A Recipe For Enhancing Relationships
There are many important things…
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted everyone on a global scale and has forced us into isolation without an end date in sight. During this time of isolation, however, we can find solace in appreciating the things we would normally take for granted. Going out for delectable food and drinks, catching up with friends and family, and holding loved ones close. These are difficult times that are considerably lacking in these things that all humans need in their lives.
From the food that we eat to the time that we spend with those we care about, there are many different aspects of crucial human needs, two of which are food and love. These two things are so important that many people place one, if not both, of these as a higher priority than their careers, educations, and living environments. Specifically, romantic relationships are often placed as a high priority for most people, sometimes even surpassing the priority for basic needs.
Think of how much you value your own romantic relationship. What measures would you take in order to keep it?
When experiencing conflict in relationships some people go to their friends and family for advice, consult a professional such as a couple’s therapist, or even watch romantic movies in hopes of relating to the characters. Some people may have an aversion toward these possible solutions for fear of them being too extreme a measure, or potentially not being enough to resolve the conflict. So what is a good in-between that is effective?
Relationships: Cooked With Love
My answer is my relationship-enhancing cookbook, “Relationships: Cooked With Love”. This cookbook is intended for two partners who are romantically involved with each other for the purpose of enhancing the following four aspects of the pre-existing romantic relationship:
- Communication
- Intimate Awareness
- Intimate Understanding
- Gratitude
How does it work?
The Recipes
Each recipe in this cookbook has two equal roles in the cooking process that foster a teamwork environment in a couple’s very own kitchen. Each recipe is color-coded with gender-neutral binary colors with each step constructed to have equal collaboration between both partners.
The Challenge Cards
In addition to teamwork roles for each recipe, the cookbook also comes with a deck of challenge cards for an extra spin. These cards can be applied to any recipe in this cookbook and aim to challenge the partners on their communication, intimate awareness, interpersonal understanding, and gratitude skills. These cards can be chosen at random or purposely depending on customer preference — one card per recipe! Each deck includes blank challenge cards to add your own creative challenges!
Why a cookbook?
Cooking has been found to be an effective way of developing rich human interactions. It is nourishing not only to your body and mind when you eat, but also in the sense of the growth between you and others when you cook and share a meal. Cooking recipes with equal and collaborative roles for two partners functions as a vehicle to help enhance the skills of communication, intimate awareness, intimate understanding, and gratitude in a romantic relationship.
Is this effective?
During the creation of this cookbook, I conducted Q&A testing in order to cater to the target audience of this product. Fifteen couples, varying from 22 to 63 years of age, participated in the testing of this process. Each couple was provided with a random recipe from the cookbook along with a random challenge card. The couples were then asked to conduct the recipe collaboratively while following the rule on their challenge card. Once the couples created, shared, and enjoyed their dish together, they were asked to complete a survey regarding their experiences.
One of the various questions I asked on the Q&A survey was if the two partners felt that their relationship skills improved as a result of participating in this process. One hundred percent of the participating couples responded saying that it did, in fact, improve their relationship skills to some degree.
Overview
Intended Audiences
This product is intended for any romantically involved couple regardless of age, ethnicity, gender, sexual identity, and sexuality. It is designed to be a product that is all-inclusive, just how love should be!
What This Product Includes
- A cookbook with a collection of 25+ collaborative recipes
- A deck of 10+ challenge cards
- 3 Blank challenge cards
The Future of This Product
The next goal for “Relationships: Cooked With Love” is to publish a final product containing a collection of 60+ collaborative recipes and a deck of 30+ challenge cards with 5blank challenge cards. This unique idea has never been created and thus has no competitor on the market. This product will be printed in physical copies and would be available for purchase in both online and brick & mortar bookstores.
Thank you so much to those who helped in the inspiration and creation of this product and its ideas, as well as those who participated in the testing process of this product!
