Hygge with cheese! The perfect romantic date night at home is our fondue date night. Our date night idea includes menus, conversation starters a playlist and activities.
Everything that you need to spend a warm and cozy night with someone that you love.
Hygge is about savoring moments, spending time on the details. We want to help take care of any details that you may need to create a romantic & cozy date night.
“Hygge” is Danish/Norwegian word that at its heart is a “feeling” that requires a mindfulness and an ability to enjoy and savor the present.
Being aware of good moments to make an ordinary task both beautiful & joyful. To live a life connected with friends and family.
We also have tips further below for a fondue girls night and a friends gathering.
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Hygge Date Night Decor
We curate or in the case of the recipes, test our best finds to fit the theme so you have everything at your fingertips!
Since it is all about coziness, grab those soft blankets and candles and create a beautiful atmosphere.
I used a fireplace for our romantic date night, but white string lights, fairy lights and candles are definitely just as special.
If your date night is in the fall, grab some autumn scented candles or if it’s closer to winter, then grab some winter themed candles to create an amazing setting.
There is likely a candle that will fit all themes and seasons.
You will need a fondue set, if you do not have one way back in your cabinet, then check out these highly rated fondue sets that will fit the bill. Mine is a cast iron, which I will be replacing!
If you love the chunky blanket above and would like to try to make it yourself, watch the video and be inspired! How to Arm Knit a Chunky Blanket.
Fondue Date Night Menu
Pumpkin Beer Cheese Fondue
A fall favorite, that we make every season!
Ingredients
8oz Sharp Cheddar
8oz Swiss
12 oz Pumpkin or seasonal beer
3 tbsp flour
Clove garlic
½ tsp coarse pepper
Directions
Shred the cheese
Cut the garlic and rub around the fondue pot
Pour in the beer first to warm
Add remaining mixture and heat until melted 10-15 mins.
Classic Swiss Fondue
This is a classic for a reason, it is awesome!
Ingredients
8oz Gruyere
4oz Emmentaler
¾ cup dry white wine
½ tsp. Lemon juice
¼ tsp coarse pepper
2 tsp cornstarch
Pinch nutmeg
1 1/2 tablespoon kirsch (fruit juice or more white wine can be substituted)
Clove garlic
Directions
Rub cut garlic clove over the inside of the pot and throw away
Grate the cheese
Add cheese, wine, lemon & cornstarch to the pot until melted
Add the nutmeg, pepper and Kirsch
serve
Dippers for cheese fondues
Irish Brown Bread
We make this Irish Brown Bread recipe often and it is killer, especially for the fondue!
Note- I have substituted regular wheat flour for the Irish wheat and old fashioned oats for the two types of oats and it is still amazing.
Grilled tomatoes
Grilled tomatoes with cheese is glorious! If you do not have a grill handy, the tomatoes are delicious fresh also.
Assorted veggies & meats
Use roasted baby potatoes, carrots, broccoli or any other roasted or raw veggies that you love. Also use any meats that you may prefer such as mini meatballs or summer sausage.
Spicy Chocolate Fondue
4 servings
12 oz semi sweet chocolate
1 cup heavy cream
Pinch of salt
¼ tsp cayenne
½ cinnamon
Dipping for spicy chocolate fondue
I am a purist, so fruit it is…Pineapple, strawberries, bananas that where its at! The only non fruit I believe is acceptable are pretzels. But to each his own.
Perfect Hot Cocoa (w/alcoholic option)
I have made this hot cocoa many times & think it is the best. I use Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa when I make this recipe for added richness.
Add 1 to 1.5 oz Kahlua or dark rum to each serving for an alcoholic version.
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Hygge/Happiness Books
There are some great books to learn more about Hygge and happiness. Who doesn’t need a little reminder about what to focus on in this crazy world?
We all need to be reminded that we will be ok and we should spend some time noticing the good things that have happened to us.
Journaling can also be very relaxing and a good mindfulness habit that can be very healing. Using a fountain pen could elevate the ordinary and create art when journaling.
We created an easy craft to bring some nature into our life.
Scented Herbs w/ Distressed Pots
Supplies
3 Clay Pots
Acrylic paint- black, medium gray, white
Herbs (depending upon the size of the pots you may need extra potting soil)
- Use a rag or pallet knife to dab/scrape on black first, grey and finish with white.
- Once dry you can go over the colors with gray and white to get the distressed look you want.
- I used a palette knife and a rag to randomly apply the paint until I was happy with the overall design.
