£7.00 per week - menu ideas

hmm thats gonna be hard, do you need breakfast lunch and dinner?

Its not impossible but may be slightly repetative, what stores (even herbs etc) do you have at home and what shops are nearby?

Some of the recipes from http://www.cheap-family-recipes.org.uk/ (created by MSE members, led by Weezl) may be of use.

As Unixgirluk asks- what (if anything) do you have in already - anything lurking freezer/fridge/cupboards?

I'd also be considering hitting up your local supermarket at peak reduction time (these vary depending on shop/location).

I can't believe that you don't have anything at all:eek:
Do you have any flour, cooking oil, lard, tea bags or butter?
Porridge is definitely the way to go at 75p for 1kg in Asda
It might be worth a visit to Aldi for cheap fruit and veg and their meat is a great price as well. 15 medium eggs are £1.25 and a cheap source of protein

Breakfasts...... Porridge with a dollop of jam
Porridge 1kg = 75p sp jar mixed fruit jam 29p = £1.04 for a week's breakfasts.

Lunches.......make your own tortillas just plain flour, lard, salt and water

Flour Tortillas
225g plain flour
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt into a bowl
50g lard (at room temperature)
150ml warm water

Place the flour and salt into a large bowl, rub in the lard.
Add the water in a steady stream, and combine, until the mixture becomes a stiff but pliable dough.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for 5 - 10 minutes until smooth and elastic, leave in the bowl covered with some cling film or a damp tea towel to rest for 20 minutes

Divide the dough into 12 equal sized pieces and roll each piece out to form a 30cm circle. Roll them as thinly as you can. Again keep them covered to prevent them drying out.

Warm a heavy frying pan or griddle ( No oil just a dry pan) and cook each tortilla for 1 minute on each side, until the surface bubbles and has turned a light golden colour.

Wrap the tortillas in a clean tea towel to keep them warm and pliable until you have cooked them all and are ready to use them. Fill as desired. They will keep in an airtight zippy style bag for up to a week , or freeze separated with greaseproof paper or cling film, if I freeze mine I open freeze them first then stack and bag up

Fill with tuna and mayo (tin tuna 59p mayo cheapest 48p) or boiled eggs chopped with mayo, which works out even cheaper

So if you count buying flour and lard basic plain flour 52p for a 1½kg bag, Lard is 39p and not as unhealthy as some of the hydrogenated oils and cheap if you are on a budget = 91p for wraps for the week 500g flour usually makes around 12 - 15 wraps and you can use them as a base for pizza with a mozzarella ball 44p and a couple of tbsps of passatta 29p and anything veggie that you have to hand or get some pepperoni slices 79p a pack and they will do 2 pizzas easily or I make a macaroni cheese and just put the slices on top instead of cheese if I don't have any.

500g spaghetti is 24p and 4 instant cheese sauces are £1 in asda

You could get a small onion from the market for about 10p (use half and save the other half for the next day)
A tin of meatballs in tomato sauce and spaghetti will cost approx 12p pasta ½ a pack of spaghetti) tin meatballs 42p total 59p for a main meal

Eggs = Omelette, Fritattas, fried eggs, poached or boiled use to make pancakes just add a jif lemon 20p on offer in asda and a little sugar for a sweet treat or as a change from porridge for breakfasts. 15/2 = 6 eggs each plus 3 extra for batter for pancakes or even a HM cake.

Off to sort a menu plan BBS x

Chunkysmum, what shops nearby do you have? I stopped at coop tonight and along with what I intended to buy I got 2 pears for 10p (reduced).