Bring the Romance Home - Filet Mignon Dinner with Balsamic Reduction

 This romantic dinner for 2 idea and recipes have been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions and experiences in this shop are mine alone. #TheMoodStrikes #CollectiveBias

It seems like a distant memory, but I can still remember coming home from work and making dinner with my husband. Just the two of us in a tiny apartment. We took our time, we made fresh pasta, we made pineapple upside down cake in the cast iron skillet... and then decided the rest of dinner wasn't necessary. It was a great time to talk, connect and feel closer to each other.

You could say that romance was in the air.

But that was 10 years ago. Now, the freedom to be spontaneous has been replaced with children, macaroni and cheese, picky eaters and at least one time during the meal or meal prep, crying. Not me, well, usually not me... but usually the baby or one of the kids bursts out crying because the world, as they know it, has ended (or they don't agree with my dinner selection).

And at that point you can usually cue burning food or the smoke detector going off.

Well, since my youngest was born I can count on one hand (and all of 2 fingers!) how often we have had a chance for a romantic meal without the kids.

So given the chance for a little alone time, I wanted to create a special dinner with my husband in mind. He likes red meat. I like veggies. This romantic meal made us both happy without leaving us feeling over stuffed.

I like to pan sear my fillet mignon in a cast iron skillet with a little rosemary, salt and pepper. These also happened to be bacon wrapped. A big plus in my book and the bacon really adds to the flavor.

I made this meal extra special with a balsamic vinegar reduction. It sounds all fancy and goes well with both the meat and roasted veggies.

Balsamic vinegar becomes really thick and sweet when you let it simmer. And yeah, it really is that simple. Let it reduce in a small saucepan till it has reduced by half and will coat the back of a spoon.

Veggies I tossed in olive oil and sea salt, then oven roasted for a short amount of time in a hot oven. Served over a bed of cheesy polenta, this was a great way to catch up on each other and reconnect with each other. This simple dinner was easy to make, leaving plenty of time for closeness.

Seared Filet Mignon with Balsamic Reduction

You Will Need:

• 16 oz. Balsamic Vinegar
• 2 Bacon Wrapped Filet Mignon
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tsp. butter, unsalted

In a small saucepan pour 2 cups of Balsamic Vinegar. Over low heat, bring it to a low simmer and let it reduce to about half. It should easily coat the back of a spoon when it is thick enough. Turn on low till you are ready to serve dinner.

Take the meat out of the fridge 20 minutes before cooking. Salt and pepper both sides of the steaks. 

 In a cast iron skillet, let the pan begin to warm then add the butter and steaks at medium high heat. It should be just below smoking. High, fast heat will result in a delicious steak! Let the steak sear on each side for 3 to 4 minutes. Baste with bacon drippings and butter from the pan. Turn the steak and cook for another 3 minutes or until meat is cooked as desired.

Drizzle the meat with Balsamic Reduction for serving.

Oven roasted Vegetables

You Will Need:

• Bell Peppers, sliced in various colors
• Asparagus, woody ends trimmed
• Green Onions, ends trimmed
• Olive Oil
• Sea Salt

preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Keeping the vegetables separate, toss in olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Place on a baking sheet keeping like-sized vegetables together. 

Start to check and turn vegetables at 9 minutes. Keep an eye on them as each will vary in cooking time depending on size. Let them sear but not burn. 

Drizzle with Balsamic Reduction if desired.

The only thing better than a special romantic dinner is perhaps the perfect dessert. I went with a classic, a simple chocolate souffle for two.

But perhaps even better than the perfect dinner and dessert would be the ability to reconnect when the mood strikes. At my age that is sometimes easier said than done.

The busy holiday season is a great time to connect and spend time with your loved one. I try not to let my relationship get lost in the holiday shuffle.

I found this product in the Feminine Needs section at my local Walmart and be sure to grab this coupon for $1 off any K-Y® product.

 I love that K-Y® Liquibeads allow me the freedom to take advantage of these romantic evenings alone together. You know, they may be far and few between, so I don't want to miss an opportunity!

K-Y® is a personal lubricant brand I have used for years, but now I can prepare for what may come after my romantic dinner, even before I start prepping my vegetables. This product only needs to be used once every few days so even I can be spontaneous.

This is a K-Y® Liquibeads Ovule. The package came with 6 individually packaged Ovule inserts and 6 disposable applicators.

The Liquibeads Ovule fits into the end of the applicator and can be inserted by pressing on the plunger. Using the K-Y® Liquibeads is fast, easy and mess free. Then I can get back to prepping for my dinner and hoping for a wonderful evening.

*women who are pregnant or nursing, should first consult a doctor before using K-Y® Liquibeads.

What would your perfect romantic meal for 2 include?


