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Poetry on a Plate
A Valentine's Dinner for Less Than $6!
By Tawra Kellam and Jill Cooper
For less than $6, you can make a special Valentine's Day dinner for two. Tawra and her mom, Jill, 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 percent after the holidays. You also can purchase red napkins, lace tablecloths and red ribbon after Christmas for .50 to $1. If you missed this year's sales, try it after next Christmas. You also can purchase things on sale 50 percent 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?
($5.69 for two people)
French Onion Soup
Tomato Basil Salad
Maple-Glazed Chicken
Glazed Carrots
Lemon Potatoes
Red Velvet Cake
Water with lemon slices
Tea or coffee with dessert
2 onions, thinly sliced (yellow works best) ($.25)
2 tablespoons butter or margarine ($.10)
2 cups beef stock (made with bouillon cubes or beef bones) ($.10)
1 bay leaf
2 slices day-old French bread ($.20)
1/2 cup grated mozzarella or Swiss cheese ($.50)
Melt butter in a skillet. Saute onions until slightly brown. Add onions to beef broth in saucepan. Simmer slowly for 10 minutes. 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. This soup will simmer in the Crock Pot on low overnight.
