Date night – raclette dining for two

Year-Of-Feasting-date-night | Vinyet Etc

A year of feasting!

Hey guys, welcome back! If this is your first time here hello my name is Laurie, thanks so much for stopping in! I truly appreciate it because I know how super busy life can get!  And that my dear friends is the perfect segue into this series and post! 😉

Yay!!!!

I’m joining in with some awesome bloggy friends again but this time we are presenting, “A Year of feasting”. This series is hosted by my buddy the über talented and completely sweet, Dannyelle she blogs over at, Life is a Party. She is a must follow in my books!

I’m pretty pumped to share our sponsor too, they were so very generous and provided us with a gift card to go shopping. Thanks so much Giant Tiger, Bud and I had a blast shopping for our special night in and our very first post for, a year of feasting.

Giant Tiger and a Year of Feasting | Vinyet Etc

I bet you’re wondering by now what a year of feasting is exactly? Well it’s an opportunity to gather with friends and loved ones to laugh, visit, eat and take the time in this crazy busy social media focused world and stay connected beyond our computers… all of us bloggers will be sharing lots of different ways you to can stay connected with your fam jam, your friends and your significant other by sharing different ways to feast.  In this post I will be sharing how Bud and I carved out some time for ourselves, unplugged and prepared our date just like we would have done if a crowd of guests were coming over… I don’t mean tons of food, I mean we were deliberate about setting the ambience and taking the time to make our date night an evening in, focusing on making it very special. Haha, although there were tons of leftovers, am I the only one that make too much food?

Date Night

Year-Of-Feasting-date-night | Vinyet Etc

I must tell you it’s the strangest thing to edit photos of your self… especially when you still feel as young as you did when you met each other, hahaha (hello fine lines). I met this wonderful man when I was 15 years old, that’s so crazy to me when you say it out loud… it feels like yesterday and it feels like a life time all in the same breath, does that make sense? We’ve been through so much together and like most couples I imagine do, we sometimes let our busy lives get in the way and before you know it, it feels like it’s been forever since you’ve sat down and looked into each other’s eyes and just talked, connected and unplugged from the noisy world. Thankfully we often do unplug and shut the world off, we don’t however make a big to-do about it, walks and cuddle movie times usually, diners out yes for sure but this date night felt very different because we took the time to fuss and prepare, like it was a special occasion. And my dear friends… it is a special occasion to take that time to look into the eye of the person you love… I know cheesy, but life is such a crazy ride, a strong marriage and friendship is a rare gift that deserves so much care.

BudandLaurManyMoonsAgo - Vinyet Etc

Tinted glasses, I was that cool! Oh my goodness!

What is a raclette grill?

Year-Of-Feasting-date-night | Vinyet Etc

Let me preface this by saying I’m NOT a foodie… haha, not even close. Have you ever heard of a raclette? I was completely in the dark up until a few years ago and now, I don’t think I’d ever go without one in my home. The best part about a raclette grill in my humble opinion, it’s so easily customizable to your own food preferences and tastes! The first time we participated in this way of eating blew my mind.  And one of my other favourite things about a raclette… cheese, all the yummy melted gooey cheese. I think I have a slight cheese obsession frankly. Raclette dining is so easy really, you basically chop up your favourite ingredients and plop the grill in the middle of your table and start indoor grilling! So easy, very fun and extremely social. It can be as formal as you’d like with cute DIY labels for all of your different foods for your guests or as casual as you’d like,  we didn’t make labels because this was for the two of us and we shopped together, that would have been overkill. It’s also a very nice relaxing and slow way to eat, perfect for catching up and connecting.

Year-Of-Feasting-date-night | Vinyet Etc

We always prep the ingredients we will be grilling ahead of time, this time it was an added level to date night because we chopped and prepped together, no rushing around, just relaxed, laughter and each other.

Year-Of-Feasting-date-night | Vinyet Etc

I have had raclette many times, this time I tried grilling some fresh fruit, oh my scrumptiousness! The mango and pineapple were my fave! Garlic bread… so good! I have to start shopping at GT more often the grocery selection is awesome!

