The Dogmother Posted January 23, 2013 Share Posted January 23, 2013 Lesley, can you do me ham, egg and chips please? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted January 23, 2013 Share Posted January 23, 2013 I love egg and chips too. I also have quite a few eggs at the moment, one of our youngsters from last summer who has only ever laid a couple of tiny eggs has now started laying, she is a Sussex hybrid so I think she must have more Sussex than other genes, also 2 of my other girls have come back into lay in the last couple of weeks along with the 2 who have laid all winter that gives me 5 layers at the moment which is pretty good for January. Any how back on topic, I made 2 substantial meals for 4 with an 800g pack of mince this afternoon, we had a meatball stew tonight and I have made a cottage pie for tomorrow, not that quick but definitely cheap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted January 23, 2013 Share Posted January 23, 2013 Lesley, can you do me ham, egg and chips please? Too late Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
majorbloodnock Posted January 23, 2013 Author Share Posted January 23, 2013 Well, since the thread is for eating well, it does have to be balanced and nutritious. However, so long as there are veggies (and I do include baked beans in that, although my preference would be for peas), there's nothing wrong whatsoever with ham, egg and chips for an evening meal, so pull up a chair for me too, please. Oh, and the same goes for the jacket spuds. So many different fillings - many of them dirt cheap - that it's an excellent, filling staple. What's more, since the oven can do most of the work, it's probably fine for the "minimum effort" criteria too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted January 24, 2013 Share Posted January 24, 2013 Sorry....will get off my soap box now An excellent point well made though. I think money can be saved on a lot of items by bulk buying where possible. Hubby spotted a huuuge sack of rice in the cash and carry once and asked me if it would be a good idea to buy one. I pointed out that it would be IF we had anywhere to store it (we don't) and that with the amount of rice we eat it would take 10 years to get through it! But yes, sensible bulk buying is a great idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saronne Posted January 24, 2013 Share Posted January 24, 2013 How 'bout a 'use up the leftovers' fritatta? It's really easy; gently saute chopped onion with any left over cooked veg; -leftover roasties are good - broccolli, peas, etc. and/or any leftover bits of bacon or ham/cheese, etc. beat a few eggs and pour over. Cook gently, add a bit of cheese and pop under the grill until bubbling and golden. It's really good and very versatile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
majorbloodnock Posted January 24, 2013 Author Share Posted January 24, 2013 Glad you posted that, Saronne. I was a bit concerned at the beginning of this thread that either cheap or quick would mean nothing but pasta sauces. However, there's been a real and wide variety here, demonstrating that turning your back on supermarket ready meals doesn't have to mean a monotonous diet. That said, don't let me put anyone off posting more pasta sauce recipes; more are always welcome. And now Saronne has mentioned a leftovers frittata, that opens the door for me to introduce Bubble & Squeak. Since it's jam packed full of veg already it's certainly well balanced, and can be perfectly healthy, especially if you use a spot of olive oil. Moreover, since it's already leftovers, so effectively costing nothing, you can spend almost your entire £3.00 allowance on some decent meat or fish. Therefore, how about some baked coley with bubble and squeak, perhaps even topped with a poached egg if you're a hen-keeper. I've found several places online where one can get coley at comfortably less than £3.00 per pound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kazaddress Posted January 24, 2013 Share Posted January 24, 2013 I am still writing meal plans each week so i can budget (7years and counting). I make my own yoghurt and bread. 1 weekly fruit and veg box + monthly meat box + monthly grocery order this weeks budget meal plans £50 for family of 4. Wednesday B: porridge with honey + juice L: soup 3pm Snack: fruit salad (grapes/ apple/ nuts) Exercise: D: Cauliflower cheese and potato bake http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/420628/cheesy-cauliflower-and-bacon-gratin Thursday B: porridge + juice 11am snack: pear L: left over cauliflower cheese 3pm Snack: homemade jammy dodger D: slowcooked beef casserole http://uktv.co.uk/food/recipe/aid/646706. served with dumplings Exercise: 1hour walk Friday B: porridge + juice 11am snack: pear L: the veg from the left over casserole, blitzed up to make some soup 3pm Snack: fruit salad D: left over casserole turned into chilli (add can of beans, tin of toms, fresh parsley and paprika), and served in wraps with yoghurt , cheese and salsa. Exercise: 1hour walk Saturday B: eggy bread L: home made pita + homemade falafel + Hummus and olives (eaten as a picnic in the forest) 3pm Snack: fruit, D: Chicken Kebabs with coleslaw, garlic yoghurt and pita. Exercise: 2hour walk around the forest Sunday B/L: potato farls http://allrecipes.com/recipe/irish-potato-farls 3pm Snack: yogurt D: homemade pita pizza, topped with rocket, cheese, peppers, mushroms, onions and tomatoes + garlic bread + salad Exercise: 1.5hour walk around the common Monday B: porridge + juice 11am snack: mixed fruit salad L: slice of pizza with salad 3pm Snack: fruit salad (pear, apple, satsuma) D: Paella (chorizo, red pepper, onion, rice) Exercise: 4km cycle Tuesday B: porridge + juice 11am snack: apple L: left over Paella served with salad 3pm Snack: fruit salad (pear, apple, satsuma) D: cheese and veg omlette with potato wedges and salad Exercise: 4km cycle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted January 24, 2013 Share Posted January 24, 2013 Hello again Kaz - do you still find time for all those meal plans with a youngster to run around after? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
