Romantic Stay-At-Home Valentine’s Day Date Idea (PLUS A Free Menu Template)
HelloooooOOooOoo from the insideeeeeeeee… (again!)
Valentine’s Day will continue to look a little different this year. While restaurants used to book out far in advance for the most romantic night of the year, many of us will be celebrating from the comfort of our homes again in 2022.
And while you might be feeling like this:
It’s okay! Let’s make the very best of it. Being safe and warm. Snuggled up with someone you love. It can still be just as SWEET. ❤️
So… with that in mind, here’s an idea for a fun date-night-in that you can plan as a surprise for your S/O this Valentine’s Day.
You ready? Let’s talk fondue!
>> psst… a quick note: don’t forget you can still support local restaurants on Valentine’s Day!
Even if you’re not going to dine in person, you can still support a local restaurant.
Grab takeout, get food delivered, etc. Many restaurants are serving delicious Valentine’s Day specials that you can order to-go!
This is a great option for couples who are staying at home, but typically have a favorite local spot for Valentine’s Day.
& now, allow me to welcome you to Dip! My fake fondue restaurant that is open 1 day out of the year
If you’ve been around for a bit, you know that every year on Valentine’s Day I create a mock restaurant for my husband called Dip.
I design a special Valentine's Day menu, light candles, pour some drinks, and make fondue for two.
Prior to COVID-19, this allowed us to avoid the February 14th restaurant chaos while still having a romantic night together. And now, it’s the perfect stay-at-home celebration.
Print & use this free menu
No (fake) restaurant is complete without a menu, right?
download and print your own Dip menu template!
What’s cookin’ good lookin’?
I typically do two types of fondue. I start with a beer cheese fondue served with a french baguette, crisp apples, and pretzels. Then for dessert, I make chocolate peanut butter fondue served with brownies, bananas, pretzels, marshmallows, and strawberries.
But hey, this is YOUR date night… add whatever dippers your beautiful heart desires! I put both recipes below that I typically use.
No fondue pot? No problem! No kitchen skills? No problem!
After 10 years of this little Vday tradish, I FINALLY got a fondue pot! (YAY for our wedding registry!)
BUT, for the 10 years before that, I cooked the fondue over the stove in a pot. AND it worked just fine!
(Well, except for Valentine’s Day of 2021 and what my husband lovingly refers to as, “the first aid portion of the evening”... That part wasn’t great. But owning a fake restaurant that’s only open 1 day out of the year is hard work people! 😅😆)
REGARDLESS… If you don’t have a fondue pot, or if you aren’t great in the kitchen, you can still do this! 💪
>> psst… if you are looking for a fondue pot, here are some suggestions:
Disclaimer: These fondue pots are Amazon Affiliate links, meaning: at no additional cost to you, I’ll earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase. Thank you so very much!
& now, for the main course of this blog post… here are 2 fondue recipes
✨ BEER CHEESE FONDUE RECIPE ✨
Prep: 5 min | Cook: 15 min | Ready in: 20 min
8 ounces shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
8 ounces shredded Swiss cheese
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 clove garlic
1 can or bottle of beer
1 dash hot sauce
Dippers such as: french baguette, crisp apples, pretzels
DIRECTIONS
Combine Cheddar cheese, Swiss cheese, flour, pepper, and salt in a bowl
Rub garlic clove around pot
Pour beer into pot, bring to a simmer over medium-low heat (about 5 min)
Gradually stir cheese mixture into beer until cheese is melted and blended (about 10 min)
Add a dash of hot sauce to pot
Serve with dippers such as french baguette, crisp apples, pretzels
✨ CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER FONDUE recipe ✨
Prep: 5 min | Cook: 10 min | Ready in: 15 min
6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
Dippers such as: brownies, bananas, pretzels, marshmallows, strawberries
DIRECTIONS
Combine chocolate chips, sugar, milk, and peanut butter over low heat
Stir until smooth
Serve with dippers such as brownies, bananas, pretzels, marshmallows, strawberries
And there you have it… a lovely stay-at-home Valentine’s Day idea for you and your S/O. Please share the love and tag @hayliesdailies if you fondue this Vday so I can see and give you some love back! ❤️🥰
Enjoy and Happy Valentine’s Day looovers!
xoxo, Haylie
>> Psst… Just for fun, here is each Dip menu from the past few years!
