As you guys all know, I’m a sucker for Date Nights. :)
As much as I love having Date Nights out, sometimes it’s nice to have something quick and easy to prepare in the comfort of your own home.
A few weeks back, I was offered an opportunity through MyBlogSpark to try out a couple new dinner kits:
I received the Wanchai Ferry Orange Chicken dry dinner kit, as well as the Macaroni Grill Creamy Basil Parmesan Chicken & Pasta dry dinner kit. YUM YUM! :-P
I had actually forgotten that I had them in the pantry, but since I’ve tried to start cleaning some stuff out to make room for the new renovations, I figured tonight would be the perfect opportunity for a little “Date Night” in.
I decided to prepare the Orange Chicken dinner kit, however, I switched things up a bit to make it an “Orange SHRIMP” dinner! I’ve had a bag of frozen shrimp in my freezer weeks now, and really wanted to use it. The dinner kit provides everything that you need, except for your protein, so it gives you options (think chicken, shrimp, pork…)
The dinner was actually extremely easy to make, and it was quite nice having everything I needed right at my fingertips. I honestly don’t usually buy boxed dinner kits like this, just because I prefer to make my own. However, the ease was of preparation was definitely right up my alley. ;)
Considering it was a “Date Night” and all, I decided a little bit of wine was in order…
Yeah, that’s right. I kept it classy in the plastic cup. Hey, sometimes that’s just how I roll. :)
When cooking up my shrimp in the provided seasoning, I also added a little red bell pepper + onion for some extra bulk. Definitely a good decision.
After adding the orange sauce…
I’ve gotta admit…I was little apprehensive about adding these chilies…I’m not a spicy kinda person. :shock:
But I did it anyways, and these four little buggers definitely gave the entire dish a little kick!
My “date” and I agreed…it was yummy! :)
I think if I were to make it again, I might consider adding a little less of the orange sauce. I know orange “add your protein here” is supposed to be sweet, but I think I might like mine a little “less dressed.” ;)
And of course, somebody else wanted in on the Date Night action…
He sure knows how to make himself right at home, doesn’t he?
So do you guys want in on a little secret??
There’s an extra “Date Night Prize Pack” that’s up for grabs for one of YOU!!! :shock:
The winner of the Date Night Prize Pack giveaway will receive:
- (1) Wanchai Ferry dry dinner kit,
- (1) Macaroni Grill dry dinner kit, &
- a $25 Visa gift card that you can use to create your OWN date night at home!
*To Enter:
Leave a comment on this post answering one of the following questions:
- Where did you and your significant others have your first date? Or…
- What are your best tips for having a fun date night at home?
The giveaway will close on Wednesday, November 17th @ 5pm E.T. I will announce the winner that evening.
In the meantime, feel free to snag a coupon for $2.25 off a Macaroni Grill or Wanchai Ferry dinner kit! Just CLICK HERE.
GOOD LUCK!! :-D
*Note: Wanchai Ferry and Macaroni Grill provided me with the free products, information, and prize pack through MyBlogSpark. Any opinions of the products seen here were completely my own.
Karen says
My husband and I had our first date at Applebees before we went to see The Break-Up…funny to see a break-up movie on your first date but it worked for us. When we first started dating, we loved Applebees but we don’t go there at all anymore because we like to check out new places. Your dinner looked very yummy!!
leashieloo says
My guy and I have been together nearly a decade so I’m having trouble remembering the first place we went out to…I think it was like Dave & Buster’s. It took a lot of the pressure off being busy with games and such!
Liz @ Blog is the New Black says
We had our first date at a bar called The Rattlesnake in Boston!!!
Heather T says
Mike and I had our first date at TGIFridays :)
Erica says
My boyfriend and I have been together since high school so I actually don’t remember where our first “official” date was (whoops!). But we are definitely big fans of date nights at home. My best tip for a date night at home would be to have fun with it– put on comfy clothes, cook dinner together, and try out a new recipe (and have some extra wine and a take out menu on hand in case it doesn’t turn out as good as expected).
Erin says
the best nights involve lots of cookie dough and diet coke and and a cary grant movie. cary is just the man i need in my life. :)
Amy @ Second City Randomness says
I definitely think a solid date night at home requires a good bottle of wine. To be paired with all the delish food, of course. :)
Jenna says
Fun giveaway! My husband and I had our first date at a Spanish cafe. I still remember the tres leche dessert. We later had tres leches at our wedding.
