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15 Easy One-Pot Recipes for Date Night
Work. Meetings. Appointments. Playing Taxi Cab. Taking the kids to soccer practice. Helping with Homework. Choir Practice. The list just goes on and on. And after all that who has time for some quiet alone time with your spouse or significant other? Let alone stand over a hot stove and cook a gourmet meal. But don’t fret; Sunshine is here to save the day or night in this case. I’ve discovered 15 Easy One-Pot Recipes that you can re-create together for a special date night in. So light some candles, turn on some slow jams and open up a bottle of your favorite wine. It’s time to unplug and connect with some good food & adult conversation!
XO, Sunshine
1. Baked Chicken with Tomatoes & Garlic: Get the recipe on Brooklyn Supper
2. Skillet Chicken & Zucchini Parmesan: Get the recipe on Simple Bites
3. Potato, Kale & White Bean Hash: Get the recipe on Beard & Bonnet
4. Creamy Baked Millet w/ Butternut Squash: Get the recipe on Autumn Makes And Does
5. Barbeque Shrimp – New Orleans Style: Get the recipe on Wonky Wonderful
6. Mushroom Skillet Lasagna: Get the recipe on Savory Simple
7. Crispy Chicken Legs and Brussels Sprouts: Get the recipe on So Let’s Hang Out!
8. Saffron Shakshouka: Get the recipe on Brooklyn Supper
9. Spicy roast chicken with Carrots, Olives & Lemon: Get the recipe on The Crumb Blog
10. Slow Cooker Tuscan Tortellini Soup: Get 
the recipe on Nosh & Nourish
11. Sriracha Lime Chicken Skillet: Get the recipe on Running To The Kitchen
12. Chicken & Eggplant Sauté: Get the recipe on Lexi’s Clean Kitchen
13. Skillet Spaghetti: Get the recipe on Julie’s Eats & Treats
14. Thai Basil Cashew Chicken Skillet: Get the recipe on Running To The Kitchen
15. Saucy Chicken: Get the recipe on Diethood
Photo Credits: Simple Bites, Wonky Wonderful & Nosh and Nourish
21 Simple Ways To Strengthen Your Marriage
Article re-posted from DaveWillis.Org
There are millions of way to strengthen your marriage. In no particular order, here are twenty-one…
1. Have more SEX, but make sure you’re ONLY having it with each other!
2. Don’t keep secrets from each other. COMMUNICATE about everything.
3. Argue less. Cuddle more.
4. Don’t get deep in debt and if you’re already there, work together to get out of it!
5. Pray together, find a healthy church and make FAITH a foundation for your life together.
6. Turn off your phones. Talking with each other is better than texting with someone else!
7. Pull the car over and make out more often.
8. Leave LOVE NOTES for each other.
9. Send flowers on unexpected days, not just holidays.
10. Don’t ignore problems in your relationship. Deal with them quickly and aggressively.
11. Be quick to remember each other’s positive traits and quick to forget each other’s flaws.
12. Don’t hold grudges. Forgive and seek FORGIVENESS when you’ve wronged each other.
13. Don’t waste time or energy comparing your lives to anyone else’s. God’s plan for you is masterfully unique.
14. Go on long walks and HOLD HANDS.
15. Make “DATE NIGHT” a priority! Time alone together is vital for your continued growth and health.
16. Give COMPLIMENTS constantly, and never give insults.
17. When you’re happy, laugh together. When you’re sad, cry together. Whatever you do, do it together!
18. Show LOVE and RESPECT to each other even in those moments when you don’t feel like it.
19. Keep dreaming new dreams and making big plans together. Don’t get stuck in a predictable rut.
20. ENCOURAGE each other. Build each other up so much that nothing in the world can tear you down.
21. NEVER give up on each other!
The Good Days of Marriage
By: Marjorie Holmes
Read: Proverbs 5:15-23
May your fountain be blessed,
and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth. — Proverbs 5:18
Dear Lord, thank you for the good days of marriage. The days when we wake up pleased with each other, our jobs, our children, our home and ourselves. Thank you for our communication- the times when we can really talk to each other; and the times when we understand each other without so much as gesture or a word.
