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"With the release of Glamour&amp;#39;s cookbook, 100 Recipes Every Woman Should Know, we&amp;#39;ve talked a lot about romantic cooking lately. But beyond the menu, how can you set the stage for a seriously sexy meal in? Our friend Kelly Senyei at Gourmet Live wrote this adorable guide to prepping your apartment when you&amp;#39;re the one hosting date night.\nPinterestFacebookMood before Food: Line up the fantastic four: lighting, candles (unscented!), music and flowers. Create a romantic ambiance with dimmed lights and soft candlelight, not just in the dining room but throughout your home. Stick to instrumental tracks for background music--no distracting or jarring lyrics--and, though flowers may be obvious, they are a must. If you don&amp;#39;t know your significant other&amp;#39;s favorite, don&amp;#39;t default to overpriced, cliched roses. Depending on your location, a mixed bouquet of seasonal forsythia, tulips and hydrangeas adds maximum color to your tabletop without blowing the budget.\nAll that Sparkles: Opt for sparkling water instead of flat. The bubbly upgrade adds another element of elegance to the evening. Up the ante with citrus-infused ice cubes: Simply add small wedges of lemon and lime to ice cube trays, top them with water and freeze for a subtle flavor boost and an eye-catching effect.\nUnplug: Make it a meal for two, not two thousand, by disconnecting from your social networks for the evening. Don&amp;#39;t even glance at the computer.\nA Roadmap to Romance: As a fun and easy addition to your table setting, create a personalized hand-written menu from plain cardstock--a thoughtful touch, and a charming souvenir.\nEat Your Heart Out: Swap out traditional rose petals strewn on the table for something edible. Buy a set of food decorating pens and write your own messages on marshmallows.\nA Sweet Finish: Three words: Boozy Whipped Cream (download the app to buy the recipe here). Now you take it from here.\nWhat do you ladies think? How do you set the stage for romance at home?__\nP.S. Purchase *Gourmet Live&amp;#39;s entire sexy Dinner for Two menu by downloading the app. *\n__More Ways to Get Glamour:\n*Visit ShopGlamour.com for cute stuff starting at just $10!\nDownload Glamour Magazine for your iPad!\nEnter the latest Glamour sweepstakes!\nFollow us on Twitter!\nAdd us to your iGoogle homepage. *\nPhoto: Chris Gentile"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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