Cooking at Home is the New Date Night

Photo by: Kait Clarke

*Please hold, while I break your heart with what I'm about to say.*

Date night at restaurants can be painfully repetitive.

Waiting at the hostess stand to be seated. Sitting down at a table you didn't get to select, next to loud people. Holding a menu that's home to 67 items, yet only being able to select one main course. Freezing your ass off until the waitress leisurely drops the check. Hello, anxiety... and Florida air conditioning.

Going out to eat is basically my second job, so I understand if there's a hard eye roll on the other side of the screen right now. But lately I've been spending tons of time cheffing up some serious meals at home with my boyfriend - AND I LOVE IT. In fact, I'm starting to prefer it.

That’s probably why I recently wrote a cookbook. Hi, I’m Hungry is being RELEASED IN APRIL!! *shameless plug*

Back to cooking at home… Imagine this:

1. An afternoon spent daydreaming about shopping

I don't know about you, but shopping is pretty much always on my mind. While the perfect high-waisted swim suit has jumped to the top of my Summer shopping list, I never stop thinking about the grocery store. Call it what you will, but shopping for fresh ingredients destined to be transformed into a gorgeous home cooked meal is straight up dreamy. If you're not into frolicking down the aisles at Whole Foods, there are shopping services that actually pay people to snag groceries for you. I highly encourage you to sniff and feel your way through the fresh produce.

2. Wine isn't $13 a glass

YEEEEES. Date night at home means saving a little cash on alcohol. It's easy to drop $60 on three glasses of wine or cocktails when you're out on the town. A perfectly delicious bottle of wine is calling your name and it probably costs less than $20. I'm a huge fan of Cru Cellars, a wine shop and restaurant in South Tampa. They have a curated selection of natural and organic wines from all over the world. What I adore most is their love for curation and getting to know their producers. When you stumble into this little hidden gem, you'll find wines you’ve likely never drank before and an awesome staff who’s happy to answer any and all of your questions. Drink up!

3. Pre-dinner dancing in your kitchen

You can't dance in between courses if you're at a restaurant. It's that simple. When you're cooking with the man of your dreams, you can pretty much accomplish anything you want without a table being in your way. Just sayin'. Pump up the jams and dance your way into dessert. Everybody's doing it.

If you don't have the skills, just fake it.

4. A place where it's okay to strut your skills

Deep down inside every human lives their 7-year-old self who looooves to show off. And luckily for you, the kitchen is a hot spot to showcase your culinary talents. Whether you're a self-proclaimed salt guru (i.e. 'Majestic Salt Man') or bake a flawless chocolate soufflé, cooking is the epicenter of love. If you don't have the skills, just fake it. I promise you'll be too busy enjoying yourself to notice you didn't blanch the string beans long enough.

5. Sides you actually like

Is there anything worse than being forced to eat something you don't want? Especially when you're paying for it at a restaurant. What happens when everything in your body is screaming "I want Chicken Marsala!" but the rest of you is detesting a questionable side of precooked mashed potatoes? It's maddening. When you cook at home on your next date, you can pick your own sides, as many entrees as you want and all the desserts. There's power in decisions, people. And it's oh so sweet.

Cheers!

Melissa