Thank you for our companionship– the times when we can work together at projects we both enjoy. Or work in our separate fields and yet have that sense of sharing that can only come when two persons’ lives have merged in so many others for so long. Thank you that we don’t feel cut off from each other, no matter how divergent the things we do. Thank you for our times of privacy. Our times of freedom. Our relaxed sense of personal trust.
Thank you that we don’t have to clutch and stifle each other, that we have learned to respect ourselves enough to respect the other’s individuality. Thank you, Lord, that despite the many storms of marriage we have reached these particular shores. Help us to remember them. Help us to hold fast to them, Lord. Be blessed!
Additional Scripture Readings: Ecclesiastes 9:9; Ephesians 5:25
Watch You Life or Shut Your Mouth!
Read: Matthew 7: 1-5 (NIV) 
Article reposted from Christian Marriage Today Facebook Page
CMT says, It’s Funny Mundy! A young couple moves into a new neighborhood. The next morning, while they are eating breakfast, the young woman sees her neighbor hang the wash outside. That laundry is not very clean, she said, she doesn’t know how to wash correctly. Perhaps she needs better laundry soap. Her husband looked on, but remained silent. Every time her neighbor would hang her wash to dry, the young woman would make the same comments. About one month later, the woman was surprised to see a nice clean wash on the line and said to her husband: “Look! She has learned how to wash correctly. I wonder who taught her this.” The husband said: “I got up early this morning and cleaned our windows!”
And so it is with life: “What we see when watching others depends on the purity of the window through which we look. Before we give any criticism, it might be a good idea to check our state of mind and ask ourselves if we are ready to see the good rather than looking for something in the person we are can judge.”
16 Ways to Blow Your Marriage
I came across this article online – and thought it was worth sharing.
The excerpt below was written by a man who’s marriage had failed – and these are the 16 things he would have done differently, were he able to get “a do-over.”
1. DON’T STOP HOLDING HER HAND
When I first dated the woman I ended up marrying, I always held her hand. In the car. While walking. At meals. At movies. It didn’t matter where. Over time, I stopped. I made up excuses like my hand was too hot or it made me sweat or I wasn’t comfortable with it in public. Truth was, I stopped holding hands because I stopped wanting to put in the effort to be close to my wife. No other reason.
IF I COULD HAVE A DO-OVER:
I’d hold her hand in the car. I’d hold her hand on a star. I’d…
View original post 2,253 more words
50 Alternative Date Ideas
Re-Blogged From: Gala Darling
Wake up at 4am & watch the sunrise together
Maybe not first date material, but perhaps third or fourth. What could be better than sitting close on a rooftop somewhere, talking & laughing & watching the sun come up? Take a flask of hot coffee for extra points.
Have an extravagant brunch at 8am
Get dressed up & do breakfast properly. Make a big deal out of it, & include fabulous pancakes, decadent waffles, poached eggs & the best hollandaise. Boutique hotels often do a brilliant brunch, but a bit of surreptitious googling should set you on the right track. Thick white linen napkins first thing in the morning are a magnificent way to start the day — & then you can either go your separate ways, or take a walk.
Go to an art gallery on a Saturday afternoon
You’ll learn a lot about the person you’re standing next to if you go & check out art together. Plus it gives you something so much more stimulating to talk about than the last episode of The Bachelor!
Bring half an evening
One person organises the food, & the other organises a movie, or one person organises tickets to an amusement park, & the other plans a walking tour. Very collaborative! You get the opportunity to impress your crush with your superior taste while also finding out more about them. You don’t have to meet at someone’s house, either — a park bench, good picnic spot or even town square could work too.
