Surprising Her with Dinner: Going Beyond Wieners & Beans

There isn't anything wrong with wieners and beans... but they're just not at the top of anyone's suggested list for a romantic dinner. This is all about a man making his partner remember why she fell for him in the first place and nothing spells romance better than a candlelight dinner.

Dismiss all thoughts of fancy restaurants and fine wines, because that's not where we're going. It's time to kick it up a notch in the romance department and this means surprising your lady with a dinner made by you! Hmmm, what? Yes, you.

Okay, there's no need for an anxiety attack because it's not as difficult as you may think. Here are a few hints and tricks that will make the evening's dinner as romantic and memorable as your first romantic date.

Barbeque for lovers:

Men and barbeques are a perfect match, so this one is a no-brainer. The menu isn't as important as the setting, so whatever you decide to throw on the grill is strictly up to you – just don't go with hamburgers or hot dogs. Remember that this is a special dinner, so an appropriate choice of meat and garnish is warranted.

Plan to eat after the sun goes down, so that you can have that romantic atmosphere – table cloth on the patio table, some candles, and soft music playing in the background. Scrap the paper plates and plastic cutlery and use the good dishes – it won't hurt you to wash them for a change. And doing the dishes together can be romantic in itself.

TV dinners by candlelight:

Anyone can heat up a TV dinner, so this one is for those men that aren't microwave challenged. The trick here is to not make the TV dinner look like a TV dinner. This means that you keep your sweetheart away from the kitchen.

Take the opportunity to help her put her feet up and relax in a comfy chair while you're slaving in the kitchen. Romantic doesn't mean you can't be casual.

Once you've 'cooked' the dinner, remove it from those unsightly trays and place the meals on proper plates. Set the table as you would a restaurant, with a few of her favourite flowers presenting the final accent.

Since TV dinners are sometimes a bit shallow in content, try adding your own flair – some warm buns, or bread rolls will help; a bottle of chilled wine, or other favoured beverage; and perhaps a tossed green salad for starters – even the most unskilled should be able to throw one of those together, but if not the local supermarket normally sells individually packaged salads.

When take-out isn't take-out:

Many Italian restaurants offer takeout service, so you can get your hands on a full course spaghetti dinner for the romantic interlude. Obviously, these are a good step up from the frozen dinners and once plated can provide that exceptionally romantic meal for you and your partner. Select any dinner you like, except for pizza.

Once again, the surprise is having these dinners nicely plated on a romantically set table, complete with candles and a chilled bottle of wine. To top it all off, you can treat her to a luxury dessert which is available from any decent supermarket. Nothing sets the mood quite like a rich chocolate dessert spoon fed to each other in a candlelight setting.

As you can see, every guy has the ability to surprise his lover with a romantic dinner. These were a few suggestions, but the venue is only limited by your imagination. Step it up and make her remember why you are The One for her.