It’s time to get a little mushy-gushy romantic, everyone. With the weather finally cooling down, I can’t help but get cuddly and start breaking out my favorite romantic holiday movies and date ideas. With that said, I won’t be able to get through this article without including one of my favorite winter movies, “The Holiday“—an irresistible romantic comedy featuring Jude Law and Cameron Diaz finding love in the snowy countryside of England. That movie alone gets me excited for the potential date ideas made possible by the winter chill. Here are a few more:
1. Chicken Picatta:
One of the best ways to warm up a cold night is some homemade holiday cooking. Cooking while away at school can be a little tricky since we’re not in our mama’s kitchen having her help us through every step of the recipe. Luckily, I have stumbled upon a super simple Chicken Picatta recipe perfect for two. I promise; I’m not exaggerating when I say everyone I have cooked this meal for — including Mom — has asked me for the recipe when they were finished eating. If they love it, then you’re significant other will love it too! (And he’s not just being nice).
Ingredients (serves 2):
2 boneless chicken breasts
1 cup of flour
2 lemons
1 bottle of capers
2 cups chicken stock
Onion Powder
Garlic Powder
Salt and Pepper
Olive Oil
Directions: Dry the chicken breasts, and flatten them with a meat cleaver until they are half-an-inch thick. Season chicken with salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder on both sides. Dredge lightly in flour, and cook in a pan over medium heat with olive oil. Cook until it is well browned on both sides and cooked through completely. Remove the chicken from the pan, and add chicken stock, lemons and capers until it is brought to a boil. Add the chicken to the sauce, and continue to simmer until the sauce becomes thick enough for your liking. Serve over pasta or with yummy veggies.
It may seem simple, but it is delish!
2. Bookstore Browsing
“Dinner and a movie” is getting a little old. Eating a delicious meal you made yourself at home is more heart-felt and thrifty. After your date has a nice, full belly of chicken picatta, forget the unoriginal movie outing and try something where the two of you can chitchat a little. My boyfriend and I go to the bookstore sometimes to check out the new releases. It’s a gender-neutral activity that is a nice way to escape from the cold weather outside. Even if you guys aren’t heavy into reading, Barnes and Noble always has a great movie and cd selection.
Browsing books and grabbing a coffee may be the closest you’ll get to having him go shopping with you, so take advantage! Trying to escape the bookstore without buying five different things is always a struggle for me, but being there with him always gives me ideas for Christmas gifts for others. A night out with your man AND getting some holiday shopping in? It might just be the perfect date…
3. Karen’s Fine Art
I hope you all know by now about Etsy.com. If not, oh boy do I have a new for you to get lost on surfing the web! Etsy.com is essentially Pinterest with an “add to cart” button. I know; it’s amazing! Pretty much any material item you could ever want is waiting for you on this magical site. Shoppers can find everything from monogrammed Christmas stockings to uniquely designed bow ties. It’s a dream come true.
My sister’s birthday was last week, and her husband bought her the most adorable gift. I just had to share with you all because he bought it off etsy.com. I can’t help but assume she had some hand in helping him pick it out. With that said, I want you guys to be aware that Etsy has some great gift ideas for men, also. The website is very useful for holiday shopping, especially if you are looking for a gift for someone who seems to already have everything. I guarantee there is something you haven’t thought of yet on this website!
Anyways, my sister’s husband got her a custom oil portrait of the two of them! Don’t be scared; it’s not like those cheesy oil paintings you still see in your grandmother’s house that are creepily life-like. Something like that is sure to get your boyfriend a little freaked. Instead, it was more like a caricature of the two of them. The image shows them walking through the rain, under an umbrella with Steven’s arm around my sister’s waist. My sister is holding a leash with their little puppy on it, too! It’s a very abstract oil painting so only people that know my sister and her husband would recognize that it was made to look like them.
The portrait was made by Karen Tarlton but was first discovered by my sister on the Etsy website. If you like what you see, it is definitely worth checking out! She makes other paintings, too, and her work is beautiful. It is a little pricey because it is custom-made, but it makes a great gift!
Here is a direct link to the image of their painting and more artwork by Karen Tarlton: http://www.etsy.com/listing/113989650/original-oil-painting-umbrella-rain