Want to do something fancy for your Valentine this February 14th but your funds are a bit low? Here’s a fun meal you can prepare for your sweetheart that won’t break the bank! Below you’ll find everything from the meal itself to how to set the table. Bon Appétit and have a Happy Valentine’s Day!
Oven-Fried Chicken is one of my favorite dinners ever…and it’s so EASY to make! All it takes is some chicken and a few dry ingredients. You can either serve with white rice or a yummy baked potato. Add a fresh tossed salad for color!
Ingredients:
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 tsp paprika
4 chicken breasts
1/4 cup shortening (half butter)
Heat oven to 425. Mix flour, salt, pepper, and paprika with fork or spoon. This can be done in a paper or plastic bag. Save aside 2 tbsp of this flour mixture for gravy. Put shortening in pan, set in oven to melt. Coat chicken with flour mixture. Place chicken in pan. Bake 30 minutes. Turn chicken. Bake 30 minutes, or until tender.
For Gravy: Add 2 tbsp flour mixture to drippings in pan. Bring to boil stirring constantly with wooden spoon. Add about 1 1/2 cups milk still stirring and bring to boil for 1 minute. Season to taste.
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Add a touch of elegance to your meal by gathering together your favorite dishes and silverware to set the table with. If you’re like me, I’m always forgetting how to set a formal dinner table, so I looked it up (see diagram below) so you don’t have to. For a fun touch of color, I used a red dessert napkin to decorate the wine glass. This is super easy to do…just open the napkin and grab the center (where the folds intersect) and place point down inside the cup. To drink, how about a tasty bottle of sparkling cider…for Valentine’s choose the Cranberry…it has the red label! It’s all in the details, remember. For dessert, nothing says “I love you” more than a heart-shaped sugar cookie. You can make these several days in advance and set them in the freezer until the time comes to frost and serve!
To top the night off, end the evening with a classic romantic movie. And that’s it, now this Valentine’s Day you’ll be prepared with a nice relaxing evening at home with your sweetheart…and when all is said and done, that’s all that matters.
