I am a sucker for Valentines day – the perfect audience for all those sappy commercials hoping to prey on the romantic bones of the weak! And I know it, so I don’t even feel bad about it. While Matt always surprises me with a fun date/getaway, I like to plan a little something for him as well! If you find yourself as new parents like us and/or strapped for time/money, I hope this post will inspire you to plan and enjoy a special evening  together from the comfort of your cozy home! Complete with a romantic steak dinner recipe for two and 16 fun “at home date ideas”, here are my tips for planning the perfect at-home date night!

Before the Date Nights Began… Here’s How We Met

This post would not be complete without a little background check! If you don’t care to hear a sappy “how we met” story, scroll past this paragraph ??. Before I get to sharing my recipe/date ideas, I want to introduce you to the man behind this post (and who inspired me to start blogging in the first place). I met my husband, Matt, the first week of college (s/o Kansas State) in the dorms. When I met him, I was sitting on the lap of my then boyfriend (he recalls thinking “I wish that were me”). Matt and I were both in relationships that first semester of college, so we became close friends and would study/workout together. When he broke up with his girlfriend, I set him up with 3 of my closest friends. He dated these 3 girls (one after another… not at the same time…) over the course of the next several months (I guess I just wanted to keep him close ?). At the end of our freshmen year I invited him to my sorority’s date party- our first “date” but only as friends. Matt was actually my back up because my initial date couldn’t make it – in fact, my initial date was one of Matts’ good friends. I found myself in and out of other relationships over the next half a year until spring break of our sophomore year when Matt and I travelled down to South Padre Island with our friends. The two of us kept each other awake during the overnight drive while the rest of our friends slept, having all the cliché “pillow talks” of sharing dreams, beliefs, and experiences. My attraction turned into a full blown crush and remains that way today! Matt and I went on our first romantic date night shortly after (his fraternity formal in typical college Greek life fashion) and the rest was history. He asked me to marry him 5 years later in the same spot he told me he loved me – on the beach at Gulf Shores, Alabama. We got married in this same special place in June of 2016  ❤️ And yes, one of those girls I set him up with was a bridesmaid at our wedding. I sometime forget how weird that is.

Back to business... Planning the perfect at-home date night involves 2 “parts”. And, in typical INSPO_MESSYDESK fashion, I have included a recipe to accompany this blog post, which happens to be part ONE! ??

Planning the Perfect At-Home Date Night 

Part 1: Romantic Steak Dinner for Two

Red Wine Marinated Steak with Baked Almond Asparagus and “8-80-8” Cheesy Chive Potatoes.

Steak Ingredients

• 2 steak filets of choice (I go with USDA Prime Beef Tenderloin steaks)
• 2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
• 2 Tbsp Soy Sauce (low sodium)
• 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 Tbsp Red Wine (I use Cabernet)
• 1 Tbsp minced shallot
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• Dash of garlic powder
• Sea salt/black pepper
• Thyme or Sage

Directions

1. Prep marinade early in the day and let steaks sit for at least 6 hours in the marinade (even better if you can do this overnight). To make marinade, combine balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, red wine, shallot, garlic,  & olive oil in a Tupperware container. Pat steaks dry and generously sprinkle with garlic powder, salt, and pepper.

2. Marinate Steaks – place steaks in Tupperware with marinade and spoon marinade over the steaks. Let the steaks sit in the marinade in the fridge for at least 6 hours.

3. Cook Steaks – do this while your potatoes are boiling so to reduce sit time after they finish cooking. Break out your cast iron skillet and heat a drizzle of olive oil, sage or thyme spriggs, and minced garlic over medium heat. Place steaks on the skillet and pour the remaining marinade over the top of the steaks in the pan. Let steaks sit in the pan as the marinade reduces to a thick sauce. I like to cook my steaks to be medium/medium rare, so I cook them for about 6-7 minutes on each side. If you’re noticing that your steaks aren’t cooking through as much as you’d like them to, reduce heat and leave them on for longer, adding more olive oil to the pan to keep from burning the crust of the steak. Cooking steak to your liking takes some practice if you are not experienced, so I would encourage you to check the status of your steak’s “doneness” frequently throughout the cooking process! (If you want to sacrafice some health points and make your steak even more juicy and delicious, add a bit of butter to the pan as the steaks cook!)

4. Set Aside & Serve – When finished, set aside on a plate covered with aluminum foil until the rest of the dinner is complete! Serve with some fresh thyme/sage sprinked over the tip and with any remaining marinade from the skillet spooned over the steak!

Baked Almond Asparagus

Ingredients:

• Thick cut asparagus
• 1/4 cup Slivered almonds
• Sea salt /cracked black pepper to taste
• Drizzle Olive oil
• Shredded Parmesan optional

To make Baked Almond Asparagus:

1. Prep Pan & Preheat oven – preheat oven to 375. Meanwhile, drizzle olive oil on a baking sheet. Chop the woody ends off of the asparagus and space on pan , shifting pan back and forth to coat all asparagus with oil. Drizzle a small amount extra over the top if needed. Then, sprinkle with salt, pepper, slivered almonds, and optional Parmesan if desired.

