This “Date” in History – Movie Marathon Date Night

On this day in 1977, Memorial Day weekend opens with an intergalactic bang as the first of George Lucas blockbuster Star Wars movies hits American theaters.

So, get the box set of the original Star Wars Episodes, (or stream on netflix, etc.) get some popcorn, hot dogs, nachos, over-sized sodas and bundle up on the couch tonight and have a movie marathon. It will be like living, or re-living premiere night in 1977. If you choose to wear bell-bottoms, please comment and a upload a photo to ‘prove it’.

What do you get when you cross Luke Skywalker, an elderly walking device and a Texas Ranger?

You get a Skywalker Texas Ranger Walker Walker!

Farmer’s Market Date

A quick and ideal date is simple:

• Step 1: Get a date.
• Step 2: Shop together for ingredients at one of the many local awesome farmer’s markets.
• Step 3: Enjoy a spontaneous picnic of fresh veggies, bread, jams and jellies, cheeses, organic baked good, etc.

How can you go wrong when food is involved!

 

This Day in History – (5/22) Make Love Not War

Call your loved one, partner, friend…tell them about this day in history!

The first battle in the 30-year War of Roses took place.

Tell him/her that, on this day, we should Make Love, Not War, to commemorate that historical data and make it one for you both to remember!

This way, you get a history lesson, a conversation starter, maybe a giggle, but perhaps, maybe, possibly, a fun night!

Crave the Unusual

People crave the unusual.  

Doing something new raises your interest level and lets you see your “date” in a new light.

Always be on the lookout for new possibilities.

• Keep your eye on the newspaper or a magazine for new and fun things happening.
• Check websites on your favorite subjects to see events that might be coming up.
• Check your local (or a couple cities away) Visitors Bureau or Chamber of Commerce for events.
• Drop the Yellow Pages on the floor and see what page opens, then choose an idea (plumbing assistant?)
• If you love a particular sport, contact a sports shop to see if they may know events you can attend.

BTW, be sure to choose activities that allow for conversation too!

First Date Checklist

Do 12 out of 12 and you got a chance!

1. Be yourself
2. Carry gum, Altoids, etc.
3. Use etiquette
4. Dress with finesse/thought/pride
5. Confirm the night before
6. Make the offer to pay
7. Take the focus off yourself
8. Listen
9. Make eye contact
10. Know where you parked your car
11. Know current events
12. Keep off topics of Politics, Sex, Religion

Dating and Dieting

Can you have fun on a date and still be true to your diet. Absolutely!

Asian
When it’s Asian fare you crave, start the meal with soup and resist high-fat appetizers like fried wontons and egg rolls. Substitute steamed rice, or preferably brown rice, for crispy noodles, which are fried in fat. For an entree, focus on fresh ingredients like vegetables and avoid any menu choices described as “crispy,” “deep-fried,” “golden brown,” or “sweet and sour.” Moo Goo Gai Pan and Vegetarian’s Delight are both delicious low-cal options.

• Eat It: Steamed rice and veggies, no-oil stir-fries, broth-based soups.
• Delete It: Deep-fried foods, Egg Foo Young, fried rice, lo mein.

Italian
When you’re pining for pizza, opt for the thin-crust kind with reduced-fat cheeses, and load it up with fresh vegetables. Plan on eating only 2 to 3 medium-sized slices after a big green salad. If you’re in the mood for pasta, the best topping choices are marinara, primavera, Bolognese, or red or white clam sauce. Avoid sauces with bases of oil, cream, butter, cheese, sausage, or bacon (that includes pancetta). For a light and healthy entree, consider chicken cacciatore.

• Eat It: Marinara or marsala sauces, minestrone soup, chicken cacciatore, veggie pizza.
• Delete It: Alfredo sauces, sausage, bacon, risotto, lasagna.

Latin
In the mood for Mexican, Caribbean, South American, or Spanish cuisine? Focus on vegetables and opt for lard-free bean-based dishes rather than beef or cheese. Avoid any entree’s containing the word “grande” (the Spanish equivalent of super-size-me). The same goes for tortilla chips, fried tortilla shells and plantain chips. Latin cuisine is a great place to get your fill of legumes and whole grains.

• Eat It: Baked or steamed tortillas, salsa, paella, tapas, ceviche, grilled chicken.
• Delete It: Refried beans, fried tortillas and chips, guacamole, cheese, sour cream.

South Asian
South Asian food offers ample options for those trying to eat healthfully. However, it can be confusing when most of the appetizers and breads like chapati, naan and kulcha are fried or soaked in fat. Indian menus often mention “ghee,” which is clarified butter without any solid milk particles or water. A small amount of ghee, like nut oils, can add a lot of flavor to food.

The healthiest dishes are masala, aloo chole (chick peas, tomatoes and potatoes), biryani (rice with bits of vegetables, fruits, nuts, or meats), vindaloo (chicken, shrimp, fish), chicken tandoori or tikka, and vegetable curry.

• Eat It: Lentil soup, steamed spinach, tandoori, tikka.
• Delete It: Sweetened rice, carrot pudding, and fried breads such as chapati, poori, paratha, and naan.

