DNI November Give Thanks Insert

Volume 7, 2018

Date Night In

#DATENIGHTINBOX

#DNIGIVETHANKS

n I t h g i N Date GIVE THANKS

YOUR DATE WAS THOUGHTFULLY AND CAREFULLY PACKED FROM OUR OWN FACILITY BY TRI-DEVELOPMENT CENTER OF AIKEN COUNTY.

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r u o y o t e m o c l e W t h g i N e t a D

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EDITOR’S NOTE Warmest greetings, and welcome to your “Give Thanks” Date Night In Box! With the holidays right around the corner, we want to thank you for allowing us to join you in your home and help make memories with your significant other.

Your date tonight will be about giving thanks, showing gratitude, and paying it forward. As our routines become even more hectic during the holidays, it is important to reflect and take a moment to celebrate all the blessings we have in life.

We are giving a FREE DATE this month to someone who snaps a pic with his or her significant other while enjoying this date and posts it to Instagram or Facebook using the hashtags #DateNightInBox and #DNIGiveThanks.

Thankful for all of you,

Megan Pruitt FOUNDER OF DATE NIGHT IN

In

SEPTEMBER’S PIC SHARE WINNERS

Congrats to our winners last month! It warms our hearts to see all of you enjoying date night.

DATE ACTIVITIES

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OPTIONAL CUSTOM DINNER MENU AND TABLE TALK

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STORY OF TRIPP HALSTEAD

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MAKE ICE CREAM FOR YOUR CARAMEL APPLE CIDER FLOATS

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SIP AND GIVE THANKS

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GRATITUDE THAT BECOMES INTENTIONAL

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PLAY GRATITUDE SLAM

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WAYS TO CONTINUE YOUR NIGHT

We are so excited for you to experience next month’s WINTER WONDERLAND themed This date will also include an opportunity to win an EPIC prize—our largest prize ever Please consider our boxes as gifts for your family and loved ones as we head into the are running an exclusive sale for our current customers. Order 5 gifts and get the 5th Use code: CHECKYOURLIST

date. offered. holidays! We FREE.

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Optional Dinner Menu

FROM MARINAMAKESBLOG.COM

TOOLS

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Glasses Spoon Basting brush Baking sheet Paring knife Medium pot Large bowl Hand mixer or standing mixer Cupcake baking pan(s) Tablespoon Small bowl

HINT You can make the turkey, brie and cranberry pesto phyllo wrap ahead of time to cut down on the amount of time you’re spending cooking. Placing it in the fridge overnight allows the phyllo to soak up all the butter, too, making it extra flaky!

SALTED CARAMEL CHEESECAKE RECIPE & TABLE TALK LOCATED ON PAGE 6.

Cranberry Vodka or Soda MAKES 2 SERVINGS

For more photos showing step by step instructions on the Turkey, Brie & Cranberry Pesto Phyllo Wraps, please visit nightinboxes. com/dnirecipes

PREP TIME: 5 MIN. TOTAL TIME: 5 MIN. INGREDIENTS Cranberry Vodka -- 2 shots of vodka -- 1 cup of cranberry juice -- 1/2 cup of sparkling water -- 2-4 slices of orange peel Cranberry Soda -- 1 cup of cranberry juice -- 1 cup of lemon-lime soda -- 2-4 slices of orange peel

DIRECTIONS Cranberry Vodka Add ice to a glass and pour one shot of vodka, 1/2 cup of cranberry juice, 1/4 cup of sparkling water and 1-2 slices of orange peel. Stir with a spoon and enjoy.

Cranberry Soda Add ice to a glass, and pour 1/2 cup of cranberry juice, 1/2 cup of lemon-lime soda and 1-2 slices of orange peel. Stir with a spoon and enjoy. Repeat with a second glass to make two drinks.

HI, FRIENDS! I’m Marina from Marina Makes (marinamakesblog.com). My husband is the best at giving thanks, and I can’t tell you how much I appreciate the fact that he goes out of his way to let me know he’s grateful. I thought about him a lot—and all of the little ways he shows gratitude while I was developing this menu—and how I need to do a better job giving thanks to him! That’s why I love this month’s theme. It’s such a wonderful reminder that showing your appreciation for your significant other can really go a long way.

