Show your closest girlfriends some love this Galentine's Day with this delicious themed dinner. This guide will walk you step-by-step through making 7 show-stopping dishes without the added stress of coordinating recipes. This menu is intended for 8-10 people.

Drinks

Grapefruit Thyme Fizz (cocktail or mocktail)

Appetizers

Mini Heart Pizzas

Main Dishes

Marry Me Shrimp Pasta

Side Dishes

Lemony Broccolini

Bacon Kale Ceasar Salad

Garlic Parmesan Focaccia

Desserts

Chocolate Raspberry Tart

Fruit Skewers

Lets get cooking!

14 days prior

Order table decor to allow for ample shipping time.

3-5 days prior

Gather all your ingredients. This way, you have plenty of time to track down anything that might be sold out.

2 days prior

Make the focaccia dough.

Need:

4 Cups all-purpose flour

3 Teaspoons salt

2 Teaspoons active dry yeast

2 Cups lukewarm water (105°F-115°F)

Olive Oil

1. Focaccia: Mix active dry yeast into lukewarm water and let stand for 15 minutes or until foamy.

2. In a large bowl, mix flour and salt. Add water and yeast mixture and mix until combined and a sticky dough ball forms. Coat the surface of the dough with olive oil and cover with plastic wrap or lid. Place in the refrigerator.

1 day prior

Make the focaccia, tart, and pizza dough. Prepare the bacon for the salad.

Need:

2-4 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 1/2 Cups chocolate cookie crumbs (about 18 oreos)

4 Tablespoons butter, melted

1 1/2 Cups heavy cream

12 Oz dark chocolate chips

4 Tablespoons butter, softened

1 1/3 Cups room temperature water (70°F)

1 Tablespoon granulated sugar

2 1/4 Teaspoons active dry yeast

3 1/2 Cups all-purpose flour

1 Teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoons olive oil

3/4 Lb bacon

1. Focaccia: Grease a 9x13 baking dish with olive oil.

2. Remove focaccia dough from the refrigerator. Dump the dough into the baking dish. Using your fingertips, gently stretch the dough to cover the bottom of the baking dish ( it doesn't have to be perfectly covered). Lightly coat the top of the dough with olive oil, cover the tray with a towel, and place in a warm area to rise for 1 hour.

3. Tart: Preheat oven to 350°F. Add cookies to a food processor and pulse to form a fine crumb. Add melted butter and pulse to combine to form a damp sand.

4. Grease a 10-inch tart pan or 9-inch pie pan with butter. Press the cookie mixture into the pan, ensuring the crumbs are packed across the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Bake 10 minutes, until just set. Set aside.

5. Add heavy cream to a saucepan and heat over medium heat until tiny bubbles form and the cream is just starting to boil. Remove from heat and stir in the chocolate. Allow to sit for a few minutes, stirring occasionally until chocolate is melted. Whisk in butter, 1 Tablespoon at a time.

6. Pour chocolate mixture into the crust. Allow to set in the refrigerator for 2 hours. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, careful to avoid touching the top of the tart. If needed, put a few toothpicks in the top of the tart to act as tent poles for the plastic wrap. While the tart is setting up, continue with the next steps.

7. Pizza Dough: Mix active dry yeast and sugar into lukewarm water and let stand for 15 minutes.

8. In a large bowl, mix flour and salt. Add yeast mixture and olive oil and mix until combined and a rough dough forms. Knead for 5-8 minutes until the dough is soft and slightly sticky. Add flour 1 Tablespoon at a time while kneading if needed (knead for a few minutes before deciding to add flour). Tear off a golf-ball sized piece of dough and gently stretch until thin enough for light to pass through. If the dough tears, continue kneading for a few more minutes and try again.

9. Grease a large bowl, place the dough inside, and coat the dough with olive oil. Cover with plastic wrap or lid and place in the refrigerator.

10. Focaccia: Preheat oven to 425°F.

11. Create dimples over the dough by pressing fingertips about 1 inch down into the dough. Drizzle olive oil over top.

12. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown on top. Let cool completely, about 45 minutes before storing in an airtight container. While the focaccia is baking, continue with the bacon.

