Feb-YOU-ary 2013 - Take your lunch to work thread

[kittiej]

Hello everyone

Here's the thread for February where the theme this month is "it's all about you" by that I mean you can take your LTW and you can save some money to put to better uses than wasting it on bought lunches (and breakfasts).

So including the list from last month as compiled by Shortie
here we go into Feb 2013.

Everyone is welcome even if you only work 1 day a week or stay at home but would like to join. So, the doors are now open......

Recipe ideas for sandwich fillings and lunches

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/...d.php?t=159329

http://pinterest.com/lbnblbnb/food-lunch-ideas/

Now everyone say a big thank you to Shortie for compiling this list of ideas for us.

Thanks Shortie

*Cold foods*
Sandwich combos:
Stuffing
Tuna mayo/salad cream
Tuna and sweetcorn
Tuna and onion
Tuna and cucumber
Beetroot
Cheese & carmelised onion chutney
Cheese and chilli jam
grated cheese, mushed up egg, diced onion and mixed in with mayo
Peanut butter & marmite
Greek salad - http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/...3&postcount=38
Russian salad sandwich - http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/...3&postcount=38
Curry!
Bacon & banana
Cheese & pickle
Corned beef & lettuce
Ham & apple sauce
Coronation chicken
Fried egg baguette
Sausage & mustard / ketchup / mayo / pickle / onion relish
Scrambled egg (cooked in the microwave)
Chhese & piccalilli
Brie & grape
Cheese & tomato
Ham and coleslaw
Onion Baji & coleslaw wrap
Chicken and cranberry sauce
Chicken & bacon
Haslet and coleslaw
Peanutbutter, cream cheese & banana
Turkey/chicken & stuffing
Crisp butti
Chicken with pesto and mayo
Brie, crushed walnuts, feta &rocket wrap
Chorizo & goats cheese
Vegetarian pate http://fatfreevegan.com/blog/2010/02...d-lentil-pate/
sliced turkey, mayo, pineapple and a bit of tinned sweetcorn sprinkled

Adding the following to salads:
Hard boiled egg in salad
Carrot salad: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/...&postcount=110
Cold duck and spinnach, raddish, pepper & carrot
Cheese, ham & whatever salad is in the fridge
Chicken and cold bacon bits
Spice sensation cous cous with raisins, pumpkin seeds. little cubes of cheese (feta or cheddar) cheery toms halved,cuc, spring onions and a couple of dried apricots chopped up
Bulk making salads: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/...&postcount=358

Rice cakes & hummus
Crackers / carrot sticks / pitta bread & taramaslata (or dip of choice)
Crustless quiche (good for GF diets) - http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/...3&postcount=38
Spanish potato fritata
Cous cous

*Warm foods*
Soups (with some bread?):
Jamie Oliver's Parsnip and Ginger Soup
Jamie Oliver's carrot soup: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/...5&postcount=50
Mushroom risotto soup: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/...1&postcount=64
Liquidised curry
Pasta
Macaroni cheese
Leftovers... pasta bakes, curry, spag bol, chilli..
Falafel
Onion bhajis
Samosas
Jacket potatoes
Cous cous (take dried and rehydrate from a kettle at work, add some fillings - meat, vegs, cheese, etc - once warm and hydrated)
Mash, veg, gravy and meat in a tuppawear box
Spaghetti/beans on toast or with butter bread
Falafel & chilli dip

*Snacks*
Cake
Fruit
Crisps (multibags can be better value)
Hot choc
Sausage rolls
Juice cartons
Cereal bars
Fruit salads (mix with a spoon or two of juice from tinned fruit to keep it from turning brown)
Biscuits
Mince Pies (especially for Betty Crumble)

*Emergency stocks for a drawer*
Cereal
Porridge oats
Tinned macaroni cheese
Mug Shot pasta packs
Cup-a-Soup

*Other suggestions*
Thermos flash of tea or coffee
freeze sandwiches for the week or buy/make pasties, sausage rolls, and take them out in the morning.
Hard boiled eggs keep for a week in the fridge with the shells on
Wraps instead of sliced bread


*.... and sneaking in here.... Breakfasts!*
Greek yoghurt and granola on top of fruit salad
Toast wrapped in foil asap after cooking - should keep warm for a 10 min journey to the train station etc!)
Scrambled egg (cooked in the microwave) and toast

Woo-hoo - good luck everybody

[SmarterNotHarder]

May I join in this month? Pretty please?

[kittiej]

Of course you can SNH everyone is welcome to join and contribute

[kittiej]

Hi everyone - here's the new thread - enjoy yourselves

[kobrakai]

going to stick with my saving £5 a day target again this month, so should hopefully have £100 by the end of Feb!

[juno]

Originally Posted by SmarterNotHarder

May I join in this month? Pretty please?

You have to tell us your favourite lunch first

[SmarterNotHarder]

Originally Posted by juno

You have to tell us your favourite lunch first

Haha, cheese, pâte, crackers, warm bread and butter, onion chutney and a glass of wine. They won't let me drink wine at work though!

