Forum Thermomix
Welcoming Center, Management and General Chat => Chit Chat => Topic started by: droverjess on October 09, 2012, 09:10:15 pm
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The $100 week challenge is a really good thread.
I can't really do it to match you as we live in UK and we luckily have a lot of our own meat and veg in the freezer but am very interested in making more budget meals since we lost our jobs. I have however already cut my shopping to the bare minimum and shop mainly at Aldi now. It is hard to cost per week though, but I know I am spending much less.
Heinz Tinned tomato soup is preferred by the men and at .75pence per mini tin I now regard it as a luxury!
I so prefer home made soup.
Please can you help suggest new ideas, tips and recipes?
It is much easier for DD and I to live on these meals than the men of the house. DD is in her own rented flat now so I need new ideas for DH and DS in the hope they will enjoy them. I don't eat cooked cheese as it makes me ill but I can still use it for the others, although its easier if we eat he same. I can always eat homemade soup!
A favourite of DD and mine is the good student staple of bacon rice. This is not a TMX version.
Multiply these ingredients by number of people eating.
1 onion, fry in 1T oil until gently browned.
Dice and cook 2 rashers bacon ( we like ours browned)
Add 1 portion cooked rice and 1 portion peas , or sweet corn, or other veg by choice.
Season and continue to cook in pan over highish heat until all heated through and / or crispy.
Enjoy. Some people add extra soy sauce upon serving, but we don't.
It's cheap and tasty.
I look forward to your replies.
Thankyou for reading and contributing.
DJ xx
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DJ, spaghetti Bol, I have posted a recipe in non TMX. Fish cakes made with tinned fish salmon and potato,Cornish pasties. Chow mein. Pizzas.home made bread saves a fortune. The above recipes are all enjoyed by the men in our house. DJ you will cope as you are strong and have plenty of good ideas. Aldi is good for staples. In Australia , we can save 1/3 on our grocery bill by shopping at Aldi. I do an Aldi shop once a month.
Do you make your own cleaning products?
From force of habit, I cost out food as I buy it. For example, a large roasting chook for$8 on special, will do for the 2 of us, 4 meals, roast dinner, chicken and salad sandwich, chicken and mushroom pie and chicken soup made with the bones.
Good luck, let us know how you are going.
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Sounds like fried rice DJ!
What about macaroni beef from this forum as well? I cook for two boys and one man - lets just say 3 boys! And I find that pasta based meals are great because they are cheap and filling. Add some homemade bread rolls on the side and it is normally enough for them.
I also use a lot of chicken drumsticks for the boys because I can get them for around $3 a kilo. Like chookie, I cook them up and use the meat for chicken and vegie pies so I get an extra meal out of them. My boys favourite drumstick recipe is honey soy drumsticks done in the slow cooker and served with rice - I just put 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1/4 cup honey, 2 cloves of minced garlic, 2 tablespoons of oil, 2 tbls of sweet chilli sauce in, mix add drumsticks and cook for about 4-5 hours on high. The meat falls off the bone!
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Just thought of another budge meal - pizzas! I freeze any extra pasta sauce i make for any other dishes to use on pizzas, imake the tin and crispy pizza bases, and then the toppings consist of whatever left over meat from the week.
You can make one drumstick, one sausage, a bit of ham, some chicken and even left over roast vegies and meat go a long way on pizzas. It's fantastic for using up leftovers that aren't quite enough to have on a meal by themselves.
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DJ reading that you DH likes the Heinz Tomato Soup, have you tried JD's Tinned tomato soup (http://www.forumthermomix.com/index.php?topic=10210.0), sorry I don't know how to link but JD will do it for me ;D. I only made 1/3 of the recipe as it makes such a lot but it is really nice and I'm not a fan of Tinned tomato soup. You are doing well, stay strong.
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pasta based meals, rice ect are pretty cheap to make.
Also a lot of soups use lentils, which are cheap to make. eg pea and ham soup.
I do cheap tuna rissoles, Shepards pie, with mince, frozen peas/corn, potatoes on top, cooked in the oven.
