Be My Valentine

By Kim Bousquet
kbousquet@nonpareilonline.com | 0 comments

(StatePoint) - If you’re planning a romantic dinner at home for you and your Valentine, you’ll want it to have an extra special quality.

There are many great ways to set a romantic mood at your table.

Special Foods

There’s something very romantic about cooking and sharing the meal you created together. For ideas, use a cookbook or online recipe site to plan a special menu with foods you both love, but don’t eat often. Plan a meal with several separate courses.

Ordering-in can be romantic too. It’s less fuss and mess, and allows you to concentrate on each other. Just be sure to take the food out of its plastic and paper containers before serving!

Fine Wine

Nothing says “I love you” like sharing a great bottle of wine. Whether you’re a wine connoisseur, or a novice, you’ll want the wine to taste great with the food. Pick a versatile bottle that will go well with every course of your meal.

For an unforgettable evening, get inspired by the land of amore and all things fine, from Prada designs to Lamborghini cars. Choose a very special sparkling wine from Italy. For example, Franciacorta is a top quality sparkling wine from Italy, made from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Its vineyards are set amongst idyllic villages, castles and noble mansions, and the white sparkling wines are rich, creamy and filled with millions of seductive bubbles.

Franciacorta pairs with a wide range of foods, from appetizers to salads, seafood, pasta, poultry and meat. And because this Italian wine is made in the same way as Champagne, it provides the same festive and romantic mood.

Be sure to serve sparkling wine chilled. So if you’re going to linger over the bottle for a few hours, keep it on ice.

The Mood

If you eat dinner at home often, you’ll need to do something to make this holiday meal different. You can change the look and feel of your home by creating a romantic ambience. First, turn off the television. It’s hard to get into the right mood with the cast of the Jersey Shore duking it out in the background. Instead, play music you both like that’s not distracting to conversation. Just avoid songs about breakups and heartache!

Turn down the lights and set out candles or tea lights. Roses or other fresh flowers will add a nice touch to the room. And, of course, make sure the house is sparkling.

A Table For Two

If you can, set the table in a room in which you don’t normally dine. If you own a special set of dishes and utensils that you rarely use, tonight is the night to bring them out.  Tonight is also the night to use a table cloth or runner and cloth napkins.

With a little effort, your Valentine’s dinner at home can be festive and romantic.

Tags: romance, Valentine's Day

Welcome to The Daily Nonpareil’s 2012 Valentine’s Day Web site. You’ll find gift ideas for both the lady or man in your life, as well as suggestions for romantic local destinations! We’ll help you prepare for romance on Tuesday, Feb. 14!

Origins of “Valentine“

Every year couples express their love on a day that is set aside explicity to do just that. The origins of Valentine’s Day are well documented and, in fact, there were multiple people named Valentine when the holiday originated. It is well known that Valentine’s Day was named after two Christian martyrs, both of whom were named Valentine. But many do not know from where this unique name derived. The name “Valentine” is believed to come from the Latin word, “valor,”meaning worthy.

For great gift ideas for him or her, visit:

ChipperDeals.com - Every Tuesday and Thursday, check out our offers at 50% to 90% off, featuring dining, shopping, salon services, and much more. Sign up for e-mails to alert you to each day’s deal.

Echo Lighting Design Gallery - www.echolightingdesign.com

Jantiques - www.jantiques.com

R.J. Nelson Heating & Air Conditioning - www.rjnelsonco.com

Candy Narmi - NP Dodge - www.npdodge.net/CandyNarmi

Lakeside Auto Recyclers - Turn your junk into jewels!

Council Bluffs Video Services - www.councilbluffsvideoservices.com

Lynch’s Jewelry -  Forever Roses in gold or color make great gifts!