| Like many families before the current depression | | | | Wolfgang would not have thought to include. |
| began, we would often dine out to celebrate | | | | The first course was a simple Greek style salad. It |
| occasions both big and small. If it was someone's | | | | took about ten minutes to cut the vegetables and mix. I |
| birthday, we would go out. If I got a consulting job, we | | | | did this earlier in the day so that the flavours of the |
| would go out to celebrate. Heck, just our monthly pay | | | | cheese, oil and vinegar would set. Here is the basic |
| days were often reason to celebrate. The bill was | | | | recipe: |
| almost never less than £40 for dinner for two | | | | Combine cut or torn Romaine lettuce, a little will do for |
| and a bottle of wine. If we brought the children, then | | | | this one, with sliced sweet peppers, cherry tomatoes, |
| the bill would be between £75 and £100. | | | | cucumber, and onion. Then sprinkle with Feta cheese. |
| But like many other families since this whole economic | | | | The dressing is simple and fairly healthy: olive oil and |
| downturn really began in October of last year, eating | | | | Balsamic vinegarette. My family don't like them, but |
| out is one luxury that has virtually disappeared from | | | | olives are wonderful additions to this simple and |
| our lifestyle. | | | | colourful feast. Remembering that the more colour of |
| So this week, when I received a large payment for | | | | the rainbow you include the healthier it is; this dish had |
| consulting work that I had done some time ago, my | | | | purple onion; green lettuce, peppers and cucumbers, |
| first thought was...let's celebrate. But I immediately | | | | yellow and red peppers. Only blue and orange were |
| realised that the traditional going out to eat was not in | | | | missing...and I made up for the blue with dessert. |
| keeping with the Frugal Family values (at least not for | | | | The main course was steak, fresh from our butcher, |
| something as inconsequential as getting paid money I | | | | and baked potatoes (called jacket potatoes here in the |
| was owed...if we won the Lottery, maybe). Instead I | | | | UK) with sautéed mushrooms and onions. I |
| began to plot and scheme for something that could | | | | once heard someone say...a good steak requires no |
| make me and my family feel just as special...and keep | | | | seasoning and I have come to believe that. So for |
| with our core values. | | | | these I only salted, very lightly. I then sealed in the |
| Family first. Any mother of a three year-old will tell you | | | | juices by browning them on a high heat. The pan |
| that dining out is a challenge. This option actually | | | | should be so hot that you hear the steaks sizzle when |
| proved much more pleasurable because we were not | | | | they heat it. One way of telling if the pan is ready is to |
| worrying about shovelling our food into our mouths | | | | hold your hand about an inch above it; you should not |
| before Emily reached her tolerance level...or taking | | | | be able to tolerate the heat for long. Another way is to |
| turns eating while the other entertained her. She played | | | | place a single drop of water in the centre of the pan; it |
| wonderfully in the comfort and familiarity of her own | | | | should dance round and quickly disappear. Brown the |
| home while I prepared the meal...rather than trying in | | | | steaks on both sides and then places in a baking dish |
| vain to keep her occupied with crayons and a | | | | to finish off in the oven or grill. I used lower heat to |
| colouring page. And anything she dropped on the floor | | | | keep the meat juicy and tender. How long you cook |
| was no big deal. If she was a little loud, she only | | | | will depend upon your taste in meat. A truly rare |
| entertained us with her conversation...not a restaurant | | | | enthusiast may like their steak straight from the pan. |
| full of strangers. Overall...for family first this experience | | | | My family all prefer well done...so it took almost half an |
| was five stars. | | | | hour on the medium-low setting (5 or 200 in the UK |
| Saving money. Like I said, the bare minimum we would | | | | and approximately 250 to 300 in the US). |
| have left the restaurant for was £40 for just | | | | I had already put my potatoes in to cook about half an |
| me and hubby. This meal cost us £20 and fed | | | | hour earlier because they were huge and I knew they |
| the whole family...£5/person. | | | | would take much longer to bake. The topping was |
| Environmentally friendly. This first thing that comes to | | | | easy...about ten minutes to prepare and cook. I actually |
| mind on this count was the water glasses. There has | | | | waited until moments before I expected my husband |
| been a furore for some time about bottled water | | | | home to do this one. I simply tossed a cup of sliced |
| served by hotels and restaurants. I served filtered tape | | | | mushrooms and half of a large onion into the same |
| water. | | | | skillet I had used to brown my steaks...without washing |
| Healthy. It was a celebration so the meal was not the | | | | it. The mushrooms and onions then absorbed some of |
| healthiest...steak, but by cooking it at home I know | | | | the flavour of the meat as well. I topped the steak and |
| exactly how much salt and sugar were added to the | | | | potato with this mixture; although my son preferred the |
| meal rather than trying to read some pretty little | | | | traditional cheese and sour cream for his jacket |
| symbols off a menu...assuming the restaurant even | | | | potato. |
| bothers to highlight healthy options. | | | | Finally, dessert. I kept this one simple actually. There |
| In the end, I asked my husband and eighteen year old | | | | was a bit of my son's chocolate birthday cake left |
| son to rate the experience from one to five. One | | | | over. I sprinkled this and bits of chocolate bar on a |
| would be fast food...and five being Gordon Ramsey or | | | | dessert dish and microwaved for 30 seconds. Then I |
| Wolfgang Puck. Both gave the evening a four, but my | | | | topped with chocolate ice cream and fresh blueberries |
| husband's ranking changed to five when he learned I | | | | and strawberries. In complete honesty, it looked better |
| had done it all on a fiver. | | | | than it tasted. But then again that happens in the best |
| *** | | | | of restaurants too; even Gordon and Wolfgang have |
| So would you like to hear about this celebration meal? | | | | flops. |
| It was rather American actually...steak and baked | | | | *** |
| potatoes. A great deal of effort in making it seem | | | | So this weekend if you are in the mood to celebrate, I |
| more celebratory went into the presentation. I set the | | | | encourage you to get creative and see how special |
| tables, including flowers and candles. Of course, in | | | | an evening you make for your family on how little |
| keeping with family first...Emily's place consisted of her | | | | money. |
| Mr Men plates, bowls and cups; something Gordon and | | | | |