The double-Netflix date
For those of you not in America, Netflix is an on-demand DVD rental service that the entire country seems to have a subscription to. Sorry to be so geographically-specific, but “double-Netflix” rolls off the tongue a little better than, “Let’s just each bring a movie & subject one another to our extremely questionable taste”!
The Case Of The Mystery Band
Grab a copy of your local newspaper or magazine, close your eyes, run your finger over the “live music” section & choose a band neither of you have ever heard of to go & see. It could be amazing; it could be completely hellish — you won’t know until you go! But even if it’s shocking, it’s definitely a bonding experience, & maybe even something to tell the children, eh?
Make a fort
Enough said!
Bring your favourite book & read the first chapter aloud
Again, this says a lot about a person. Will they bring The Witches? Lolita? The 120 Days Of Sodom? I can barely stand the suspense…
Mix CD trade
Are mix CDs antiquated? Maybe you could just make one another a playlist on your iPod or something… Either way, sharing & discussing music is one of the world’s great, little-known aphrodisiacs. Truth. (Unless all they listen to is Richard Marx. Damn.)
Do something neither of you have done before
Pottery class? Swing dancing lessons? Hiring a moped & driving out into the country? Who knows, but it’s nice to share an experience that is new to both of you!
Random restaurant date
Search Yelp for restaurants in your area, close your eyes, roll your mouse & point at the screen. Just like the mystery band date, you never know how it’ll go — it could be a hidden treasure or a total health hazard, but that’s part of the fun, isn’t it?!
Hot air ballooning
Not the cheapest date idea, I’ll admit, but certain to score you points & to impress your lover-to-be. Maybe if you’re an heiress?!
Decorate a Christmas tree together
Yes, this one is seasonal, but think how fun it would be! It’ll cheer up your (or their) apartment, give you a visual reminder of them (assuming the date goes well), & maybe you could even go ice-skating afterwards. Cute ++.
The Sunday New York Times crossword date
Bonus: intellectual stimulation, nerd points & you get to find out how clever they really are, all in one fell swoop. & wouldn’t it be great if you looked at them across the table, sunlight falling across their face, & they smiled at you & you thought, ‘I would like to spend every Sunday this way’? Yes. Yes it would.
Playground date
Slides are exciting. Monkey bars are fun. Swinging side by side is totally awesome, & you can have a contest as to who can swing higher. (Hint: if you are younger you will probably win this one. Older people, I have learned, sometimes feel motion sick on swings. Definitely one of the downsides of maturity.)
Tree-climbing date
No explanation required, but if you take them to a secret treehouse that no one else knows about, please don’t be surprised if they propose on the spot!
Video game arcade date
This isn’t always a perfect match, especially when it comes to girls in high heels & those weird shoot-em-up zombie games. Or whatever. (How impressed would you be by a drop-dead gorgeous girl kicking immense zombie butt, though?) But everyone likes air hockey. Don’t they?!
Ye olde photobooth hunt
Trawl your city for old-school photobooths & take as many strips as you can. Take props, maybe a silly wig or two, & see how bizarre you can make them. P.S. Photobooth.net is your go-to source for major photobooth info!
A drive-in movie
I admit, this one seems ultra-cool to me just because I’ve never done it & I am in love with Danny Zucco from here until eternity. Just don’t try to take your ring off by wiping it through your greasy hair & hit your girlfriend in the boob!
Sugarhigh date
Simple. Go to a convenience store. Buy cheap, evil, sugary treats. Find somewhere to sit & glut yourselves on them. Then see what happens. Spontaneous dancing? A completely misguided shopping trip? Leapfrogging over small children?! Let us know!
The socially irresponsible date
One word: graffiti. You rebels!
Pretend to be tourists
Go & do the stuff you’ve never done because, well, you’ve always lived here. Wear a baseball cap, khakis & a bum bag (“fanny pack”) for a feeling of real authenticity, & don’t forget to take plenty of photos!
“My old neighbourhood” date
Walk around the area you used to live, & tell your date about where you used to ride your bike, what happened on that one lawn, which house was best to hit up on hallowe’en & who the really creepy neighbours were.
