***GIVEAWAY CLOSED***
Congratulations to our winners:
#185 Annalene
#121 Madwoman doing Cartwheels
Valentine’s Day is almost here, and while some couples will be going out on the town, many more will likely opt for a romantic dinner at home. Now is the time to start planning that menu, and thanks to Alouette Cheese and Chavrie, our planning has just been made a bit easier.
Check out this amazing 3-course meal!
I’ll start with dessert first……..just because! 
Alouette Brie Toasts with Pear and Chocolate Wine Sauce:
1/2 cup red wine
4 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp chopped bittersweet chocolate
1 loaf French bread, sliced into 40 slices
1/4 cup olive oil
1 pkg (13.2 oz) Alouette Baby Brie, Original
4 tbsp almonds, finely chopped
1/4 tsp allspice
2 ripe pears, peeled and finely diced
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine wine and sugar in a non-reactive saucepan and reduce over medium heat for 10 minutes.
Remove from heat and cool slightly. Stir in the chocolate to blend and set aside.
Brush bread slices with olive oil and broil until golden brown on both sides. Cool.
Cut wheel of Alouette Baby Brie into 4 quarters. Cut each quarter into 10 slices.
Lay slices on chilled plate.
In a small skillet, over medium heat, toss the chopped almonds until golden brown.
Remove from heat, add allspice and blend. Set aside to cool.
Peel and finely dice pears.
Place the French bread slices on a cookie sheet. Spread a 1/2 teaspoon of the chocolate wine sauce on each slice.
Divide the minced pear equally among the slices.
Lay a slice of Alouette Baby Brie on top of each “Crouton” and sprinkle with toasted almonds.
Heat in oven for 5 minutes.
Beef Tenderloin with Creamy Alouette Mushroom Sauce
2 beef tenderloin steaks (6 to 8oz each)
3 tsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 tsp butter
1/2 large shallot, thinly slivered
2 cups sliced baby Portobello mushrooms
1/4 cup Alouette Garlic & Herbs or Alouette Savory Vegetable Spreadable Cheese, or Alouette Creamy Onion & Shallots Spreadable Cheese
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp minced fresh parsley, if desired
Heat broiler.
Coat all sides of tenderloin with 1 tsp of the olive oil. Place on broiler pan. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Broil 4 inches from heat for 6 minutes or until well-browned. Turn. Broil 6 to 8 minutes or until desired doneness.
Meanwhile, heat remaining olive oil and the butter in small skillet over medium heat.
Add shallot; cook 1 minute.
Add mushrooms. Cook 2 to 3 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently.
Stir in Alouette, adding milk to desired consistency. Heat just until warm.
Spoon sauce over tenderloins. Sprinkle with parsley.
Alouette Garlic Bruschetta Recipe
1 pkg (6.5 oz) Alouette Garlic & Herbs, or Alouette Savory Vegetable, or Alouette Peppercorn Parmesan Spreadable Cheese
12 slices of French bread (1/4 in thick)
1 1/4 cup fresh tomatoes, chopped and seeded
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley or basil
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Spread 1 tbsp of Alouette Spreadable Cheese on each slice of bread.
Top each slice with 1 1/2 tbsp of chopped tomatoes and 1 tsp of Parmesan cheese.
Place bruschetta on a cookie sheet and bake for 5-6 minutes
Garnish with parsley or basil and serve.
And if you want to browse some more amazing recipes that will impress, you can find them here and here!
For some extra fun, we have an amazing Giveaway too thanks to Alouette/ and Chavrie.
GIVEAWAY (2 winners):
2 winners will each receive:
- Coupon for FREE Alouette All Natural Spreadable Cheese (up to $7.00)
- Coupon for FREE Alouette Crumbled Cheese (up to $3.99)
- Coupon for FREE Alouette Baby Brie Wedge (up to $6.99)
- Coupon for FREE Chavrie (up to $5.50)
Also…..there will be an extra coupon in your envelope too (will differ between winners)…..so a total of 5 FREE product coupons per winner!
HOW TO ENTER:
For your main entry, leave a comment below, telling me whether you prefer to dine out or dine in on Valentine’s Day.
EXTRA ENTRIES:
You can earn one extra entry for each of the following:
1.Follow Alouette Cheese on Twitter
2.Follow Chavrie on Twitter
3. Become a Facebook Fan of Chavrie
4. Subscribe to A Frugal Friend via email or in a reader
5. Follow me….@AFrugalFriend on Twitter
6. Tweet about the giveaway (good for only one entry…leave link)
7. Blog about the giveaway (leave link)
8. Grab my button for your site and/or Add me to your BlogRoll (please make sure it’s my new button with link to new web address)
9. Comment on a NON-Giveaway Post
Giveaway ends at midnight (central time) on Thursday, February 18, 2010! Valid for US residents and addresses only. I’ll announce (and contact by email) the winner and the winner will have 3 days to get back to me for delivery details. Limit one set of entries per household please.
