Happy Friday everyone! I'm so glad the weekend is here, things have been soooo busy at work and at our house this week (repairs are going well!). Alex and I are in need of a little break before we he has to finish up our fence install. I can't think of anything better for this evening than being at home with my hubby! So, I feeling Head Over Heels for the 'at home date night'!
We consider the 'at home date night' to be an evening at home where we aren't doing anything but cooking....
(it fits our DIY style)
...enjoying some wine, laughing...
...listening to music, talking, and just trying to relax. There are two rules for date night though:
1. No talking about home projects (it is actually a hard rule to follow!).
2. No pajamas, sweatpants, lounge wear, or sloppy clothes allowed (we might be at home, but this is a date! Dress to impress the spouse!)
The fun part always seems to be coming up with the menu...
Tonight, Alex had the brilliant menu idea to recreate our favorite dishes from our recent Europe vacation. This included a tartine made of swiss, ham, tomatoes, topped with goat cheese (then baked) we had at Le Terminus in Paris. (photo below is before baking)
As an appetizer, we are making steamed mussels made with olive oil, garlic, and white wine. Just like the mussels we had at Fife in Split.
This is our first attempt making mussels at home! Keep your fingers crossed!
Now, we just need to keep our 'kiddos' Rocco and Sadie distracted from all the cooking!
Older photo, but it always ends up like this, the kitchen gets crowded fast! But for the most part Rocco and Sadie make our date night a little more entertaining!
Well, I can definitely say I'm enjoying this Head Over Heels Friday!
What about you? Do you do 'Date Nights' at home too?
Do you have a favorite recipe or theme for a date night at home?
I'd love to hear more ideas!
Alright, time to go, I think this counts as breaking rule #1 for date night sort of :) plus the wine and food is calling me!
Sounds like a great way to spend a Friday night with hubby! Most of our "date nights" are at home but that's the way we like it. We love to do a pizza bar and grill, have some wine and later, a soak in the tub with lots of bubbles! Have fun! :)
ReplyDeleteI love it Diana! And yes, really, most of our free nights are date nights too! I actually like them more than going out, crazy, I never thought I would say that. But home always feels better to me, and the time we spend actually enjoying ourselves together in our home (after all the projects) makes it feel worth it! Maybe next we will make mini pizzas together and have a competition to see who's is better? Oh, and I like the end of the night idea, but our small bathroom (and tub) don't allow the opportunity :( It's on the wish list for the next house! Wow, I'm being really honest, it's the wine, gotta go! HAHA!
ReplyDelete~Carla
I like it! We've had to get creative this year since we were in major saving mode and didn't have a lot of extra money. Date night is either at home, out with a gift certificate, or doing something for free (though that's not hard in Minneapolis!). I like your "no house talk" rule. It's easy to let the house be the only thing you talk about and it feels shallow after a while. Obviously house things need to be talked about but I try to avoid the topic at dinner and sometimes it's really hard!
ReplyDeleteI love our dinner at home date nights too. I'm going to adopt (aka *steal*) your #2 rule though so no more slouchy clothes on date nights. As for some ideas...
ReplyDelete1. We love steak and lobster or steak and crablegs cooked on the grill. Hot Rod does all the grilling and I do the side dishes which usually mean I get all the food ready to grill and then cook some sort of starch. Finish it off with home made creme brulee with fresh berries and fresh whipped cream. Delish!
2. For a quick fix night, we get a store bought frozen pizza (the Freshetta Chicken Club is divine!) and then just jazz it up with a few fresh ingredients to kind of make it our own. I like to add: black olives, onions, sliced grape tomatoes, bacon, and more cheese. We cuddle on the couch, watching a movie while we drink a bottle of wine (ok..so 2 bottles but who's counting right?) while we eat the pizza.
3. Last but certainly not least is Mexicalli shrimp night. Grilled spiced shrimp served with a roasted tomatillo sauce. We got the entire recipe from Guy Fieri on the Food Network. Just do a search for Mexicalli shrimp and I'm sure you'll find it. I like it with a buttered pasta and grilled asparagus.
Hmm...now I'm hungry! ha ha ha