The really long one-way walk
No rules except that you just have to walk for a really long time in one direction & not turn around. When you’re really exhausted or you hit the ocean, it’s time to go back. Catch a taxi or a bus or something to ease the pain.
Take a dog for a walk
It doesn’t have to be yours, or even hers. Borrow your friend’s dog! They’re adorable & fun & will give you something to talk about if you get stuck. Plus, people will come up to you & say, “Cute dog”, & you can beam at each other like proud parents.
Go to the beach
Take music, towels, a big floppy sun-hat or two & enjoy the day. Build sandcastles, put sunscreen lotion on one another, go swimming & then travel home together as the sun is setting, relaxed & happy.
Karaoke!
I love karaoke. I love karaoke. I love karaoke. Again, it’s a great way to get to know someone — you’ll instantly know how outgoing they are, how much they like a challenge & what their music taste is like. Plus, usually in my experience, a day-glo private room & weird drinks are part of the package. Who could say no to that?
Collaborative art date
Get a canvas or even just a big piece of paper, some paint, pencils or pastels, & go nuts.
Walk around to different bars & tell stories about what happened
This one is kind of odd, but I was once on a date with a guy where we went to three different bars & as we walked around, he told me about the strange & hilarious memories he had associated with those places. It helped that he was cute & a good storyteller, but still, it could work.
Go & listen to jazz
Aka, pretend to be sophisticated. Or actually be sophisticated, depending…
Take cameras & explore an abandoned place
An excellent opportunity to be artsy-fartsy, or if you like to be on the other side of the camera, get them to take photos of you pulling your most beautifulest face!
Medieval Times
Oh geez, does this need any explanation? No! Eating with your hands, handsome knights, silly hats? Sign me up!
“First date” night
This one works best if it’s not your actual first date. Like, for example, you’ve been together for 3 years & live in the same house. Get dressed separately, meet somewhere strange & a bit awkward, & pretend you don’t know one another. Start from scratch. Ask all those banal questions you’re supposed to ask (“So, what do you do?”). Then at the end of the night, rejoice that you’re in a relationship & not dating any more!
The generational date
Pretend you’re an age that you’re not, then act accordingly. A senior citizens date might involve going lawn bowling, making apple sauce & watching The Price Is Right. A teenager date might involve roller-skating, making out in public & drinking vodka in an alley-way. You get the idea…
The recession date
Triple B’s: eat at Burger King, take the bus to get there, then go & play bingo. Maybe you could go window shopping afterwards or huddle around a cigarette for warmth (very Withnail & I).
The silent date
In a loud, noisy, overstimulating world, it can be nice to unplug & escape. But it can be nice to do that with your new favourite person, too. Hold hands & read books on a wharf & occasionally look adoringly at one another. Cool.
Make cupcakes together
You know you want to.
Make a video & put it on Youtube
You could really do anything & make a video of it, but it does at least give you a purpose & a goal. Plus, later on you have a record of what went on — & a slew of idiotic comments to wade through. Haha!
Liveblog your date
Upload pictures, tweet it, even give it a hash-tag. #evan&madelinesfirstdate. Cute.
Travel without going anywhere
The premise is simple. Have a normal date but speak with an accent. You both have to do it, by the way, or it doesn’t count. Choose something difficult for extra hilarity points, like Scottish or South African. Och aye!
Write letters to one another & post them
Maybe if you were on a date with a contender for Macho Man Of The Year this wouldn’t work, but I think it is almost the cutest idea ever. It’s definitely worth a try.
Dye each other’s hair
There’s nothing like a radical change to make life more exciting. Try blue-black or red or even pink! I wrote a how to, so there’s no excuse!
Sneak into a rooftop pool
They often have them at hotels, but they are usually only open to guests, so you might have to use your best sweet-talking skills, but it will be totally worth it if you can swing it. My suggestion? Just act as if you’re supposed to be there, & them questioning you is really just a waste of your time. Be charming but efficient. Godspeed!
