Date Night at Home [Brookside Chocolate Giveaway]

One of the hardest things about moving to a new city is finding a babysitter. Babysitters rule the world. When you know no one in a new town, it can be hard to find someone you trust to watch your children so that you and your husband and can get out and have a date night. And date nights are really important. I love hanging out with my kids, but it is also nice to put some makeup on and order from a menu that does not include chicken fingers. So how do you stay connected without a babysitter? What is a girl to do? Put the kids to bed early and have a date night at home.

One of our favorite things to do is have a wine and cheese night. I make us a nice cheese tray, grab some red wine, and pick up a few fancy desserts. We put on a movie, snuggle on the couch and have a nice date without having to leave the house. It feels fancy, but really, all it took was a quick trip to the cheese section of the grocery store.

When I make a cheese tray, I like to have a nice variety of cheeses, for just us, 3 is fine. But if I were having a larger get together, I would try for 5. My husband is a huge blue cheese lover, so I almost always start with a Gorgonzola Dolce. Then I like to have a creamy triple cream, so St. Andre is usually my choice. Then I like to round it out with something with a little sharpness, like an aged gouda. If I am adding two more, I add a sharp cheddar or something hard like Parmesan.

What else? You need something to serve cheese on, so fresh baguette and crackers of course. Grapes and strawberries are good. Nuts. I like something that is crunchy. I like to have some chutney or jelly to add to the creamy cheeses. And something sweet. Brookside Chocolates are perfect to round out a cheese tray. Dark chocolate covered acai, pomegranate, and goji fruit juice pieces. These chocolate covered delights are also full antioxidants and pair perfectly with a nice glass of red wine. Wine and chocolate? Yes. Please.

Would you like to have a date night at home? You would? Great! Enter to win (1) Brookside Chocolate Healthy Indulgences Tasting Kit. The kit includes:

• 1 package Brookside Dark Chocolate Açai with Blueberry
• 1 package Brookside Dark Chocolate Pomegranate
• 1 package Brookside Dark Chocolate Goji with Raspberry
• Crate & Barrel 3-Part Server
• Crate & Barrel Cheese Knife
• Crate & Barrel Grip Cheese Board
• 2 Crate & Barrel Stemless Wine Glasses
• $30 AMEX Gift Card
• 1 year subscription to Fitness Magazine
• Gaiam Exercise Headband

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