Food - where have all the basics ranges gone in the UK?

Food.  We need it every day and yet it is the one thing that it is the most likely to be cut in terms of budget when times get hard.  It used to be possible to go to your average UK supermarket and be able to drop down to the value range on the usual basics.  These were no frills, not available on everything, but good value for feeding the family.  The supermarkets seem to have gone and silently removed these from the shelves over the last couple of years.  

At the moment all the focus in the news is on shortages on the shelves with the pandemic being blamed.  Yes, people isolating has caused problems in the supply chain BUT the bigger problem is the large number of foreign EU nationals who have gone home after BREXIT.  Yes folks it was our own governments policy as endorsed by fractionally over half the population who voted in the referendum.  Are you really surprised that people felt so unwelcome that they left the country?  We now have a national shortage of lorry drivers, builders, carers, nurses, doctors and a whole host of other occupations.  None of these people will be replaced quickly because they all have skills and qualifications that have taken years to learn.  Talk about own goal - thank you Boris for lying to people.

The food chain is something that we have been used to being constant and it comes as a shock to have shortages and seasonality playing more of a role, for people a hundred years ago this was everyday life; for us it is the end of our comfortable world.  It makes it a sellers market and the supermarkets can charge what they like.  Add that to the fact that a lot of people are struggling financially after months on furlough or losing their jobs it is a perfect storm. So when the basics range that you have been relying on disappears what do you do?

1) substitute, substitute, substitute- no recipe is set in stone; if you can substitute a cheaper alternative then just a few pence per meal can mean the difference between making the budget and blowing it.  My favourite tip comes from Jack Monroe who substitutes supermarket own baked beans in tomato sauce and washes the sauce off rather than use plain tinned pulses.  The difference is 10p per tin at my own supermarket.  Also most traditional recipes have some form of carbohydrates but rice, pasta, potatoes, noodles, can all be swapped to use what you have to hand

2) don't waste anything if you can help it - this means using those veggies whilst they are still in perfect condition, freezing things that are about to be wasted, getting to know a few stand by leftover friendly meals

3) watch those portions - good for the waistline and also the pocket and one that I can benefit from personally

4) team up with a mate to buy bulk sized packets and then split the goods and the price between you.  Supermarket tend to give better value weight for weight on larger packs; not so good if you are a couple or singleton as you either end up eating the same thing repeatedly or waste a load as you don't eat it before it goes off.

5) tinned and frozen are as nutritional as fresh when it comes to fruit and veg; another way of stopping throwing things away

6) shop your own cupboards- you probably have more food at home than you think.  Spend a while working out what you already have in the house; if you're lucky you can delay the "big shop" for a day or two, at the very least you can avoid adding to the tinned tomato mountain in the cupboard

7) Don't let brand loyalty/snobbishness rule what goes into your basket, try the cheaper alternatives, at the worst you'll know you don't like it

8) make a list, not just of things that you have run out of but of meals that you intend to make.  I don't call mine a meal plan as I like to be able to swap things around during the week but this is really what it is!

9) learn to cook your own.  Sometimes it is better to use the ready made version but often they are more healthy if you cook them yourself.  With You tube there has never been a better time to learn a new skill.

10) grow your own - but only if you already have all the kit.  If you are already a gardener then you will have the tools, pots, compost etc and it is only a packet of seeds but starting from scratch and you can find yourselves paying tens or even hundreds of pounds for a pretty meagre harvest.  Grow your own is also a skill and takes time to learn.

11) Learn from other people- yes sometimes the tips don't make sense to you but you never know there may be something you can adapt.

12) Learn the difference between "want" and "need", it may be that you are treating yourself more than you realise to things that cost money to help you through it all mentally.  Switch to cost free treats if you can, cut down the treats if you can't or switch to cheaper versions to save a few pennies.

Sewing Patterns for free

 As the restrictions continue to be lifted many employers are starting with a back to work policy and we can no longer work in our PJ's.