Raclette date night A year of feasting Vinyet Etc

I love our easy DIY dessert cups filled with crinkle paper , tied with bakers twine and overflowing with Easter goodies… warning they may be irresistible while you wait for your food to grill, but that’s okay, raclette’s have 0 rules.

 

Year-Of-Feasting-date-night | Vinyet Etc

And hello cute little DIY drink garnish. I cut the top off of the pineapple and washed it, I then sliced it in half trimmed it to fit into the top of the glass, it’s just cute and makes me smile! I love these glasses I bought from Giant Tiger, they really reminded me of pineapples, I picked up 2 pink (shown here) and 2 yellow… aren’t they so much fun?!

Year-Of-Feasting-date-night | Vinyet Etc

We also purchased some candles from Giant Tiger and gathered my vintage milk glass collection together, this very easy vignette gave us a really pretty glow, it was very romantic! And hello daylight savings, sunshine!

 

raclette date night cheers Vinyet Etc

We really enjoyed our wonderful date night in, our first post for a year of feasting… that was so much fun! Date nights are so important, we’ve realized we need to do date night in more often!

Now, I can’t wait to check out all my bloggy friend’s amazing Spring Feasts, I sure hope we’ve enticed you to have your own #YearOfFeasting

year-of-feasting-spring-collage | Vinyet Etc

THE DIY MOMMYLIFE IS A PARTYVINYETE ETC.

PERSONALLY ANDREAKIM POWER STYLETHE LEARNER OBSERVER

WOMAN IN REAL LIFEFLOURISH AND KNOTLOVE CREATE CELEBRATE

AMIDST THE CHAOSPMQ FOR TWOTHE DREAM HOUSE PROJECT

Thank you so much for stopping in, until next time! xoxo

This post contains affiliate links.    Thank you for supporting Vin’yet Etc.  xo

Disclosure:  My new mason jar glasses were provided by Giant Tiger, aren’t they pretty?  I truly do love them! All opinions, thoughts and pictures are my own.

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24 Comments

  • Reply Kendra @ www.joyunourhome.com March 30, 2017 at 9:32 am

    What a fabulous date night! And so many delicious goodies! (Love that store!)

    • Reply Laurie March 31, 2017 at 10:31 am

      Thanks Kendra! Great store with such an affordable selection! We had a great date night in, it was delicious and the company was stellar! xo

  • Reply Becki March 30, 2017 at 11:28 am

    Now his looks like the most fun! Also you guys are the cutest!!! 😭😭. I bet that grilled pineapple was unreal! ❤

    • Reply Laurie March 31, 2017 at 10:30 am

      It was so unreal and the mango too, my new fave!!! Thanks love, we were babies, hahahaha the tint on those glasses, I’m surprised I could see! I think you and Chris would love to raclette!

  • Reply Sheila March 30, 2017 at 11:31 am

    Hi Laurie, Loved this post! It reminded me of the times when we would sit for hours at the table enjoying a fondue! So many happy memories from that time period. I have enjoyed one raclette dinner and now you have me thinking I should probably go out and buy one 🙂 We have a number of GT Boutiques in my area but will be getting one just a few minutes away in the next few months so I’m excited about that!

    • Reply Laurie March 31, 2017 at 10:28 am

      GT boutique has so much to offer and is so budget friendly! I love the grocery selections, decor and clothing. One close by, that’s exciting, I love hunting for the goodies! I’ve only had a few fondues, they always seemed to spit at me (heat too high?) , raclette is calmer, you for sure should go get one, you’ll be glad you did.