13. Salad: Heat a skillet over medium-low to medium heat. Add bacon strips. Cook until crispy, flipping often. Drain cooked bacon on a plate lined with a paper towel. Repeat until all the bacon is cooked. Finely chop and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

14. Pasta: If shrimp is frozen, move to refrigerator to thaw.

Day of - 3 1/2 hours prior to guest arrival

Decorate and set your table. Prepare the rest of your delicious creations.

Need:

1 Cup water

1 Cup granulated sugar

1 Package fresh thyme

1 Lb strawberries

1 Mini seedless watermelon

1 Lb red seedless grapes

6 Inch bamboo skewers

8 Slices sourdough

1/4 Cup olive oil

1/2 Teaspoon salt

1/2 Teaspoon black pepper

1-2 Bunches lacinato kale

3 Hearts romaine

3 Lb broccolini

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 Teaspoon salt

1/2 Teaspoon black pepper

6 Oz raspberries, fresh

1/2 Tablespoon flaky salt

4-6 Oz pepperoni

1 1/2 Lbs peeled shrimp, thawed

3/4 Tablespoon paprika

1 Teaspoon salt

1 Teaspoon black pepper

1 Tablespoon italian seasoning

1 Yellow onion, medium

8-10 Oz sun-dried tomatoes

3 Tablespoons sun-dried tomato oil

3 Cups vegetable broth

1 1/2 Cups heavy cream

3 Tablespoons butter

6 Cloves garlic, minced

4 Tablespoons tomato paste

1 1/2 Tablespoons italian seasoning

1/2 Teaspoon paprika

1/2 Teaspoon salt

1 Teaspoon dried basil

3 Tablespoons flour

1 Cup parmesan, grated

2 Tablespoons butter

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 Cup parmesan, grated

1. Set up dining table, place settings, and decor. Carefully iron table cloth and napkins if desired.

2. Grapefruit Fizz: In a small sauce pan, add water, sugar, and thyme. Stir to combine. Heat over medium heat until bubbling, then turn down to a very low simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes then remove from heat and set aside to steep.

3. Fruit Skewers: Cut a "V" shape out of the top of the strawberries to form a heart shape. Slice the watermelon into half-inch thick slices and use a small heart-shape cutter to cut out hearts. Add the strawberries, grapes, and watermelon hearts to the skewers in whatever pattern you like. Transfer to a serving dish and store in the refrigerator.

4. Salad: Preheat oven to 350°F. Remove chopped bacon from the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature.

5. Slice bread into 1/2-inch cubes. Evenly distribute onto a baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil over top and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to evenly distribute. Bake 15 minutes or until golden. Set aside. While the croutons are baking, prepare the kale and romaine (step 6).

6. Wash and dry the kale and cut the stems from the leaves. Stack the leaves and roll lengthwise. Cut kale into 1/2-inch ribbons. Transfer to a large bowl. Repeat with the romaine hearts, keeping the romaine in a separate bowl from the kale.

7. Broccolini: Wash broccolini and trim the dry ends of the stems. Arrange in an even layer on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper and mix to evenly coat. Set aside.

8. Tart: Remove the plastic wrap and top with fresh raspberries and flaky salt. Keep in the refrigerator until serving.

9. Pizzas: Use a small heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut hearts from the pepperoni slices. Set aside until ready to top the pizzas.

10. Broccolini: Preheat oven to 425°F. Bake broccolini for 10-15 minutes, flipping halfway through, until fork tender and slightly charred. Leave on the baking sheet and set aside. While oven is preheating and the broccolini is baking, continue with the pasta.

11. Pasta: Drain the shrimp and pat dry. In a large bowl, add shrimp, 3/4 Tablespoon paprika, 1 Teaspoon salt, 1 Teaspoon pepper, and 1 Tablespoon italian seasoning. Toss to coat the shrimp in the seasonings.

12. Dice the onion and sun-dried tomatoes, reserving the oil from the tomatoes. Set aside.

13. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add half of the sun-dried tomato oil and half of the shrimp. Cook the shrimp for 2 minutes per side, until the shrimp is pink and forms a C shape. Remove the shrimp from the pan before it forms an O shape. Repeat with the other half of the oil and shrimp. Set the shrimp aside.