Jump on a trampoline
The hardest part will be finding one, but I have faith in you!
Use sparklers to draw each other pictures
& maybe even write “GD + MK 4 EVER”. (Take photos.)
Ice-cream parlour
Get a really, really, really big sundae & split it. Bicker over toppings. Then, when you’re done, find somewhere to lie down & talk about how sick you feel. A bonding experience to be sure!
Have a five-course dinner… at different places
Have an appetiser at one place, soup somewhere else, a main here, a dessert there, & coffee at your favourite cafe.
Play truth or dare
Awesome.
Three-hour make-out session
Choose a good location & use a stopwatch if necessary. Sounds like a good way to spend an afternoon to me!
7 Ways In 7 Days To Knock The Socks Off Your Spouse
40 Free Date Ideas You’ll Both Love
Cozy up to these fun couples activities that won’t cost a dime.
By Jené Luciani
What does your idea of a romantic evening entail? Fancy dinners? Flowers? Gifts? Sometimes it’s important to remember that being romantic doesn’t have to mean spending all your dough. There are many ways to treat your loved one to a special date without emptying your wallet (or his). MrFreeStuff.com has shared his list of 40 Great Date Ideas—and they’re all free!
1. Local Art Shows
3. Free Outdoor Concerts
5. Have a Game Night
7. Have a Movie Night
9. Go on a Bike Ride
11. Be a Good Sport
13. Host a Dance Party
15. Free Zoo Days
17. Go for a Test Drive
19. Photoshoot
21. Amateur Night at a Coffeehouse
23. Tour a Winery
25. Cloud Watching
27. At-Home Wine Tasting
29. Organize a “Progressive Potluck Dinner”
31. Visit a Farm
33. Sandcastle Competition
35. Rock Skipping
37. Have a Picnic
39. Re-arrange Your Home
© 2012 Weider Publications, LLC, a subsidiary of American Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
“Date Night” In A Jar
I’m sure I’m not the only one – but I’ve been stuck on Pintrest a few times this week, just browsing at what other people find interesting enough to ‘pin’. Anyway, I came across this idea and thought it would be perfect for Ty and I . We’re usually pretty good at occupying our time with things that need to be done and things we’d like to check out but as most couples find, there are the days where the conversation goes something like this:
Would you like to do something this weekend?
Sure!
What you wanna do?
Hmmm . . . It doesn’t matter . . .What you wanna do?
It doesn’t matter . . .
I know, I know. We live in the Land of Paradise (as one of my friend calls it) and all we can say is “It doesn’t matter”. Well not anymore a solution has arrived. So to create your every own “Date Night In A Jar” all you have to do is pick up some coloured popsicle sticks, a black sharpie and a drinking glass from your local dollar store. Next you just write the different date ideas on the coloured sticks. Now how easy is that? And after browsing random sites online I came across this list of ideas to use as a guide. Enjoy & Happy Date Night!
