Lyn (my boo) and I are currently on an austerity drive now given the current economic situation and our efforts to save for that impending wedding (its going to rock) and house hunting. Still wanting to keep to our very few traditions which include the yearly Valentine’s Day dinner indulgence but keeping it economical, we decided to cook our own dinner instead of going out.
This way, in addition to saving money from overpriced food and avoiding the crowd, we are also spared from witnessing the many young couples hand-in-hand carrying that huge bouquet of flowers, teddy bears, chocolates, presents (and other what have yous) looking lost in each others’ eyes as they slowly stroll down the busy Orchard Road. Call us unromantic but seriously…come on now!! Or is it that I am getting too old?
Now back to the subject proper. Keeping to a modest budget of about $40 (its cheap if you compare it with the prices at posh restaurants on a Valentine’s Day), we popped over to NTUC Finest at Thomson Plaza and did a little grocery shopping. We headed back home in quick time and an hour later, dinner was served. Needless to say, Lyn did all the cooking and I did my best by helping out and kept the kitchen clean at the same time, our usual cooking routine. Dinner was great and the company can’t get any better.. 
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Left: Portobello mushrooms with garlic | Right: Yeah that’s right…oysters
Right: Mash potatoes and sauce made from scratch | Right: Tomato salad (Both the sauce and salad were from Anthony Bourdain’s Les Halles Cookbook)
Left: Sirlon steak | Right: Pan-fried red snapper and garlic prawns
Left: Brussels Sprouts | Right: Our dinner table setting with an unglamorous newspaper mat
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The steak looks so good! Why no table cloth though?
Looks good! And I guess Hillary is right, why no candles and some nice table cloth?
Hillary + Len: Good question man..guess we were so into the shopping for food bit that we didn’t include a table cloth. But that would add into the cost and we don’t really want to spend on something like this…newspapers can lah..
Dude! You call that frugal? Well, I have gone on lunches here in Melbourne which is just bread and peanut butter…. haha…
Yo Brudder Walter: heheh..well Lyn can cook lah..so figured if she can cook we do something nice. Kinda suck with peanut butter and bread man..wahah!!