All posts tagged: food

30+ Date Night Ideas for Foodies (Other than Going to a Restaurant)

30+ Date Night Ideas for Foodies

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Tired of the same old local restaurants or the stereotypical dinner and a move date nights? We’ve got just the thing for you (well, 33 to be exact). Whether you’re on a budget, bored and in a foodie rut, or just looking for some ideas to spice up your night together, we’ve go you covered with some fun date night ideas for fellow food lovers. Bon appétit! Try a new recipe together – have a favorite dish at a local restaurant? Or are you up for the a culinary challenge? Make a fancy dinner from scratch at home. Our favorite cookbook for date nights at home is Thomas Keller’s “Ad Hock at Home”. We’ve also got some of our favorite date night recipes right here on the blog. Make tapas and snack all night – I love tapas because I can never decide on what I want to cook. Make appetizer serving sizes of your favorite dishes to share with your sweetie. Chocolate and pink champagne – pick up an assortment of chocolate truffles from …

Date Night Worthy Recipe: Dairy-Free 2-Ingredient Banana Ice Cream

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This post comes on the heels of another creation by our resident Tonight’s Better Together Chef, Joe Choi. He brought you an amazing chocolate chip cookie recipe previously and now he’s come to finish the job by helping turn those cookies into ice cream cookie sandwiches! If you’re not quite sure about dairy free ice cream, get ready to have your mind blown.    Banana ice cream is exactly what it sounds like. It’s ice cream that is solely made up of bananas. This is a relatively easy ice cream to make and it is dairy-free, which means this will be delicious for everyone. Basically you want to take some ripe bananas, but not banana bread ripe, and peel and slice them into medallions. Next, spread them out on a tray and place them in the freezer for 15-25 minutes or until they are solid yet pliable, not frozen solid. Then you’ll want to use a food processor and blitz all the banana medallions until it starts to become smooth. Sometimes I will add a …

Date Night Worthy Recipe: Chocolate Chip Blondies

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We’ve got another post curated by our resident Tonight’s Better Together Chef, Joe Choi. He’s got a two part recipe offering  the best dang plain bondies or chocolate chip blondies that can be adapted into chocolate chip cookies for your consuming pleasure. Read on to see how he takes a simple recipe to the next level just in time for date night.   It just so happened that my lovely friends, Eric and Stacey, managed to stop by my little hometown of Spokane on their move back west. We decided to make the best of it and collaborated on a recipe together, in person for once. It was a hot and muggy afternoon so we figured what better way to enjoy a summer day than with fresh baked desserts and some ice cream. I was told they had already posted a phenomenal chocolate chip cookie recipe but I implored them to try my personal chocolate chip cookie recipe that could easily be converted into a blondie recipe. To top it off, a little non-dairy, peanut …

New York thin pizza crust dough and tomato sauce recipe

Date Night Worthy Pizza Dough and Tomato Sauce Recipe

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It seems that everyone has a relationship with the cult classic pizza. Whether you like it thick, thin, extra cheesy or full of veggies everyone has their preference. Our resident Chef Choi came up with a date night worthy pizza recipe that is sure to delight you and your boo. Here’s what he has to say about this american institution.   I love pizza. I could probably eat pizza for the rest of my life and never get tired of it since you can make anything into a pizza. Have you ever had a taco pizza? How about a Big Mac pizza? If not, then you are missing out on a slice of hand-held, cheesy pleasure. But fear not, here is a relatively easy pizza dough recipe that will give you a great foundation to make any kind of pizza you can imagine. The possibilities are infinite and the world is your oyster, as long as you make into an oyster pizza. Thin Crust Pizza Dough Ingredients: 2.2lbs Bread Flour* 2 oz corn meal 1 …

15 ideas to honor your husband this Father's Day

15 Ideas to Honor Your Husband This Father’s Day

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Father’s Day is an occasion to show your husband, the father of your children or even future children, some hard-earned respect and care. Show the man you love how much you appreciate him. Here are some ideas to honor your husband this Father’s Day: Go fishing with him and turn it into a picnic. Bring a portable grill and plan for eating some of his hard earned catch, but make sure you have a backup just in case he gets skunked. Go to a car show! You may not care about what type of engine is in that 80’s GTO but he does. Let him tell you all about it. Take him to a concert with his favorite band. This is always location dependent but live music always makes for a good time. Book a reservation at his dream restaurant. We know there are foodies out there and this speaks to their love language. Go camping for the weekend. This takes a little planning but if your husband loves the outdoors, this is a great …