Pink Sticks: Activities Outside the Home – $$
Hotel stay for the night
Jacksonville Jaguars Home Game
Coupes Massage
Dinner and a movie (her choice)
Dinner and a movie (his choice)
Progressive Meal (drinks at one restaurant, appetizers at another etc; )
Pool/ Darts at a Local Dive Bar
Castle Fun Park
Drive-In Movies
Dessert-Only Date
Bowling
Coffee Date
Golf/Driving Range
Go to an Amusement Park
Aquarium/Museum/Cultural Tour
Go-Karting
Visit a Place Listed in an Entertainment Book
Go to the Zoo
Go Rock Climbing
Try a New Cuisine
Orange Sticks: Activities Outside the Home – $
Picnic
Canoeing
Raquetball
Iceskating
Go to the Beach
Go See a College Sports Event
Go for Ice Cream
Go for a Scenic Drive
Go Wander through the Mall
Yardsale/Antiquing/Thrift
Visit an Art Gallery
Visit a Local Farm
Go to a Book Store
Visit Another Town – Walk Around Main Strip
Listen to Live Music
Have Lunch at a New Restaurant
Go Out for Drinks
Visit a Tourist Spot in Our Hometown
Go Swimming
Go See a Local Band
Go Fruit Picking
Visit a Winery
Blue Sticks: At Home Dates – $$
Fondue Night
Takeout and Scrabble
Nachos and Yahtzee Night
Paris night: Baguette, French Wine, and Cheese
Chinese Food at the Warf
Sculpture a Block of Ice Cream (Get generic brand to ensure firmness)
Make (decorate) T-Shirts for Each Other
Indoor Unbirthday Party (for both of you)
Build a Hobby Shop Project Together
Champagne & Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Accomplish a ‘Home’ Project
Restaurant at Home (Recreate a menu from your favorite restaurant)
Make Ice Cream Sundaes
Green Sticks: At Home Dates – $0
Popcorn and a Chick-Flick
Crosswords and Breakfast for Dinner
Make a Dessert Together
TV Series Marathon
Homemade Pizzas and an Italian Movie
Cook Dinner Together – with Smooches
Bake Cookies Together – with Smooches
Read on the Couch Together
Sensual Back Rub Night
Make Chocolate Covered Strawberries & Bath Night
Carpet Picnic
Work-Out Together – set up stations: jump rope etc;
Total Theme Night – Dress, Dinner & Movie
Yellow Sticks: Activities Outside the Home – $0
Go for a Walk
Jogging
Hike in the Woods
Lie in the Grass & Find Shapes in the Clouds
Build Sandcastles/Snowmen (depending on the season)
Go People Watching
Go Snorkeling
Make Kites and go Fly Them
Roller Skating/Skateboarding
Explore a Local Park
Play Frisbee
Play Basketball
Go for a Bike Ride
Stargazing
Watch the Sunrise/Sunset
Take a Walk Around a Lake
5 Fall Date Ideas To Rev Up The Romance
FALL IN LOVE
WITH FALL
With summer winding down, it’s time to start thinking ahead to cooler temperatures, especially when it comes to love. Not sure what to do or where to go with your guy? Between outdoor adventures and season-specific outings, fall can be a lot more fun than you think.
Go apple picking
There’s no better way to eat seasonal and local than by heading to the closest apple farm to pick your own fruit. Not only will you be enjoying the fresh air, but you can gather enough goodies to go home and try your hand at baking a pie together. The crisp, fall air is energizing and apple picking is something you can only do in the fall, which makes it special. Check out PickYourOwn.org to find a farm near you.
Hit up a state fair
Cotton candy and rides and games, oh my! What could be better than a day spent arm in arm with your man while you take in the action at a local state fair? Greasy food, silly rides and the chance for him to win you a stuffed animal all combine for a laid back but ultra-fun day for two. Fall is prime time for fairs, so do a quick search here to find the closest one to you.
Head out on a hike
A fall hike is a great way to get to know someone better or boost your bond with someone you’ve been seeing for a while. Whether you’re six months into a relationship or six years, a brisk walk through some gorgeous trails makes for a romantic (and athletic) afternoon. Local Hikesprovides a comprehensive list of hiking trails near metropolitan areas making it easy to find one near you. Don’t forget to bring your camera to capture the fall colors.
Stay in and get cozy
Too blustery out for a hike or trip to the fair? There’s nothing more romantic than staying in and cuddling up under a blanket together for a cozy night in. Stock up on your favorite snacks, choose some movies you both want to watch, light some candles, open a bottle of wine and spend the afternoon or evening relaxing in the warmth of your living room.
Take a day trip
Whether it’s to hike further afield, check out a cute town you’ve never been to, or simply do something different for a day, taking a mini road trip is a fun fall date that goes beyond your usual activities. The best reason to get out of town in the fall? To see the fall foliage! Check out where to head to see the bursts of yellow, red and orange with a handy fall foliage map.
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