Valentine’s Day is coming up, and there is no better romantic gift than creating a home-cooked meal for your loved-one. Cooking takes on more emotional significance, and it’s a way to illustrate feelings for one another. This Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to break the tradition of eating out for special occasions, ditch stress and crowds, and create homemade restaurant-like experiences to enjoy.

Contrary to belief, Valentine’s Day at home can be as romantic as time spent in any restaurant or other special setting. The key is to take the time to set the scene using creative ideas and preparing a meal that will match (if not surpass) what you will get elsewhere. Some candles, a nice table setting with a tablecloth, cloth napkins, nice dinnerware, crystal, and flowers will create a romantic and intimate environment.  Also, choosing the right music you want to listen to and having it play in the background while you enjoy your meal together is always a plus!

A recent survey by ConAgra Foods found more people are considering the Valentine’s Day at home option instead of going to a restaurant. This especially holds true for millennials.

Valentine’s Day at home

Take a look at the findings from the survey:

 

Valentine’s Day Plans

   On Valentine’s Day, Staying in is the New Going Out

o   More than half of Millennials say it’s more romantic to cook at home with their significant other than go out to eat

o   40% of Millennials will stay in and cook this Valentine’s Day

• A slightly higher percentage of women compared to men think cooking at home is more romantic than going out (56% vs. 48%)

 

Expensive Meals and Crowded Restaurants are the Top Reasons Millennials will Avoid Restaurants this Valentine’s Day

o   Other reasons include the difficulty in securing a reservation (38%), childcare (28%), difficulty in coming up with new ideas (21%), traffic (16%) and not enough time to plan (11%) 

 

Adios Cookbooks and Grandma’s Recipe Cards: Millennials Flock to the Internet in Search of Unique Valentine’s Day Dishes 

o   56% of people will search on the internet or watch an online cooking show

o   Nearly half of Millennials will look for a dish that is unique, while 3 out of 10 will look for one that is easy to prepare

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Valentine’s Day Food Preferences

–          Italian is the Most Romantic For Your Amore

o   Whether dining in or going out, respondents overwhelmingly chose Italian as the most romantic cuisine for Valentine’s Day (52%), followed by 15% for French cuisine and 13% for American cuisine

–          Nothing Says “I Love You” Like Chocolate  

o   When it comes to dessert, 7 out of 10 Millennials say chocolate is the most romantic dessert for Valentine’s Day (47% chose chocolate covered strawberries; 24% chose anything chocolate)

–          $50-$100 is the Budget Sweet Spot

o   Dining out for Valentine’s Day: 55% will spend $50-$100, 21% will spend $50 or less

o   Cooking at home for Valentine’s Day: 38% will spend $50-$100, 32% will spend $50 or less

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Millennials and Cooking

Millennials enjoy cooking, but they need help figuring out what to cook

o   Most Millennials “love to cook” (60%), but less than 20% say they have good recipes and ideas

 Married couples cook more than those who are single

o   68% of married people cook as often as their schedule allows, compared to just 50% of single people

 

Valentine’s Day at home

To get inspiration for a romantic Valentine’s Day at home, I spoke with self-taught cooking expert Laura Vitale, Host of Cooking Channel’s ‘Simply Laura‘ and YouTube’s ‘Laura in the Kitchen‘. She shared two of her exclusive Valentine’s Day recipes from her show:

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Laura also gave some tips on how to create the perfect stay-at-home dinner date for two.

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Take a look at the interview below.

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To discover more easy recipes to enjoy Valentine’s Day at home, visit laurainthekitchen.com.

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Valentine’s Day At Home