Our Top Ten 2017 Posts for Marriage Resources and Date Ideas

Our Top Ten 2017 Posts for Marriage Resources and Date Ideas

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We’ve successfully reached a second year in blogging and we have a lot to celebrate. We have an ever growing and amazing community of 5,000+ readers, we’ve written 94 posts, and have spent countless hours planning, researching, writing, photographing, and learning. We’ve even started a monthly newsletter, and have collaborated with fellow relationship bloggers and date night worthy products and services. The long hours haven’t been easy but it’s certainly been worth it! So in celebration of our two year blogiversary, here’s a round up of the top ten articles that became everyone’s favorite over the past year. If you’re not a weekly reader or if this is your first time here, this is a great way to get to know us. We invite you read and join the community. 1. 50 Questions to Really Get to Know Your Spouse Maybe you’ve been married for a while and the conversation has run dry. Maybe you’re newly married or engaged and want to know your partner on a deeper level. Or maybe you two are so …

Quick and easy ahi tuna poke recipe

Quick and Easy Ahi Tuna Poke Bowl Recipe

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Another creation out of the kitchen of Chef Choi is ready for your next date night: the simple yet delicious poke bowl. If you say poke bowl fast it sort of sounds like poke ball. Yes, this is a really nerdy comment but it made me laugh. If you are a sushi fanatic but making sushi from scratch seems like a daunting feat, then you will fall in love with this easy recipe.   Poke is a Hawaiian raw fish dish that is typically made with tuna. It’s not seared or cooked in any way nor is it “cooked” like ceviche. So, if you’re into Sashimi then this flavorful recipe is a nice change of pace. I like to devour my poke over rice so that the sauce and all the juices seep into the rice while I eat it. Poke is a relatively easy dish to make; all you need is the ingredients, a little knife work, and some patience. First you want to cut the tuna into ½” by ½” cubes. Next, take …

How to Choose a Date Night Wine Like an Expert in Under 5 Minutes

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Date night is an experience often enjoyed with a glass of fermented grape juice, also known as wine. However, how often do you find yourself staring at a huge rack of wine at your local store with no idea what to choose? Our resident aficionado Chef Choi had a few thoughts about how to make the selection process a little smoother. The first thing that might pop into your mind when deciding on the right wine is”, “What am I buying this wine for?” It could be for any of the following events: Specific dinner? Saving for later? Drinking immediately? Special occasion? Gift? This initial question can easily create a lot of pressure on a situation that really doesn’t need any. Chef Choi says, “don’t be afraid: start buying and trying wines. Wine is a very subjective commodity; there are good cheap wines and bad expensive ones. Eventually you will find the ones you like and the ones you don’t.” The perk to all of this is you will most definitely create memories along the …

Date Night Worthy Mac and Cheese

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It’s that time again where our resident chef at Tonight’s Better Together, Chef Choi, has come up with a recipe made just for you. Mac and cheese is a relatively simple dish but a crowd pleaser. Who doesn’t like abundant rich cheese and pasta? We thought it deserved a place in the ever growing Tonight’s Better Together cook book.   I love Mac and Cheese. I love all variations from the store bought box mac and cheese to mac and cheese made from scratch. Here is a simple and basic mac and cheese recipe with some added spices and flavors. Ingredients 8-10oz Dry Macaroni Pasta (Penne works well too) 3 Tbs Unsalted Butter ¼ c AP Flour ½ tsp salt 2 ½ c Milk 3 c Mild Cheddar (or your favorite cheese or cheese mix)  (Optional) ½ tsp Dry Mustard 1/8 tsp Smoked Paprika First you want to get a large pot filled with water. Rule of thumb is to use a pot that will give the pasta enough room to move around and not …

Valentine's Day ideas: Re-create your very first date night

Valentine’s Day Ideas: Re-Create Your First Date

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Recreating your very first date night is the perfect date night for a special occasion, anniversary, or Valentine’s Day. Reminisce about funny memories, simpler times, memorable moments, and how far you’ve come over the years. Bring back those feelings of excitement – minus the awkwardness, uncertainty, and nervousness – and spend a night walking down memory lane together. Here are a few things to think about as you go about re-planning your first date night: What time of the day was it? Was it in the morning, afternoon, or night? Try to plan it around the same time. What were you wearing? How did you do your hair? Don’t do the ultimate tbt and bring back fashion that should remain in the past but do find something similar. Were you wearing a summer dress? Casual? Dressy? Where did you go? Plan ahead and make reservations. What did you do? Think back to every detail of that night and how you can replicate it. Were there flowers, chocolates, or other small gifts? What conversations did you …