My hope is that you’ll prepare and cook this month’s recipes together while keeping in mind the reasons why you’re thankful for each other. I’d love to see how your food turns out, so please feel free to share pictures on social media; don’t forget to use the hashtag #marinamakeseats.

HAPPY EATING!

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MAKES 2 WRAPS This recipe is perfect for those Thanksgiving leftovers! Feel free to use leftover turkey & cranberry sauce.

PREP TIME: 20 MIN. TOTAL TIME: 45 MIN. INGREDIENTS

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Parchment paper 18 sheets of 12-inch phyllo dough, thawed (if you buy longer phyllo dough, don’t worry; just make a long wrap and split it instead of making two) (GF option: GF baguette) 8 tablespoons of unsalted butter, melted 1/2 pound of roasted turkey, sliced (vegetarian option: sliced Tofurky) 4 ounces of brie, sliced 1/4 cup of cranberry sauce for topping

Cranberry Pesto (please note that you will have leftover pesto, you can freeze and use at a later time - it’s perfect on pasta) -- 1 cup of basil -- 1/4 cup of oil -- 1/4 cup of cranberry sauce -- 1/2 cup of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese -- 1/8 teaspoon of salt -- Half of a small garlic clove -- 1/2 cup of walnuts

DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

To make the pesto, combine the basil, oil, cranberry sauce, cheese, salt, garlic and walnuts in a food processor or blender until slightly smooth. Set aside.

Place the parchment paper on a hard, clean surface. Brush each sheet of phyllo dough with melted butter, layering each sheet on top of one another. Each wrap will use nine sheets (whether big or small).

Toward the bottom of the buttered phyllo dough, place a layer or two of turkey, a layer of brie cheese and a few dollops of cranberry pesto. Fold the bottom and sides of the phyllo over (please visit nightinboxes.com/dni-recipes to see pictures for reference) and brush with melted butter. Start rolling the wrap up until you reach the other side of the phyllo dough.

Using a paring knife, cut slits in the top of the wrap. Brush with the rest of the melted butter. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes or until golden.

Top with cranberry sauce and enjoy; allow the wrap to cool for 10 minutes before eating.

If using the GF alternative, place the turkey, brie and cranberry pesto on a sliced baguette and bake in the oven for 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

PREP TIME: 5 MIN. TOTAL TIME: 30 MIN. INGREDIENTS

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4-5 medium red potatoes, quartered Salt 2 tablespoons of butter 1/2 cup of sour cream 1/2 cup of shredded parmesan 1/4 cup of whole milk 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper 1 teaspoon of fresh thyme

DIRECTIONS Fill a medium pot with water, cover and place over high heat. Bring to a boil. Remove the lid and add a tablespoon of salt to the pot. Add quartered potatoes and cook for 20-25 minutes until fork tender.

Drain potatoes and place in a large bowl.

Add butter, sour cream, parmesan, milk, pepper, fresh thyme and one teaspoon of salt. Using a hand mixer, mix everything together until smooth. If you don’t have a hand mixer, you can mix in a standing mixer as well.

Place in a serving bowl and enjoy.

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#TableTalk

BY AMY MILLER FROM FRESHLY MARRIED I love the atmosphere this time of year brings. We are already in a mindset of gratitude with Thanksgiving and I love the opportunity to look back on the entire year with gratitude. There are many experiences, both positive and negative, to be grateful for. I look forward to these Date Night In activities as they help deepen our feelings of gratitude this month and every month!

PREP TIME: 5 MIN. TOTAL TIME: 25-30 MIN. INGREDIENTS

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13-14 cupcake liners 8 sheets of honey graham crackers 3/4 cup of chopped pecans, divided 5 tablespoons of salted butter, melted 2 8-ounce packages of cream cheese, softened

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3/4 cup of granulated sugar 1 1/2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour 2 large eggs 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract 1/2 cup of whole milk 1 cup of caramel dip Sea salt

DIRECTIONS Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tins with cupcake liners.

Using a food processor or blender, finely crush the graham crackers and 1/2 cup of pecans.

