The lights are dim, the candles are lit, and the aroma of flowers fill the room. There’s nothing like a romantic home-cooked meal to spice up a relationship. Now, if you want to do this right, don’t just hit up the nearest McDonald’s and get a couple of Big Macs to go. You have to make a meal with a little bit of LOVE.

To make a meal with love, there are a few simple guidelines one must follow:

• Feel a connection with the food you are making.
• Cook it like you are Da Vinci painting the Mona Lisa.
• Absolutely no frozen box foods or takeout. Homemade is key.
• If they are available, get organic ingredients from a farmer’s market or backyard garden. Preferably grab something that hasn’t been sprayed with chemicals or crowded in a barn for its whole life.
• Presentation is key. Make it look like the masterpiece it is.
• Make a desert. Everyone needs a little sweetness in their life.

If you follow these guidelines, I assure you that your partner will be so amazed with you that they will never leave you. Ever.