Date Night Idea | Classic Italian Dinner at Home

This post is brought to you by Bertolli. Today, I'm sharing the details from the latest date night Adam and I had, in hopes that you'll be inspired to share with us how YOU dine like an Italian (with a very exciting sweepstakes for you to enter!) 

Dining out is a classic date night idea, but Adam and I work hard and we aren't fond of spending all of our hard earned money on expensive and extravagant outings to fancy Italian restaurants. We are, however, very fond of the idea of enjoying classic Italian food together! Adam is an Italian American, and from the first date we had together, I learned very quickly that if I wanted to impress him with my cooking skills I needed to hone in on my Italian cooking ASAP! But more importantly, when I married Adam, I knew I was also marrying into Italian American culture.

What exactly does Italian American culture look like? Well, I can't speak for everyone, but let me tell you a little bit about what you could expect from a typical, Italian family meal: imagine entering a rowdy room filled with the aromas of decadent sauces simmering, and the whole family is crowding around the oven laughing and loudly preparing dinner. As you make your way through the room, someone (maybe an aunt or a grandmother) stops you and welcomes you to family dinner by telling you to take your coat off, grab a drink, and come help the rest of the ladies finish cooking. I may not be Italian by heritage, but the Italian dinners I've been a part of make me feel like famiglia! 

So how does that Italian dinner environment translate into date night? Well, Adam and I can certainly get loud, and we love to prepare our food together! We started off our date night at home earlier this week by having a glass of wine, and breaking out the Bertolli! Having a comfortable, down-to-earth Italian dinner with my one and only is my #MangiaMoment! 

What exactly is 'mangia?' Well, it goes a little something like this: enjoying an authentic Italian meal, while laughing and making memories with your friends or loved ones! Anytime we want to dine like Italians and have a #MangiaMoment, we break out the Bertolli! 

Do you love Italian food, too? I want to see how YOU dine like an Italian with your #MangiaMoment--and today, we've partnered with Bertolli to run a sweepstakes and award 3 lucky readers with their very own $150 prize pack (and one extra special surprise!)

 The entry rules are simple: 

Show us how you "Dine Like an Italian"  by sharing to Instagram or Twitter for the chance to win the sweepstakes. Your share MUST include the following hashtags: #MangiaMoment and #Sweepstakes (you must include both hashtags to be eligible to win).

a Rafflecopter giveaway

***BONUS*** 5 participants in the #MangiaMoment sweepstakes that embody the most Mangia spirit will be invited on an exclusive trip to Wine Country (California) in Spring 2016, to celebrate Bertolli's 150th anniversary and attend a fabulous Bertolli's Mangia Themed event!

Don't forget to enter my giveaway (above) so you have a chance to 
win the trip to Wine Country through the Bertolli sweepstakes!

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I have been selected by Find Your Influence to be a spokesperson for Bertolli. 

While I have been compensated for my time, my opinions are my own.