Combine the finely crushed graham crackers and pecans with the melted butter in a bowl until the texture resembles damp sand. Pour a heaping tablespoon into each cupcake liner and press the mixture down with fingers to spread across the entire bottom of each liner. Place in the oven for five minutes.

In a small bowl, stir sugar and flour together.

In a separate bowl or a standing mixer, add the softened cream cheese and whisk until smooth.

Pour the sugar/flour mixture in and mix on medium to high speed with the whisk attachment.

Next, add the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla and milk. Continue mixing and scraping the sides of the bowl to ensure that everything is properly mixed. Divide the mixture among the cupcake liners and place them in the oven for 18-22 minutes. Do not over bake (if they begin to crack, they are becoming over baked). This is really important to remember!

Remove the cheesecakes from the oven and allow them to cool for two to three hours in the fridge.

Once they are completely cooled, top each with a teaspoon of caramel dip, chopped pecans and a sprinkle of sea salt.

We all know that gratitude is an admirable character trait.

So naturally gratitude would be beneficial for a happier and healthier relationship, right? It’s true! When couples show appreciation and give thanks in their relationships, it can begin a wonderful cycle of gratitude for each other that only has the potential to strengthen their love and commitment!

I’m grateful that Date Night In Box chose this theme to remind us about giving thanks because there are times in our lives when that’s not an easy thing to do.

I think we can all agree, it’s so easy to focus on what we don’t have, what we didn’t achieve, what we’re not doing and what others are doing. It’s especially challenging today with how connected the world is on social media; we have a greater opportunity to compare our lives to someone else’s. And sadly, I think we tend to look at the negative side of those comparisons, rather than using it as a chance to appreciate and enjoy our life and our partner.

I’m confident these Date Night In activities will leave you both with more gratitude for your life and your relationship!

Let’s start with this dinner conversation focused on gratitude.

Take turns asking each other the questions below as you reflect on the past season (whether you want to define that as summer, your past year or the past five years). Be sure to ask your partner for further explanation with each answer for deeper discussion and connection!

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What characteristic of our relationship are you thankful we have?

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What are a few ways that I can show you my gratitude and appreciation?

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What are some moments you’ve been thankful for our endurance through hard situations?

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What act(s) of service are you most thankful we have received from someone?

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What date activity in our relationship are you thankful to remember?

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What act(s) of service could we do together that someone else would be thankful to receive?

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What is something new to our relationship you are thankful to have tried?

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Story of Tripp Halstead To begin your night, we wanted to join you as a couple to “pay it forward” and give thanks for the many blessings we can all find in our lives. The story below is somber, but our hope and dream is to do some good in memory of an incredible boy and his amazing parents.

For many of us, Facebook is a way to connect with our loved ones, both near and far. Every once in a while, a story pops up in our newsfeed about a family and their experiences through a moment of tragedy.

AS A WAY TO “GIVE THANKS” AND HONOR TRIPP, let’s begin your first activity. You might be wondering why there is a “Love from The Very Hungry Caterpillar” book included in your box this month.

Our hope is that you will donate this book as a couple to a child, in Tripp’s memory.

We encourage you to take a few minutes as a couple and brainstorm to whom and how you might donate this book.

POSSIBLE IDEAS: - - Leave the book in a park with the included postcard taped to the front cover.

MEET TRIPP HALSTEAD AND HIS WARRIOR PARENTS, Bill and Stacy. On October 29, 2012, while at daycare, a tree limb fell and landed on Tripp’s head, crushing his skull and causing a traumatic brain injury. While following his story on Facebook about his 5½-year fight and struggle (as his parents so graciously chronicled their journey), I was reminded daily of the strength we all have inside us that is such an enormous part of who we are. On March 15, 2018, after Stacy noticed that Tripp’s breathing was labored, she rushed him to the emergency room at around 2 p.m.; at 9 p.m., she announced he had passed away.

I do not know Bill or Stacy other than what I have experienced on Facebook, but what is most admirable is their transparency in sharing their journey and life with others. They are not painting an unrealistic picture, as we often see on social media. Stacy often talks about the strength she draws from Bill, and many of her posts will have you laughing. I encourage you to like their Facebook page and lend support @TrippHalsteadUpdates

- - Donate the book to a local church or organization with the included postcard.

