Looked through my cupboards: need some meal ideas, to make things stretch if possible

heavenleigh

taplady wrote: »

ceejaydee - we are in the same boat atm, never had so little money due to illness and having to help DS1 out so these ideas are very welcome to me too!:)

You can both add me into the equation too, after 15 years with a decent wage coming in from ex-hubby to living on benefits with 4 children i spend alot of my time searching the forums for cheap meal ideas I go through phases of loving the challenge and being really motived to the other end of the scale that isn't worth mentioning.

ceejaydee23, keep coming back, if there is one thing that keeps me going through my predicament it is this lot on here, even if it is only to vent on the os daily board every now and again

heavenleigh

kezlou wrote: »

Heres some link to recipes:-

tuna fishcakes http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?p=17897767#post17897767
Sausage and stuffing plait.
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?p=23417149#post23417149
Sausage Casserole
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?p=18185381#post18185381
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?p=14706043#post14706043
pizza
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?p=11402597#post11402597
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?p=12552263#post12552263
potato wedges
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?p=20826835#post20826835

Chicken:-
1)use small two or one large piece pieces for a /curry stir fry + veg + rice
2)chicken and tomato pasta sauce (use the awful tin of tomato soup add salt pepper garlic granules to make it taste nicer.)

Quiche:-
For the pastry
1/2 fat (margerine) to 1/2 plain flour rub together till it looks like bread crumbs add very cold water to it and cut it with it with a knife repeatedly till it looks like dough, chill in fridge for at least 30 mins before you use it.
While pastry is chilling fry onion bacon, mix 3 /4 eggs a little milk salt pepper and leave to settle.
When wish to use roll / place pastry into dish and bake in oven till sides of pastry become partially cooked then add egg mixture onions and bacon and cook in oven till cooked.

I use the same pastry for quiche, fruit pies, mince pies etc


Potato bake:-
Rub some butter /margerine around a oven dish slice potatos thinly, (1/2 pint) milk with salt pepper, herbs etc place over potatos add cheese and bake on gas mark 3 for about 45 minutes.
I would use the above as a side and have it with chicken kievs etc

Jacket potatoes - various filling e.g beans, tun sweetcorn, chilli etc

Sausage rolls, chips and beans
Mince i would bulk each of the three bags out with veg and make chilli, bolognese, Sheppard's pie etc

Some deserts which can be made from your cupboard
Fairy cakes.
Puff pastry chopped up with chocolate spread on top

Cornflake tart:-
Base just shortcrust pastry
For the filling:
175g seedless raspberry jam
50g butter
50g caster sugar
2tbsp golden syrup
175g cornflakes


Chocolate concrete
100g margarine
2 eggs
100g cocoa powder
1 lb self raising flour
100g sugar

melt the margarine and sugar and mix well till it goes syrupy
add flour and cocoa to the syrup on the pan mix well until its becomes stiff .
add two beaten eggs and gently mix them in until your mix softens.
place the mixture into the tray, press into the corners and flatten into the sides of the tin.
Please in the oven (gas mark 5)and leave for about 30-45 minutes. If the top feel hard take it out to cool. Cut up into slices as when its cool its quite hard to cut. It should be hard on top and moist in the middle.

Fruit pie
Use pastry from above and add a mixture of the tinned fruit to it.

HTH

OMG :eek: Cornflake tart, i love you, will be making this in the morning, brings back so many memories of school xx

taplady

heavenleigh wrote: »

You can both add me into the equation too, after 15 years with a decent wage coming in from ex-hubby to living on benefits with 4 children i spend alot of my time searching the forums for cheap meal ideas I go through phases of loving the challenge and being really motived to the other end of the scale that isn't worth mentioning.

ceejaydee23, keep coming back, if there is one thing that keeps me going through my predicament it is this lot on here, even if it is only to vent on the os daily board every now and again

I do agree with you heavenleigh :T- sometimes I think its great how we have managed for 2 weeks and only spent £20 but other times it all gets too much and I could cry.In the past we've always used a CC in these type of emergencies hence being in debt but we're now only 5 payments away from being debt free and I so want to do this! we've no CC anymore so have got no choice but to manage.
I thought we were skint before but now I know we weren't really!

I've just been to the cupboard under the stairs and got my old BM out and its doing its stuff now. The flour was out of date but I've got nothing to lose by trying it out.I've got enough for a couple of loaves. DH is all excited about the thought of HM bread again!:)
The last 2 weeks I've done lots of cooking from scratch and we've actually eaten better than for ages:) - I knew all this stuff really but it had all slipped for a while.
I'll let you know if the bread is edible!:D

ceejaydee23

I am sooo gld i did this thread! Not only to realise that frugal eating, isnt just about beans on toast, (even though i dont really like beans) Do they taste different if you cook em in things?

