any ideas for budget christmas food?

moonbeam682

thanks for all the suggestions I have made a list & tried to get food with multiple uses!

potatoes for roast/potato salad/jackets on boxing day
white cabbage/carrots for roast/coleslaw
sausages for pigs in blankets/sausage rolls
bacon for pigs in blankets/quiche
eggs for yorkshire puddings/quiche/pavlova
cheese for quiche & to grate on sausage rolls/cheese straws/rolls
fruit for pavlova/trifles/fruit salad
large swiss roll cut in half & make yule log/trifles
whipping cream for pavlova/trifles
chocolate to cover yule log/grate over trifles


added to this some extra veg (including sprouts!) jelly & I'm hoping to have enough left to buy the elderflower cordial but unfortunately don't have an ikea near! (already have some storecupboard ingredients sherry, flour, sugar etc)
made the sausage rolls & some jam tarts with cut out pastry stars on yesterday, am going to shop for half price veg at Lidls in a minute then come back and read squeakys freezing guide! It would be great if they did the half price fruit & veg offer next week too as I don't think the fruit will last if I buy it today.
thanks again & hope everyone has a lovely christmas

xx

Tidygnome

You might like to try this recipe for Turkish Delight. I've made it to give as pressies and with Narnia film just out it's fashionable too.


1lb granulated sugar
2 level tablespoons powdered gelatine
½ pt water
2 teaspoons rose water or orange flower water
Few drops pink or yellow colouring
To finish:
2 oz icing sugar
1oz cornflour


1. Dissolve sugar and gelatine in the water in a large pan. Bring slowly to the boil: boil gently for 20 mins.

2. Remove from heat; add rose or orange flower water.

3. Add enough colouring to turn the mixture a delicate pink if flavoured with rose or yellow if using orange.

4. Pour into a wetted 8in square shallow tin. Leave in the fridge 24 hours to set.

5. Mix the icing sugar and cornflour together in a polythene bag. Dust hands with the mixture and pull out the mixture form the tin. Cut into 1in. strips then cubes and toss in icing sugar mixture.

Enjoy !

moonbeam682

thank you tidygnome - I can't believe how low cost this is to make!
Have never thought of making this myself but I shall be giving it a go - yummy! :xmassmile

and welcome to OS by the way! :wave:

superscotsman

Well, I was in Tesco on the afternoon of Xmas eve just like I said I would, and they had knocked loads off these enormous fresh turkeys, with enough meat on them to last till easter. For instance, £36 knocked down to £13. But we must have compassion for the poor turkeys who got in early and paid the extra £23.

Penny-Pincher!!

Afternoon

Just wanted to make sure you had a great day and got most things you wanted.

PP
xx

tootles_2

Next May I will post the recipe for elderflower cordial so you can make it for yourselves, just save some small dark bottles to put it in amd print your own labels on your printer to stick on the bottles................. I make it very year and it keeps well.... I made some for my friends 60th birthdat party, it went down a storm, made up with ice cubes and fizzy water its very refreshing.....I still have some left fron the half gallon I mde in May.......

moonbeam682

hope you're all having a lovely Christmas :xmassmile

thank you for your kind message PP sorry not to reply sooner but everything went brilliantly & everyone loved the food & thought I'd spent loads of money! (sshh don't tell!!) I made everything from my list and managed to get everything with my £20 & spent another £5 on choccies which were reduced on Christmas Eve (ty superscotsman!) made the turkish delight too which was really lovely (ty tidygnome!) we still have some food left too! I am so pleased as this is the first year I have not overspent on Christmas & lived to regret it in the new year so will definately be doing the same every Christmas from now on!

so thank you all xxxx

tootles-looking forward to you posting your recipe, will you be posting it here as I don't want to miss it?! will be saving the bottles from Christmas especially!

hope everyone has a very happy new year
love
moonbeam xx