majorbloodnock Posted January 24, 2013 Author Share Posted January 24, 2013 Hello again Kaz - do you still find time for all those meal plans with a youngster to run around after? Reading the post, Kaz has even documented each day's preferred method of child-chasing. I'd have thought the time estimates were a little low though.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clucker1 Posted January 24, 2013 Share Posted January 24, 2013 Well, we had left overs frittata last night....1/2 red pepper, left over pots chopped and sauted, still finishing up cheese from New Year from very generous friend who did the cheese board, along with 3 eggs. tomatoes and carrot as salad. Took all of 5-10 mins to do. YUM! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kazaddress Posted January 24, 2013 Share Posted January 24, 2013 Hello again Kaz - do you still find time for all those meal plans with a youngster to run around after? I have to meal plan with 2 youngsters.. else I never have a clue what to cook come dinner time (i am normally exhausted). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted January 24, 2013 Share Posted January 24, 2013 I make my own yoghurt and bread. 1 weekly fruit and veg box + monthly meat box + monthly grocery order I make my own yoghurt too. I would never buy it now, it's far too expensive! I have just started making bread too, and loving it. I have had a fortnightly veg box for about 5 years now, but am actually starting to wind it down a bit as I started to get fed up of obscure vegetables, or large quantities of veg that are tricky to use box after box (seriously, there is a limit to how many different ways I can use beetroot). I get one about once a month now and supplement from the supermarket. They are good value though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted January 24, 2013 Share Posted January 24, 2013 The neighbours used to get a weekly veg box, delivered all the way from Devon they never managed to get through all the veg and would give it to me for the chooks. I pointed them in the direction of the local farmers' market and they were surprised at how reasonable it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted January 26, 2013 Share Posted January 26, 2013 We grow a lot of our own potatoes but never enough maincrop to get through the winter, we went to buy a 25kg sack from the farm shop yesterday and they had sacks of 'Seconds' for half price - £6 instead of £12 ( ) We're still trying to decide whether they're worth having to be honest. We were told they'd be cut or mis-shapen but so far they're a bit worse than we hoped they would be......we may take them back, they're looking like a false economy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted January 26, 2013 Share Posted January 26, 2013 Sometimes you just get what you pay for Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patsylabrador Posted January 27, 2013 Share Posted January 27, 2013 I've been told by two farmers now that last years potatoes were a bad crop because of the flooding and this year will be worse because the ground is too sodden and the seed potatoes go manky. The last sack of spuds I bought which the farmer thought were expensive weren't great and went rotten quite quickly. I buy less but from supermarkets because I can see in the packets. I serve more rice and pasta now than potatoes because even bought like that I find I'm chucking away quite a lot of blemished potatoes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Purplemaniacs Posted January 27, 2013 Share Posted January 27, 2013 The last sack (and only one this winter as it is just OH and I most of the time and often in the week just I ) which I bought from the local farm shop are great just getting to the bottom and I have had very few if any bad ones. But the farmer does say it has not been a good year and this coming year will not be good either, he has given up on the weather Chrissie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted January 27, 2013 Share Posted January 27, 2013 Bought some seed potatoes yesterday, they have gone up in price a lot this year and there were several varieties marked as crop failures therefore unavailable for this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted January 27, 2013 Share Posted January 27, 2013 Friday night's tea was (what is known in our family as) 'Bowl of Death' aka vegetable stew to the rest of you. Don't ask me the origins of the name, I'm not really sure myself but suffice to say no-one has ever died from eating it! I won't post a recipe, as there isn't really one, but it's basically a mix of grated/chopped veg (onions, carrots, leeks, potatoes, sweet potatoes, swede, cabbage etc - whatever you have lurking in the fridge), some kind of protein (beans, lentils, diced bacon) and a carb (pasta, pearl barley). Topped up with stock, a tin of tomatoes, herbs, a splash of wine if you fancy it, seasoning and simmer until cooked. Serve with crusty bread if you like, a swirl of cream on top and a good handful of grated cheese. Proper comfort food! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted January 27, 2013 Share Posted January 27, 2013 I cook that too ......... we call it Soupy Stewy thing EVERYTHING goes in it,& if we have any cold leftover roast chicken,then that goes in too - 'tis always different & always lovely Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Looney Posted January 27, 2013 Share Posted January 27, 2013 That's what I've just made! Sort of! A couple of chicken thighs, tin of black eyed beans, tin of toms, two leeks (that were looking sorry for themselves), carrot, pepper, celery. Haven't decided if we'll have it with mash, rice or pasta yet! Also used some left over chicken to make similar to above but with some curry paste added in so that'll do me nicely during the week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted January 27, 2013 Share Posted January 27, 2013 I do that one too L_B, in the slow cooker. It's hearty enough to need eating with a spoon and fork! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted January 27, 2013 Share Posted January 27, 2013 It is, isn't it DM? I like the fact that it's a good way to use up the veg that has started to go bendy in the bottom of the fridge (or is it just me that has that problem?). I like the idea of adding leftover chicken and so forth too. I'm a veggie, so never put meat in mine, unless I cook off a bit of bacon separately for hubby, but it has endless possibilities and variations Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted January 27, 2013 Share Posted January 27, 2013 I like it with cheese grated on top and a chunk of homemade bread with butter. Ours is made with homemade chicken stock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