  • Reply Personally Andrea March 30, 2017 at 12:10 pm

    You are so super-cute! I love your date night in! For some reason we only ever do raclette at New Year’s, you’ve inspired me to get it out more often! xx

    • Reply Laurie March 31, 2017 at 10:24 am

      Awwwwwww, thanks! We do raclette all the time, it’s such a great way to slow things down. Yes, pull that out and have a raclette soon, so good for anytime! xo

  • Reply Ariel March 30, 2017 at 12:50 pm

    You guys are too cute! I love the throwback pick – would not have recognized you two love birds!
    would have never thought of a fruit raclette, but gosh darn it all looks so good! I hope you get many more date nights out of this set-up 😉

    • Reply Laurie March 31, 2017 at 10:23 am

      The fruit was sooooooo good, juicy and my new fave! Us crazy lovebirds are still in there somewhere, but ya baby faced kiddos for sure.

  • Reply Dannyelle @ www.lifeisaparty.ca March 30, 2017 at 8:39 pm

    Laurie, I love hearing part of your story, and how you meet at 15! Your date night is beautiful! You guys are the cutest. And, thanks for your sweet, sweet words friend.

    • Reply Laurie March 31, 2017 at 10:19 am

      Yep, 15, it’s so hard to believe! That was 35 years ago!!!!! What the! Thank goodness I am immature because that’s so old! 😉 All words expressed by me are 100% true, I love how you create, so inspiring!

  • Reply Joann @ Woman In Real Life March 30, 2017 at 9:41 pm

    What a great date night idea! Love all the fresh fruit. I also adore the way you put the pineapple tops in those GT mugs. So pretty! You two are adorable. I remember my sister once had that exact same layered hairdo you had!

    • Reply Laurie March 31, 2017 at 10:18 am

      hahaha, so your sister is MUCH younger than you? 😉 I kid! hahaha I was an 80s kid loving the 70s style, so strange really, I didn’t do the hairspray thing to the extent that my friends did, the hairdos were kind of scary! I am completely obsessed with those mugs!

      • Reply Joann @ Woman In Real Life March 31, 2017 at 10:30 am

        Haha…she’s actually a year older than me. 😉 But we had completely different hair in terms of colour and texture, so we had very different styles. I did do the layered, flipped back sides at one point though. 🙂

  • Reply Bliss March 30, 2017 at 10:51 pm

    This was a really sweet post. I need to take the time for a date night IN. And I need to find out more about the indoor grill. Does it get really hot? The grill that is, not the date!

    • Reply Laurie March 31, 2017 at 10:14 am

      You never fail to make me smile!!! <3 The grill usually comes with a metal cooking surface and the stone surface, they both get very hot, we preheat the stone in the oven to speed the warming process, but both surfaces cook up a storm. The date was also hot, as per normal! 😉

  • Reply Sarah April 2, 2017 at 7:41 pm

    Oooh it’s been forever since we did raclette: you’ve inspired me! I love the idea of adding fruit to the grill. We’ve always done the traditional meat and cheese stuff. Gotta try it!

  • Reply Carol ("Mimi") April 3, 2017 at 9:00 am

    I had never heard of a raclette grill. Your dinner looks delicious, and the food presentation is beautiful. I’m glad to hear that you had such an enjoyable date night.

  • Reply Lisa April 3, 2017 at 10:13 am

    This looks like a ton of fun and those glasses totally remind me of pineapples too!

  • Reply Carolann April 3, 2017 at 10:07 pm

    Everything looked so good! I never heard of a raclette before. The drinks looked so good. Yum!

  • Reply Lidy@FrenchGardenHouse April 4, 2017 at 3:13 pm

    Laurie, this looks like so much fun! We’ve had raclette with our whole family, with friends, but never as a “date”….a must try. Everything looks delicious. Love it!

  • Reply Mary-the boondocks blog April 4, 2017 at 4:24 pm

    It’s great when you can take some time in this busy world to just spend time with your husband and have a special little feast. And grilling your food is super healthy!

  • Reply Clarissa April 13, 2017 at 1:37 pm

    I loved this <3 My husband-to-be and I met when we were 14, and 13 years later we're engaged! It is a very special thing to find 'your person' so early in life and be able to grow together. I love anniversaries and date nights for that exact reason – to celebrate all the love you've had together <3

    -Clarissa @ The View From Here

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