(While complimentary coupons were provided to A Frugal Friend for review courtesy of Alouette and Chavrie (along with giveaway coupons), no other compensation was given. All remarks are the personal and honest opinions of A Frugal Friend)
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{ 189 comments… read them below or add one }
I would love to dine out on Valentines Day but rarely get to
I like to dine out!
I’m following you on Twitter (I’m @ThriftyJinxy).
I prefer to dine in. I like to be home and not out with the hustle and bustle of things.
Thanks,
Kim
We prefer to dine out on Valentine’s Day because we are adventurous and love different cuisines! This year we are expecting a new little bundle of joy any day so we are not making plans, will either be eating at home or the hospital!
I love dining out on Valentines!
Chandice
http://www.glutenfreefrenzy.com
I follow Chavrie on Twitter!
I love dining out on Valentines!
I follow you on Twitter! glutenfreefrenz
I left a comment on a non-giveaway post.
I prefer to go out!
Follow Chavrie on Twitter
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We’re expecting more snow this week, so I think we’ll be eating in.
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Stay in! It gets to crowded on VDay.
I comment ALL the time!
I subscribe.
I follow.
And I have your button up!
Prefer to dine out including breakfast at a B&B followed by a nice dinner out.
I just asked the hubby and he said that menu looked dynamite- but he wants the dessert first!
since we have children, I would say that we dine in!
I subscribe to a frugal friend via e-mail!
We prefer to stay in on Valentine’s Day and make a yummy dinner. My husband is a wonderful chef!
I subscribe to frugal friend via email.
Dine out. I love to be able to have someone else do all the work.
Follow Alouette Cheese on twitter (drellis500)
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I enjoy Valentines dinner at home – as long as someone else does the cooking
I follow in Google Reader
Oh i would love to go out, but it just isn’t possible yet with the two little ones. But I will make a fabulous chocolate cake!
I subscribe.
I always like to dine in on Valentine’s Day than hubby and I can get to more important things!
I get Frugal Friend e-mail!
I dine in on V day
I became a facebook fan of Chavrie
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I commented on your Disney picture post
I wish I could dine out on Valentine’s day, but my fiancee and I are both in college so that doesn’t happen very often.
I love to dine in. Less pressure, more privacy
love to dine out- it’s a night OFF for me and a night out for JUST the 2 of us!
subscriber via email under nick0166 (at) yahoo dot com
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have your button on my site
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I prefer to dine in on V Day!
I follow you on Twitter @36momma
I Follow Alouette Cheese on Twitter @36momma
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I want to dine out LOL jacksond@nhr3.net
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dine out!!
We’re probably going to dine out.
I love to stay in- Its much more romantic!
Stay in with my man!!!!!!!
I like to dine in but order something special from a favorite Chinese place.
Follow Alouette Cheese on Twitter @JalapenoMama
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Facebook fan of Chavrie Barbara Montag
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Grabbed your new button.
we will be dining in…i like it cause it is so much less crowded…i prefer celebrating out a day before or after at a restaurant
nannypanpan@sbcglobal.net
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I’d prefer to dine out somewhere for Valentine’s Day celebration. No dishes to clean up!
I’m a facebook fan of Chavrie under username Jennie Tilson.
I’m an e-mail subscriber.
I’d love to dine out, but in all reality we will likely dine in this Valentine’s day
I subscribe via Google reader
I love to eat out on Valentine’s day…so there is no cleanup responsibilities and you can focus solely on spending quality time with your VALENTINE!
I prefer to dine out – let someone else do the work! Unfortunately this year the finances dictate we’ll be staying in, but at least I am a good cook
Thanks for the chance!
Following Alouette on Twitter (@llsleanerlife)
Following Chavrie on Twitter (@llsleanerlife)
Following you on Twitter (@llsleanerlife)
I’m an email subscriber
I commented on Mailbox Monday (hopefully this counts retroactivly)!
Any other occasion I would prefer to go out to eat because that is a luxury these days. But on Valentine’s Day, I would prefer to eat in because that way we can avoid the crowds and have a meal in a more intimate setting. jgs0925 at gmail dot com
I prefer to order takeout and eat at home. I hate fighting the crowds and waiting in long lines at restaurants/theaters/etc
I prefer to dine in on Valentine’s Day. I would rather relax at home then watch people sucking face in the restaurant.
weird chick online at gmail dot com
Out–always, out! lol
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I do NOT like to eat out on Valentines day. It is always so busy. I’d prefer to stay home.
