Choose your drinks. If you're planning to have a romantic dinner at home, then the first thing you'll do is have a drink to inaugurate the start of your nice home-cooked meal. Wine is the most romantic choice, so if you and yours are wine drinkers, be prepared with a bottle of red or white wine (or more), depending on what you're eating. Red wines tend to go best with steak and other meats, while white wines are better on summer evenings and go well with lighter foods like shrimp or salads. If you're having a more casual meal or just really like beer, then beer is fine, too.
If you plan to drink beer, white wine, or another beverage that should be cold, make sure to put it in the fridge well in advance.
You should also prepare some water with lemon in it for a nice touch. Put a pitcher of cold water on the table. You don't want to run to the fridge for water in the middle of the meal.
Choose simple appetizers. After you pour your drinks, you should be ready with some simple appetizers. You don't want to spend an hour sipping your drinks and standing around waiting for the food to be ready. Though preparing food together -- or some of it -- is part of the fun of having a romantic dinner at home, it won't be much fun if you're both too hungry to feel romantic. Having a few simple appetizers ready, or planning for very simple treats that are easy to assemble, will get your meal off on the right foot. Pick simple finger foods that are fun and easy to eat while you're in the kitchen. Here are some perfect appetizers to try:[1]
Make some bruschetta earlier in the day. All you need is a baguette, garlic, olive oil, onion, tomatoes, and a few other simple ingredients.
If you're feeling fancy, you can make deviled eggs the night before and enjoy them while you wait.
Prepare some home-made guacamole (or buy it) earlier in the day and serve it with a small bowl of tortilla chips.
For the summer, make simple salad with four ingredients: watermelon, feta cheese, sunflower seeds, and mint.
Hummus with pita chips and fresh veggies is always a big hit.
Though cheese and crackers are traditionally eaten at the end of a meal, mix things up and enjoy a plate of them as an appetizer. Gouda, brie, and fontina are great cheeses for crackers.
Dress up. Before you start your dinner date, take a shower and put on some perfume or cologne. Dress up just like you were going out to dinner. Put on some casual, but nice clothes, and look refreshed and effortlessly attractive. Your partner will appreciate the effort, and the night will feel even more special. Just make sure you decide on a dress code with your partner before the date, so you both look equally fancy.
Choose a simple dessert. If you've done a good job with the wine, appetizers, and main course, then chances are that you won't have much room in your stomach by dessert time. Instead of preparing an elaborate dessert, just pick up some cupcakes from your favorite local bakery or put some ice cream in the freezer and serve it with whipped cream and a handful of raspberries and blueberries.
Have a backup plan. Though your romantic dinner at home should go as smoothly as possible, you should have a backup plan just in case. This doesn't mean that you should have another home-cooked meal prepared, but it does mean that you should have a safety plan in case something goes wrong. This could just mean having the menu to your favorite sushi restaurant or popping a frozen pizza in the fridge. If you're stuck at home with no other food and no other options, then you may be in trouble.
Avoid all distractions. Make a plan to avoid all distractions so that you and your date can be free to enjoy your delicious meal -- and each other's company. So, if you have kids, arrange to have a sitter watch them away from home well in advance. Other than that, turn off your phones, the television, and radio, and focus only on each other. If there's going to be a big game on that night and one or both of you is a big sports fan, you may want to reschedule your date so that you aren't distracted. Once all the distractions are put away, you can focus on having a romantic evening.
No comments:
Post a Comment