I made 4 pizzas sunday night, and that feed 4 adults, 4 kids, and we have lunches with the leftovers at work..
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l make spag bog and next night make lasagna l add heaps of vegies ,=l also spread the spag bog on puff pastry and roll up and cut and cut into slices can sprinkle on cheese on to some off them
l use the left over chicken like chookie and others do but l also add it to pasta with sauce and vegies
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Meatballs, tuna bake and meatloaf.
I add a tin of lentils to my spag bol, no one knows it's there and it makes it go that little bit further.
The men would be OK with homemade soup for lunch with a toasted cheese and tomato, or ham and tomato sandwich to go with it.
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DJ we have this for dinner tonight http://www.forumthermomix.com/index.php?topic=10715.15 very cheap to make
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Chicken Kiev (http://www.forumthermomix.com/index.php?topic=3879.0) makes 6 Kievs using 500g chicken fillets.
Varoma corned beef (http://www.forumthermomix.com/index.php?topic=7974.0) is a cheap meal with leftovers for sandwiches.
Beef enchiladas (http://www.forumthermomix.com/index.php?topic=1645.0) - men usually like this type of meal.
Curried sausages (http://www.forumthermomix.com/index.php?topic=3099.0) - a favourite of men.
Swiss Beef (http://www.forumthermomix.com/index.php?topic=1713.0) is delicious
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swiss beef is one of our favorites.
Bafs chicken and all the variation's too
Risottos :) :)
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All great ideas guys.
Food budgeting can be such a drag. I hate it that all the home brand stuff is cheaper but it's not Australian made or owned. It kills me to buy it, but I just have to watch our spending.
When I think of budgeting, I think of my mum. She didn't so much budget, as she bought the best meat, but she utilised everything she had very well. Nothing was wasted. Stews were turned into curries, leftover meat into Shepherd's Pie. Her soups were legendary and cooked up every day with new things (usually left over veg) added.
Something I always do when I cook a chicken is to boil up the carcass with onion, carrot and celery to make a really nice stock for risotto or soup.
Good luck with feeding your man. Guys love anything sweet, that's probably why he likes tinned tomato soup! Just add lots of sugar and salt to everything!! :D
Take care
x
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Thanks everyone.
Funny enough chooky we have a vat of spag Bol in the fridge made yesterday from our large stock of mince. It was all I could manage with my limited equipment.
Pasta is not a great hit with DH, but he will eat the above and lasagna. So maybe get some cheese next time I am out to add to a sauce for that. I usually don't make it cos of my cheese problem.
DD and I love tuna and white sauce with pasta, we ate loads when we were packing at the other end, but the men don't!
Am unpacking some of the kitchen today, hard to fit the contents in a smaller area and still be functionable. It won't all be done today. I can see Thermy but no room yet to let out of box.
Bought cheap pasties and doughnuts today for lunch from Greggs just as a change from endless sandwiches. DH had been out and come back damp and cold so a hot lunch, made by someone else was a bit cheering for all of us.
I was brought up by a mother who went through the war and rationing and therefore I already make stock, hotpot, shepherd's/cottage pies, rissoles etc. I adore home made soup but the men don't. After next lot of tinned soup gone, won't buy any more and see what happens.
In fact I have a left over cheap roast chicken than fed 4 of us on Friday night, plus a couple of rolls on saturday, ready to go into stock and soup now.
Going to try Aldi sausages in toad in the hole tomorrow, but since we used to have our own pigs pork i think we're going to be a tad disappointed.
I have signed on with a nanny agency for temporary work and am waiting for my police check to come through. If I get work first then they'll have to do some cooking....... !
I did say with my first pay we'd have a curry out as something to look forward to, on a weeknight when they have an offer on.
We've also had horrid bugs and are just not ourselves quite yet. The men had full on manflu, I am just headachey and sore throat with annoying little cough, and just very tired.
Just need to get house more sorted. I will post a pic, you will understand why we are so down when you see it. Plus we feel so hemmed in both inside and out. DH now applied for 9 jobs since the axe fell. It is quite scary actually not knowing when it will come right.
