What we're Eating this week



Linking in with being conscious of what we are spending I've gone back to making a menu plan for the week to use up what we have in the freezer as well as the £82 shop!

 

Tonight we had chicken curry.  I normally make my own but had bought a jar of dopiaza

from Aldi as I've not tried that curry before.  It was too sweet for me.  I added some spices and a bit of cream to get it more to my taste.  I wouldn't buy it again.



 

 

The rest of the week is looking like this:

Tuesday: Chicken casserole (already in the slow cooker)

Wednesday: Salmon Wellington, new potatoes and vegetables

Thursday: Pie, mash potatoes and vegetables/mushy peas

Friday: HM pizza, wedges and salad

The weekend will be something else from the cupboards/freezer but we haven't decided what yet.


I took our dog for a walk today.  We haven't been out in a while as both me and my hubby have had flu which has knocked us out and it is still lingering but it was a nice day so me and Layla wrapped up and headed out, although I'm not sure she likes her new coat!

Starting as I mean to go on

I've done this weeks menu plan and made a shopping list of what we haven't got in. Lunches are homemade soup. salads or sandwiches. The soups are already made and in the freezer. After this week I think I will need to stock it up again.  I will get the shopping tomorrow as I am visiting a friend and drive past the supermarket. 

Mon - Meat balls and pasta
Tue - Lemon and Herb chicken, potatoes and vegetables
Wed - Pulled Pork, sweet potato mash and roasted vegetables
Thur - Leftover pork and Chicken
Fri - Homemade chicken goujons, wedges and salad
Sat - Thai chicken curry and rice
Sun - tbc

I need to get some moisturiser as it has completely run out and another mattress protector so I am called in to Wilcos before I went to work today. Strangely there is no protectors in Wilco or either of the Tescos in town.

I made a goats cheese and beetroot tart this morning. I've not made it before but it smells good. This will be to have with salad for lunches.

 

Menu Plan

MONDAY
Lunch - Tuna and salad wraps
Dinner - Spaghetti alla Puttanesca

TUESDAY
Lunch - Homemade soup
Dinner - BBQ chicken/pork, sweet potato mash and vegetables

WEDNESDAY
Lunch - Ham and boiled egg salad
Dinner - Roast chicken, roast potatoes and vegetables

THURSDAY
Lunch - Beans on Toast
Dinner - Sausage casserole and mashed potatoes

FRIDAY
Lunch - Tinned Fish salad
Dinner - Chicken and lentil casserole

SATURDAY
Lunch - Homemade Soup
Dinner - Pizza, potato wedges and salad

Last nights dinner, Lamb Shanks, dauphinoise potatoes and parsnips (using yellow stickered potatoes for 4p and parsnips for 3p) and vegetables. Yummm...

 

Menu Plans

Yesterday I sorted out our meals for the week.  I am really not wanting to have any food waste and also make things easier for me.

While getting dinner ready, which was a very nice Jamie Oliver chicken dish from his 15 mins meals, I put some beef in the slow cooker for dinner tonight, made sausage casserole and cooked the rest of the sausages to make pasties.  I while the oven was on put jacket potatoes in, made tomato soup and chicken chill all for lunches this week.

I even prepped the sweet potato for dinner this morning  before I went to work so when I got in just I cooked the veg and thicken the gravy in the slow cooker ready for when I came home after visiting mum.

So this weeks menu plan is..

Mon – Beef, sweet potato mash and veg (enough left over for another two meals now in the freezer)

Tue – FQ Sausage pasties, Jacket potatoes and salad

Wed – Pasta carbonara, garlic bread and salad

Thurs – Tuna steak , roasted veg and rice

Sat – Pizza, wedges and beans

Sun – Roast chicken and all the trimmings

 

 

Stretching a Curry

The other night I made chicken curry, cheated with a cheap jar of sauce but added onion, peppers, mushrooms, spinach, just things that needed eating up.  There was one portion left over which I was going to freeze but yesterday I added a bit of left over tomato juice, mango chutney, raita with a tin of chickpea and the rest of the spinach along with gravy granules, curry powder and water.  Now I have four portions to freeze for a few more pence.

I called in at the little “express” supermarket in our village just at the right time and got pizza for 93p, 2 packs of 5 chicken drum sticks for 37p each, a lettuce for 25p and 3 fish pies from their no additives range which should have been 3 for £5 but cost me £1.41.  I have frozen the chicken and 1 fish pie, my colleague and I had the pizza with lettuce and coleslaw (reduced from another store) for lunch.  Tonight we had fish pie and veg for our dinner. 

