“It may be possible to gild pure gold, but who can make his mother more beautiful?”

—Mahatma Gandhi

How would we have survived the last year without our Mothers?!

Their positivity and grace got us through the most bizarre and dangerous year in history. Through toilet paper shortages, the elections, and countless brain-probing covid tests, they were always there for us via facetime or Zoom. Without their unfaltering love, our world would have seemed a little more chaotic and uncertain.

This year, it’ll be incredible to spend Mother’s Day in person! We can’t wait for all the flowers, chocolates, and Mother’s Day Brunches to come!

Check out our recipes for our favorite Spring-inspired cocktails perfect for Mom’s big day! We wanted to send our love and appreciation to all the mothers out there that helped make 2020 a little easier from all of us here at The Old Rancho. Remember to give your Mom twice as much this year to make up for last year’s bewildering Mother’s Day experience!

"When you are looking at your mother, you are looking at the purest love you will ever know."

—Charlie Benetto

Homey Date Night, Done Right

We love celebrating love!! With the outside world still a little hectic, we foresee many couples keeping their Valentine’s Day dates close to home this year. To help make the holiday still feel special, we collected a little inspiration on decorations, food, and flowers for you!

Bring Out The Kid At Heart

Reach wayyy back to a time when arts and crafts were a socially acceptable way to decorate, and get ready to whip out those safety scissors! This year decorate your home with home-made hearts and paper valentines. We love the idea of making this a pre-holiday date night idea for you and your significant other, or even a Galentine’s night. Check out your local craft store and see what options they have for Valentine’s Day, even if it’s just finding a ream of multi red-hued papers. Cut out hearts to string together or fold each piece of paper into an abstract shape to tape to the wall in a fun heart-shaped collage. Devoting a night to some quality time reveling in artsy nostalgia is sure to warm a few hearts.

A Romantic Dinner For Two

We saw so many people hone their cooking skills during quarantine last year. Personally, we’re still not quite at Master Chef level. When we saw the article titled “24 Romantic Dinners Literally Anyone With an Hour and a Brain Can Make” by Elizabeth Stark and Annabel Iwegbue from Cosmopolitan, we felt a little more confident in ourselves. The recipes they’ve collected encompass multiple cultures, tastes, and dietary restrictions. Save the article and pick a recipe to wow your Valentine’s Day date with your cooking abilities!

Dessert with a Surprising Kick!

Is it just us, or do chocolate-covered strawberries seem played out? Try some “Shots Through the Heart” instead! These deconstructed Strawberry Margaritas are a fun twist on an old favorite and perfect for those in the crowd who might have a darker sense of humor towards this holiday. We got this idea from Personal Touch Dining, and with it being fairly easy to make at home, we felt we had to share it with our readers. We found some adorable heart-shaped pipettes on Amazon that were under $10 and looked perfect for the job. After mixing up our favorite classic margarita, we filled each pipette with our marg and gently skewered each strawberry halfway through into the hollow center. When you’re ready to eat dessert, squeeze the pipette so the liquid fills the hollow center of the strawberry, and enjoy!

Catering: Personal Touch Dining Photo: Andrea David Photography

Don’t Forget The Flowers!

A lot can be said through some mini blooms and single-bud vases. Decorate your dining table at home using these and a sprinkle of votive candles for the perfect romantic ambiance! Mini bloom flowers like the ones below are easy to find and come in pretty sizable bunches; pair them with a few single roses or peonies for a tasteful arrangement. Start by placing one rose or another flower of your choice in a few vases for the center of your table. Trim the stems of your mini flowers as close to the petals as possible so that they lay flat. Place any number of these directly onto the tabletop around the vases and finish off the look with a few candles. Your table at home will transform into a sweet and dreamy location for your Valentine’s Day date, and you won’t break the bank buying massive bundles of roses!

Happy Mother's Day!