(http://i1255.photobucket.com/albums/hh621/Droverjess/29a3c021547d7ef07616c3a35aa8ff02.jpg)
Ah well back to the kitchen sorting..... Thanks for your support girls, it means a lot. Sorry I haven't been on here much.
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Good luck with everything DJ just take your time and everything will get done. Hope you both get jobs soon :)
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I hope things turn around for you very soon!
Have you tried savory crepes? I make a pile of largish crepes and fill them with leftovers or tuna mixed with mayo, curry, cream, sauces whatever you have. Fold them into parcels and place in a baking dish. Spoon over some bechamal sauce or spread some cream over them and top with buttered bread crumbs or cheese and bake til hot through. They are very practical and look fancy :) crepes/pancakes freeze really well too un filled, which makes it easier to whip up a meal.
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All the best DJ, especially with job hunting. Just make a path through the boxes to get where you want to go for now, if you are moving again soon it will be silly to unpack everything. Pity pasta isn't a favoured meal with DH, it's so cheap, stretches meals out and fills them up too. What are the cheapest meats in the UK, perhaps we can then suggest meals along those lines.
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all the best with job hunting DJ :)
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DJ I hope some nannying work comes through soon .......
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Thanks again.
Off to salisbury tonight, 90 miles, to collect a second hand car DH bought on eBay last night.
Weather turned wet and cold so motor bike not safe for DH and we can't manage with 1 car in a rural area. His job used to provide car.
Try to bake something today for supper on journey back.
Think I might manage a flan and flapjacks, will be a change from sandwiches.
Right back to the boxes.
Xxx
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Hope everything sorts out for you and your family DJ.
Could you grow pots of herbs on a windowsill somewere (then take them with you when you move on) as they can help an otherwise 'boring' meal a bit more tasty and appealing, just a thought.??
Sausages cooked then split and filled with mashed potato, and whatever else you fancy, then heated and eaten as required are cheap, easy and nice, can put cheese on top if desired.
Fritters?
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I hope things turn around for you very soon!
Have you tried savory crepes? I make a pile of largish crepes and fill them with leftovers or tuna mixed with mayo, curry, cream, sauces whatever you have. Fold them into parcels and place in a baking dish. Spoon over some bechamal sauce or spread some cream over them and top with buttered bread crumbs or cheese and bake til hot through. They are very practical and look fancy :) crepes/pancakes freeze really well too un filled, which makes it easier to whip up a meal.
Yep! Crepes! My sister lived on them for years when her children were younger and she was bringing them up on her own.
DJ, I so wish you lived in WA, we would have you here in a flash. You could live in our house and we'd move between Albany and the farm house. Dream on....
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You are all so kind.
Fetched the new car, a 2002 car with 92,000 miles, on the clock forgot the sandwiches! Had to buy DH one as I'd taken my soup.
Left at 2pm, got home at 8.45, managed to stop at a national trust property for a break but man it POURED and we got soaked. I ended up with an Aldi bag on my head to stop it pouring down the back of my neck. I've really never done that before. Haven't told DD, she'd think I'm losing the plot, when actually I was trying to keep dry and it worked!
We decided tonight for us it's like being retired ( or so we imagine) but without the pension coming in.
We job hunt, send off job applications. DH goes for a long walk daily to stay fit. ( i'll join him when lurgy better, keep having hot feverish moments and its NOT hormonal), then DH does DIY. currently putting new taps and towel rails on in bathroom, years of tenants have taken their toll and it was still very yucky despite lots of cleaning.
I cook, wash clothes, clean house ( the bit that's not buried under belongings) and unpack boxes.
Made budget banana bread and posted recipe, it has been decreed a hit by the men, even the one who doesn't eat bananas. Oven seems ok, never used it before as it was replaced while tenants in here. No instructions of course!
DH said Aldi sausages ok ish in toad in the hole for lunch.
Thanks MJ for your wholehearted support, it means a lot.
Someone at the family wedding last weekend also told DH to consider WA, but lifetime timing is not right.