- Fill the pots with herbs to create a nice grouping to set on the window sill.
Feel Good Movie Ideas
The movies that we chose for your fondue date night, include movies that fit into the category of feel good.
“Once” is a great musical movie, “Under the Tuscan Sun” has amazing scenery. “Serendipity and Last Holiday” are great to enjoy around the holidays. “Chocolat and Bridget Jones Diary” are just plain fun!
Cozy Hygge Playlist
We found a perfect Hygge playlist that you can enjoy while cooking for your fondue date night or when you are playing the date night games that we found.
Hygge Games
We found the perfect games for your date night, or friends gathering. Check out our curated date night games for this date or any future date nights.
We love games that allow us to get to know each other better or laugh like crazy!
The Hygge Game is a great conversation game for you to check out.
This is why we have so many articles on conversation starters.Sparking interesting conversations with the added benefit of learning something new about the people that we play with.
Conversation Starters
- Who do you think we will talk about 100 or 500 years from now? Why?
- What unusual smell do you love that others think is odd?
- If you had a large platform to inspire others, What would you promote for good?
- What was your last random ask of kindness?
- What was the goal you set for yourself after college? Did you reach that goal?
- What does your dream home look like?
- When you think of comfort, what do you think of?
- What was your favorite childhood comfort food?
- If you could explore any new, foreign or otherworldly place, where would it be?
When I first learned about hygge and its untranslatable meaning, I thought it was so beautiful.
As it turns out, there are many cultures that have similar words with complex meanings.We found some that are a great match for our Hygge theme date night.
Hygge (hhoo-guh) is a Danish/Norwegian word that means a deep sense of place, warmth, friendship & contentment. As an adjective (hyggelig): enjoyable, warm, friendly, pleasant.
Focolare (fo-co-lah-reh) is an Italian word that means hearth, the fireplace at the physical/emotional center of the home.
Peiskos (plys-kors) is a Norwegian word meaning fireplace coziness, sitting in front of a cracking fireplace and enjoying the warmth.
Hugfanginn (hoo-fun-gin) is an Icelandic word that means to be charmed or fascinated by someone or something.
Beschaulich (beh-shao-lish) is a German word meaning quiet, pensive; living a simple life, pleasantly contemplative, unhurried in a fashion that inspired mental well-being.
Vorfreude (for-fhroy-fuh) is a German word that means, Intense, joyful anticipation derived from imagining future pleasure.
Koi No Yokan (KO-ee NO YO-kan) is a Japanese word that means the sense can have upon first meeting another person that the two of them are going to fall in love.
Memento Vivere (meh-men-toh vee-ver-eh) is a latin phrase meaning, to remember life or remember to live.
Kilig (kih-leeg) is a Tagalog word that means the feeling of butterflies arising from interacting with someone one loves or finds attractive.
Mamihlapinatapei (mah-me-lah-pee-nah-tah-pie) is a Yagan word that means a look between people that expresses unspoken but mutual desire.
Warm & Fuzzy Video (Just for so)
Since the whole idea of this fondue date night is about warmth and coziness, we included an adorable animal video. This serves no other purpose other than its so damn cute!
Hygge Cozy Comfort at Home (just for you)
Sometimes the best way for us to bring hygge into our everyday, is to savor the simple things.
Reading a good book, making a proper cup of tea, lighting a candle and dressing in cozy bathrobe and socks.
Staying present in the moment and enjoying a warm bath is another way to savor a moment, instead of a quick shower.
Its taking a simple moment and elevating it to make it special.
Hygge Girls Night Fondue
Having a comfy cozy girls night is a great way to reconnect! Truly not much is different than the fondue date night ideas above, although I would add some more drinks! Have the girls bring their favorite wine to add to the fondue menu.
If you decide to have a sleepover girls night, then some cozy P.J’s are a must.
Get some comfy floor pillows, light those candles and pick a girls night movie to watch
Hygge Friends Potluck
Invite friends to stop by and linger. Use all of our date night ideas above, just change the guest list.
Ask your friends to each bring a favorite dish and drink to add to the table. In this case you will have to supply some plates and silverware.
The best part is that you can catch up with all your friends and relax. Cleanup and costs are kept low while being able to enjoy a great varied selection.
All the same principles apply, keep it warm and cozy and grab the games if you like but it’s all about warmth and friendship.
We hope that you enjoy our ideas for celebrating the simple things with your friends and loved ones. We would love to hear some of your ideas. Cheers!
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What do you think?
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