I follow FF on twitter.
I follow in a reader.
I have your new button.
I would prefer to dine out but I know from experience what a madhouse every restaurant is on Valentine’s Day so we dine in and go out the next night instead.
@heaventrees follows Chavrie on Twitter
@heaventrees follows Alouette on Twitter
I prefer to dine at home on Valentine’s Day. It’s my birthday and I like spending it with family. We have five kids, who are all grown but none of them can really afford to eat out, so I like doing something nice for them (after all, it IS Valentine’s Day too!). My family always receives something from me on this day of love!
definitely dine out. somehow doing dishes isn’t really romantic.
twitter follower of your blog @creep4ward
Dine out for me
I prefer to eat at home. My bf is so kind and lovingly cooked a wonderful dinner with my favorite treats.
runningmatey at hotmail dot com
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runningmatey at hotmail dot com
Dine in is my choice. In fact that is what we do each Valentine’s Day. Gramma gets the kids and hubby and I share the cooking of a delightful, intimate meal.
Thanks for the chance.
rubymoonstone at gmail dot com
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rose manning
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We prefer to be at home on Valentine’s Day and go out a day or two ahead to bet the crowd (and it’s easier to get a babysitter).
We always dine in to avoid the crowds!
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dine in!
We usually dine in for Valentines Day.
Following Alouette Cheese on Twitter
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Following Chavrie on Twitter.
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Sharon Rooney
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I think dining in is much more romantic on Valentine’s.
nfavorite (at) msn (dot) com
I much prefer to dine in for Valentine’s Day. Not only is it cheaper but I think it is much more romantic. We always seem to end up eating out though, which I find to be funny!
Dine in…the resturants are too busy on Valentine’s Day!
I prefer to dine in on vday and then in March we go out when it’s not as crowded.
I like to dine out!
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Dining IN is the best!! Love the company and surroundings and love to explore in the kitchen and create something that is just right for our taste! yummm- how can a recipe with “cheese” ever go wrong, but I have to admit the suggested recipes look fabulous! Thanks for this chance to win some free cheese!
I’m sad we didn’t get to do anything on Valentines Day. I would love the hubby to cook, but going out is great too.
I follow Alouettecheese (@busymomblog)
I follow Chavrie on twitter (@busymomblog)
I follow you on twitter! (@busymomblog)
I prefer to dine in… too many people are out on Valentine’s Day!
Dine out on VD for sure. This year we stayed home because money is tight.
We like to dine in — it’s so crowded on V Day.
We love Valentines dinner at home right now with our little ones snuggled in their beds!
I’m a dine in until there’s a special something to dine out. Dining out used to be just regular dinner every couple of days — now we keep it special!
63piecepuzzle@gmail.com
We prefer dine in on Valentine’s Day! Thanks for the giveaway!
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I prefer to dine in, especially on a day that restaurants are going to be that busy.
Became a Chavrie FB fan!
Following you on twitter! @chstianfrugmama Thanks!
I am already following Alouettecheese on Twitter as njhhb.
I am already following Chavrie on Twitter as njhhb.
I am now following you on Twitter as njhhb.
My tweet: http://twitter.com/njhhb/statuses/9251954526
I prefer to dine out
I prefer to dine out if we can!
I actually prefer to do Vday in not out. I think its more romantic to cook a meal together or treat your partner to a meal you have cooked at home…alone! LOL
I follow Alouette on Twitter as FotoMacro.
I follow Chavrie on Twitter as FotoMacro.
I follow you on Twitter as FotoMacro.
I am their FB fan, Tofu Fairy.
I get your emails.
I tweeted this giveaway here: http://twitter.com/FotoMacro/status/9286441695
I like to Dine in. I like to dine out the day before because it is so crazy on the actual day.
sibabe64 at ptd do tnet
I prefer to dine out all the time!!
We like to dine out – but often make a special dinner at home to save $$.
I prefer to eat out on Valentine’s day.
I like eating out, but at a place that is out of the way and not typically crowded or offers a lot of privacy while you eat. Valentine’s day is to be romantic and cozy and that is hard to accomplish if you are surrounded by other people.
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I would love to go out one of these years for v-day but hubby prefers indoor dining.
I’m a twitter follower.
We prefer to eat in…usually a wonderful cheese fondue, then a chocolate fondue for dessert!
mojitosmommy@gmail.com
My DH made us all a Valentine’s dinner Sunday that made me feel absolutely cherished. I wouldn’t trade that night for reservations anywhere in town.
Dine in always- the food is usually much better (and spit free
)!
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Eating out is always a nice treat.