Romantic Birthday Dinner

Birthday Cake

Entree

Sides

Romantic Setting

• Place a small table for two (you may want to use a table other than your dining room table) next to the fireplace, by a window with a beautiful nighttime view or in some other cozy spot. Cover the table with a white tablecloth.
• Place candles on the table and around the dining room. Decorate the table with tiny foil-wrapped chocolate hearts or heart-shaped confetti (available at party-supply stores or card shops).Buy two cloth napkins and two napkin rings to use for your special dinner for two. After arranging the napkins in the rings, tuck a mini carnation or rosebud and a little baby's breath into each ring.

Romantic Frills

• Cut two heart shapes from red construction paper and two slightly larger hearts from white paper doilies. Glue the red hearts onto the white ones. Place a heart by each place setting. During dinner, take turns writing three things you love about the other person on the heart. Then exchange and read them!
• Tie ribbons around the stems of two champagne glasses. Place a raspberry or two in each glass, and fill with chilled champagne. Make a very special toast to your birthday sweetie!

The Day Before

• Chill the champagne or sparkling Catawba grape juice.
• Make Sweet Heart Cake.

The Day Of

• Prepare the Peach Salsa for Cornmeal Chicken with Peach Salsa; cover and refrigerate.

1 1/2 Hours Before Dinner

• Prepare Garlic Smashed Potatoes.

1 Hour Before Dinner

• Remove Peach Salsa from refrigerator to warm to room temperature.

20 Minutes Before Dinner

• Prepare Broccoli with Pine Nuts.
• Prepare Cornmeal Chicken.