We are having time out to go to London on Saturday. Got very cheap train tickets by getting early trains. Won't forget sandwiches this time or point of cheap tickets cancelled out by buying food!
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wishing you well DJ
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Hope the job situation is resolved soon DJ.
Men in our family always liked scone dough rolled out, spread with chutney or relish and sprinkled with cheese, (can leave that out) roll up like swiss roll and cut in slices. Always good with a cuppa. Take care
Marie :)
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Sounds like fried rice DJ!
What about macaroni beef from this forum as well? I cook for two boys and one man - lets just say 3 boys! And I find that pasta based meals are great because they are cheap and filling. Add some homemade bread rolls on the side and it is normally enough for them.
I also use a lot of chicken drumsticks for the boys because I can get them for around $3 a kilo. Like chookie, I cook them up and use the meat for chicken and vegie pies so I get an extra meal out of them. My boys favourite drumstick recipe is honey soy drumsticks done in the slow cooker and served with rice - I just put 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1/4 cup honey, 2 cloves of minced garlic, 2 tablespoons of oil, 2 tbls of sweet chilli sauce in, mix add drumsticks and cook for about 4-5 hours on high. The meat falls off the bone!
snappy how many drumsticks would to put in the slow cooker ? with this amount of sauce you mention in the above recipe
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You touched on your mother at one stage, DJ, which bought this idea to mind - have you tried to get your hands on a post-war recipe book (check out the library)? There should be tons of good ideas there as everyone was living on very basic rations at that time and budgets were tight.
Your family will get used to different foods pretty quickly - they may complain and make comparisons at first, but will get used to new tastes and flavours in their foods very quickly. I used to eat quite a few 'ready' foods prior to getting my TMX, but now even those foods that were my absolute favourites taste terrible to me due to all the additives, preservatives, etc. that is in them. Keep at it and all will be fine.
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Nazar & DJ, I use chicken drumsticks in this (http://www.forumthermomix.com/index.php?topic=10957.0) slow cooker recipe which is linked to the orginal Hoisin Chicken Wing recipe. I use a bulk pack or sometimes 1.5 bulk packs so that there is extra to freeze. I have a large slow cooker though. Drumsticks are so cheap in Australia, not sure about UK prices.
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Thanks so much for all the encouragement.
I guess some of my cooking ideas could even go back to post war since I learnt a lot from Mum. I think the reality of no income was another shock as we'd concentrated up til last week on getting here. Then we got here and thought about the situation.
The cooking will get easier for me when kitchen all unpacked. I am missing a cupboard shelf and it is holding things up.
I do a lovely harvest slice ( big pie) with loads veggies and only a little sausagemeat. Even found some of our own SM in freezer so that will be a treat when have more room to make it. Soon I hope.
DH has said he will not eat drumsticks..... But I think I'll just make this lovely sounding suggestion and a pile of brons rice and see what happens. I have lots of honey in stock and also blackstrap molasses so will do a mix.
I have made soup all week. Along with 3 meals of bolognaise with the last one more pasta than sauce. Sometimes they've eaten my soup and sometimes had a tin. Tonight DS ate broth with no comment. So I think you are right about the getting used to it. They can always shop / cook for selves! I too am getting used to more careful planning and shopping.
Took big basic picnic on day out today. It was fine. I even brought my clementine peel back home and stuck it in the vinegar jar! The budget banana cake a hit and all gone so will make again.
Need a cheap cookie recipe with less butter. Ideas anyone?
Gone back to cooking with sunflower oil instead of olive, the roasties were excellent.
Doing almost all the shopping at Aldi and sticking to buying absolute basics only has really halved the bill. Will have to go to sainsburys for de caff tea and rooibois tea. Some things are essential! But mustn't get led astray by marketing ploys.
Store cupboard ok for now, so am eating that up too and will keep lower stocks in future.
4 big brown rolls in Aldi for 49pence. Am not set up for bread making yet. Thermy still packed, hopefully Monday will get let out.
In case you don't know Aldi dishwasher tabs and washing powder is much cheaper than say persil or finish and much better than say tesco own brand. I have bought these for ages and they've won awards from good housekeeping.