 

Mirror Deep by Joss Landry - Review and Author Interview

*Disclaimer - I was given a complimentary copy of The Scent of Roses in exchange for my honest review as a reviewer with Promotional Book Tours . All experiences and opinions are my own.

Mirror Deep by Joss Landry

DANGER AND ROMANCE

…Roll like thunder in Kat Bonner’s world, when a known felon comes to the ranch to drop a bomb about her past. Kat turns to Pierce for help, the same Pierce who bucks her every chance he gets … and whose feverish investigation lands them in trouble with the law and directly in the path of a serial killer. Mystery deepens, fraught with wrong turns, bumbling detectives, old murders, and Kat’s doppelganger no one ever sees but her, just as she never sees the change in Pierce’s feelings toward her brewing, mounting, until she can no longer deny them.

Buy on Amazon | Paperback | Kobo | B&N | EBookPie | Scribd

My Review:
Kat Bonner is a great character, a wild and headstrong gal who reminded me of the gorgeous horses in the story. Her gift is in working with horses, but life has a few surprises for this country girl. I felt she was in need of the right kind of love, not taming, just understanding and appreciation. Of course, she finds it in the most unlikely of places.

But this story is no tame romance. Instead, the characters are thrust into a great mystery. Faced with a mysterious past and danger in her present, Kat turns to Pierce. It is fun to watch that relationship change and develop. I found myself rooting for him the whole time but there is so much going on in the story, it is hard to tell what will happen next.

A wonderful story from Joss Landry. It will not be the last book I read of hers.

Author Interview:
I recently had the pleasure of reading Mirror Deep and I am very excited to ask you a few questions 
regarding your book. 

Thank you for reading my book, Andrea. I appreciate readers, and any feedback they give.

1. What inspired you to write Mirror Deep? 

Well, I am familiar with horses. When my children were 
younger, all four of them belonged to our local chapter of the Pony Club. While the children learned 
to ride, and participated in local competitions and dressage events, we lived on a small 50 acre hobby 
farm and took all sorts of courses on how to raise horses, which also included horse reproduction. As 
part-time, urbanite farmers, we also cropped the best horse hay in a 100 mile radius. Come fall, our 
barn would own the sweetest smell… Although wouldn’t last long. Wouldn’t take a week before horse 
farms in the area came by truck to buy most of our hay. Writing Mirror Deep brought it all back. Good 
memories.

2. Would you consider yourself a horse person? Did you pull from personal experience to write about 
Kat's talents with horses? 

I love horses. I used to stand on the deck and stare at one of our horses in the pasture. She or he would 
raise their long neck and turn to stare right back at me. They’d come running. Magical creatures. My 
children were fortunate to ride and learn at Ian Millar’s farm. To see Ian work with his horse Big Ben was 
fabulous. Together they won more than 40 Grand Prix titles worldwide. He now holds the record for most 
Olympic appearances. He brought back the Silver for Canada in 2012.

3. Kat is a headstrong heroine. Do you think this is an important characteristic for a modern romance? What attributes do you believe make for a lovable female character? 

Another great question. I admit, Kat is headstrong, and the first thing people around me asked, was if 
I had modeled her on myself. We do share some points. However, Kat is less careful than I am more 
prone to action. I believe her determination and courage to solve her issues while throwing caution to 
the wind are attributes I like in a heroine. My heroine and hero need to be a little bigger than life to 
please me and have me tagging along on any adventure.

4. Do you have a favorite romance story or author? 

I have so many, much too difficult to pick and choose only one. I am a fan of mysteries, P.D. James 
would be my favorite in that category. I like Sandra Gulland with: The Many Lives &Secret Sorrows Of 
Josephine B. one of the great love stories of all times.

5. What is your favorite Fall food or dish? 

Pumpkin bread, and pumpkin pies, apple pies. Deep dish vegetable stew with buckwheat noodles or sticky rice on the side. Freshly picked apples. 

6. Anything else you would like to share with my readers? 

From someone who’s had more lives than a cat … I have found useful to never take life for granted. I Enjoy each and every little joy as though the moment was my last, and through the wise teachings of Ho’oponopono, I am slowly getting closer to my goals.

With a degree in commerce, Joss has worked as a consultant for more than twenty years, writing copy for marketing firms and assisting start-up companies launch their business. She recently made the switch from composing copy and promos, to writing fiction and prose. She is developing her style through courses and the support of other writers. A recent graduate of the Long Ridge Writer’s Group, she is a member of the Romance Writers of America and is presently working on honing three other novels for publication. Blessed with four children and five grandchildren, she resides in Montreal with her husband, a staunch supporter, and enjoys spending her time biking, rollerblading, playing tennis and swimming. She loves creating stories, as she says that it fulfills her need to think outside the box.

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