- - Find a child in need who would enjoy the book, such as a child in foster care.

Together, if each of us finds a home for a book, we will bring a smile to thousands of children’s faces in Tripp’s memory.

We would love to document this journey and create a photo album for Tripp’s parents. If you could please take a photo and share to Facebook or Instagram using the hashtags#DateNightInBox and #TeamBoom, it would mean the world to us.

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Make Ice Cream FOR YOUR CARAMEL APPLE CIDER FLOATS

TIME TO HEAD INTO THE KITCHEN FOR A TWIST ON A FALL CIDER RECIPE!

Our directions below suggest using milk, which creates a lighter, less dense ice cream, but there are alternatives:

AS A COUPLE, YOU WILL MAKE YOUR OWN ICE CREAM TO COMPLETE YOUR CARAMEL APPLE CIDER FLOATS.

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FOR CREAMY ICE CREAM: use half-and-half FOR FROZEN YOGURT: use a mixture of yogurt and milk FOR DAIRY-FREE ICE CREAM: use coconut milk

INGREDIENTS

DIRECTIONS

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1. Combine the milk, vanilla, and sugar in the small plastic Ziploc bag. Seal the bag tightly. Note: While sealing the bag, make sure to press out any air trapped inside it.

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1 cup milk 1½ tbsp. sugar 1/3 cup kosher or coarse salt ½ tsp. vanilla

2. Now, grab a gallon-sized plastic Ziploc bag, and mix the ice and salt inside of it.

MATERIALS

3. Place the sealed, small bag with the milk mixture into the large plastic bag filled with ice and salt, and seal tightly.

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4. Shake the bag vigorously for about 5 minutes! Have some fun, snap a pic or take a boomerang, and share it with us using the hashtag #DateNightInBox

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2–3 cups ice, crushed or cubed 1 quart-sized plastic Ziploc bag 1 gallon-sized plastic Ziploc freezer bag

5. After about 5 minutes, you will see that the liquid inside the smaller bag has hardened. Without opening the bags, let them sit on a plate or towel for another few minutes. Rearrange the ice in the larger bag so that it’s surrounding the smaller bag.

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Sip & Give Thanks NEXT, IT’S TIME TO TAKE YOUR ICE CREAM AND CREATE YOUR CARAMEL APPLE CIDER FLOATS! INGREDIENTS

SUPPLIES

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Cinnamon apple cider mix 2 oz. of bourbon (if you so choose) Your ice cream!

Caramel syrup

4 glasses Spoon for stirring Optional straw

DIRECTIONS 1. Drizzle the inside of your glass with caramel syrup (save some to garnish the top of your drink).

2. In a different glass, heat the cider mix per the instructions found on the package.

3. Add cider and bourbon (if you so choose) to the glass drizzled with caramel syrup.

4. Add your ice cream to your glass, and top with additional caramel syrup!

5. Now that your delicious Carmel Apple Cider Floats are complete, it is time to enjoy. Take a moment to toast to each other and all you are thankful for.

EXAMPLE: “A toast to us, as we celebrate all that we are thankful for in our lives as individuals and in our relationship. May each day be filled with gratitude and love! CHEERS!”

ENJOY YOUR CARMEL APPLE FLOATS AND GIVE THANKS. Now, it’s time to snuggle up and enjoy your caramel apple cider floats. Turn on your custom Spotify playlist (nightinboxes.com/music); grab a warm, comfy blanket for two; and find a spot to curl up and enjoy sipping on your floats together.

Grab your included sticky notes and pencils.

Take some time, and write down a few reasons why you are thankful for your significant other.

Keep them a secret from each other! Once completed, take a moment to HIDE your sticky notes with a reason you are thankful for your significant other, around your home (maybe even in your partner’s car, wallet, kitchen drawer, etc.), in places where your partner will find the notes over time.

Our hope is that you will both find these notes and be sweetly reminded of all the reasons why you are thankful for each other!