Diane says
I think the best tip for a good date night at home is to have fun with it and do something you can’t necessarily do if you’re out!
Teri says
My favorite type of date night is vegging at home in comfy clothes, cooking a yummy dinner together, and watching a good movie. Sounds sooo simple and boring, but we’re both so busy it’s nice to relax together now and then! :)
Sarah says
I love at home date nights! I think the best tip is to cook a meal together. Help is always great in the kitchen and cooking together is great for bonding.
Madison says
My significant other and I had our first date at a driving range and then went out to eat at this great restaurant in Plattsburgh NY called Arnies. I was in college at the time and he had come up to visit me ( a 2 hour drive) for the first time after talking on the phone for a few weeks! It was great Italian food, great, wine, and great conversation. And it lead to a relationship that I am still in, a new puppy, and an apartment together!!! :)
janae @hungryrunnergirl.com says
Our first date was at a sushi restaurant called ‘Happy Sumo.’ I was hooked after one date!
Tammy says
My idea of a great date night in is one with a fun homemade dinner made together and a nice movie afterwards :)
Jordan says
My boyfriend and I had our first date at church…haha weird, I know! We met in one of our classes during my freshman year of college and he broke the ice by asking if I knew of any churches nearby. After sitting through an awkward church service filled with traditional hymnals and lots of senior citizens….he asked me out on a REAL date. :)
And my favorite date night so far has been our Valentines Day dinner date. We got a great recipe for Chicken Marsala from his mom and cooked it ourselves while watching Seinfeld episodes. Complete with wine and candles, it was a perfectly delicious dinner! Later, while baking oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, we danced to “Just the Way You Look Tonight” in the middle of his kitchen. Dinner + dessert + dancing = the way to my heart! =]
Shanna, like Banana says
My hubby and I had our first date at Calzones in San Francisco — the power went out half through the meal but the restaurant didn’t miss a beat and went out and got tons of tea candles for the table. Very sweet.
Love Mac Grill!
Nicki says
My boyfriend and I had our first date night at a restaurant in Annapolis called Yellowfin: 1/2 price bottles of wine and appetizers of seared tuna and shrimp pizza. I was sold! We then followed it up with a trip to the Renaissance Festival (in Maryland). Needless to say, that’s a lot of flavor packed in to 1 night! :)
Gabriela @ Une Vie Saine says
Our first REAL date was to an Italian restaurant…but by then we already knew each other pretty well!!
Gabriela @ Une Vie Saine says
Best tip: cook something new! Even if it’s bad, you’ll bond over it :)
Brenda says
Started out at The Barge, the up to Lake George for dinner, fireworks and mini golf. Then to a club in saratoga. Definately action packed :)
Jen says
Turn off cell phones/computers to get rid of distractions! Movies are okay!
Kelly says
My boyfriend and I had our first date at our hometown’s local firework show. It was so much fun at the time being able to hang out and laugh, but I think it is even MORE fun now because it is a fun way to celebrate our anniversary since there is almost always something going on where ever we may be!
Alison says
A good tip for Date Night at home is making something together–dinner or dessert. My boyfriend and I love making shakes or blizzards for dessert yum! I think its also fun to play board/card games together too :) A good competition can always be fun & entertaining.
proudpatriot07 says
My fiance and I had our first date at Cici’s pizza. It’s kinda lame, but we were college students and that’s really all we could afford, you get a lot of food there for really cheap. It was a really rainy night, and we had a very awkward hug. I still remember my parents were worried that I came home so late and didn’t call since the weather was bad, but it was totally worth it :).
Amy Lauren
proudpatriot2007(at)yahoo(dot)com
Jordan says
P.S. HAD to let you know…starting this Thursday, the 18th, Starbucks is doing Buy One Get One Free holiday drinks from 2-5 pm through the 21st. Perfect for coffee fridays! :) Enjoy!
Courtney says
Oooooo! Thanks for the info! I’ll SOOO be checking that out! ;)
Cynthia says
We had our first date at Beraporettes, which was a dark, European restaurant in the mall where I worked. Because I lived an hour away in one direction and he thirty minutes in the other, it was a good compromise.
