Sometimes as wives we have to get creative in order to spend the time with our husbands. Maybe our finances won’t allow for going out for a date. That’s o.k. because dinner in can be just as romantic as going out and much cheaper.
The goal? To spend time with your man making him feel extra special.
Ladies, our husband need us. They need us to build up their confidence, to show them respect and to treat them with love. They need a physical relationship with us, and we need to be adored by them. When we meet their needs, they will do just that, adore us.
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While you’re here make sure you check out these 32 Date Night Ideas to Enjoy at Home.
Pre-Planning for your Date Night
- Arrange for overnight childcare. Maybe an aunt, grandparent or close friend. Tip: offer to exchange overnights so she can have a date night with her husband.
- Plan your meal. I’ve shared a menu below, but you can do your own if you wish. Go grocery shopping a couple of days in advance or even a few weeks, if you need to.
- When your husband leaves for work the day give him a note. You can use one of the love notes for your spouse. Write a little invitation to him to hurry home tonight for a special meal.
Set the Mood for your Date night
Setting the mood starts with cleaning up the house. If you were inviting the ladies from church you’d clean the house. And, I’ve guess you’d want it to be spotless.
Maybe your thinking, He’s a man, he won’t care if the house is messy. You are right he won’t care if it’s messy. But, he will notice if it’s clean, and realize that you did it just for him.
He is your honored guest, the king of your castle. Treat him as such.
- Straighten up the house. I don’t mean you have to scrub it spotless, although if you do a little deep cleaning each day leading up to the date night, all the better. But if you need to just de-clutter; take the baskets of laundry out of your bedroom and put them in the laundry room. Put the toys in the kids rooms, straighten the mail, clean off the dining table, close doors to cluttered rooms if necessary, run the vacuum, straighten the rooms you plan to be in.
- Set the Mood
- Pull together your candles. It doesn’t matter if they are the same color or size, your going to lower the lights and the glow of the candles will be beautiful and set just the right mood. Try these flameless candles for a safe romantic dinner.
- Set the Table. Lay your best linens, real cloth napkins, pull out the good dishes and the silverware and nice glasses.
- Place some of those candles in the middle and lower the lights.
- Did I mention the Bedroom?
Make the bed, freshen the linens, set a bottle of massage oil on the beside table, lower the lights, you know what to do, just do it. - Music
Turn on some romantic music from Amazon Music Unlimited or your favorite streaming service. You want soft, gentle music, the kind like you hear at the spa. - Pamper You
Girls it’s time to pamper yourselves a bit. Take a hot shower or long bubble bath, shave your legs, wash your hair, do it up nicely add a bit of lip gloss. If you were going out with him you’d give him your best look, why not do the same while staying in?
Prepare Your Meal for Date Night
You may start this before setting the mood, but that doesn’t matter. You want to have a meal that takes time. Not a rushed last minute thrown together meal. Think slow progression.
In our 25+ years of marriage I’ve been privileged on more than one occasion to go to some very nice restaurants. The thing that stands out the most is how slowly each course is served.
This isn’t a mistake, in fact, it’s quite the opposite. It’s a sign of luxury, to take your time eating, slowly progressing through a meal. It allows you time to talk and connect.
Menu for a 5 Course Meal
Prep as much as possible ahead of time. Clean up the kitchen as you go so you aren’t overwhelmed in the end. Plate the appetizers and keep them in a warmed oven and salad and keep cold in the fridge.
Cook the soup in the crock pot so it’s warm at the time of service, set the bowls near the crock pot for quick service.
Prep the entree and sides and keep them in a warmed oven for easy yet, hot service. Place the dessert on their plates and keep covered until ready to serve.
Remember you are not cooking for 12. You are cooking for 2, so reduce quantities appropriately, which will save you time in the kitchen.
This is a five course dinner. Don’t rush to finish it. Small bites for the early course means you won’t overfill. And, serving slow with good conversation means your dinner will be a beautiful evening focused on the two of you.
Appetizer Course:
Start with an appetizer. I was inspired by this French Onion Stuffed Mushroom recipe that I found on Pinterest from The Pioneer Woman.
Soup Course:
My Warm Ginger Pumpkin Soup is a great, quick, soup that is simple to prepare and mild in flavors. Plus, it’s not too filling for a five course dinner.
Salad Course:
Grape & Feta Spinach Salad with Balsamic Dressing is a simple salad that you can throw together quickly. I use fresh, trimmed, baby spinach leaves. Wash and pat dry. Rinse and half some black grapes and add to the spinach. Then, crumble some feta over the top. Drizzle a little balsamic dressing over the top. It’s OK to use your favorite store bought brand.
Entrée:
Garlic & Herb Flank Steak with Seared Asparagus
For the flank steak I used a pre-seasoned steak from the grocery. Quite frankly, because it was the better deal than if I had purchased a plain steak.
Discover how I cook the perfect steak.
Were you thinking surf & turf for your romantic dinner? Try Three Steps to an Extra Special Romantic Surf and Turf Dinner for Two.
For the Asparagus, trim the ends of the asparagus by snapping off the tough end, rinse.
Melt a tablespoon of butter with a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, in a medium saucepan. Add asparagus, cook briefly, just a minute or two until the green brightens, sprinkle with a dash of salt and pepper. Remove from pan.
I made my Dinner Rolls recipe a few days before for a family dinner, I reserved some dough in the freezer for a quick thaw and bake.
Dessert Course:
I gave these a try Salted Caramel Cheesecake.
Drinks:
We do not drink alcohol in our family but on a special night like this something fun and festive is in order. This easy drink makes for a delicious special occasion.
Appleberry Spritz
- 1 can of frozen raspberry apple juice concentrated, or three bottles of juice.
- 1 bottle sparkling water or a clear soda like Sierra Mist.
Mix together in a pretty pitcher keep chilled in the fridge.
Serve each course slowly.
Talk for a bit while holding hands before serving the next course. Keep a sink full of warm sudsy water and wash up the dishes quickly (or put into the dishwasher if you have one) before serving each course, so that when the night is over, you don’t leave a kitchen full of dishes to worry about.
You have the house to yourselves. Use this time to reconnect with your husband.
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Don’t miss these other Marriage Moments
- Marriage Date Night Ideas for Couples to Enjoy
- A Year’s Worth of Ideas for Marriage Date Nights
- 100 Proven Ways to Have a Stronger Marriage