2. Bake Asparagus – for about 10-12 minutes (until cheese/almonds are lightly browned and asparagus is tender). Remove from heat and cover with aluminum foil until remainder of meal is prepared.

Cheesy 8-80-8 Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

(they are called “8-80-8’s” because of the amount of ingredients – my mom used to make family portions of these but for a “dinner for two” I will cut it in half. This technically makes them “4-40-4” potatoes?)

• 4 big golden (or russet) potatoes
• 4 oz Greek Yogurt (sour cream can also be used)
• 4 oz Lowfat Cream Cheese (1/2 package)
• 1 Tbsp olive oil spread (or butter)
• 2 Tbsp milk
• Chopped chives (1-2 Tbsp or to taste)
• Dash of garlic powder, sea salt, & pepper to taste

To make “8-80-8” cheesy chive potatoes: 

1. Prep Potatoes – Chop potatoes into quarters and place in stock pot with a dash of salt. You can peel potatoes before this if you’d like, but I like to leave the skin on for some extra texture & fiber! Cover potatoes with water and boil, covered, until tender (about 15 minutes).

 2. Strain and Mix Potatoes – when potatoes are tender, pour out water and mash to desired consistency. Mix in Greek yogurt, cream cheeses, butter/OO spread, milk, seasonings, chives, and Collagen peptides. Add any additional ingredients to taste/consistency preference.

3. Serve with chives (or green onions) sprinked over the top and ENJOY!

Part 2 – At Home Date/Activity

Pull out the “DATE JAR” and draw an evening activity! A few years back I made this Date Night Jar for times when we wanted something fun to do and couldn’t make a decision. I spent a lot of effort coming up with all of these fun at home ideas, so I will share with you a few of my favorites! If you don’t have a jar of your own, you can make one OR simply write down your favorite at-home ideas and let your man draw one out of a hat! Just make sure you’re prepared for whatever shows up on the card!

16 At-Home Date Ideas

• Look up youtube videos of two stepping moves and learn them – then make a dance!
• Bake cookies/dessert together
• Play a backyard game (ring toss, polish, bean bags, etc)
• At home brewery/winery/distillery – each of you picks your 5 favorite beverages in the house and prepares a fancy “taste test” for the other, complete with elaborate descriptions of each. Have each other pick their favorite and then prepare a cocktail for each other with their chosen beverage!
• Night at the spa – take turns pampering each other (massages, foot rubs, lotion, oh my!)
• His and Hers Movie night – each one of you picks a movie and watch both IN A ROW! Complete with popcorn and all the other basic movie fixin’s!
• Plan and Build something – find supplies in your garage/closet and together find a way to turn them into a cool piece for your home! (I’ve got some fun DIY home furniture ideas for you!)
• Board Games / card games! Raise the stakes and make things interesting with some fun consequences ?
• Build a fort – revert back to your childhood and turn your living room into a fort! Then, hang out in your new space with board games or Netflix ??.
• Patio chatting – set up your patio with a yummy charcuterie board and some wine/champagne. Spend the evening sitting outside, (even better with a fire), playing some soft music, and enjoying each others company!
• Root Beer Floats – go get the fixins to make some root beer floats (a treat that everyone LOVES and always forgets about) and enjoy with a good movie or board game!
• Fondue Night – make a chocolate (or cheese) fondue and find all sorts of goodies to dip into it!
• Go to war with nerf/water guns in the house (just make sure to put up any breakables first)!
• Weather permitting, go on a long walk! Find a new route and go explore together!
• The Walmart Game – this is one that involves a quick trip out of the house. Head to walmart with $10 each. Give each other a 20 minute time limit to find an item (or items) that can be used for a fun evening at home! Then, head home with your purchases and reveal them to one another along with your idea for how to use them. Then, have fun doing so!
• Bring the beach to your living room – this idea is a little silly (probably more of a family night idea), but I think it could be really fun for a goofy couple! I got this idea from my mom – every winter when it was freezing outside she’d plan a “beach party” for us! To do this, crank the heat up in your house to 85 (or something hot) and put on your bathing suits. Fill up the bathtub so you can take a dip in the “pool” and make some fun beachy cocktails (or smoothies). Play ocean sounds or put on a tropical movie/setting on the TV. This one is silly but can be fun (and saucy) to parade around all evening in your beachwear!

Valentine’s Day may be a few weeks away, but make plans now to show your significant other just how much you love them this year with these fun ideas! And men, I encourage you to forego your typical dinner reservations and plan a home cooked meal and fun evening at home instead. She is sure to love the surprise and will notice all the effort you put in to preparing a special evening! Wishing you all a Valentine’s Day full of love! And for all you single ladies out there,  treat yourself to a delicious cozy meal (like my favorite Broccoli Cheddar Soup), a glass of wine, and cozy up a good chick flick!! ????

LOVE always ?

Kelsie