Save By Dining In

     

(we did & spent $1.68 for two)

 

The one thing my husband and I like to spend money on (besides Food Storage) is going to our favorite restaurant Applebees once every 2-3 months. 

We love that little restaurant because of the 2 FOR $20 MENU. You get an appetizer & 2 entrees for $20.00.  (We get the 7 oz Sirloin Steak - with veggies or the Bourbon Street Chicken & Shrimp - with veggies.)   Both come with mashed or baked potatoes.  For our beverage we order water with lemon slices (and make our own lemonade :p) because we don't want soda at night.

The cost for this dinner is.........$20.00

Sometimes, not always, we finish off our dinner with a Triple Chocolate Meltdown with a large scoop of ice cream that Barry & I share (only because it is sooo rich and we already have full tummy's from dinner & the appetizer).   

                                                                   Dessert Cost… $5.99

                                                                      15% Tip…… $3.99

                                                                    Total Cost… $30.00

Not bad for a nice dinner.

But, sometimes you don't have the thirty bucks to spend on dining out  - or you forgot to calendar it in.  Like our  2^nd  Anniversary.  (Don’t ask me why :p)  

So, we decided to have an intimate candlelight dinner at home.

To start the day off, my thoughtful husband went outside & cut two of the most delicate peach colored rose’s I had ever seen.  Their tender rose pedals were just beginning to open like the eyes of a newborn kitten.  In a vase they just glistened alongside two taper candles.

Then I pulled from the freezer 2 steaks my girlfriend had swapped me for a loaf of  Bonnie's Whole Wheat Bread.  My bread costs me less than .25 a loaf to make so when she offered a swap I jumped at the idea. 

Barry makes the most delicious, mouth-watering, medium rare steaks I have ever tasted.

Cost for Steaks…. .25c

For Thanksgiving we had purchased Russet Potatoes on sale for .99 for 10 pounds & still had some left.  2 potatoes weighed 1 pound.  At 10 pounds for a dollar 1 pound was only TEN CENTS.  

Cost for Baked Potatoes…. .10c

I like Sweet Potatoes so on that same Thanksgiving sale I picked up 2 large Sweet Potatoes for .50 each.   I had one left so for our “Dinner Date” I baked it for me.   

Cost for Sweet Potato…. .50c

A few days prior I ran across a super great deal at Grocery Outlet for Del Monte Sweet Peas at just .33 a can (I bought 5 cases :p).  They were pretty tasty with a little salt & a tablespoon of butter.

Cost for Sweet Peas…. .33c

  

In a basket lined with one of my prettiest linen napkins I put in some of my Homemade Whole-Wheat Dinner Rolls  (see below) that cost about .50 for three dozen.  These are sooo good you can eat them with or without butter.

Cost for Dinner Rolls…. .50c

     For dessert we had FRESH chunks of pineapple my Visiting Teacher gave me when she stopped by the day before.  

Cost for Pineapple Dessert cups…. Free

                                                                                  

TOTAL DINNER  ...... $1.68

Do we sound a little cheap?  Nope.  I  don't think so.  Frugal?  YES.  And, we are not saying NEVER to go out to eat.  We WILL and DO dine out about once a month.  But, when you just can't do that (or you want to save that money) plan ahead by building your resources and you just might have the means to Dine In for next to nothing!

HOMEMADE WHOLE-WHEAT DINNER ROLLS

 2 cups Milk (I use dry non-instant milk)

1/2 cup + 1 Tablespoon Sugar, divided

1/3 cup (5 1/3 Tablespoons) Butter

2 teaspoons Salt

4 1/2 teaspoons Yeast

2/3 cup Warm Water (105-115 degrees)

1 cup All-Purpose Flour

7 cups Freshly Ground Whole Wheat Flour

3 Eggs, beaten

DIRECTIONS:   

• Combine milk, 1/2 cup sugar, butter and salt in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat until butter melts stirring frequently.  Do not cook on high or your milk will stick to the bottom & burn.  Remove from heat and cool to lukewarm by pouring into another bowl or large measuring cup.  It has to cool to lukewarm or your yeast will die.
• While the milk mixture is cooling, dissolve the yeast into warm water.  Give it a quick quarter of a stir, then sprinkle on top 1 tablespoon of sugar.  Let it stand about 10 minutes & it will be very bubbly and foamy)

• In a large mixing bowl, combine 3 cups flour and the milk mixture. 
• Beat on low for 30 seconds, scraping sides of bowl. 
• Add yeast mixture and beat on high for 3 minutes. 
• Add beaten eggs. 
• Then stir in remaining 5 cups of flour to make a soft dough.

*NOTE- The dough will be very soft & sticky and pulling away from the sides of the bowl.  This is okay.

• Place the bowl in a warm place and cover with a clean kitchen towel.   (Linen towels are best because they do not leave little threads).
• Rise for about 1 hour.

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

•  Punch down dough, and turn dough onto a lightly floured clean surface. 
• Divide in thirds.  Grease 2-3 cookie sheets.
•  Working with each third, roll it into a rectangle and then cut into 12 equal-sized pieces.
• Take each piece into the palm of your hand and fold the corners into the center to form a ball.  They should look like large walnuts.  For bigger rolls make them the size of golf balls.
• Lay each ball down right next to each other on the greased cookie sheet with the center on the bottom.   It is okay if the sides touch.  It is BEST if the sides touch, but do not crowd them.
• Repeat with remaining dough.  
• Cover pans with clean towels, and let rise 30-45 minutes. 

Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden-brown.

When done baking, remove rolls from oven and then brush on melted butter all over the tops!