for chocolate.
She is always looking for ways to find lower calorie chocolate options.
Read her stories on
www.travellady.com,
www.carladynews.com,
www.yogayaya.com,
www.chocolateatlas.com,
www.cocktailatlas.com,
www.coffeeat;as.com,
www.teaAtlas.com
| 