The sausage casserole tonight was really yummy! everyone cleared their plate! as my daughter will be away for half term, i'm gonan be doing pancakes tomorrow! O/H will bring home some lemon juice after work.

Soooo the question is what to do for dinner tomorrow, Will need to now get some meal plans done!

I sooo want a bread maker! i have made easy bread rolls from a kids receipe at home, but havent done any since that only time! but my sister has a BM and they make the dough in it, but dont use it for making the bread.

VenusFlytrap_2

Ceejaydee I totally get where you and others on this thread are coming from, been reforming myself moneywise for about the last year or so, simply can't afford to waste money on crap anymore and have just discovered OS and cooking from scratch which has been a bit of a revelation, I'm really loving spending more time in the kitchen and my diet has never been healthier.

It seems scary at first having to live on what seems like nothing compared to what you were used to spending, but places like this forum make 'coping' a lot more fun! I've had loads of bills to pay since Christmas and just worked out a budget for March which doesn't look fantastic either, but don't feel down cos I know I'll manage somehow! Did a good shop when I got paid last month, so hoping that will see me through with a few top ups, not used half as much stuff as I thought I would, so you might be surprised by how far your stuff stretches, especially when you're concious of not wasting money.

Good luck til next payday!

Oh and PandorasJar, you're a genius with your cheat's cheesecake idea. I LOVE cheesecake but proper recipes always seem complicated, will definitely be stealing your idea of crushed digestive topped with yogurt (maybe mixed with some soft cheese too for proper cheescake taste ) and some fruit, sounds gorgeous and so easy, not to mention cheap! Love it!:T

ceejaydee23

VenusFlytrap
i've used crushed up digestives and strawberry instant whip with fruit before as a "chesecake" idea, works really well cos it sets!

PandorasJar

VenusFlytrap wrote: »

Oh and PandorasJar, you're a genius with your cheat's cheesecake idea. I LOVE cheesecake but proper recipes always seem complicated, will definitely be stealing your idea of crushed digestive topped with yogurt (maybe mixed with some soft cheese too for proper cheescake taste ) and some fruit, sounds gorgeous and so easy, not to mention cheap! Love it!:T

I wish I could take credit for it! I work on an educational mobile farm and one of the activities we do is making simple healthy food they can eat... this is one of them!
Every kid wants to join in as they get to 'bash' a biscuit up, making lots of noise and make pretty patterns layering it in clear plastic pots... you can guarantee that every kid going will eat the whole lot up, fruit layers and all!

P

PandorasJar

ceejaydee23 wrote: »

Soooo the question is what to do for dinner tomorrow, Will need to now get some meal plans done!

Just some bits for future incentive...

Everyone here will have different tips for how you plan (after this lot runs out!) And you'll find what works best for you...
I find that shopping online and paying the extra delivery charge saves me lots as I see all the offers and can check the cupboards for everything from the comfort of my lounge... also when it gets to check out you can take of X amount etc.
Rather than making meal plans and shopping for it, I shop and then make meal plans as I get the best offers this way (make sure offers are good, I often find paying more for chicken, rather than the 3 for 2 offers, costs me less as the weight is far better) also that the offer is still in date when the delivery is made!

I've always cooked from scratch and can make something out of most things, but what I have done is made a freewebs website to note down any useful bits like batter mix and dumplings etc and any particularly good meals/ratios of things I stumble across and won't remember without noting down. Also the ones that are very quick and little effort to do.
It's worth doing, whether online/paper etc to give you incentive when the cupboards are particularly bare or you don't want to spend much time in the kitchen

Also, have a couple of portions of mince, ready cooked as bolognaise/chilli and other bits like that in the freezer, for those days when you can't be bothered and just want to re-heat... far healthier/cheaper than a shop bought ready-meal... but just as quick!

EDIT: Another handy kitchen item is the slow cooker, if you don't have one, get one! They are fab. Not only do you have a meal waiting for you in the evening, with no last minute worry... you can get the cheapest, toughest bits of meat and they cook up amazing! Things to look out for are beef shins/casserole meat etc etc. My mum also uses hers for cooking whole chickens etc, they are very versatile if you want them to be
Pork Belly is another cheap cut, that's very popular in a few posh pubs. Cooked properly it comes out like a dream Just shove it in the oven for a few hours. Jamie Oliver has an easy recipe on his site

P

ceejaydee23

Pandoras Jar, I do indeedy have a slowcooker, and use it for casseroles, I've never really used it for anything else,

Now im going to be at home most of the time, I really want to make the most of it by making more healthier wholesome meals, as i've done well so far in dropping 2 stone in weight since moving to my house, as the school run is a longer walk!

and walking into town once a week too! Tonight the o/h just fancies bacon rolls for a meal, before attacking loads of pancakes lol not exactly healthy but there we go!