I did buy Aldi chocolate at 89p/100 gms and evaporated milk for 49p to make chookies choc delight for a treat to look forward to when we need to have a little celebration. Will make 6 so quite economical I thought and so delicious. Must read dessert section again for ideas.
Aldi own brand probiotic yog 99p for 4 instead of activia at £3 for 8. Not quite the same taste but ok. Often have plain with homemade jam too. Used to make yog with own milk but not yet bought milk for making. Depends on time available when sorted.
I do use miracle spray and usually make my own washing powder but with moving have had to buy these again plus other cleaners for post tenants.
Will have our roast beef tomorrow from freezer, just ask DH to be less generous with carving and do more veg and make more Yorkshire puddings. Will think of a pudding but am out all day tomorrow so must be easy.
The support and kindness and most of all FRIENDSHIP on here is so appreciated and helped me and therefore all of us through a tough and lonely time.
Thank you all again, you really are the best.
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Do you have market gardens nearby that direct sell veges on the roadside? Alternatively, go to markets at the end of the trading day on the last day of the trading week and fruit and veges are always going cheap. Maybe not the pristine best, but still useful in stews, soups, etc. With winter coming on, soups and stews are absolutely the thing to be eating. You can always ' fill' them out with added lentils or other pulses that are very cheap, especially if you can find a bulk supplier.
Check to see if there is a barter group in your area - barter anything you can (perhaps your spare time for some meat or veges or fruit) - you will know what you can and cannot accommodate. Maybe there is a glut of autumn fruit that you can make preserves from and either barter or keep them until later in the year when these things are expensive and not easily available.
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Hang in there dj im sure it will all work out :)
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Hi Kim - are down here now? Welcome back home.
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Yes down under.. Arrived in one piece... Off shopping today with mum and dad for some basics and the kids presents..they are choosi,g their bikes and some odds and ends i promised them..
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Nice Kim. They will feel more at home if they have some toys etc. :D
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DJ,
I feel for you.
My parents went through the war so were used to rations etc.
We would have roast chicken one week, then roast lamb. All bits were used for meals in the week as well. A lot of meals were bulked out with dads veg patch. My mum never wasted anythng. Left overs we redone knto another meal always.
On our budget with my family, i try to stay to this
1 soup
1 veg meal
1 mince meal, tacos are good
1 rice/pasta meal
1 night of mix & matxh left overs
Eggs are a good cheap meal here in aus. Egg fried rice with using up bits of veggies is really cheap.
I make all our bread & that is a huge saving. Making pasta too is cheap, fresh pasta tossed with herbs, parmessan & a little evvo yum & very cheap
Cant type anymore atm, hope this helps too.
H :)
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I don't know how open DH and yourself are to vegetarian meals? They are very economical and very filling.
DH and I try to have 3 vegetarian meals a week.
Some favourites are:
Chickpea & pumpkin curry
Quirky Jo's lentil bolognese
Lentil patties
mixed nut roast
frittata
spinach & ricotta cannelloni
roast veg lasagna
As budget allows you can always add diced bacon, ham or shredded left over meat to these recipes.
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DJ, it is so easy to cook up a pile of drumsticks (eg the hoisin recipe on here) then remove all the meat from the bone and add it back to the sauce. You will find DH will then eat it, it's the bone that they don't like more than the actual drumstick meat.
When I had to watch both sides of our pennies many years ago I would stretch 500-600g mince to 4 meals by using half to make chow mein and serving it with mashed potato one night and chips another night with the other half of the mince I would make a mince stew, adding heaps of vegies then topping it with mashed potato - a cottage pie. Great winter food.
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Thankyou all again. Great ideas.
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Mexican type food (enchiladas or tacos) are cheap and easy to put together. I have often used left over spag Bol with a bit of extra seasoning. Not exactly authentic but who cares? The steamed sausages with tasty onion gravy is cheap and way yummier than it sounds. Big salads with a meat topping plus a bread roll is good but don't think you are having salad weather now.
