Need OS advice to get my food shop down!

Topher

Corned Beef Hash. for the potato haters, bulk out the actual hash with a tin of baked beans, (the flavour really suits the hash ingredients) then top the hash with slced parboiled potatoes. They're then easier to remove for the ones who don't like them. A slice of bread could stand in their stead for that particular person's serving.

Topher

When I was a Nanny, the American housewife I worked for made a cooked evening meal for the adults, reserved some for the children which she served to them the next midday meal; then at around 4:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. They got a "Nursery tea" (She and I sat with them while they ate, but just had a cup of tea and toast or some such thing to eat alongside them). Her range of nursery teas was quite broad, and I followed her routine when I had young children of my own, as it fitted in better wit the adult work and eating patterns, as well as the routine for when the children wound down at the end of a school day.
Nursery teas:
Things on toast, marmite, scrambled eggs, fried eggs, cheese (grilled) baked beans, cheesey baked beans.
Ritz crackers ready topped with (e.g.) tuna mixed with Mayo and cucumber relish, cream cheese (with or without cucumber) meat pastes, H.M. pastes (e.g. Mock Crab).
Sandwiches.
They would tend to be a selection of little tasty bits and pieces.
Desserts such as Jelly or Angel delight with a small quantity of suitable sweets hiden in, or sprinkles of top.
Buns/ fairy cakes, H.M. biscuits scones or cake, or a really rare treat of two chocolate fingers or similar.

Milk puddings would have been coupled up to follow the main midday meal... bananas and custard, rice, ground rice, semolina (no-one would touch tapioca),

There really was a notion of a "Nursery Diet" and I'm talking about into the 1980s where it was pretty well thought through from a nutritional point of view. The weekends and breakfasts were times for full family meals round the table.

falady

Hi there Kerrypn,

Just another recipe idea (pilfered from philidelphia recipe card).....

Creamy smoked salmon pasta

These quantities serve 2 greedy adults....

1 packet smoked salmon trimmings (88p from sainsburys, asda, tesco etc)
tagliatelle / spaghetti / whatever pasta you like
juice half lemon / lemon juice from a bottle
salt and pepper
about 100g cream cheese - plian, garlic and herbs, with chives etc. Basics range is fine.
few tablespoons of milk

1. Boil the pasta as normal.
2. Put the cream cheese and milk in a big pan.
3. When the pasta has about 5 minutes left to cook, turn the heat on under the cream cheese / milk and heat it very gently until it all melts together. (If you use low fat cream cheese cheese be careful not to let it boil as it wil split).
4. Drain the pasta
5. Add the smoked salmon trimmings to the cream cheese sauce
6. Add the lemon juice to the sauce and stir it all in
7. Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and mix well.
8. Serve up!

Its nice with salad, and is very filling.

You can also add veg to the pasta pan, eg green beans or mixed frozen veg, and cook them with the pasta if you want to increase your veg intake.
A bit of fresh or dried parsley added to the sauce is also nice.

You could also serve it with bread or garlic bread to make it go further.

I hope that helps. Its a lovely recipe if you liked smoked salmon, becuas eit tastes really luxurious, but is really cheap to make!

The smoked salmon trimmings can be frzen, so its quite a good standby meal too.

Ali x

EstherH

Topher wrote: »

Corned Beef Hash. for the potato haters, bulk out the actual hash with a tin of baked beans, (the flavour really suits the hash ingredients) then top the hash with slced parboiled potatoes. They're then easier to remove for the ones who don't like them. A slice of bread could stand in their stead for that particular person's serving.

Thats a great idea, even for those who do like potatoes. I can usually make a pan and save enough to make a pie for the second day with one tin of corned beef. I wouldn't need to feel as stingy if I took some out for the pie and then added the beans for the first day. Could get an extra portion for lunch out of it too.

lovetopaint

Love all the ideas here. I slow cook/casserole cheap sausages, burgers and cheap frozen meats. Padding things out as in above posts, with tin of tomatoes, carrots, lentils etc. I also do what my dear Grandma did, and that is to serve bread and butter with a meal, just to make sure everyone feels full if the meat is a bit sparse. My kids make all manner of sandwiches!

kerrypn

Thank you for all the fab replies-the salmon pasta sounds gorgeous-I will be making that next time I see salmon on whoopsie

Corned beef hash with beans is a fab idea as I love it anyway but stopped making it because of DS.

I am switching up to follow on milk, see how it goes Thank you for the nursery tea idea too, its kind of what I do now-we rarely eat with the children as baby needs spoon feeding and DD,2, needs help with messy dishes, so I will be trying that thank you

Thank you for the clarification on chicken-Im always very wary with fish and poultry

Keep the suggestions coming, I really appreciate the help-I am food shopping tomorrow so I will let you know how I get on with all your ideas

sharronloves2spend

This is what works for us. We are a family of 6, me, dh, 3 boys age 15, 13, 10, with HUGE appetites and dd. We also have 2 dogs, 1 cat. Our budjet is £260 and this is how we do it. Organization is the key:)

Week 1, tesco.com- (try and get free delivery) i order what i know we will get through on a monthly basis. All cat and dog food, tinned toms:A (basic for so much) beans, pasta, rice, tom puree, cereals, sponge mixes, scotbloc, juice(pure and squash) what ever you know you will get through. I would think this would be your baby milk, nappies pasta etc. This is my MONthly shop. I also do a meal plan for 1 week and i will add in a piece of meat for sunday, veg, potatos, rice, minced beef, eggs, cheese, and basically what i need perishable wise for that week. This usually comes to around £130 (washing powder comfort is all included too)

Week 2 Budjet for around £30-£40

Again meal plan and shop for perishables that will be used in that week. I usually go to aldi but may pop into iceland for cheese and ham. I also get my bread there too. If i see anything really cheap i know i have enough money to maybe stock up.

Week 3- as above

Week 4 as above, although i try and hold £12 back for the eve of when the .com order is due so we can have the chippy:)

I have to say i'm not that os, i can't make bread and one night a week, 2 iceland pizzas, garlic bread and salad is served (my easy night)

The rest of the time i make most things from scratch, whenever we have a pasta/rice dish i will always make sure i do enough for lunch the next day. Usually only me and dh, but now the kids are off they have fried spaghetti/rice etc for lunch . When i make bolognase i put some in a tupperware box and freeze it. The next week when we have bolognaise it just needs defrosting then warming up;)

I know i could cut my food bill further, but tbh i am quite happy with the level i am at. We all eat really well, 3 good meals a day, fruit as snacks and cakes, rice krispie cakes as a treat. I only do a desert on a sunday (apple pie and ices cream or something like that) the rest of the time the kids have youghourts, value custard or rice pudding.

Wow i have wittered on

HTH Sharron x

kerrypn

Thanks sharron, its good to know that it is doable with a bit of planning, freezing but with some treats too. I only use online to draft my list so I can hunt out best prices, but I like to go in to get whoopsies and new offers. Even my 4 year old looks out for stickers

Poor DH wont be happy because Ive used frozen chicken leftovers so thats his midnight feast gone

brighthair

cottage pie I bulk out by adding as much veg as possible - usually onion, peas, carrots and sweetcorn, helps me eat more veg too!
same with casseroles, and slow cooking with cheaper meat is good, I use a lot of braising steak, and chicken thighs
tacos are good, as you by the time you've added lettuce, tomato, cheese, guacomole etc etc you don't need much mince at all!!

pauleyc

Hiya
Just another thought, if you buy follow on milk, you get boots points - only on the 6 months and over milk.