I'm going back to menu planning as it really works well for us, so the plan for this week is:

Menu Plan

Mon: Fish pie and veg

Tues: Jacket potato, tuna burgers and salad

Wed: Faggots, mash potato and veg (OH), spicy pork and rice – me

Thur: Faggots, mash potatoes and veg (OH only) I’m hitting the town!

Fri: Something fishy – got a few pieces in the freezer

The Magatha – Another Levellers fan J  I have seen them a few times before, even going on my own last year to small local gig they did, I just love them, especially live.  Thank you for following me xx

Food Glorious Food

What was interesting by doing my food challenge last month was finding out the things that went down well with my OH were things that I thought he wasn’t keen on. He enjoyed meat from left over roasts which I had frozen with gravy and he also like the homemade vegetable soup. The baguettes I’d cut into four and froze along with some rolls that were yellow stickered at 10p where handy to have will soup or sausage casserole. I also know what not to buy again. I still have some frozen stir-fry veg and peppers that I haven’t used. I also found some frozen grilled aubergine from when I made mousakka once, there isn’t enough to make another one and I don’t want to buy any more some will have to think of a way to use them up.

I think I will have a meat delivery next week. I can’t remember the last time we had one. I hope that his prices haven’t gone up but I think that in the current climate they will have. I have found a new place for fruit and vegetables. I’m not sure if they are cheaper than Aldi but the fruit I got from there the other day was so tasty it was worth it. Also it is a local independent trader which I like to support.

I will definitely keep up with the menu planning and want to try some new recipes this month.

Here is next weeks menu plan, using up a few more bits from the freezer.

Fri
Mince and onions, jacket potato & veg
Sat
Home made chicken curry & chips/rice
Sun
£5 meal deal from Morro’s/ or Roast Chicken
Mon
Tuna steaks, new potatoes & veg/salad
Tue
Pasta carbonara
Wed
Fish pie/pork, mash potatoes & veg
Thurs
Mackerel/veggie burger, jacket potatoes & salad
Fri
Seafood risotto

Menu Plan

We still eating homemade things from the freezer hence there being two items on the menu on some nights as there are only one portion of each in the freezer.

MONDAY
HM pizza and salad (didn’t have the energy or feel hungry enough to make them so we had baguettes from the freezer with ham/cheese)

TUESDAY
Roast lamb/Beef stew, mash potato, HM Yorkshire puddings and veg

WEDNESDAY
Spaghetti Bolognese and garlic bread

THURSDAY
Roast chicken/chicken pie, roast potatoes, Yorkshire puddings and veg

FRIDAY
Salmon and cous-cous

SATURDAY
HM Chicken curry and naan bread

SUNDAY
HM shepherds pie, baked beans and veg

THINGS TO BUY
Tomatoes
Cucumber
Garlic bread
Lard
Veg

SFT - Thanks for the much needed hugs :) You do fantastic to manage a budget of £60 each month, it would be great if we could but it would be such a struggle but I’m defiantly going to be more planned with the shopping. Does your budget include cleaning products/toiletries? We haven’t decided where to go yet, but will keep you posted xx

Christine – Thank you for your encouragement.

Saving £’s – It was so nice seeing the smile on mums face, I guess you are never to old (they are both in their 80’s) to be told off by your big sister!

Mum – Thank you for your support xx

I managed to stick to the £10 food budget for last week, the grand total spent was £9.49, which I’m very pleased about. I did manage to get some things from the reduced section which was great, hopefully will time it right again this week and get some more bits.

I have been through all the cupboards and freezer and have done an audit on everything we have in there. We have a lot more fish than I thought so this will be on the menu for this week. Again the only thing I should need to buy is milk and salad bits.

MONDAY
Roast chicken/pork, roast potatoes and vegetables
TUESDAY
Salmon & couscous
WEDNESDAY
Gammon/burger, pineapple, potato wedges, peas & sweetcorn
THURSDAY
Tuna steaks, jacket potato & salad
FRIDAY
Paprika chicken, savoury rice and salad
SATURDAY
Sausage casserole & bread rolls
SUNDAY
Shepherds pie & veg

Bare Necessities and Smiling

I’m joining in with Bare Necessities Challenge found here
And today I have spent £1, on cat litter tray liners.