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DJ I hope things start going your way very soon :)
Great thread. Really great ideas and suggestions. The only thing I can think to add is this website (http://www.debtfreecashedupandlaughing.com.au/#axzz1xRFUg1aN) that someone put in another thread a while back.
It has lots of great moneysaving ideas and recipes. I think this is where the miracle spray came from :) :) :)
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I love that website too
Debt free cashed up and laughing.
Yes Miracle spray is from there.
I buy Super Food Ideas Magazine here. great ideas and recipes that are cheaper. they have a app..
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Well we had hotpot tonight with leftover beef and gravy. 3 meals from the Sunday roast.
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Sounds great DJ
How are things going for you now?
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Thanks Astarra.
Well tonight I can't sleep. DH away at sisters, and lots going on with job-hunting, some of it very different. Can't say more at present, but can't sleep either. So many irons in fire, all so different and some totally new. He is in a meeting tomorrow.
Something may come up trumps or not, it's a bit like a jeopardy game because if one is offered and its not the first choice do you take it in case nothing else comes up ( probably yes on situation/recesssion grounds). Scary.
One Interview two weeks ago and heard nothing at all! Life is a perpetual roller coaster just now. Very grateful for friendship on here, thank you.
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Hang in there DJ. it sounds like you are really covering all bases and prepared to try some new things as well which is great. Here's hoping for good news soon.
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I am doing the $100 challenge which has at least halved my food shopping, sometimes more than halved it.
My main ways have been:
-Half the meat content in any dish
-Freeze all left overs (rice for hubbys lunches, sauce for a lunch size portion, fruit that is nearly over ripe)
-Up the veggies that are in season / stop buying out of season & overseas produce
-Go to the farmers market / grocers for veg
-Buy bulk of sugar, flour, quinoa, couscous etc
-Menu plan to ensure no food is wasted
-Always plan to have something from the freezer and pantry
-Make my own pasta in the TM
Pasta is almost free - flour and an egg with a dash of salt and oil (I would previously buy fresh lasagne sheets which were $4.50 a pack & I would have thrown the wastage in the bin).
By tweaking so many things a little bit it has made a huge difference, I also picked some free fresh fruit from someone's garden (with their permission) to make in to jam which has enabled me to trade with my neighbour for lettuce & herbs! And I have jam to gift to people at Xmas.
Good luck DJ xx
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mmsie, you can save money with a bit of planning.
substitute ingredients to what ever you have in the pantry.
well done..
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Budget disaster tonight. No food wasted but adaptation failure.
Tried to do a version of Shonans light carbonara, half quantity with chicken. No wine, just more stock, too much evaporated milk, no courgette, used other veg.
Looked and felt like strange risotto, eatable? - only just!
ha ha.
DS said why can't we have all the usually meals.....
I said nothing (DH would be proud of me but he's not here) !
Roast chciken tomorrow when DD home. £3.63 for a good sized chicken. Will make 2 meals plus soup.
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DH loves the budget but always says can we ave this & that, I just give him the look. ;D
I have now decided that one meal per week can be eggs on toast or something similar.
I really want to come back to hawaii in 2 years to fully enjoy it.
So am hoping to keep under $100.
H :)
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Great idea Hally, we will keep at it too.
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You poor thing - I just hate packing and then having to unpack and find homes for everything. I have recently been checking out an American site that has some great ideas. It's called The Amish Cook. I have only made the pumpkin bread (made three loaves) . We found this very good although I did put in a cup of sultanas but the recipe didn't call for it. This cake freezes well and once unfrozen keeps well. There is a poor mans steak dish that is on the to do list for the coming week recipe below:-
Poor Mans Steak
1-1&1/2 lbs mince
1 teaspoon salt
pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup dry breadcrumbs
2 eggs
1 small chopped onion
1 can cream of mushroom soup (or use the SOS mix and make your own)
Mix all ingredients (EXCEPT SOUP) together.
Shape into a narrow loaf pan.
Set aside in fridge for 8 hours or overnight.
Slice into pieces and grill or fry just enough to brown each side.
