The $6 Gourmet Valentine’s Dinner for Two

[Sara Noel]

For under $6, you can make a special Valentine’s Day dinner for two. Tawra and her mom have put together this Valentine menu that is sure to please that special someone!

You can add a little romantic ambiance with a nice place setting. Fancy napkins, tapered candles, china place settings and a lace tablecloth add a nice touch. It is relatively easy to find one or two nice settings of china for 50 cents each at thrift stores or garage sales. If you happened to hit the after Christmas sales, you may have found that white taper candles usually get marked down 75% after the holidays. You can also purchase red napkins, lace tablecloths, and red ribbon after Christmas for .50 - $1.00. Try it after next Christmas. You can also purchase things on sale 50% after Valentine's Day and keep them for next year. ... Of course if you’re with the one you love, who needs food for Valentine’s Day!


For The Menu: ( $5.69 for 2 people)
French Onion Soup
Tomato Basil Salad
Maple-Glazed Chicken
Glazed Carrots
Lemon Potatoes
Red Velvet Cake
Water with lemon slices
Tea or coffee with desert


French Onion Soup ( $1.15)
2 onions, thinly sliced (yellow onions work best) (.25)
2 Tbsp. butter or margarine (.10)
2 cups beef stock (made with bullion cubes or beef bones) (.10)
1 bay leaf
2 slices day-old French bread (.20)
1/2 cup mozzarella or Swiss cheese, grated (.50)
Melt butter in a skillet. Sautee onions until slightly brown. Add onions to beef broth in saucepan. Simmer slowly 10 minutes or simmer overnight in the crock pot on low. Pour into bowls. Place bread on top of each bowl of soup, and sprinkle the cheese on top. Then set under broiler and cook until cheese is melted and brown.


Tomato Basil Salad ($1.44)
4 large peeled tomatoes (.79)
Salt and pepper (to taste)
1 Tbsp. wine vinegar (.10)
2 Tbsp. olive oil (.05)
1/3 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped into small pieces (.50)
Dice tomatoes and combine with salt, pepper, vinegar, oil and basil. Serve. You may also add cubes of mozzarella cheese.


Maple-Glazed Chicken ($1.43)
1/4 cup maple syrup (.05)
4 tsp. lemon juice (.05)
1 Tbsp. butter or margarine (.05)
Salt and pepper (to taste)
4 pieces chicken ($1.28 purchased on sale at $1.34/.lb)
Preheat oven to 450º. Mix maple syrup, lemon juice and butter together in a small saucepan. Simmer 5 minutes. Spray a baking dish and place chicken in it. Add salt and pepper to the chicken. Bake 10 minutes. Remove chicken from oven and pour on glaze. Bake 15 minutes more or until juices run clear.


Glazed Carrots (.37)
1/2 lb. fresh carrots or baby carrots (.12)
1/2 stick margarine (.05)
6 Tbsp. brown sugar (.10)
1 tsp. cinnamon (.05)
1 tsp. ginger (optional) (.05)
Clean carrots and cut into bite-size pieces. Steam 10 minutes in a small amount of boiling water (just until tender). Melt margarine in a large skillet over low heat. Add brown sugar, cinnamon and ginger. Cook 1-2 minutes. Add hot carrots, stirring well to coat. Remove when shiny and well glazed.


Lemon Potatoes (.75)
6 new potatoes or 2 medium potatoes, cut in halves or quarters (.50)
2 Tbsp. margarine (.05)
1/2 tsp. lemon peel, grated
1 1/2 tsp. lemon juice (.05)
1 tsp. chives, chopped (.10)
1/4 tsp. salt
dash of pepper
dash of nutmeg (.05 for all spices)
Clean and steam potatoes 20 minutes (until tender). Heat remaining ingredients just to boiling. Pour lemon butter over potatoes and serve.


Red Velvet Cake (.50 for 2 servings)*
3/4 cup butter
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp. cocoa
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. vinegar
2 tsp. vanilla
1-2 oz. red food coloring
2 1/2 cups flour
1 cup buttermilk
Cream together butter, eggs and sugar in a bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients except the flour and buttermilk. Mix well. Add flour and buttermilk alternately. Beat until all the lumps are out. Pour into a greased and floured 9x13 inch pan. Bake at 350º for 30 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Frost with Red Velvet Frosting.


Red Velvet Frosting
2/3 cup milk
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
Cook milk and flour until thick, stirring constantly. Cool thoroughly. Beat milk and flour for one minute until fluffy. Beat butter and sugar until creamy. Add to milk and flour and add vanilla. Mix well. Frosts one Red Velvet Cake.

*Or purchase a box mix on sale .79 and canned frosting on sale .69. plus .50 for eggs, etc. to make the cake $1.48



Jill Cooper and Tawra Kellam are frugal living experts and the editors of http://www.LivingOnADime.com/ . As a single mother of two, Jill Cooper started her own business without any capital and paid off $35,000 debt in 5 years on $1,000 a month income. Tawra and her husband paid off $20,000 debt in 5 years on $22,000 a year income.

[Michelle]

Great menus/recipes here. I may make one of them for our V.Day dinner

[77free]

Wow!
I was so curious to see how you could have all that stuff for under $6. Have you tried this, and/or do you find that a lot of people who come here are looking for ways on how to spend less but still have a great experience.

Firsttime visiter to Frugal village

77free

[homesteadmamma]

Welcome 77free. Nice to see you here.

Most of us are here looking for ways to cut expenses and still enjoy living and have a great experience doing so.

Thanks Sara for the article.

[KKCondrey]

sounds easy (and cheap) enough...thanks Sara

[baxjul]

Thanks!

[77free]

Since I'm new here, I've noticed that on the signature of your posts you put change jar challenges, no spend days... what does this mean? Is this something you are trying to do, is it a feature of the site?

Do tell....

Thanks,

New to Frugal

[Sara Noel]

They are a couple of "challenges" that help to save money. Can read further details in this forum (stickied posts)
http://www.frugalvillage.com/forums/....php?forumid=5

We have various clubs on FV that members can participate in any activities that are happening in a given month.

Here is a listing of most of the clubs:
Various Clubs and their sign up links

[AmyMCGS]

That menu looks great--- thanks!

[Pepper]

OMGoodness.....that is very cheap. I couldn't picture it in my head. Thanks

[Michelle]