Hold your own in conversation

Tips that will enable you to hold your own in anyone’s company:

1. Order a sophisticated drink. Restaurants offer popular wines to please the masses. Look for something more unusual like a Sauvignon blanc from New Zealand.
2. Become a food expert. Learn to pronounce the names of exotic dishes. You can even check out fooddownunder.com for pronunciation of commonly butchered items.
3. Slow down your speech. Pause before you start speaking to really think about what you want to say, and don’t overexplain or rush. And, once you’ve made your point, stop.
4. Checkout the headlines. When your date makes a comment about the Bush Administrations latest flub, you don’t want to have that blank stare. So, be up on events and news.
5. Check out new technology. Knowing about gadgets and tech geek stuff shows you are a hands-on kind of person, and in the know of the tech world. PS: not just games!

On a Budget

Cheap Date Idea #1

Pay your local library a visit, and ask the librarian where you can read aloud. Choose an engaging mystery or steamy romance and spend the afternoon reading aloud to one-another.

Cheap Date Idea #2

Take two pads of lined paper, some nice pens and visit a quiet coffee shop. Order two cappuccinos, and write the stories of your lives. After one hour, read them aloud to one-another. Then ask lots of questions.

Cheap Date Idea #3

Take a digital camera, go to a downtown or busy area of town and make believe that you are paparazzi, gathering as many candid shots of interesting people as you can. Next date, see number four.

Cheap Date Idea #4

Upload your paparazzi shots which you took in number three to a computer either at home or at an internet cafe and write fantastic or crazy news stories incorporating the photos. Email them to a friend or post them on a free web site and send friends a link.

Cheap Date Idea #5

Take some nice watercolor paper or sketch pads with brushes, paints and pencils and go to a town square or park. Situate yourself at a table or bench and find something beautiful in your surrounding to paint or sketch. Sign and exchange your works and post them at home or work.

Cheap Date Idea #6

Here’s a romantic date idea for when you don’t know one-another well. Go to a cemetery where your relatives are buried, plant flowers and share with your sweetheart some stories about your family history.

Cheap Date Idea #7

Take bicycles or roller blades, pack a lunch and choose an easy trail ride or wander through some country roads. Stop often when you find something interesting to look at or just to rest and talk.

Cheap Date Idea #8

Visit an art museum, conservatory or botanical garden and pretend it’s your first date. Unless of course it is your first date, then you won’t need to pretend. Stop to sit on every bench, hold hands and kiss.

Cheap Date Idea #9

Get tickets to a local high school or college musical or drama performance. Ask the stars of the show for their autographs on your program. Afterward, go for a walk in the dark.

Cheap Date Idea #10

When in season, go to a strawberry patch or apple orchard and pick a few baskets of your own. Have a cup of coffee and enjoy some of your freshly-picked fruit. Finally, return home with your produce and create a special fresh-fruit-in-season dessert.

Cheap Date Idea #11

Visit an invalid or elderly person in your neighborhood, and plant some flowers in their yard or flower box for them. Stop in and share a cup of tea to brighten their day.

Cheap Date Idea #12

Stay Home! If you’re married-with-children, send the kids out to a babysitter and just stay home. Order some Chinese take-out, leave the TV off and spend some really intimate time together.

Cheap Date Idea #13

Make a trip to the grocery store and pick up some creative pizza ingredients. Take your groceries home and assemble your masterpiece pizza together. Choose a CD of music from your youth, light candles and enjoy.

Cheap Date Idea #14

Check with your local parks and recreation for the schedule of summer dramatic and musical performances in the parks. Prepare a picnic supper, take in the concert, then go for a quiet stroll after the show.

Cheap Date Idea #15

Get your school district’s community education program literature and choose a class on a subject about which you know absolutely nothing. Attend together. You’ll be surprised at what you’ve been missing.

Cheap Date Idea #16

Check your yellow pages for the locations of two or three used book stores. Visit them together and unearth some literary treasures. Stop at a coffee shop and examine your finds over a cappuccino.

Cheap Date Idea #17

Pick up your Sunday newspaper and look up the local parade of new homes. Get in the car and visit three of the most expensive homes making believe that you’re really rich. Be careful that you don’t sign anything! Afterward, stop at a service station to pick up their 3 for $1 hot dog special and a Coke.

Cheap Date Idea #18

Call your local college or university and inquire about their film society’s schedule. Take in a screening of a foreign or art film and join the discussion group afterward. You’ll enjoy the departure from the usual theater and DVD fare.

Cheap Date Idea #19

Take your digital camera, choose 10 or 12 unusual or even bizarre locations and ask a stranger at each location to take a picture of the two of you. Go home and prepare an album of your day out or post them on a free website and send friends a link.

Cheap Date Idea #20

Go to a second hand clothing store together and select an outfit for each other without the other knowing what it is. Exchange outfits, and change into them. Go out for an inexpensive romantic dinner and find out how merciful (or not!) the other is.

Cheap Date Idea #21

Here’s our simplest, yet most traditional and romantic cheap date idea. On a hot August night, take a stroll to your favorite ice cream shop. Get a cone or sundae and stroll down the city street to check out the shop windows.