Date Night and themed dinners during the Pandemic. Keeping the spark alive.

I don’t know about you guys, but I love to go out to dinner and experience different foods and restaurant environments, and booze that I didn’t make. Not to say I don’t have other alcohol but I have way more of the stuff I make.

My wife and I are wanderlust people, and we love to travel the world, experience different cuisines and enjoy our time together after hectic days at work or OB appointments or both. But with the Stay At Home orders, the closures of almost all businesses, and restaurants closing, or on reduced menus, its been a struggle making 3 meals a day and exploring my house and yard.

To make sure we both keep our sanity, give meal times some excitement and enjoy our own company, we have begun to do theme nights. Now many people will do Taco Tuesday’s, but how many people do German night? WE make homemade Schnitzel, Austrian Potato Salad, sauerkraut and, in my case, I drink a fine German Lager. We will play Bavarian Oktoberfest/Oompa music while we do it all just to give the whole thing a real feel. It helps remind us of our last trip to Germany, Austria and Switzerland. For “Taco Tuesday”, which is rare in my home, we will do mariachi music, tacos or wraps or enchiladas and make cocktails and mocktails that remind us of our trip to Mexico.

What the above does not only gives us that “date night” type feel a few days a week, but also gives us the variety that we would have when looking to go out to a restaurant. Going out for dinner isn’t just about getting great food, but also the ambiance and sensual impacts that takes your out of your home and sends you somewhere else, if only briefly.

This activity also serves to keep that spark alive in your relationship with your partner. If you have the kids there, it will also be something they can fondly remember and maybe do with their families one day, hopefully without the need of a pandemic! Its quality time with those closest to you, forming memories.

This week we are doing Italian and “Island” night. It could be a tropical island, or a Greek meal to remind us of our trip to Paros, Greece where we had some great seafood and Mediterranean fare overlooking the salty blue Aegean Sea. Whatever you do, make it special to you!

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