Jessie C. says
Our first date was in Disneyland of Japan, it was fun and I remember we had a dinner at a fancy traditional Japanese restaurant.
tcarolinep at gmail dot com
Jess says
My boyfriend and I’s first date was to Black and Blue. It was so nice and a great memory:)
Courtney says
I think the key to a great date night at home is definitely a great dessert… we did Valentine’s day at home this past year and made an amazing dessert that totally made the meal!
Kristen D says
My boyfriend and I had our first date @ the Cheesecake Factory for Patron Diablo’s and then a movie date :-) !
Lisa @ I'm an Okie says
I worked for the NBA team in Oklahoma City and I asked him out on our first date..we went to the Hornets Holiday Party and boogied on the dance floor with Chris Paul and other NBA players! now thats a date!
Rt says
One of the best tips I can give for a date night at home would be Wine!! and also I think it helps set the mood when you cook dinner together… and dessert is always a must! :)
Chicago Cuisine Critique says
My ideal date night consists of me, my boyfriend, some wine, and cooking dinner together. There honestly is nothing better. :) What a great giveaway.
Lindsay says
My boyfriend and I had our first (blind) date at the famous Slightly North of Broad restaurant in downtown Charleston, South Carolina. It was so romantic! He and I have been dating for 3 years now, but we still think back to that dinner and I get butterflies all over again! :-)
Judy says
Be relaxed and dont try to live up to any cooking expectations. :)
Mari says
My dh and I went on a motorcycle ride for our first date. It was a great icebreaker, and quite romantic.
Jane says
My husband’s and I had our first date at O’Charley’s with another couple. We were too shy to just go by ourselves!
Tina @ Faith Fitness Fun says
Peter & I had our first date at Carrabbas. And a lot of our date nights happen at home. What makes them special is taking some quiet time to ourselves to talk and snuggle together without other distractions.
Karla says
Awww… I love date nights! My fiance and I had our first date at a place called Oscars….and I ordered spaghetti… clearly I was comfortable with him from the start to let him watch me attempt to get 12″ noodles in my mouth :)
CaSaundra says
Great post! I love doing date nights in–definitely have to play Wii or a board game as a post-meal activity :-)
withasideofhope says
My boyfriend and I had our first date at TGI Fridays. We were both so nervous. I remembered that I ordered something that I never ordered from there and I barely touched my food. Five years later, we look back at that date and think why did we order that? Haha :)
Kelly says
I think the perfect date night would include cooking together. Maybe he could cook one part of the meal and I could cook the other part (which would have to be dessert, lol)…I think that would be fun :)
Lindsey says
My boyfriend and I had our first date at a rotating sushi bar! So good :)
Anna says
We had our first date in high school watching “28 Days Later”…..which was TERRIFYING. Except that HE was the one who jumped at the first scary part, which was hilarious :D
Cody looks so freakin’ cute and relaxed in that second picture!
Erin says
My husband and I love to have a date night at home where we eat a nice homecooked dinner with some red wine. Then we play board games by the fire. It is so much fun!
Lauren says
Our first date night was at Cheesecake Factory – we shared appetizers and talked until they closed!
Nellie says
Best date night idea – buy an ounce or two of a bunch of different cheeses from your local grocery’s gourmet cheese counter, a box of crackers, a bottle of red wine and have a “sampling date” at home.
Diana says
my husband is my college sweetheart so our first date was watching a movie in his frat house!
Jess says
Our first date was at a little dive bar/pub after a Maryland football game. We met at the tailgate, watched the game together and then grabbed a bite to eat afterward with friends. Technically it was a double date.
Amy says
We love to have a campfire in our back yard for a fun date night at home.
HealthyEqualsHappy says
My husband and I had our first date at the bowling alley!!
