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Who Says Manly Men Can Not Be Romantic?

The notion of a romantic evening for a lot of us guys includes preparation in the form of reservations, flower purchasing and some form of evening entertainment, perhaps a movie, concert or dancing. This has been a tried and true method of courtship for ages, and it still works very well. But every once in a long while, it just might be a good idea to really surprise her with an evening at home she is likely to never forget. You have it in you to handle this and still not be seen as a wimp.

No matter how your special lady says she feels; a little special attention from you is something she will cherish. The hardest part for most of us is that is just a whole lot simpler and less messy to leave evenings to those who do it for a living, and we have less opportunity to fail. Because of this, there is an entire industry dedicated to helping us woo the fairer sex with purchasing power, a win win for us and the commercial world. For this very reason, doing it yourself will mean so much more to her.

For starters, pass on the purchased firewood for a change, grab you poulan chainsaw or similar type, and head out for some place you can get your firewood yourself. This gets you outdoors doing the manly thing you like and still call it part of the preparation. Once you have felled you tree, cut into lengths and then split into firewood, it is time to stack the wood in your truck and head back to the crib. By now you should have that wonderful warm glow from using the muscles in honest work; the evening preparation is off to a great start.

Back home, prepare the fireplace for a good long fire, replete with starter kindling, matches and everything else you need to keep the fire steady. If the place could use a little tidying up, this is a good time to take care of that, you do not want some errant article of clothing or paraphernalia to ruin the mood. There is some more preparation to get to, but fear naught, you can handle this.

Now the tough part, you are going to prepare a meal that both you and she will enjoy, and do it with your own hands. The first step is to get the required elements of this meal, and resist the temptation to purchase a ready-made meal from the supermarket, it is not a bad idea, but tonight you are doing this all yourself. If you do not already have one, it is time to head to the local kitchen store a pick up an electric rice cooker; they are excellent functional devices at a reasonable price. If you already own one, we move on.

It is time to go grocery shopping. You will need sticky rice (not whole grain or wild rice), a piece of broiled chicken from the deli, uncooked scallops or shrimp (your choice or a combination), cream of mushroom soup, some microwaveable vegetables, a bag of shredded cheese (cheddar or mixed), a loaf of French bread, a ready made salad, and your favorite bottle of wine. You now have all the ingredients necessary for a simply prepared delicious meal.

The first step is to read the instructions for setting the rice, so you can start it first. It is so easy to do and you ca not fail to make perfect rice. Turn it on and head upstairs for a well deserved shower. Although it is still late afternoon, prepare as though you were getting ready for an important day at work, or going out to an expensive restaurant. She will appreciate that you took the time to look nice even for an evening at home.

Now you are ready to prepare the meal. Start by preheating the oven to 325 degrees. The rice should be done by now, so fill an oven ready dish to about an inch and a half with the cooked rice. Now add the cream of mushroom sauce evenly over the rice. Place the uncooked shrimp or scallops on top of this layer of rice and soup (or shred the chicken and distribute that instead) and sprinkle the cheese over the whole mixture and cover with aluminum foil. Place your vegetables in a microwaveable dish and put the rice dish in the oven about 35 minutes before she will be there. Now is the time to start the fire so it will be ready when dinner is.

Start the fire and select some decent tableware. Prepare a table in front of the fireplace and cook the vegetables as instructed on the bag. Slice the bread and place on a plate on the table. You are about 30 minutes away from a very fine romantic meal. Check the rice starting at about 25 minutes of baking, you want the seafood cooked and the cheese melted, bubbling and slightly browned but not black. When its ready, put the rice dish and the vegetables on the table, pour the wine and water, and you are ready for her. It is hard to believe this all started with the trusty homelite chainsaw.