These 6 activities will make your next night-in awesome
Nights spent cozied up at home have taken on a whole new meaning since the start of the pandemic.
Our home now serves as our own personal restaurant and bar, our temporary office space, and the place where we get our sweat on by following the instruction of a personal trainer whom we’ve come to know on YouTube.
These are no ordinary times. If anything, we’ve got to push the boundaries and challenge ourselves to find ways to enjoy simply being at home during our downtime, regardless of the square footage of our apartment or suite.
But we all know that conjuring up ideas when you’re zapped of creativity is no easy feat. So, to give you a guide from which to plan the ultimate (and anything but boring) night-in, we’ve devised a list of stimulating activities to awaken your senses — and the perfect, budget-friendly meal to tie it all together: tacos.
Jam to a playlist while prepping dinner
Listening to music has the magical power to lift our mood, boosting our brain’s production of the feel-good hormone dopamine while lowering our stress levels. It can also instantly remind us of times we shared with family and friends in the past.
For maximum enjoyment, we suggest building your own playlist to set the tone for your evening. Alternatively, you can opt for our custom-made Taco Night playlist and groove away while you prep your ingredients.
Make a yummy meal
There’s nothing we love more than a tasty taco — and Old El Paso’s Tacos for 2 Dinner Kit is making taco time extra easy and affordable. The perfect base for those crunchy, overflowing tacos we’ve been craving, each kit includes six taco shells and taco seasoning mix — an ideal go-to meal for two (or one very hungry person).
While we opted for a classic recipe — brimming with savoury ground beef and fresh lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, guac, and shredded cheese — there’s no shortage of delicious recipes to experiment with. From savoury, stovetop shredded chicken to crispy taco-seasoned fish fillets topped with cabbage.
You know what they say: when life gives you limes, squeeze that baby over a taco and sink your teeth.
Find your perfect pairing
With a delicious, versatile dinner like tacos, finding the perfect alcoholic pairing is actually pretty simple. Elevate your simplistic and uber flavourful handheld eats with a delicious glass of either mezcal or tequila — trust us both complement your yummy dinner and night full of fun perfectly.
Play a game
One perk of staying in is that you can reach for the pack of cards that’s been resting in your cabinet for as long as you can remember and start playing some classic games. To get you started and keep you and your fellow player on your toes and entertained, we recommend the always-fun Go Fish, Solitaire, or, if you’re up for a more challenging pursuit and have a board, Crib.
Watch something that will make you laugh
To continue your night of merriness, turn on a movie or a show that will make you belly laugh to your heart’s content. This could be anything from a stand-up show led by your favourite comedian to a rom-com that gives you all the feels.
Some of our personal favourites (that often leave us crying tears of joy) include 10 Things I Hate About You, Crazy, Stupid, Love, and the incredibly binge-watchable series Superstore.
Enjoy a midnight snack
There is nothing more dispiriting than opening your kitchen cabinet to discover that you’re fully out of snacks. Making tacos earlier in the night, however, lets you be ahead of the game when it comes to satiating any late-night cravings. Simply use your Old El Paso taco leftovers to create a platter of drool-worthy nachos. Break apart the hard shells for your base and layer on the mix before melting cheese on top. You can thank us later.
To start planning your next night-in around moreish food that won’t take the entire evening to prepare, visit your local grocer to pick up Old El Paso’s Tacos for 2 Hard Dinner Kit and Soft Shell Dinner Kit.
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