Happy Thursday. Welcome to another Running with Spoons Thinking Out Loud link party, where randomness is the order of the day. Thanks to Amanda for hosting.

I think I’m going to keep up with this unofficial Valentine’s Day theme because cohesiveness has been hard to come by this week, and I’ll take what I can get. So many details to keep track of! So many phone calls and emails and meetings! So! Many! Opportunities! To use! Exclamation points!

This week’s post is (loosely) all about food and relationships.

1.) Things you should know before getting into a relationship with someone who loves food, courtesy of The Ktchn.

2.) A little list of my personal dietary deal-breakers I made one day while  in a cynical/bitter mood.

3.) A rich yet heart-healthy take on chocolate mousse that’s more conducive to prolonging the life of your nearest & dearest than the traditional version of this classic Token Romantic Dessert. Sorry I don’t have a lava cake recipe for you…I accepted a long time ago that I am just not the kind of woman who can woo with sweets. Occasionally I just get lucky.

4.) More general tips for eating and dating, written when I was on the heels of a breakup (and very bad first date back in the saddle) circa 2013. Which very bad first date, you ask? The one that inspired this nugget: If your overwhelming thought is “That’s nice you want to hold my hand and all, but I really just want to eat this taco,” that’s probably a sign. 

5.) Another tip: Enjoy the romantic dinner after the romance portion of the evening. Way more fun that way.

Any rules or tips when it comes to food and love?