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Gratitude That Becomes Intentional Play Gratitude Your hidden notes will get the ball rolling to embrace the element of surprise, but we want to help you make gratitude an intentional and focused practice in your relationship once they have been discovered.

We say thank you to our local barista and the stranger who holds the door for us, but when was the last time you said to your significant other, “Thank you” or “I appreciate you”?

Create Your Thank You Board SUPPLIES

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Display stand Give Thanks printable Dry erase marker

DIRECTIONS 1. Locate your included display stand and Give Thanks printable.

2. Place the paper in the frame.

3. Place your frame in a spot you see every day, perhaps next to the kitchen sink, by your keys, or even in the master bath.

4. Use the dry erase marker to write something you’re thankful for. Take turns writing something new every day, and see how the power of gratitude has the ability to transform your relationship.

As all good competitions should begin, pick a wager— or in this case, an act of gratitude—that will be bestowed upon you if you have the fortune of winning Gratitude Slam.

GAME PREP INSTRUCTIONS 1. Grab your included Gratitude Slam cards. As a team choose a starting four- or five-letter word.

Suggested Words: THANK, BLESS, HONOR, LOVE (Feel free to use any other words you can think of. If you need to use more generic four- or five-letter words, feel free to do so).

2. Find the cards you need to form the starting word, and place those cards on your table or playing surface where each of you can see and reach them.

Make sure they are forming the starting word you have chosen. Leave a bit of space between the cards, so there will be no overlapping or blending when other cards are placed on top.

3. Shuffle and deal the remaining cards equally between you and your significant other. There should be no cards left in the deck.

HINT As a reminder, the cards are two-sided. They are printed with a letter on each side or with a letter on one side and a blank space on the other. Either side of the card may be played to make a legal word, with the blank serving as a “wild letter.”

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Slam PLAYING INSTRUCTIONS 1. Play a quick game of rock, paper, scissors to determine who will start the game and be the game announcer.

Once determined, the announcer will signal the start of the game.

2. Place a letter from your hand anywhere on your starting word to form a new word as soon as you recognize a new play. Gratitude Slam is a speed game; players do not take turns placing new letters on the word.

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We will leave it up to you if you will allow slang, acronyms, proper names for people or places, hyphenated words, or words with apostrophes.

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You cannot play the same letter if it will make the same word. For example, if the current word is “THANK,” you cannot play another “A” immediately on top of the “A” in the word on the table. You can, however, play an “I” to change the word to “THINK” and then play “A” to change the word back to “THANK” if you can do so before your opponent changes the word to something else.

3. Call “time out!” to challenge a word. If you don’t think a word your opponent played is a real word, then you can call for a time out. Stop playing to discuss the word’s legitimacy, and consult a dictionary, if necessary.

4. Continue playing until someone wins the game. The game is over when one player has no more cards or when no more legal plays can be made. At this point, you can declare a winner. The player to go through all of the cards in his or her hand first is the winner. If all of the players still have cards and nobody can make a play, then whoever has the fewest cards left is the winner.

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Ways to Continue Your Night PICK A DATE ON THE CALENDAR TO GO ON A HAY RIDE OR HIKE GO ON A HAYRIDE OR HIKE ON A COOL DAY. FIND A LOCAL FOOD DRIVE OR SOUP KITCHEN IN YOUR AREA AND SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER TOGETHER. GET COZY, AND WATCH YOUR FAVORITE MOVIE. MOVIES ABOUT GRATITUDE AND MAKING A DIFFERENCE

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Forrest Gump (1994) Freedom Writers (2007) Hidden Figures (2016) It Could Happen to You (1994) Mr. Holland’s Opus (1996) Patch Adams (1998) Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987) The Blind Side (2009) The Pursuit of Happyness (2006) The Revolutionary Optimist (2013)

Until Next Time!

Share the Love! @DATENIGHTINBOX #DATENIGHTINBOX #DNIGIVETHANKS

Each month, we send out thousands of boxes for both Date Night In and Kids Night In. These boxes are thoughtfully and carefully packed at our own facility with an organization called the Tri-Development Center of Aiken County, which provides the employees who pack your boxes.