A Romantic Dinner for Two (without waiting an hour in a busy restaurant)

So Valentines Day is here again and it's time to celebrate your love or lust with that special someone. Oh wait, it's the day before V-Day and you have no reservations. That's okay because you don't have to spend 45to an hour sitting in the front of a packed place waiting for a cozy table for two. Here are a few suggestions for an unforgettable evening out without a headache.

Lakeland is home to one of the few drive-in theatres left standing, The Silver Moon. Aside from costing about 1/3 as much as a movie ticket to the megaplex the wonderful thing about this drive-in is that you can bring in any food that you want, lawn chairs and an ice chest if you want. Now don't expect an eye-popping IMAX experience, this is an antiquated form of cinema. You are however alone with your honey in your own car or in some chairs under the stars. Normally we bring in a pizza or a bucket of chicken but this is the 14th so if you wanted to step it up with some take-out from your favorite place you could be as fancy as you want to be. Throw a bottle of bubbly or a six pack, whatever suits your fancy, in a cooler in the back and you're good to go. Check out http://www.silvermoondrivein.com/ for what's showing. Also if you pick up one of those little coupon books you see sitting in every place you go to, you can get a 2 for 1 coupon good on Mondays and Tuesdays.

If you have any faith in your cooking abilities you could either surprise your sugar with a romantic home cooked meal or make dinner together. I love when Brian and I get to cook together. I suggest you make something other than meatloaf or spaghetti, unless of course those are your favorites. Don't try to make something overly elaborate or out of your comfort zone either, if you've never roasted a rack of lamb I don't recommend trying to do so on this particular evening. I recommend this recipe. It has a small ingredients list, requires no specialty equipment and is frickin' delicious. Pair it up with a baked potato and your favorite veg or salad and you are good to go. 



"I wanted the last slice!"



If you're feeling really adventurous then I recommend a jaunt over to Orlando for one of their many dinner shows. My favorite is Medieval Times they have a Valentine's Day package that includes some take home keep sakes but the regular dinner package should be just fine. Tickets start at $59.95 this includes a four course meal, a great live show and access to the castles village which is sort of a living museum of life way back when. I've seen this show twice, both times the food and service were great. If you want to be a poor sport bring your own cutlery because they have none but it really is part of the experience. If you can upgrade your package to be a close the the arena as possible because there is a lot of interaction with the audience. There are several other shows in the area if knights and horses aren't your thing with themes ranging from pirates to the sinking of The Titanic.

Whatever you choose to do remember this is a holiday about lover over coming all odds to be with one another so don't let a little bit of over cooked steak ruin your night. Or just don't over cook that steak.