Colleen says
For our first date (over four years ago!) my fiance – then boyfriend – made me a dinner of grilled chicken, pasta and green beans. Trust me, in college, that was a gourmet meal!
grandgiveaways says
Our first date was 15 years ago at a mall. We were 19 and 20 at the time.
mami2jcn at gmail dot com
Michelle says
We went to the cheesecake factory…. we ordered seared tuna for an appetizer and we didn’t know how to eat it! We also got cheesecake for dessert, and only months late did he tell me he hated that kind I chose, but just wanted to make me happy :)
Emily says
My husband and I actually went on our first date when we were in Jr. High. We saw Batman and Robin (the one w/George Clooney). It was the summer before he started 9th grade and I started 8th grade so neither of us could drive. That meant his mom had to drive us, drop us off at the theater / mall and then pick us up!! I still remember it like it was yesterday. :o)
Maggie says
My favorite thing to do for a date night at home is to make pizza. It’s fun to see who can roll out the dough the best, and then figure out what toppings you want to add to the pizza. The pizza is usually accompanied by some wine, of course.
Melissa says
Making dinner together is *key* for a great date night in!
leilani says
My husbands and I first date was at the magnificent “Roy’s” (if you have one around you must try). We pretty much closed the place down… Honestly we did that a lot though, our conversations were amazing even to this day after 6 1/2 years of marriage.
Jackie says
My favorite tips to make a special date-night dinner are to eat in the dining room and/or use the nice place settings. It usually adds a little spark!
Chelsee says
My tips to a successful date night (at home)
1. WINE
2. Something special/different for dinner ( my bf and I like to buy fresh crab legs or a nice cut of steak from the meat market…something we don’t do on an everyday basis!)
3. DESSERT
4. Movie (usually the latest flick at the redbox) and of couse some cuddling
Erin says
Wine, comfy clothes, dessert and being with someone you have fun with are key elements for date night!
Linda says
My husband had a picnic in a park for our 1st date 24 years ago!
Ashley says
Me and my husband went to a movie and out to Taco Bell for dinner on our first date 8 years ago. Hey…..we were in high school so it had to be cheap! We laugh about our “dinner” and a movie date all the time!!
Tabitha says
My husband and I had our first date in South Korea! We’re both in the Air Force and were previously stationed in San Antonio and then went our different ways and met again in South Korea. We went to the Korean version of Pizza Hut and ate pizza with no tomato sauce or tried to, it was terrible. Laughed about the food and then couldn’t get a cab back to the base.. Def a fun filled first date :)
Presley says
To have a fun date night “in” you just have to have fun company!
justjac says
Best date nights at home include a cozy fire, a lot of red wine, music and cooking together, for sure!!
Tori says
For a fun date night in its fun to cook together, dim the lights down and dine with some candles, and then play a game such as Scrabble!
Heather Mello says
I know I am late for this, but I just thought my first date with my husband was too amusing to not post….Joe had been asking me to dinner for months (literally!) and I kept making excuses. We worked together, my last boyfriend had left me with a lot of issues with guys…I was just too nervous. So after some pushing from my friends and family, I agreed to go. Joe coached Cross Country, and had a meet the night of our first date. He insisted the meet would be over by 5 and he would pick me up by 6:30. Well, the meet was late and he called me at 7 to tell me they just got on the bus. I have to say, I was pretty annoyed, but I agreed to still go anyway. We ended up going to The Old Bryan Inn. We got there around 9:30 and were both pretty tired, so it was a boring first date! However, there was definitely something there, and that date was followed by a million fantastic dates…which led to our marriage <3
Tim says
A movie with apple pie and ice cream
tahearn at roadrunner dot com
Alex Clark says
My (now) hubby and I were actually on a senior trip to Flordia. It was our last day before heading home and we spent the whole time together. 6 years later, we became husband and wife. :)
Marcie says
I have a great suggestion for a date night in! My husband and I go to Whole Foods and get something special and yummy like steak tips, a bottle of wine and a special dessert to share. After we cook, we play scrabble. It’s a great, inexpensive night in :)
laura says
My boyfriend and I had our first date at a pizza place in my neighborhood. And..we also shared our “first kiss” that night. Too cute :)
Kathryn says
Hmmm, technically my husband and I had our first “date” at Chili’s. Just a few hours after that we had our first kiss and began dating. 3 months later we were engaged! Now, to clarify, I’ve known my husband for 10 years, fell in love with him 4 years ago, we just didn’t get together until 2 years ago. It took me being with someone else, us each traveling to complete opposite ends of the country (me in Washington, him in Georgia) and coming back to AZ in order to get together. It was obviously meant to be!