Christmas Recipes: Grandma’s Gingerbread Cookies

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The best part of marriage is creating Christmas traditions together. In a world of Christmas cookies, there are so many options to choose from. How can we possibly make a decision? We default to what we know and trust; family traditions. One of our favorite Christmas cookie recipes is my grandmother’s soft and chewy gingerbread cookies. It’s time to break out the Kitchenaid! Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F.  If you are using metal cookie sheets, line with parchment paper. A candy thermometer would be useful but we have never used one. Baking is all about the love, right? Ingredients: 1 cup dark molasses ½ cup light brown sugar ½ cup white granulated sugar 4 teaspoons ground ginger 4 teaspoons ground ,cinnamon ¾ tablespoon baking soda 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temp (We’ve used salted butter with no problem) 2 large eggs, lightly beaten 6 cups sifted all-purpose flour Place the molasses, sugars, ginger and cinnamon in a double boiler over medium heat. We actually don’t own a double boiler so …

Homemade Spiced Apple Cider Recipe

Homemade Apple Cider Recipe to Spice Up Your Date Night

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Get into the holiday mood with this delicious (and easy) spiced apple cider recipe. Why make it a date night activity? It takes 10 minutes to prep and while it’s cooking for three hours, you can enjoy dinner and a movie on the couch while the smells of spiced apples and oranges fill your house. More of the outdoorsy type? Go apple picking and use the apples you gather for the recipe. Homemade Apple Cider Recipe 12 cups of water 10 apples of the sweet variety (Fuji or Gala apples are great choices) 7 cinnamon sticks 1 orange 1/2 cup of maple syrup 1 tablespoon of whole all spice 1 tablespoon of whole cloves 3 tablespoons of light brown sugar 1 tablespoon of cinnamon powder A package of cheese cloth to help strain the apple mixture Wash and cut your apples into eighths and cut the orange into fourths. It’s fine to keep the skin on both fruits as you will be boiling, straining, and discarding them . Put all of your sliced apples, apple …

Salem, MA Must Try Restaurants: Opus Review

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If you have been following our adventures here at Tonight’s Better Together, you know we took a trip to Salem, MA. While on said adventure, we happened upon the restaurant Opus. This restaurant is a mash-up of cuisines; however, it all somehow works together. When you enter Opus, you are transported into multicolor décor accented by local art. At the time of our dining experience, they happened to feature nothing but Beetlejuice inspired art. If you love Beetlejuice, then this is the place for you! So other than the peculiar décor, this restaurant is best enjoyed in leisure attire. The place kind of sprawls so this is not an intimate experience but a great choice for a Friday or Saturday night out. There is a basement level that hosts live music, a separate bar, and arcade so there is always something going on to shake up your evening. The great thing about Opus is that they can pretty much cater to any craving you might be having. After a long day of walking and exploring …

Salem Massachusetts

How to have the Perfect Day Adventure in Salem, MA

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For anyone looking for a wonderful day date, Salem, Massachusetts may fit the bill with its rich historical past. Much of it is related to the Salem Witch Trials of 1692 – 1693, but there is so much more to the storied past of Salem. We just so happened to adventure through Salem around Halloween, which means that it is brimming with historical re-enactments, witch impersonators, and tons of other ghoulish fun. Salem is nestled just north of Boston along the coast and offers the adventuring couple many options to choose from. Here’s a list of recommended witchy and historical fun for you and your boo. 1. Hocus Pocus House You should definitely stop by the Hocus Pocus house on the way into town. This is the actual house featured in the film Hocus Pocus. It’s a little far away from the bustling downtown of Salem, so make sure to stop by on the way in or out of town. 2. Best parking in town For centrally located parking, head to the visitors center and …

Fall roasted butternut squash recipe

Fall Date Night Recipe: Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

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Our resident Chef Choi is bringing you another seasonal curation for your date night pleasure. Take some time during this season to bundle up in your favorite sweaters and enjoy some delicious butternut squash soup with your special someone. This dish makes a great date night dinner on it’s own or a perfect pairing with your main course. Ingredients: 2 pounds of butternut squash 2 tablespoons of butter 1 onion 2 celery stalks 2 medium carrots 2 quarts of vegetable stock or chicken stock Ground clove, ground cinnamon and ground ginger for garnish First, slice your butternut squash in half, lengthwise. I found that the best knife to use for this is a bread knife. The serrated teeth make it easy to saw through the tough skin and flesh of the squash. Once you have the squash cut, spoon out the seeds from the bulb. Next, you want to line a baking sheet with some parchment and lay the butternut squash flat side down. Roast both halves at 450 degrees F for about 45 minutes …