£67,031.92 is a frightening number indeed....

Treadingonplaymobil

Aw thanks DAL! I don't feel terribly driven and determined, beyond knowing that if I slip up, it's going to be so hard to get back on track (once I break the spending seal, that will be it), so I'm trying to delay that first slip up as long as possible! Preferably till about 2025...

Treadingonplaymobil

Week 9: Day 1

Not a lot going on with the MSE for the majority of this week, as I'm away with the DC visiting family and friends until late Wednesday, then more family arriving on Thursday night for a visit. Will need to cater for three extra adults (none of them small eaters) on good Friday, Saturday and Easter Sunday, and possible Easter Monday. Ideas for (cheap) simple meals and budget 'proper' celebration type meals all gratefully received.

Not going to stress myself out with lists at all this week apart from thursday, as I know that nothing is going to get done.

I hope everyone is enjoying the spring sunshine! Forecast to be up to 18 degrees where we are today.

Verbatim

Cheap meals:
Spinach lasagne
HM pizza
Sausage casserole (each sausage cut in three with plenty of chunky veg and some cooked red kidney beans served with stodge of your choice).
Wild garlic salad! The leaves are available now and very tasty. Add other salad stuff or serve alone with their white flowers if out where you are.
Meat lasagne padded with (invisible) grated carrot and cooked to mush red lentils.
Risotto Veg but call it Prima Vera!
Quiche (cook in advance and reheat or serve cold).
Pasta and...sauce
Baked pasta with bechemel and... plus a little cheese sprinkled on top before baking.
Soupe au pistou is great for using up bottom of fridge veg and adding small pieces of pasta and the garlic pistou at the end. Crushed garlic and olive oil added gradually with some pine nuts or other nut and rocket leaves. I often use rocket leaves from my garden or nastusium leaves or wild garlic if I have them growing. You could use chard leaves or young spinach leaves. Easy if you have a food processor.

Savoury Danish goes a very long way and looks impressive. It's basically a savoury swiss roll made with yeast raised bread dough. So once risen knock back and roll to large rectangle and spread with a hm pesto (see pistou above) or hm tapenade (olives, leaves, sun dried tom or oven roasted peppers or ...), not too wet. Then another layer of veggie mix or hard b eggs or sliced ham or anything you have then grated cheese. Roll up sealing the ends with water and bake. Once out of oven slice a la swiss roll. If you're interested I'll dig out my recipe for more accurate measures & timings but I'm guessing 180 degrees fan about 40 mins.
Easter Sunday
There are lamb joints on special offer. Loads of veg and roasties with a filling starter and pud to take the strain off the meat. I do a Delia pavlova which I've always found foolproof and looks impressive. The meringue case is done the day before and if you whip the cream and prepare the fruit (sliced straberries are cost effective) before hand you just need to assemble before serving. You'll have egg yolks to use up in scrambled eggs, custard, quiche or a pud like zabaglione. With other meals starting with something filling and giving a sponge type pud or fruit crumble and ice cream should help with big eaters.
Can you get visitors to bring a pud or starter to help out?
Good Luck

Treadingonplaymobil

Ooh, thanks for all the ideas! Will sit down with my notepad and make a proper menu plan in the next day or two.

Lumanous

Verbatim wrote: »

Savoury Danish goes a very long way and looks impressive. It's basically a savoury swiss roll made with yeast raised bread dough. So once risen knock back and roll to large rectangle and spread with a hm pesto (see pistou above) or hm tapenade (olives, leaves, sun dried tom or oven roasted peppers or ...), not too wet. Then another layer of veggie mix or hard b eggs or sliced ham or anything you have then grated cheese. Roll up sealing the ends with water and bake. Once out of oven slice a la swiss roll. If you're interested I'll dig out my recipe for more accurate measures & timings but I'm guessing 180 degrees fan about 40 mins.

Love the sound of this!! Thanks Verbatim

Bobarella

Hello TOP

Just popping in to catch up. Well done on your brilliant business accounts, you are right to be so proud.

Hope operation feed the rellies goes well. I like fritatta and salad as a cheap meal. For a pretty topping asparagus and pea look fab in a fritatta. Home made sausage rolls are a good filler too. I recommend the jus roll ready roll packs, then a packet of sausages snipped out of their skins and added to the pastry. They puff up huge and everyone loves a sausage roll.

I know what you mean about the muddle when the kids are home. I have to follow my daily routine or I feel really rotten.

Have a good evening.

Bob

Treadingonplaymobil

Just checking in to remind myself to keep on track even though I'm having a relaxed week on all fronts. Have been fairly sensible on the whole (made food to bring to visit friends' house, so only bought one bottle of wine to bring, and have opted for cheaper day out of the two they suggested today), will have to sit down and many plan today or tomorrow for Operation Feed the Extended Family. All in all I'm feeling like we're still on track though.

Treadingonplaymobil

Oh, and I got a really good business enquiry yesterday. IF it comes off (no guarantees) it will be another £500 a few times a year.

Verbatim

Fingers crossed for new business.

Cherryfudge

Treadingonplaymobil wrote: »

Oh, and I got a really good business enquiry yesterday. IF it comes off (no guarantees) it will be another £500 a few times a year.

Wow - I hope so! :j