serious help needed

trigger2

Hi Kimmie

Don't worry there's loads of help on here ! Personally, like someone else said I make things with mince & pad them out, spag bol, shepherds pie etc, lots of pasta, sausages. If you're only doing an occasional big shop from Tesco try their pure milk (like cravendale) & get several bottles as they do last, or try UHT if kids will have it. We're family of 4 + dog, dog mainly gets dry food but sometimes tins with mixer, & we manage on £50 per week. Write a list, check existing storecupboards & freezers, write menu plans - it does work honestly ! Good luck, & merry christmas

kimmie32_2

Thanks for the soup idea i make a mean potato and leek soup that fussy boy will eat!!!!
Going to make a batch of rolls today so wish me luck.....
happy Christmas to everyone and will keep you posted on my plight!!!
HO HO HO

Lara44

Hi Kimmie

My OH and i wanted to eat organic stuff from the farmers market but couldn't afford to go over the £20 per week limit. We eat much cheaper cuts of meat now, but they taste much better anyway.

We buy stewing steak, which is made into Irish stew or steak and ale stew.
Irish stew: Brown the meat, add the chopped veg (a bit of whatever you have, carrots, leeks, celery, etc). Cook for 45mins. Add potatoes (maybe also parsnips) and stock to almost cover. Cook for a further 45 mins or until meat is melting.

Steak and Ale stew: Soften some onions, then brown the meat and add the veg (carrots, mushrooms etc), pour in a tin of ale and a tin of tomatoes and simmer for 2 hours or until the meat is done. I eat it with boiled potatoes.

We also get from the farmer's market a big bag of bacon 'bits' in some supermarkets/buchers you can get these. It costs only £1 for this massive bag. With that I make cheese, leek and bacon bake: peel potatoes and start to simmer them. Chop bacon and fry in a pan, add leeks and cook until soft. After 10 mins of cooking drain the spuds. Add mustard to leek mix, then stock/water/wine to the pan and stir in all the bacon goodness. Grate cheese and chop spuds. Layer in a baking dish, spuds first then leek mix then cheese then spuds etc.

Or else we have our bacon bits for pasta with a tin of tomatoes.
We also have pork burgers as a change from beef mince sometimes. I put in a handful of the chopped up bacon bits, chilli, garlic, spring onions, coriander or coriander seeds if I have them. Bind with a touch of soy sauce. Can also use as meatballs for pasta. But your kids might not like these as much.

Do let us knoe how you get on!

Lara

kimmie32_2

Well he has gone now and i am all fed up and really am not in the mood to organise dinners so i am going to have a few drinks tonight and send the kids to bed early and they have been going at 10 ish. So a nice bath with my new pjs on and his dressing gown i know soppy...lol
Then i will sort my head out and get out my new book and start my new moneysaving food diaries....
So cheers and hic and heres to 2007 and 136 days til he his home!

Bogof_Babe

Thank goodness for t'internet then . You'll soon get into a routine and he'll be back before you know it. In the meantime we'll try to keep your spirits up. :beer:

kimmie32_2

Can i have a g and t then .lol

Bogof_Babe

I don't actually have any of that, but you're welcome to a flagon or several of best Herefordshire cider . Sling yer glass over here :beer: .

kimmie32_2

ohhhhhhh cider now your talking scrumpy all round...lol

hypno06

thinking of you for the next few months.

On the plus side, just think how good you will be at this new way of living by the time he gets home! Perhaps you could put aside some of the cash you will be saving each week to allow you both some treats when he gets home?

One of the first cook books I was ever given as a newlywed (a squillion years ago) was "Marvellous meals with mince". Not sure if you can get it now but might be worth looking for.

angchris

i actually find it easier cooking when my other half is at work (he has meals provided luckily) there is no pressure then to rustle up a "proper" meal, my son and i often have leftovers with something else to pad it out or i drag out of the freezer all the little odds n sods or single frozen portions to use it up, it does make some very interesting and sometimes odd mealtimes but at the end of the day we are all fed and happy and thats the main thing and it keeps our food bills right down:T