Black Girl Chef's Whites

Recipes for the Real World

  • Home
  • Work with Me
  • Contact
  • In the Media
  • Who Is The Black Girl?
  • Legalese
  • Recipe Index
    • Baked
    • Hooves
    • Veggies
    • Fins
    • Feathers
    • Sugar
    • Liquids
    • Pasta and Grains
    • Photography
    • News ‘n’ Stuff
    • General Information
    • Everything Else
You are here: Home / Recipes / A Budget Friendly Valentine’s Day Dinner

A Budget Friendly Valentine’s Day Dinner

February 14, 2011 CherylDLee

Valentine’s Day is here. Have you gotten something for a loved one? Is it the same old thing you always get your loved one?  Why not try something new, and maybe get a little spice and romance out of it?

I saw a news report recently stating that the average amount spent for Valentine’s Day is around $80.  If you are on a strict budget you may not have that much to spend, but still want to do something special.  Here is a great idea for Valentine’s Day on a budget, or anytime for that matter. I went to my local Smart & Final store, and with a budget of $25 I started shopping.

Cooking a meal with someone, then sharing that meal can be so romantic. Stirring the pot, licking the spoon, feeding each other the lovingly created meal by candle light while gazing deep into each other eyes.  Ah, romance.

But not everyone is comfortable in the kitchen, or may have very limited culinary skills.  Those with skills sometimes get overambitious and get in way over their heads in the kitchen.  Keeping it simple is the way to go. And one of the simplest, but most loved meals is pasta.

While cruising the aisles of the store, I saw a promotion that was perfect for this meal. Buy a bottle of wine, and get a free bag of pasta. Into my cart went a bottle of merlot and a bag of penne. To save time I then grabbed a bottle of tomato- basil marinara, so there would be more time for the romance part. No need to simmer the marinara for hours, just open the jar. I headed over to the cheese section and got a  very nice three cheese blend, to garnish the pasta.

Now for dessert. Since it is Valentine’s Day, I had to buy the traditional heart shaped box of chocolates!  Come on, it really is not Valentines Day without one!

And those beautiful red roses pictured on the box made me feel like I got flowers too!

And the grand total for all my purchases? $18.31.  I LOVE THAT! That is a Valentine’s Day gift that will not break anyone’s budget.

Remember, cooking together shouldn’t just be for a holiday or special occasion.  It can be done anytime.  And if you have children, get them involved and make it a family affair!

*I received a gift card from Smart & Final to buy these items, because I am a member of Collective Bias.  In full disclosure I am being compensated for this post, but my opinions are my own and cannot be bought.

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • More
  • Email

Related

Recipes, Sponsored, Veggies dinner, food, marinara sauce, pasta, Recipes, Smart & Final, Valentine's Day, wine

Comments

  1. Kim P says

    February 14, 2011 at 5:24 pm

    I love that you kept it simple! More time for romance….I love that there was pasta, wine, chocolate and a pretty flowered box involved. I think you covered all your bases! Happy Valentine’s day.

  2. Amy @ Dealusional says

    February 14, 2011 at 4:15 pm

    I love it! It’s usually a challenge to build a meal for less than $25, but I love that you could even get dessert AND wine for less than that.

Looking for Something?

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • StumbleUpon
  • Twitter

Recent Posts

  • Peach Glazed Ham
  • Hello? Anybody out there?
  • Kale or Swiss Chard Fries
  • Kale and Bacon Baked Risotto
  • Fall Persimmon Recipes
  • Butter & Scotch Hot Toddy Caramel Corn
  • Monster Bites
  • Spiced Chestnut Soup
  • Hatch Chile Meatball Soup
  • Hatch Chile Chicken Stock
  • The 24-Hour Wine Expert
  • Vegan 3 Ingredient No Churn Coconut Milk Ice Cream
  • Summer Heirloom Tomato and Cucumber Salad with Tangerine Hatch Chile Vinaigrette
  • Birthday Feasting
  • Brown Sugar-Vanilla Frozen Yogurt
Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy

Black Girl Chef’s Whites

Black Girl Chef’s Whites
Certified Yummly Recipes on Yummly.com
my foodgawker gallery
See my photos on Fridgg.com!
Featured Author
Featured Author
view my recipes
Featured Author

Copyright © 2021 · Daily Dish Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

All Original Content Copyright Black Girl Chef’s Whites 2009 – 2020. All Rights Reserved.

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.