We’ve all been there– you have an important milestone to celebrate, whether it be an anniversary, a promotion, or a formal holiday, and you just don’t have the time, money, or resources to totally pull yourself together in time to enjoy it. I’m definitely not one to judge, since Kyle and I have been moving for the past two weeks (we moved from Maine, stopped to stay in Asheville, made a 24-hour pit stop in Savannah, and then finally made it back down to Florida), and we don’t have any plans of slowing down for a while. We’ll be out of town on business for the next few weekends in a row, which obviously interferes with a formal Valentine’s Day date night. So, instead of forgoing the holiday altogether, I decided to plan an early and intimate surprise Valentine’s Day celebration, complete with a fool-proof, easy date night dinner menu, in under 30 minutes. 

For impromptu ambiance, I picked up some fresh flowers, threw them in a mason jar, and scattered tea light candles across the table for romantic lighting. Because we had absolutely no home decor or personal knick knacks with us in Maine, I’ve become reliant on tea light candles in cheap glass holders for holiday tablescapes. If you’re an entertainer on a budget, you can buy a 12-pack at Walmart for practically nothing, and trust me, you’ll get more use out of them (both aesthetically and functionally) than you ever thought possible. Also, since Valentine’s Day is right around the corner– and because I couldn’t find an outdoor tablecloth to match, I used a few strands of pink, white, and red tulle pom poms for seasonal decor.  

In my opinion, the real key to not letting special moments fall by the wayside is to turn everyday meals into impromptu moments of celebration with Bertolli and P.F. Chang’s. Although I’m adamantly working on my culinary skills, I’m not a great chef (yet). For all my fellow cooks-in-training, it’s okay to stay in your comfort zone when selecting an easy date night dinner, especially when the success of a romantic at-home date night is on the line. I’ve been a fan of Bertolli’s since college, and I swear their quality of ingredients has significantly improved since my days at UCF! 

For lovers of honest to goodness Italian food, one of Bertolli’s most popular meals, which is also available in family size, is their Frozen Chicken Florentine. It’s made with grilled white meat chicken and tender spinach, prepared in a luscious sauce made with white wine, Parmesan, and Romano cheeses. Yea, it’s delish and a great main course for your easy date night dinner menu. Also, if you check out Ibotta, you can earn $1 with Bertolli and P.F. Chang’s Meals for Two (featured items) and Bertolli Family Size meals. Print out a coupon here!

Also, Kyle and I spoiled ourselves with local seafood up in Maine, so to make us both a bit nostalgic, I also prepared Bertolli Shrimp Scampi and Linguine for our easy date night dinner.

Of course, any romantic date night isn’t complete without wine and dessert. Since this was my attempt at an intimate, albeit unplanned, Valentine’s Day dinner, I picked up our favorite bottle of sparkling red wine and some heart-shaped chocolate truffles for dessert. If you want to take a stab at making your own dessert, give these chocolate covered Valentine’s Day pretzels a try! They’re incredibly simple, but they look impressive!

Again, if you check out Ibotta, you can earn $1 with Bertolli and P.F. Chang’s Meals for Two (featured items) and Bertolli Family Size meals. Print out a coupon here!

Do you have a go-to easy dinner date night dinner? If it’s from Bertolli or P.F. Chang’s, which one is your favorite meal? I’m always open to suggestions, although I’m pretty sure I’ve tried them all!

Sponsored post by Mirum Shopper. All opinions are my own.