Family Finds Friday-Cheap Date Night

Another first for this blog will be my weekly post about bargains for the family. I am a serious bargain hunter, and am always on the prowl for a deal or a way to make items myself. So this week's post is on Cheap Date Night. A couple of years ago we were always stressed about spending and never went out. But one day my husband said enough was enough, and thus began Cheap Date Night. Now, we try to go out once a week and love to find deals. It is so good for our relationship, and Elle loves hanging out with her grandma. A win win. 

One thing we do to save money is ask for gift cards for our birthdays and Christmas. We currently have gift cards to 3 restaurants and 4 free movie tickets, and that's just from our Christmas haul. So the next time someone asks you what you want for your birthday, Valentine's Day, Christmas, or just for any reason tell them a gift card.

Another thing we do to save money is share a meal. We are major snackers at home and don't eat huge meals. So when we eat out we can almost always share a meal. If we're still hungry we get an appetizer or dessert to share, which is still cheaper than two meals.

Two cheap but really great date spots we love to hit locally are Nickel City in Orem:

The entry fee is $2.25 per person, but we find BOGO free deals for it all the time. Then after that, games are anywhere from 5 cents to 25 cents each. We usually get 2 $2 bags of nickels, and that lasts the whole evening. It is seriously a blast. 

-and-

Water Gardens Theatre in Pleasant Grove:

This is essentially a dollar theater that plays movies that have been out for a couple of months. Tickets are $3.50 each and seating is assigned so you don't have to fight or go ridiculously early. You pick your own seats when you purchase your tickets. Our favorite part about this theater though is the snacks! A small popcorn, drink, or candy is only $1. Yep, $1. So for $10 you can both go to a movie and get popcorn, a drink, and candy to share. Pretty rad. 

We also love to take Elle to this theater on family dates(watch for a follow up post on family dates later!) It's free for her, and she loves snuggling and eating popcorn like a big girl.

Leave a comment below if you've found other great spots for cheap dates.

xoxo

Baby Bensen

This adorable little guy is my friend Ashlee's newbie. He is so handsome I can hardly stand it. I hope you enjoy the lovely images we were able to capture of him.

Preview of baby Sarger

Preview of baby Bensen

Tasty Tuesday-Roasted Cauliflower Soup

I have decided to add some fun things to my blog, and Tasty Tuesday is one of them. Every Tuesday I will post a recipe that is tried and true, whether it's one that's been passed down in my family or one I whipped up in my own kitchen. After trying, failing miserably, and occasionally succeeding at cooking for 7 years I finally feel like I can make, not only edible, but plate licking dishes. So check back every Tuesday for a new dish to try that is sure to tickle your taste buds.

Today's dish is my very own concoction. It has minimal ingredients and is the epitome of comfort food.

ROASTED CAULIFLOWER SOUP
Serves 4, double for a crowd

1 head cauliflower, chopped into bite size pieces
EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
S+P (salt and pepper)
1/2 cube butter
1/2 onion, chopped
1 C milk
3/4 C flour
1 can chicken broth (about 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 C)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat chopped cauliflower in EVOO and spread out evenly on a large cookie sheet. Add S+P. Bake in oven for 40-45 min. Occasionally shift cauliflower around while baking to prevent sticking and burning. In a large saucepan, sauté onions in melted butter over low-medium heat until tender. Add milk, flour, and chicken broth. Whisk constantly over medium heat until thickened. This may take a few minutes so be patient. Remove cauliflower from oven and add to saucepan with other ingredients. Break cauliflower into smaller pieces with whisk. Add more S+P to taste. Let stand in bowls at least 2-3 minutes before serving as the soup will be very hot.

Notes:

Adding cheese to this recipe is perfectly acceptable. I would use an aged cheddar.

To make this recipe toddler friendly, puree hot soup in a blender for 10 seconds. Kids love the velvety texture.

This recipe can work exactly the same with broccoli if you're not a cauliflower lover.

V-Day Savings

Snow Day

Yesterday the temperature went above 30 degrees so we decided to venture out to one of my favorite places in the world, Aspen Grove. Quaking Aspen trees are hands down my favorite trees so I need to visit them often. Elle had a good time walking around with Grandma while I photographed every tree possible. My mom has always been a serious hiker, and that is a trait I am determined to pass onto my children. Next time I will definitely take my snow shoes though as I sank down to my waist (literally) in some areas. This would be a great spot for a secluded snow shoeing date with some soup, a blanket, cocoa, and of course your special sweetie.