I am a huge advocate for family meal time and we have a goal to sit together around the kitchen table, out on the deck, or on a picnic blanket every night for dinner to eat with our kids. But I’m also a big fan of sharing a meal together, just the two of you, every once in a while. I know a lot of couples go out to dinner for date night once a week. But some aren’t able to go out every week and others don’t go out to eat because of budget and food sensitivities. Or because they choose to use their date night time to participate in an activity instead of eating together.
For more date night ideas like these ones, check out the book, Prioritizing Date Night in Your Marriage, with 300+ date night ideas.
Once a week, we sit with our kids at the dinner table but don’t eat with them. They go to bed early and then we grab takeout or make dinner and sit down to eat, kid free. It’s a great opportunity for us to connect and have a mini date night at home during the week. I want to challenge you to do the same!
Once, a week, share a meal together, just the two of you. If you don’t eat together regularly because your schedules don’t match up or just because it’s not a priority for your family, here’s your chance to start eating together on a more regular basis. Cooking and eating and enjoying food together is a great way to spend time with each other and focus on your relationship.
Related: Are Couples Who Eat Together, Happier Together?
Two cooks in the kitchen can be a challenge, especially if you both enjoy cooking. It will give you an opportunity to work together. And find new ways to cooperate and use your differences to make you a better team! Maybe one of you is the family chef and the other tends to stay out of the kitchen as much as possible. This could be a fun way for the one who loves cooking to teach the other spouse some new skills. And help them to become more comfortable making something other than cold cereal and grilled cheese.
Maybe you have a spouse who really doesn’t want to cook, and that’s ok too! You can still enjoy time in the kitchen together before you sit down to eat. Pour some bubbly to enjoy while you’re cooking and let your spouse sit across the counter from you and enjoy theirs while you chat. If your spouse is willing to help, just a little bit, have them grab tools, utensils and ingredients that you might need. Or they could be in charge of cleaning as you go so there’s less to clean up after your mini date.
We really love the idea of cooking together on a regular basis from this cook book, Date Night In. It is one of my favorite cookbooks because of the layout. And the focus on finding ways to date each other regularly without needing to leave the house. The author of the cookbook has put together a menu for each “date night” she shares. And each of those dates is prefaced with a story of why that meal is their favorite and the significance that it has in their marriage. The stories are sweet and have great lessons to learn about relationships and love and making time for each other. Click here to read more about the cookbook and why I love it so much!
There’s an entire recipe archive here on A Prioritized Marriage. Where I’ve shared a lot of our favorite recipes, including our very favorite food to make and enjoy together, ribs! Another great resource here on the blog is the Date Night in the Kitchen series. My friend, Bethany, was kind enough to share these yummy recipes on my site a few years back. Each of the recipes shared is delicious, unique, and easy to make. And they make the perfect addition to a special night that you plan to share together.
After you’ve finished making your food, sit down together without any technology. And enjoy the quiet, alone time you get to have while you eat a delicious meal! We love to take dessert out on the roof for a little rooftop rendezvous. During the warmer months, you’ll find us out on the deck having a moonlit picnic. You can have a simple picnic on your living room floor. Or set the mood with romantic candlelight at the dinner table. However you choose to spend your meal together, try to make this a priority once a week. In addition to your regular date nights. It’s a great opportunity to reconnect and make your marriage a priority throughout every stage of your life!
What is your favorite thing to eat for date night?