Today however was a cheese butty lol

[rainydayfund]

sliced turkey, mayo, pineapple and a bit of tinned sweetcord sprinkled arounf. Mmm mmm. Now I'm hungry

[Candlewick]

Morning all

Pasta again for me yesterday. I have lots of veggies left in the fridge so might make soup later for next week save them going to waste.

Welcome SmarterNotHarder

Kobraki, impressive savings again!

CW

[FatVonD]

Fell at the first hurdle, beer and a burger for me yesterday

It was worth valuable networking points though and I'll be back on the wagon on Monday

[kittiej]

Morning everybody

kobra £100 will be an excellent amount saved - if you carry on this way you will have saved over a grand by the end of the year!

You have to tell us your favourite lunch first

thanks juno - yes we need fave recipes to gives us all some inspiration

SNH - are you a fellow cheese lover - say cheese

Hi rainydayfund your recipe sounds lovely - I'll add that to the first post for ideas

Morning CW - mmmm bottom of the fridge soup, very MSE

Hi FVD - don't worry about the beer and the burger - it was Friday and a treat once in a while is no bad thing

Well done everyone

I took cheese and pickle yesterday and have a small stash in work just in case I forget my lunch one day. I have however let myself down yesterday as I bought toast in work but it was only 40p for 2 slices so that is my blip

I was getting a bit fed up of taking crunchy nut cornflakes into work so I need to have a think about what to have for breakfasts to stop me getting bored. I think I'll try some porridge for a change

[Housework*Fairy]

I'll join in with this one. I used to work in a hospital where we could have a cooked meal for a £1 a day. Not many perks to that job but that was one of them. Now, for the past 3 months I'm in a new job and am having to take a packed lunch and I'm bored stupid of them already!

[Sarahlou51]

Please may I join?

Was reading the january one and enjoyed it. Will go shopping to get supplies tomorrow. But I need salad ideas, (trying to eat healthier ).

Thanks

[lbnblbnb]

Hi, I am in again. Thanks kittlej.

I have a load of pasties in the freezer that must be used. I used a recipe from hairy dieters, bread dough instead of pastry. Need to remember to defrost them though.

[SmarterNotHarder]

Originally Posted by lbnblbnb

Hi, I am in again. Thanks kittlej.

I have a load of pasties in the freezer that must be used. I used a recipe from hairy dieters, bread dough instead of pastry. Need to remember to defrost them though.

Oooh that sounds interesting! Could you post/link to the recipe for the "pastry"? I might get on with that better than actual pastry. Am useless at baking! Lol

[AFK_Matrix]

Greetings my fellow lunch munchers rofl

I'm in for Feb

Well for Friday its quite easy as I only do half days so just make something when I get home. Today I didn't have to spend a penny as I have a meeting for us Cat Protection Foster's and lunch was provided, result!!!

And ordered in the old sausages for next weeks lunches and also some chicken so gonna have sausage, chicken, sweetcorn and mayo sandwiches mmmmmm drooooolll ha.

Goodluck to all our previous Janruary lunchers and welcome and goodluck to our new additions in Feb

[lbnblbnb]

Originally Posted by SmarterNotHarder

Oooh that sounds interesting! Could you post/link to the recipe for the "pastry"? I might get on with that better than actual pastry. Am useless at baking! Lol

I have taken the book back to the library so can't give you the exact recipe, but I know I used a veg pasty filling recipe (original had meat in it I think) and used the bread dough recipe for my bread maker as the quantities were almost the same. It worked well. The main reason I did it was because I had loads of root vegetables to use up.

[Vampiric Addiction]

Hmm, now that bread dough pasty idea is interesting - the Mr often has tummy troubles with store bought pasties, that might prove to be a good alternative

As for me, I'll be peeking in here for ideas etc I don't currently work (long story, was meant to start 7th Jan, start date has been put back and back, currently "sometime soon") but the Mr does - his work options are vending machine depression filled sandwiches or the cafe across the road, as work don't have a canteen. Much better to be taking it in we agree, cheaper (and as we're on a very tight budget that's a priority) and should be tastier.

This week looks to be some kind of pasta pots made up. Not sure what will be in, maybe pasta, cream of chicken soup as sauce and some chicken scratty bits from the roast we're planning tonight? Might go crazy and put some veg in :P

On the bright side, work does have a micro and kettle for staff use.

[kittiej]

Welcomes to Housework Fairy, Sarahlou and Vampiric Addiction Don't be afraid to share recipes

lbnblbnb - I might have to try making bread dough pasties or maybe half pasties, half dough for pizza


Hi SNH will let you know how the dough experiment goes - might try this on Thursday, unless someone else makes them first

AFK is that going to be all one filling?

V A - maybe processed pasties are too greasy for your H? At least if you make your own you know what's in them

Keep going ev1

[mildredalien]

Ooh what a good idea for a thread! I almost always take my lunch to work - this week it's smoked salmon trimmings and cream cheese in bagels and bananas I also got some half price pea and ham soup from the supermarket, so will take that in on a couple of days with a bread roll. I also might take some carrot sticks or cucumber in, I feel like I need more veg with my lunch but struggle to figure out what!