Thank you OS and everyone - Merged

Cheeselady

MrsBartolozzi wrote: »

This site is so great and everyone so friendly - I'm glad you are managing to cope with your reduced budget. I bet even when things are on the up again you'll still be more frugal - that's what OS does to you!!
Congrats on getting the bug and I'm sure you'll be asked to share more of your recipes on here.
Oh and congratulations on the exam passes Master Cheeselady!

They are wonderful people aren't they? You are right, I have really got into cooking now, I used to cook years ago and kind of got lazy and out of the habit, but I'm really enjoying it. :rotfl: I know some people turn their nose up at Value stuff in supermarkets, but I think a lot of it is fantastic for the price, and when you check the ingredients and compare to the more expensive stuff, there's usually no difference or very little. Most of my recipes come from this website, so can't make the claim to them, but hopefully within time I will one of those posting recipes instead of borrowing them!

Oh thanks so much for the congrats, Master Cheeselady - love it! :rotfl:

EstherH

It's good to hear that things are working out for you cheeselady and that your family approves. I've learned loads on here and yesterday made sausage casserole using two packs of Richmond sausages which were on offer at Morrisons last week - £1.97 bogof. I used loads of veg; chopped onion, carrots, mushrooms, frozen peppers and sweetcorn, two tins of tomatoes and peeled chopped apple. Put it all in the slow cooker with a couple of handfuls of oats and covered with water. Splash of worcester sauce, spoonful of mustard, salt, pepper and some garlic flakes. When nearly done, cooked the sausages on the George Forman and chopped up small, added to slowcooker.Thickened with a little bisto. Served with mashed potato and peas.

Portioned the rest up for the freezer. I got at least ten portions out of it, possible 13. Depends on how much son takes when he has to fend for himself. I have some double portion packs and some single but he isn't discriminating and just takes the first that comes to hand. Even so, I am impressed with how much I managed to get out of 16 sausages. And everybody loves it as well. No complaints about how little meat there was.

Cheeselady

EstherH wrote: »

It's good to hear that things are working out for you cheeselady and that your family approves. I've learned loads on here and yesterday made sausage casserole using two packs of Richmond sausages which were on offer at Morrisons last week - £1.97 bogof. I used loads of veg; chopped onion, carrots, mushrooms, frozen peppers and sweetcorn, two tins of tomatoes and peeled chopped apple. Put it all in the slow cooker with a couple of handfuls of oats and covered with water. Splash of worcester sauce, spoonful of mustard, salt, pepper and some garlic flakes. When nearly done, cooked the sausages on the George Forman and chopped up small, added to slowcooker. Served with mashed potato and peas.

Portioned the rest up for the freezer. I got at least ten portions out of it, possible 13. Depends on how much son takes when he has to fend for himself. I have some double portion packs and some single but he isn't discriminating and just takes the first that comes to hand. Even so, I am impressed with how much I managed to get out of 16 sausages. And everybody loves it as well. No complaints about how little meat there was.

Wow, that's an amazing recipe! And what a fab price too! I am veggie but I'm sure I could use veggie sausage to it, will make a note of it, though I don't have a slow cooker I'm guessing it would be OK in a low oven.

EstherH

You could do it on top of the stove or in the oven. If you have time to keep giving it a stir it will only take about twenty minutes on the stove but I usually end up with it burning on the bottom if I do it that way.

It would also be nice without the sausages but with a tin of chilli beans in sauce added. Lidl do one for (I think) 39p though prices are going up so fast these days that it may be a bit more now. I got a few a couple of months ago. Or even baked beans. Just play about with the ingredients depending on what you have in.

jcr16

how do you make your cheese and onion pie ? that sounds really nice.

i love home cooking and making proper home made meal's. there is somethign very comforting about it. i'm only 28 and yet i kinda feel like i'm a bit more older in my years with all the wonderful cooking knowledge i've gained from here.

my mum knows i use this site and often asks me for idea on how to do things, which is a really honour as mum is an amazing cook.

Butterfly_Brain

Wow you really are a true Oser now:T Well done you
You really must put a slow cooker on your Christmas list it works out so much cheaper than cooking in the oven or stove top especially now with fuel prices so high and they are set to rise again:mad: Winter stews etc can all be put on in the morning and it will be ready at dinner time all for the price of a light bulb x

Congrats to your DS as well x

Sue14

Cheeselady wrote: »

I know some people turn their nose up at Value stuff in supermarkets, but I think a lot of it is fantastic for the price, and when you check the ingredients and compare to the more expensive stuff, there's usually no difference or very little.

I agree totally. I've always had to mostly go for cheaper brands, including Value/Basics etc., but I have tried the branded and store 'top range' products when they're on offer, and there is very little that I can honestly say I've noticed any difference. I feel sorry for people who won't even try the value products, as most of the time they are wasting money.

A perfect example is my MILs partner, (he keeps saying that he will only eat branded, or food from Waitrose or M&S, although in reality he eats whatever MIL gives him and doesn't always know where it comes from), one night we had dinner with them and MIL had done a minced beef and onion pie, which was from the Waitrose top range, very nice but it looked, smelt, and tasted exactly like the one we usually get from the Value ranges, and I wouldn't have known it was Waitrose if I hadn't seen the packaging.

parsonswife8

Cooked the "Essentials" belly pork from Ocado online in a low oven whilst cooking other meals. Cost just over £2..DH and I had it with some of my homemade crab apple and chilli jelly and a baked potato.

Yummmmmmmmmmmmmmm

:D:D:D

EstherH

We usually have morrisons value baked beans but on occasion when we I realise we have run out and we get a tin of heinz from the corner shop, I will say to the family, now you have to really appreciate these as they are heinz but then we have them and can't tell the difference. Have to say not as impressed with Asda and Tesco value beans though.

I bought an organic corn fed chicken once when it was reduced and expected that it would taste wonderful, but again didn't notice a diffence to the usual.

You just have to try and see what you like. If you find it to be okay then you have saved, if not, then just go back to what you had before. You've not really lost anything except the price you paid for that item.

Sweet_Pea_2

I love cooking from scratch, when I cheat and bung something frozen in the oven or microwave, or even when we have a takeaway, we don't enjoy it any more. If we are on holiday I miss my own cooking! The downside is, sometimes I would like someone to cook a meal from scratch for me, (as OH can't/won't cook ) The upside is, we eat really nice meals and save a fortune to boot. (and I get to feel smug!)