Put these slices in layers in a roaster pan and spread the mushroom soup over without adding water.
Bake 1 hour for 325F
This looked and sounded interesting so thought I would give it a go.
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Does sound good Trudy.
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DJ, hang in there. Many of are trying to help from afar as we have been where you are now. At the time it seems like there is no end, but there is. If you have the time, you might like to make this pastie. i made it today and everyone enjoyed it. Most of the veggies i had and you can use precooked meat if you wish. This (http://achookie.blogspot.com.au/2012/10/masies-pastie.html) recipes made enough for 6 meals.
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Thanks chookie
I often make pasties with beef skirt, but will look for out of date sour cream when out next to try this one. Just not sorted enough yet to make this. Rolling pin still packed!
My harvest slice is onions, carrots, swede, pepper, leek or variation plus whatever veg I can find in fridge or garden put through the food process grater ( or tmx, but have only used grater) mixed with sausage meat, about 1/3 meat to veg sometimes only a 1/4, bind with egg, lots of seasoning and slapped in between two layers of pastry in whatever sized dish works depending on quantity. Bake until done and cut into squares. No precooking. Sometimes I do sweat the onions, depends on time.
I can't tell you all how much I truly appreciate the kind words, comments, help and recipes. It is helping hugely. You are now all the equivalent of my neighbours now only I don't see you face to face.
Thanks a million to all
DJ xxx
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I thought you'd like to know the budgeting is going much better.
Since last week unpacking more kitchen equipment has helped a lot.
And all the kind suggestions and books have helped think of new things to make. And am much better now at rolling anything over into next thing to make.
Used my pressure cooker twice today to boil up the half leg bone of the gifted lamb and then made scotch broth tonight with the stock, veggies, barley and lentils etc and 1 portion of left over meat.
Just need to get spare parts for the pressure cooker as seeps steam. Over 10 yrs old and not used for few years. Glad I kept.
Been given a three fruit marmalade today. We don't eat a lot of marmalade so need to think of a pudding maybe. It will be good I am sure.
Also making bread regularly now, which is cheaper and I enjoy.
Thanks again
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Aaagghhh just typed message & gone >:(
Glad your budget is doing well. Its a great feeling isnt it :D
Love my oc, stocks are the best & so,easy.
Bread, saves a fortune making it.
Well don DJ
H :)
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Its amazing what we can live on, (how little) when we need too.
Our budget is tight, but you add pasta, rice, lentils, and heaps of fresh veges..
Its a fun game, seeing how little I spend at the supermarket now.. :) :)
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Must admit I impressed myself
I have made 15 pasties & 1 meat & potato pie that is just enough for the 3 of us with extra veg.
I had about 350g of mince left over from meatballs, so I blitz onion, carrot, celery & potato, threw in mircorwave for 2 mins. Added peas & the mince & some thyme & parsley, some ledt over stock fromthe rissotto & wrapped in puff pastry (store bought )
H :)
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You are right Robyn.
But it's not like I was a big spender before. Always been a careful cook, just had to take it to another level that's all, with all your help been easier.
Looking at the braised beef leftovers and wondering if pies the best use?
Probably next time as my best use of time today is having a massive tidy and sort before DH comes home to cheer him up. Still so much to do.
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I make up casseroles alot, then into pies for work lunches.
Leftovers are always for work. :)
Cakes and biscuits , slices for work. we have a coffee shop next door, and I have not been in it since July last year..
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Fridge soup on the go.
2 carrots, I onion, 3 leeks, 1 potato and one corner of a swede.
Sweated onion and leeks 2 mins, added other veg and blitzed on 4 until done. Sweated another 2 mins. Speed 2 varoma.
Added 3 cups JELLIED chicken stock ( from bones) now cooking on speed 2 100 ' for 20 mins.
Will season, add milk and blitz, report later.
DS probably won't like it!
PS this is the famous chicken that went on and on!
Still got some stock left.
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You are very resourceful DJ and sure know how to get the most out of a chicken.
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That is sure incredible, DJ! :) Well done. :D
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Soup was excellent. DS did eat.