This week’s Menu Plan

MON
Lunch Home stuffed peppers and salad
Dinner Fish and chips
TUE
Lunch Courgette and lemon pasta
Dinner Mince and Rice
WED
Lunch Chicken Risotto
Dinner Gammon, pineapple, jacket potato & veg
THUR
Lunch Homemade roasted red pepper and tomato soup
Dinner Lamb cutlets, new potatoes and veg
FRI
Lunch TBA
Dinner Sausage and butterbean casserole

A few things made me smile on Saturday. One of the clients gave me a box of chocolates (dark ones, my favourite) to say thank you for a chat we had the other week. After we closed a couple of the other volunteers and me went and had a cup of tea. It was nice to sit down in the sun and chat to people I hadn’t met before. Also when walking through town came across this band


The video doesn’t really do them justice. When I saw them they played Cee Lo Green’s Forget You and sounded amazing – made me want to dance.

Thank you all for your encouraging comments.xx

I followed "mums" advice and sent my thank you card to my uncle. I also paid most of my visa bill, will be able to pay it off in full next month.

I have enquired about renting my spare room out to overseas students and the college is going to send me some information.

Swam for 35 min yesterday.

Menu Plan for the Week
MON
Lunch: Quiche and salad
Dinner: HM Turkey Parmesan, savory rice and salad
TUES
Lunch: Left over Turkey Parmesan, Savoury rice & salad
Dinner: Lamb cutlets, new potatoes and veg
WED
Lunch: Mackerel salad
Dinner: Gammon, pineapple, Jacket Potato and salad
THUR
Lunch: HM Spicey Chicken and pasta baked (made my by colleague)
Dinner: HM meat pie, mash potatoes and veg
FRI
Lunch: HM spinach & mushroom Risotto
Dinner: Fish, white sauce, new potatoes & veg
SAT
Lunch: Cheese Sandwich
Dinner: HM burgers, wedges & beans
SUN
Lunch: Bacon sandwich
Dinner: Roast chicken, roast potatoes, HM Yorkshire puds & veg

A Start

Thank you for your kind comments.

Well a few things off the list.

Money transferred for driving lessons, ready to withdraw and pay on Friday.

Have been on a walk, more of a power walk than a long walk but it was better than nothing. I use to walk ½ hour to and from the bus stop for work but I now get a lift which is great as it’s saving me a lot of money but means I hardly do any exercise so really need to get moving.

This Weeks Menu Plan
Mon: Quiche, salad and new potatoes

Tue: Cannellini bean, salami Pasta and salad
Wed: Gammon, jacket potato and vegetables
Thurs: Pork chop, mash potato and vegetables
Fri: Fish, HM potato wedges and mushy peas
Sat: HM beef curry and rice
Sun: Roast chicken, Yorkshire pudding, roast potatoes and vegetables

Menu Plan

This weeks menu plan is as follows:

Wednesday
Lunch: Homemade Vegetable Soup
Dinner: Jacket potato, gammon, pea, sweetcorn, carrots and pineapple

Thursday
Lunch: Cous-cous, salad and tuna
Dinner: Poached egg on toast

Friday
Lunch: Homemade vegetable soup
Dinner: Pork chops, mash potato, cauilflour, brocckli and carrots

Saturday
Lunch: TBA as not sure what plans are
Dinner: Hot dogs, baked beans, potato wedges

Sunday
Brunch: Bacon & egg butties
Dinner: Lamb chops, roast potatoes and vegetables

Breakfasts are grapefruit, orange, or toast.
Snacks are fruit and yoghurt

Menu Plan

Sunday HM Chicken pie, roasties, Yorkshire puds and vegetables
Monday Cottage pie, jacket potatoes, baked beans and vegetables
Tuesday Chilli and noodles
Wednesday Gammon, jacket potato and salad
Thursday Spaghetti and salad
Friday Toad in the hole, mash potatoes and vegetables
Saturday Homemade burgers, wedges and salad
Sunday Roast lamb/lamb chops, potato gratin and vegetables

Menu plan

This month I am trying to use all the food we have in the freezer so we don't have to do a big shop.
Tonight I have made mince to go in shepherds pie and froze 2 lots, in the slow cooker is beef curry which we are having fo dinner tomorrow night but there should be plenty left over to freeze. I also made carrot and coriander soup.
Monday:
Lunch: Sandwich from supermarket
Dinner: Mince and onions, vegetables

Tuesday
Lunch: HM Carrot and coriander soup
Dinner: HM Beef curry and rice

Wednesday
Lunch: Tuna Salad
Dinner: Pasta and Philly sauce, salad

Thursday
Lunch: Jacket potato and beans
Dinner: HM Chicken fajitas

Friday
Brunch: Bacon Buttie
Dinner: Out

Saturday
Lunch: Beans on toast
Dinner: HM potato wedges, spicy bean burger and salad

Sunday
Lunch: HM quiche and salad
Dinner: Sausages, mash, vegetables and onion gravy