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  • Aril
    Aril Posts: 1,877 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Your recipe sounds lovely. I do something similar but I stirfry mixed peppers with onions and mushrooms. Meanwhile I cook the pasta and grill the bacon until it's very crispy which I then chop up. When the pasta is ready I stir it all together and then add reduced fat creme fraiche or low fat cream cheese [the garlic and herb one is nice as an alternative] or cream depending on how I feel or what I've got to use up.
    Aril
    Aiming for a life of elegant frugality wearing a new-to-me silk shirt rather than one of hair!
  • black-saturn
    black-saturn Posts: 13,937 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Aril wrote:
    Your recipe sounds lovely. I do something similar but I stirfry mixed peppers with onions and mushrooms. Meanwhile I cook the pasta and grill the bacon until it's very crispy which I then chop up. When the pasta is ready I stir it all together and then add reduced fat creme fraiche or low fat cream cheese [the garlic and herb one is nice as an alternative] or cream depending on how I feel or what I've got to use up.
    Aril
    What a lovely recipe. That one sounds much healthier. I'll try making it next week.
    2008 Comping Challenge
    Won so far - £3010 Needed - £230
    Debt free since Oct 2004
  • Aril wrote:
    Your recipe sounds lovely. I do something similar but I stirfry mixed peppers with onions and mushrooms. Meanwhile I cook the pasta and grill the bacon until it's very crispy which I then chop up. When the pasta is ready I stir it all together and then add reduced fat creme fraiche or low fat cream cheese [the garlic and herb one is nice as an alternative] or cream depending on how I feel or what I've got to use up.
    Aril

    Oh that sounds delish. Going to give this a go this weekend :j
    DFW Nerd no: 149 ;)

  • Becles
    Becles Posts: 13,184 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Aril wrote:
    Your recipe sounds lovely. I do something similar but I stirfry mixed peppers with onions and mushrooms. Meanwhile I cook the pasta and grill the bacon until it's very crispy which I then chop up. When the pasta is ready I stir it all together and then add reduced fat creme fraiche or low fat cream cheese [the garlic and herb one is nice as an alternative] or cream depending on how I feel or what I've got to use up.
    Aril

    That version sounds nice as well :cool:

    A friend e-mailed me this last night:
    http://www.route79.com/food/

    There's some yummy looking recipes on there, and I can't wait to try them.

    Not tonight though as I'm off out to my fave restaurant as it's my birthday :j
    Here I go again on my own....
  • honey
    honey Posts: 703 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 500 Posts Combo Breaker
    Happy Birthday Becles:bdaycake:

    I make my carbonara very similar to yours, I haven't added mushrooms before though so I'll have to try that. Like you, I feel that our diet balances out and we don't have to worry about fat content on every meal.

    I'm going to try your version too Aril, sounds yummy.

    I currently meal plan and shop weekly but from the 15th (payday:o) I'm going to have a go at monthly meal planning.

    Thanks for all the ideas so far everyone, I'll be following this thread with interest to pick up some tips.
  • nickyhutch
    nickyhutch Posts: 7,596 Forumite
    This sounds yuk but is blimming lovely:

    Put some pasta on to cook, then fry (dry fry, water or spray oil if you're worried ablut the fat) some chopped onions and peppers, then add chopped mushrooms and fry a little more. Mix the cooked pasta and vegetables together and add tinned tomaatoes, baked beans and salt and black pepper. Put this in an ovenproof dish, and top with fresh breadcrumbs mixed with grated cheese and fresh or dried herbs. Stick in the oven until it's warmed through and crispy on top. YUM!
    ******** Never be a spectator of unfairness or stupidity *******
    "Always be calm and polite, and have the materials to make a bomb"
  • katglasgow
    katglasgow Posts: 404 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts
    I weekly meal plan, but I buy meat from the reduced section the week before I am planning to use it if you know what I mean. I normally allow £5 of my weekly budget to pick out bargains that I can go home and freeze, then next week when I come to write my list for the week I meal plan using the meat/fish I already have in my freezer, I just but relevant stock cupboard items and veg to go with. I pad this out with other cheap dishes such as stiry fry, pasta bake etc... I have found this allows me to buy better quality of meat than I could normally afford and it also keeps our diet varied and interesting.
    For example, for next coming week I have waiting in my freezer 2 x salmon fillets £1.20, massive big pork fillet £1.30, extra lean steak mince 60p and Extra special sausages 74p. I will pad the week out with 2 veggie dishes and another fish dish (probably HM fishcakes).
    Me debt free thanks to MSE :T
  • Heth_2
    Heth_2 Posts: 472 Forumite
    I've also made carbonara before with a dollop of yoghurt in instead of cream. I always add mushrooms (dry fried so no added fat there) as well, and never add fat when I fry the bacon (always cut all the visible fat off as well). I don't think that makes it too unhealthy. I'd rather enjoy a nice plate of carbonara than follow the meal with a rubbish pudding.
  • Becles
    Becles Posts: 13,184 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    We never have puddings or desserts either. We just have them as a treat for special occassions.

    I usually have a full fruit bowl though, and everyone tends to pick at that at various times of the day!
    Here I go again on my own....
  • jcr16
    jcr16 Posts: 4,185 Forumite
    every month i seem to have a new idea on how to save month. haven't yet worked out which one works the best . but for me the less i go to a supremarket the better. i get very trolley happy and will throw anything in.

    i have taken in lots of advice over the months and i have found that meal planning a writing a shopping list is fantastic for me. i do meal plan a week at atime. but it is very rare i stick to it. i swap things around or adapt a meal depending on weather , what kids up to , if were going out etc etc.

    i must say one of my little werid habit is. i always like to have 10 tins of baked beans in and 10 of kidney beand and 10 of tom.s big bag of pasta , bag of rice and frozen mince , with these in the cupbaord i feel happy to know i can almost make anything it seems. i prob can't if truth be known but it a kind of security.

    i have made my household manual and it is getting very full of ideas i have my inventories to know what is lurking in bottom of freezing in a vain attempt to not let things get out of date.

    i wish i could be disaplinced in a supermarket but i need to face facts that without a shopping list i can't be.

    one thing i like doing is while shopping i look at other items that i take note of so i can use them next month instead of buying without a reason what i'd use it for.

    sorry to waffle on , i think i got my point accross ..........maybe. lol.

    great thread tho becles.
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