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Souup sounded DJ, wish Ii coukd make a chcken lat like that :)
Well done :)
H :)
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eggs, now that is a idea.
just counted, I gave Mum 1 doz, I have used 1 doz today, still have 1 2 dozen in fridge. :) :)
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eggs, now that is a idea.
just counted, I gave Mum 1 doz, I have used 1 doz today, still have 1 2 dozen in fridge. :) :)
Obbes, your always going to have 12 dozen, lol
H :)
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How do you have 12 dozen?
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Obbie that is a lot of eggs. I couldn't even imagine having that many in the fridge. You must be very diligent when storing them so you know which to use first.
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Obbie, if only I coukd relive you of some :)
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Hally, yes you could have some if you were closer.
I give both neighbors eggs.
We date them with a nico pen Wonder.
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DH loves the budget but always says can we ave this & that, I just give him the look. ;D
I have now decided that one meal per week can be eggs on toast or something similar.
I really want to come back to hawaii in 2 years to fully enjoy it.
So am hoping to keep under $100.
H :)
That is good Hally. My mob expect their vegies etc at every meal. The slackest we get is pizza.
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Got two fillets from the chicken breasts we had tonight left over.
Wondered about home made pasta ( never made before) and then a sauce with no cheese but veggies.
Any suggestions?
Or I could freeze it and then add to the pizza on Saturday night. Would I need to cook the chicken first on a pizza. That may be better but retested in a chicken sauce for pasta.
DS hates mushrooms.
But can use mushrooms when DH here!
Thanks
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How about this recipe (http://www.forumthermomix.com/index.php?topic=7913.0) DJ but substitute Chicken for the ham.
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DJ, this is a good one from the forum, i am sorry I cant remeber who posted it.
Its easy to change arou d add or change ingredients.
Name of Recipe: Creamy Chicken and Avocado Fettucine with Bacon & Salami
Number of People: 4-6
This is a standard family favourite that my DH and I have been cooking for over 10 years. It is one of our few recipes that survived our children without any major changes. This is also the first of our own recipes I have converted to the TMX all by myself (rather than adapting an existing recipe from the EDC to be more like our own versions). Happily it was very successful with everyone! I hope you enjoy it.
Ingredients:
1 brown onion, peeled and quartered
1 clove of garlic, peeled
handful of fresh oregano and thyme (or 1 tsp of each dried)
6 rashes of shortcut, rindless bacon
5 button mushrooms, quartered
20g olive oil
2 chicken fillets, skin off, cubed
6 slices of salami, sliced in strips
300ml bottle of cream
75 - 100g water (depends on how thick you like your sauce to be)
1 tbs stock concentrate
1 avocado, cubed
250g - 300g of fettucine (dry or fresh)
salt and cracked pepper to taste
Preparation:
Drop the onion, garlic, herbs and bacon into the TMX bowl on running blades at speed 4 for about 10 seconds (or until you are happy with the consistency).
Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the oil. Saute on 100 degrees for 3 minutes, speed 1.
Add the chicken, mushrooms, salami, cream, water, and stock concentrate to the bowl. Cook on 100 degrees, for 10 minutes at speed 1.
Add the avocado to the bowl and fettucine if using dry. Cook on 100 degrees, Reverse, speed 1 for 7-10 minutes. If using fresh fettucine, add this when there is 4 minutes cooking time left. Use the spatula to help incorporate the fettucine.
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Thanks CC and Halex, this place is amazing!
Someone ALWAYS knows.
LOL
X
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I gave 2 1/2 dozen eggs to another neighbor yesterday... :) :)
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The above recipe Hally posted is from KerrynN, see here (http://www.forumthermomix.com/index.php?topic=4890.0) for reviews.
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Do you think I was hard wired to stretch meat because of my mothers experiences with the war and rationing? Se went through 14 years of meat rationing! !
LOL
Sundays half leg of roast lamb made shepherds pie for DS and I today, plus one portion in freezer and broth for 6! Some will be frozen tomorrow or will have major complaints if we have it for 3 meals in same week.