How to give a romantic Valentines Dinner Party

Are you planning a romantic Valentines dinner? Then it’s especially important that you choose dishes you can make mostly in advance.

This menu for two has been chosen to make sure you’re not jumping up and down like a jack-in-the-box at your Valentines dinner, especially if it’s a romantic evening.

Oysters are supposed to be aphrodisiac, so they're perfect for this dinner. Finger food is sexy too. You can pick up the lamb chops to get the last delicious bits, while you gaze at each other over the candlelight.

I buy a frozen rack of lamb from my local Loblaws. If you can't find rack of lamb convenient in the frozen section of your supermarket, you might have to ask the butcher for a special order. It's a special Valentines dinner, so it's worth it.

Here’s the Master Plan:

Decorating your Valentines Dinner Table
Choose a Simple but Special Menu
Your Do Ahead/Shop Ahead Plan

Decorating your Valentines Dinner Table

You have lots of choices for making a Valentines dinner party table without breaking the bank.

If you already have a red tablecloth, you’re in business. If not, simply rely on your basic white tablecloth and dishes.Then just add one or two of these inexpensive extras.

• Rosebud floral centerpiece
• Red serviettes
• Red pillar candles
• Red taper candles

Choose A Simple But Special Menu

With a menu like this, you can enjoy each other’s company, since you won’t always be disappearing to the kitchen.

Hors d’oeuvres
• Smoked oysters with crackers
• Crisp raw vegetable tray with dip
• White and red wine
• Selection of non-alcoholic drinks as required
• Main Course
• Rack of lamb
• Parisienne Potatoes
• Asparagus with lemon
• Mesclun mix salad with red radishes
• Dinner rolls
• Red wine
• Dessert
• Ice cream sundaes with chocolate sauce
• Store bought Valentines chocolates
• Coffee, (get some decaffeinated) tea, herbal tea
• Brandy or liqueur of your choice

Your Do Ahead/Shop Ahead Plan

Make sure to invite your company well ahead of the day.

One Week Ahead Do and Buy List
To Do:
• Check that your table decorations, including tablecloth and serviettes, are ready to use. Buy what you need.
• Clean the house and plan where you will put guest coats and boots

• To Buy:
• Wine and brandy
• Oysters
• Frozen rack of lamb
• Lemon for the asparagus
• Feta or cheddar cheese
• Vanilla ice cream
• Chocolate sauce in a can
• Whipped cream (The kind in a can works perfectly for this kind of recipe unless you want to go to the extra trouble of whipping your own cream.)
• Your choice of salad dressing (Bottled ones are really convenient. It’s easy to find one you like.)
• Coffee and decaf coffee, tea and herbal tea

Have you ever bought an extra tin of oysters or an expensive spice because you forgot you already had a fresh unopened one in the back of the cupboard? I have. Checking works better for me than relying on memory. And it saves money!

One Day Ahead To Do and Buy List

To Buy:
• Parisienne Potatoes
• Mesclun mix for salad
• Radishes to add red to the salad
• Asparagus
• Vegetables for the vegetable tray (carrots, broccoli, cauliflower)
• Dinner rolls
• Chocolates

To Do
• Double check the condition of the bathroom, kitchen, place where you will put the coats, and of course your living room and dining room
• Set the table
• Bring out serving dishes and utensils
• Put out the coffee and tea items
• Wash the salad greens and put them in the bowl you’ll use to serve them. Refrigerate the bowl, covered loosely with a clean tea towel
• Wash the vegetables for the vegetable tray
• Prepare the asparagus by snapping the ends off and washing, then stand the spears up in a container with enough water to cover the ends
• Make the chocolate sundaes (Place a large spoonful of ice cream in your sundae glass, add a topping of chocolate sauce, repeat until full, then add a topping of whipped cream. Put in freezer.
• Put the rack of lamb in the frig to defrost overnight

Day of Valentines Dinner Party

During the Day
• Prepare the vegetable tray and refrigerate..
• Slice the lemon to top the asparagus. Reserve to add at the last minute.
• Put the Valentines chocolates on a pretty plate and put the plate out in your dessert area, along with your other dessert items like coffee cups, sugar and cream.
• Put the dinner rolls in a bowl and cover them loosely with a tea towel
• Put butter on the dinner table
• Arrange your drinks in a serving area along with glasses
• Wash the Parisienne potatoes and microwave them for about 5 minutes.

A Few Minutes Before Company Arrives
• Put the oysters on crackers, put them and the vegetable tray in the living room

• Stack the CD player with your music selections and start it playing
• Take a few minutes to sit down and put your feet up!

After company arrives and at the last minute
• Put the rack of lamb in the oven (follow package instructions) and scatter the Parisienne potatoes in the baking dish around the lamb. (It should take no more than half an hour for medium to medium rare)
• Cook the asparagus in the microwave (don’t forget to add the lemon slices when it’s done)
• Put dressing on the salad
• Remove the rack of lamb from the oven, separate the lamb chops and put them on a platter
• Put the rolls, salad and asparagus on the table
• Add the Parisienne potatoes to the platter with the chops
• Put water in the water glasses and light the candles if you are using them

Serve the dessert when the time is right for sharing chocolate together. Liqueurs and coffee can follow when you feel like them.

The Dinner Party Planning Site philosophy – plan ahead, keep it simple, so you can

Enjoy your Valentines dinner party with your sweetie.

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