Valentine's on a budget

You can do anything at all on a very small or virtually non-existent budget.
It is a case of prioritising what is important.

For example on Valentine's day, Man Wonderful and I don't go out to a fancy restaurant, or go to a show, or buy new clothes, or take taxi rides.  We don't send each other expensive bouquets of flowers, or chocolates or champagne.  I won't be going to the hairdresser, or to a beauty salon for a treatment - he won't be going to a barbershop for a haircut or a shave.


But we do tell each other every day just how we feel about each other.
We sit together every evening - like right now; while I am blogging, he is watching the rugby and his hand rests on my knee.
Every morning he brings me a cup of tea in bed, and (although I am more than capable of doing so myself) he sorts out my daily meds and gives them to me.  We sit together and have our morning cuppa and just enjoy being together.
If the car needs to go to the garage, I'll go with him to chat and keep him company, and we talk about anything and everything.
We share the Saturday morning paper.  We like lots of the same TV programmes, and when the other is watching something the other is not keen on (we only have one TV set in the house...) the other will read, or blog, or doze or knit - but will still be there as company.

So anyway, this blog is about Valentine's day on a budget.

I'm not going to suggest you make a HM card, as if you want to send a card that will be obvious.
No, what I think is do-able on a budget is a meal for your loved one(s), something easy and rather special; and a gift that doesn't cost a penny.   
Sound good?
Then read on!

Dinner on Valentine's night: set the table with the nice plates and cutlery, and put glasses on the table.  Put a bottle of water or a jug of water in the fridge to chill, and out some ice cubes in to set.

It is really special to have a three-course meal.

So, for a lovely starter you could have a vegetable soup.
Why not try this butternut squash one?  (Morrisons currently have HUGE butternut squash for £1 each...)    You can make the soup the day before and re-heat it on the day.

Butternut squash soup 
Chop the flesh of 1 butternut squash, 1 onion and 2 potatoes into cubes.
Heat 2tbsp oil in a large pan. Add the onions and cook until soft.
Add the potato and squash and toss in the oil.
Add 1 litre of vegetable stock and simmer for 30 minutes.
Blend with a stick blender, adding a little more water if required.
Season to taste.

Now for a main course it is so easy to break the budget, but so much easier to stay within your means and create a delicious dinner.  Try this homemade pizza and tell me I'm wrong!!

Homemade Pizza
You will need:  
For the base - 300g plain flour, a 7g sachet easy blend yeast, 1 tsp salt, 1 tbsp veg oil.
Put the flour, yeast and salt in a large bowl and add 200ml of warm water and 1tbsp oil.  Bring together with your hand until it is a soft, wet dough.  Turn onto a floured surface and knead for 5 mins until smooth.  Cover with a tea towel and set aside while you prepare the topping.

For the tomato sauce - 100ml passata, 1tsp dried herbs, 1 crushed garlic clove.
Mix all three ingredients together.

For the topping - 1 mozzarella ball, handful of grated hard cheese, sliced tomatoes - (you can add anything else here you have)

Split the dough into two and roll out into two rough rounds.
Spread the tomato sauce onto the bases leaving a small gap around the edge.
Place slices of mozzarella on the top of this sauce, and slices of tomato.
Finish with sprinkles of grated cheese.
Drizzle with a little oil and season.

Cook at 240C/fan 220C /gas 8 for 8-10 mins.
Serve with salad.


And finally, THE EASIEST (-BUT LOOKS DEAD IMPRESSIVE-) DESSERT EVER:

White Chocolate Truffles
You will need:
225g white chocolate, 4 tbsp double cream, 1tsp vanilla extract, any sprinkles.

Melt the chocolate int he microwave.  Stir in the cream. Leave to cool for 20 mins in the fridge. Roll into small balls and roll in sprinkles, then place on a pretty plate to share between you as a romantic dessert!

Enjoy your romantic plans, but remember it's not the cash you need to flash! 

FMx