Frugal Farm Wife does Valentine's Day

Mr. P and I have eaten at some very swanky places in our past together.  We've eaten at a restaurant that spins to view the city, we've had 5-star cuisine on our honeymoon cruise, and most recently we splurged and did the full 4-course meal at the Melting Pot.  We will occasionally go to the Melting Pot for just dessert, but we had a couple of gift cards saved up and went for a nice dinner together.

Those are the kind of dates that rekindle my romantic side.

But, since we are doing frugal this year, we are doing two dates for Valentine's Day.

For our first date, my MOPS group held a Parents' Night Out fundraiser last Saturday.  We watched kids for 3 hours for $5 a kid.  But the bonus was, if you worked an hour and a half shift, we got to leave our kids for the other hour and a half for free.  Anytime you tell me that I'll get free childcare, I'm in.  So for our date, we did the Dollar Dinner Date.  We rented a Redbox movie (Sam even had a coupon to get it for $.75!), and ordered our dinner off the dollar menu at McD's.  But we made the commitment to sit and talk and enjoy each other's company, despite the cheap fare.  $5 later, we finished our date and our kids had a blast.  These are the kinds of dates that Mr. P enjoys.  He doesn't enjoy frivolous spending, so this was a treat for both of us.

Last year, I decided that Valentine's Day shouldn't be just a day to show my husband that I love him.  It's really about showing love to my family as well.  So, our big, fancy dinner will be with all of us tomorrow night.  On the theme of the Melting Pot, I've concocted a 3-course feast for us all to enjoy, all fondue.  Riley has agreed to be my soux chef.  We are going to be all dressed up, just like an evening out.  Fondue Date Night!
(PS, the term "Fondue Date Night" has been coined since Sam and I were dating.  We watched a lot of "Everybody Loves Raymond" back then, and this episode was just hysterical to us.  Worth a watch for a little chuckle. though it's only half the episode)

Here are our dinner plans (with links to the recipes):

Spinach Artichoke Fondue

Vegetable Broth Fondue with Teriyaki Steak, Teriyaki Pork Tenderloin, Shrimp, and Chicken

S'mores Chocolate Fondue

And Mr. P's Favorite: Bananas Foster Fondue

This is a little pricier than our typical meal, but it will feed us for more than dinner, for sure (nothing more frugal than leftovers!).  

So if you are trying to be frugal and creative this Valentine's Day, try recreating a favorite meal at home.  The atmosphere will be better, there will be no waiting times or lost reservations, and the staff is simply the best!