Valentines Day

Mimi_Arc_en_ciel

:eek: sorry to remind you all but its only a few short weeks away . . .

Ok here is my dilema

Valentines day is on a Monday (yey! i'm off work so can actually plan something!)

I'm going to ask mum to babysit (free! - dont you love grandparents/mums)

I want to (try) and cook a romantic dinner (without burning etc)

and i want to create a romantic setting in my kitchen (which is green, and not very romantic lol)

NOW . . here's the toughy . .

I dont want to spend TOO much on all of this.

Now i know OH LOVES cheesecake so thats pudding sorted.

What I need is something that is easy to make for starter and dinner. Generally if i cook, its in the slow cooker or steamer (I can't do with putting food in at different times or different temperatures, throws me right off cooking)

so does any one have any ideas (was thinking soup for starts but OH only really likes ministrone lol)

Also . . . how can i spruce up kitchen (cheaply) within a small budget (I have a candle!!! :rotfl:)

Thanks!

annakat99

I don't know why, but I always think of coq au vin as a a romantic meal.. maybe because of the french name. It's a chicken cooked in red wine with bacon, mushrooms & onions, so pretty cheap. It's dead easy to make and I'm sure you can do it in the slow cooker too (a quick google pulls up a load of recipes). You can have it with potatoes (new potatoes are good, you can crush them up on the plate to soak up the sauce), or rice, or pasta... and then steam some green veg for the side (french beans for a french theme?)

Starter - mmmm - how about prawn coctail (no cooking required, make and then stick in the fridge till you want to serve)

I'm feeling hungry now!

LabLover

What abouted sauted (sp) garlic mushrooms on toasted farm loaf. My OH makes this for me alot and he cant even boil a kettle so its not too difficult to do but is very yummy

Twod

I have no idea about the cooking, but sprucing up the kitchen...

Colours - white, pink, red, (maybe stay away from too much red as your kitchen in green, don't want ot confuse the night with christmas!)
Table cloth (either buy a piece of material or an actual table cloth) or maybe a charity shop has a lace one that would fit?
Candles in the middle of the table
Fold napkins into a funky shape (look for a simple origami diagram with not too many folds)
If you are drinking wine, wrap the bottle in a napkin like they do in posh restaurants
Go to your nearets 99p or £12 store and see if they have any more candles or valentines decorations
Clintons/Birthdays/any card shop have little heart confetti to put in cards, this could be sprinkled over the table if you don't have a table cloth
Heart table mats (fold paper/card in half draw half a heart and cut out)
Flowers for a centre piece? or even just a single rose in a vase? Doesn't need to be anything huge as you want to see each other!
Maybe cut letters out of coloured card to spell love and stick on the cupboards/walls, something like L (heart) O (heart) V (heart) E

Must stop now before I start thinking or more corny ideas!

Mimi_Arc_en_ciel

annakat99 wrote: »

I don't know why, but I always think of coq au vin as a a romantic meal.. maybe because of the french name. It's a chicken cooked in red wine with bacon, mushrooms & onions, so pretty cheap. It's dead easy to make and I'm sure you can do it in the slow cooker too (a quick google pulls up a load of recipes). You can have it with potatoes (new potatoes are good, you can crush them up on the plate to soak up the sauce), or rice, or pasta... and then steam some green veg for the side (french beans for a french theme?)

Starter - mmmm - how about prawn coctail (no cooking required, make and then stick in the fridge till you want to serve)

I'm feeling hungry now!

Sorry!! didnt mean to make you hungry lol

I've never had Coq Au Vin before (heard of it but never tried it) so might have to get a "proper" one in first otherwise i not know if it tastes right lol TY though!

LabLover wrote: »

What abouted sauted (sp) garlic mushrooms on toasted farm loaf. My OH makes this for me alot and he cant even boil a kettle so its not too difficult to do but is very yummy

lol I love that! To be fair - that's how my OH would describe me lol

I like the idea of the starter! I'll have a dummy test whilst he's at work

Twod wrote: »

I have no idea about the cooking, but sprucing up the kitchen...

Colours - white, pink, red, (maybe stay away from too much red as your kitchen in green, don't want ot confuse the night with christmas!)
Table cloth (either buy a piece of material or an actual table cloth) or maybe a charity shop has a lace one that would fit?
Candles in the middle of the table
Fold napkins into a funky shape (look for a simple origami diagram with not too many folds)
If you are drinking wine, wrap the bottle in a napkin like they do in posh restaurants
Go to your nearets 99p or £12 store and see if they have any more candles or valentines decorations
Clintons/Birthdays/any card shop have little heart confetti to put in cards, this could be sprinkled over the table if you don't have a table cloth
Heart table mats (fold paper/card in half draw half a heart and cut out)
Flowers for a centre piece? or even just a single rose in a vase? Doesn't need to be anything huge as you want to see each other!
Maybe cut letters out of coloured card to spell love and stick on the cupboards/walls, something like L (heart) O (heart) V (heart) E

Must stop now before I start thinking or more corny ideas!

lol you must be handy to have around for parties!

I've made an invite - Just waiting to sort menu to put it on the back so he knows what he's (meant) to be eating lol

Will definitley try the napkins etc

(Its our first proper V Day and wanted it to be special but he's 30 this year in March and I'm stuck for money - so I'm going to food poison him instead . . . lol) :rotfl:

TY!! :T

rozmister

Buy a paper tablecloth from a cheap shop and a bottle of red/pink/silver/gold/ paint. Get a potato and cut it in half. Cut a heart shape into each half (I have a heart shape cookie cutter and I push it into the potato then slice across, the bit in the cookie cutter stays but the edges fall off). Put the paint onto paper plates/in bowls and stamp away. This is a really good one to do with kids and really cheap. It also looks really nice!

Why dont you have a look on the BBC Good Food website for recipes that you can slow cook. I love using the website because you can pick if you want a quick recipe, easy recipe, etc and they have lists of good ones for certain types of cooking like Slow cooking or Low Fat. They're all free too and taste lush!

Chimpofdoom

Well depending if you guys both like pasta, I know a good recipe online of Spinach and ricotta cannelloni that's fairly simply and quite cheap to make!

http://allrecipes.co.uk/recipe/319/spinach-and-ricotta-cannelloni.aspx

But in general http://allrecipes.co.uk/ is a god send for recipes!

FatVonD

I'd go for a plain white tablecloth and buy some of that foil confetti in hearts (or stars) and sprinkle over.

I'd cook something really, REALLY simple in the microwave (Young's paella is nice with tiger baton) so you can leave the lights off. Have a big candle (or could you borrow a candelabra from someone?) as a centrepiece and then dot little tea lights all over the rest of the kitchen.

charlie792

How about Spaghetti Bolegnaise (sp?) with a nice bottle of red wine. Have to admit it's one of my fav's. Dead easy to cook to, all the ingredients in one pan, (except the Spaghetti). Not expensive, less than £5 for ingredients and then whatever you want to spend on wine.

Can give you recipe if you want

lostinrates

I'd stay away of anything too heavy or pasta....you don't want to be too full if you have a night without kids at home...:)

Mimi_Arc_en_ciel

lostinrates wrote: »

I'd stay away of anything too heavy or pasta....you don't want to be too full if you have a night without kids at home...

LOL i wish i had something witty to come back with at that comment but i cant think of anything!!!

Because I can cook pasta and bolognese we tend to have that alot so wanted something different. Think i will go for Coq Au Vin - My single friend has agreed to be a guinea pig for me hehe

Will sort the table cloth out, have a church candle thing at home that I can put and LOADS of tea light . .

Is emergency services still 999? Might need a fireman ! lol :rotfl: