Have you ever noticed that sometimes the more work you put into planning a date with your husband, the less romantic it feels? I was recently thinking of an anniversary dinner a couple years back when my husband and I decided to stay at home instead of heading out to a swanky downtown restaurant or booking an all-inclusive night in a luxury hotel. I came home to find our bedroom lined with flowers, bowls of chocolate dipped strawberries on the table and a stack of anniversary gifts sitting on the bed next to my husband who was lovingly waiting for me.
Though there aren't any major occasions coming up for us to celebrate in the near future, I thought it would be fun if I planned a special date night for us to share at home. Considering that my husband usually takes care of all the arrangements, this time around, I'll be treating him to an evening of well-deserved pampering. After all, as much fun as I've had letting him dote on me over the years, it can be just as enjoyable (although more work, I will admit) to give your significant other a date night that he'll be sure to remember.
However, you can't just pop a romantic comedy into the DVD player and congratulate yourself on a job well done. Doing a date night correctly requires a little something extra to make it feel truly special. Since he and I are both chocolate fanatics (one of the many reasons we fell in love), I decided to make our favorite dessert the main theme of the evening. If you're interested in gifting your husband (or wife, for you fellas reading) a candy-inspired occasion, here's how I plan to pull it off.
Start With a Home-Cooked Meal
While I rarely need an excuse to dig into a luscious bowl of chocolates, I also understand that candy doesn't exactly make for the most healthy or nutritionally-sound meal. So, before we get to the sweeter part of the night, I'll be preparing a delicious home-cooked meal to start off the evening. My husband tends to be a picky eater regardless of what I make, so I turned to Food Network UK's list of great date-night recipes and dishes so I could whip up small plates of gourmet steak, potatoes, dinner tarts, soups and pasta - this way he'll have plenty to choose from.
Chocolate-Inspired Desserts
Buying an assortment of rich, sugary candies is just the start of my dessert plans - I'll also be researching a few more involved concoctions that feature chocolate as the main ingredient. Unlike my plan to have dinner ready the second my husband walks through the door, I thought it would be cute if we finished up our meal by baking a delicious chocolate layer cake together. Then, while it's in the oven, we can spend some quality time together with a nice bottle of wine and one of my favorite romantic movies (yep, you guessed it), Chocolat.
My Secret Love Weapon
While I guess it's not that big of a mystery at this point in the article, I can't help but smile at my secret weapon of love - chocolate. Though it's potential as an aphrodisiac is certainly exaggerated - as indicated by The New York Times - chocolate does have the ability to get those romantic juices pumping. Even if the effect is largely psychological, enjoying a relaxing date night with your hubby is all about getting into a positive and passionate frame of mind - something that my husband and I always find easier when we're already giddy from a chocolatey sugar rush. Where the night goes from there, only time will tell...
Looking for some guidance in planning your own super-sweet date night at home? Care to share your past experiences with love and chocolate? Comment on our Facebook or Twitter pages to talk about how big of a role candy tends to play in your love life.