14. Add broth and heavy cream to a microwave-safe bowl/cup/jar and microwave for 2 minutes to warm.

15. Turn the heat down to medium-low heat and add the butter and diced onion. Cook 5 minutes, until onions begin to turn translucent. Add minced garlic, diced sun-dried tomatoes, tomato paste, 1 1/2 Tablespoons italian seasoning, 1/2 Teaspoon paprika, 1/2 Teaspoon salt, and dried basil. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until fragrant. Stir in flour and cook another 1-2 minutes.

16. Slowly pour in the warm broth and heavy cream, stirring constantly to prevent clumping. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until sauce begins to thicken. Stir in parmesan. Lower heat to a warm setting until closer to serving.

17. Foccacia: Heat a small saucepan over medium heat. Add butter and minced garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes, until butter is melted and the garlic is fragrant, but not browned. Brush garlic butter over top of the focaccia and sprinkle with grated parmesan. Set aside.

18. Pizzas: Lightly grease two large baking sheets with olive oil and dust with cornmeal. Remove dough from refrigerator, punch down, and divide into 12 equal portions. On a lightly floured surface, use a floured rolling pin or floured hands to stretch out the dough portions into 5 inch-circles, about 1/2 inch thick. Use a knife to trim and form a heart shape or use a large heart-shaped cookie cutter. Transfer the pizza dough heart to the prepared baking sheet.

19. Top pizzas with sauce and toppings.

20. Preheat oven to 475°F.

Day of - 35 minutes prior to guest arrival

Bake the pizzas and mix the cocktail/mocktail. Prepare for guests and clean up.

Need:

6 Cups grapefruit juice

1 1/2 Cups gin (optional)

8 Cups soda water

41. Pizzas: Bake 13-15 minutes until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted.

42. Grapefruit Fizz: Remove thyme from the syrup. In a large pitcher, add thyme syrup and grapefruit juice. Add vodka if desired, or leave as an optional addition for your guests.

43. Serve: Set out mini pizzas. Serve the grapefruit thyme fizz over ice with equal parts grapefruit mixture and soda water and a shot if gin, if desired and not already added.

44. Freshen Up: After cooking for so long, spend 5-10 minutes freshening up before your guests arrive.

45. Clean: Cleanup the kitchen with any remaining time before guests arrive. The goal is to have an empty sink so you have a place to put dirty dishes after dinner. Start your dishwasher with any dirty dishes you have so it will be empty when it's time to clean up after dinner.

46. Pasta: Fill a large pot with water and a large pinch of salt. Set on the stove, but leave the heat off.

Day of - Guest arrival / 30 minutes prior to dinner

Reheat and finish the dishes. Enjoy your amazing creations and good company!

Need:

3 Cups spinach

1 1/2 Lbs linguini pasta

Caesar dressing

1 Lemon

3/4 Cup parmesan, grated

46. Preheat oven to 400°F.

47. Greet your guests! Encourage guests to help themselves to appetizers and provided drinks.

48. Pasta: Add spinach to the pasta sauce. Bring water to a boil over high heat. Add pasta and cook until al dente. Reserve one mug of pasta water before draining the pasta. While the pasta is cooking, continue.

49. Salad: Add a large spoonful of caesar dressing to the kale and toss to coat. Allow to soften for 10 minutes.

50. Focaccia: Bake for 10 minutes, until parmesan is melted and golden. Slice and transfer to a serving dish.

51. Broccolini: Reheat for 5-10 minutes, until warm. Transfer to a serving dish and squeeze out half a lemon over top.

52. Salad: Add the chopped romaine to the kale and toss. If desired, add dressing to your preference and toss to coat. Alternatively, leave dressing on the side and allow guests to add their own. Top with croutons, bacon, grated parmesan, and some freshly cracked black pepper.

53. Pasta: If the sauce has thickened, thin the sauce with reserved pasta water to reach the desired consistency. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Transfer drained pasta back to the pot or a large serving bowl. Add the sauce and toss to coat the noodles. Top with cooked shrimp.

54. Serve: Set out the pasta, broccolini, salad, and focaccia with serving utensils. Serve your incredible creations and enjoy this delicious meal with your guests!

55. Dessert: Slice the tart into enough slices for your guests, wiping the knife between each slice for clean cuts. Enjoy dessert with your guests and celebrate each others company!