However, many of us have gained a pound or two and the thought of being in a shop is still scary for those of us who where shielding and are still vulnerable.

So here is a round up of some FREE sewing patterns for those crafty people amongst us.

1) crop shell top pattern- good for summer and for layering now the weather is getting cooler and best of all it does not use much fabric. https://amynicolestudio.com/krissa-crop-free-pattern/

2) short sleeve top - https://www.fibremood.com/en/patterns/447-frances-shirt

3) long or short kimono style jacket - https://www.fibremood.com/en/patterns/498-julia-jacket-long

4) long sleeve - assymetric top - https://georgeandgingerpatterns.com/products/the-40k-sway-top-pdf-sewing-pattern

5) 3/4 length sleeve top - https://www.seamwork.com/catalog/york

6) wrap dress - https://www.fibremood.com/en/patterns/609-charlotte-dress-short

7) sleeveless tank top - https://www.fabric.com/creativity-headquarters-free-pattern-downloads-flutter-by-tank-top-pattern-download.aspx

8) Peasant top  http://www.pages01.net/fabriccom/HPDLGypsopheliaPeasantTop

9) waistcoat - https://www.fabric.com/creativity-headquarters-free-pattern-downloads-shining-star-vest.aspx?cm_re=Free+Pattern+Downloads-_-SLOT+23-_-Free+Pattern+Downloads

10) Gored skirt with ruffles - https://www.fabric.com/creativity-headquarters-free-pattern-downloads-voodoo-chile-gored-skirt-pattern.aspx?cm_re=Free+Pattern+Downloads-_-SLOT+33-_-Free+Pattern+Downloads

11) maxi skirt - https://www.fabric.com/creativity-headquarters-free-pattern-downloads-tropicana-maxi-skirt-pattern.aspx?cm_re=Free+Pattern+Downloads-_-SLOT+31-_-Free+Pattern+Downloads

12) top with short puffed sleeves - https://peppermintmag.com/sewing-school/paddington-top/

13) pinafore https://peppermintmag.com/sewing-school/milton-pinafore/

15) wrap skirt -https://peppermintmag.com/sewing-school/wrapskirt/

16) half sleeve dress -https://fabrics-store.com/sewing-patterns/cora-half-sleeve-linen-dress

17) long cardigan - https://www.moodfabrics.com/blog/the-willow-cardigan-free-sewing-pattern/

18) long sleeve t with a drape neckline https://freesewing.org/designs/diana/

19) half sleeve tunic - https://www.moodfabrics.com/blog/the-vallea-tunic-free-sewing-pattern/

20) sleeveless top with centre front pleat - https://www.seamwork.com/catalog/sorbetto

22) lons sleeve cardigan - http://www.pages01.net/fabriccom/HDDLAspenCardigan/?cm_re=CHFreeDwnlds_AspenCardigan-_-crhdqtr_banner-_-Landing_AspenCardigan

23) jacket/ short coat - https://www.moodfabrics.com/blog/the-kalmia-jacket-free-sewing-pattern/

24) wrap dress - https://www.moodfabrics.com/blog/the-nyssa-dress-free-sewing-pattern/

25) "party" dress - https://rebecca-page.com/featured_item/portia-party-dress-ladies/

26) summer dress - https://peppermintmag.com/sewing-school/bardondress/

27) mary quant wrap dress - https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/sew-your-own-mary-quant-georgie-dress

28) top/dress, choose your own length - https://www.hallapatterns.com/products/agnes-swing-top-dress

29) long sleeve wrap dress - https://fabrics-store.com/sewing-patterns/noor-noor-wrap-dress-pattern

30) tulip hem Tee - https://www.patternsforpirates.com/product/tulip-tee/

The Original One Pot Wonder - Student/Post Furlough food: Spanish Omelette or tortilla

 "The oven won't turn off".  The words I was greeted with by my 19  year old on return from an emergency dental appointment.  The cooker, which was second hand when we moved in 18 years ago, had finally given up the ghost.  Cue about 8 hours of drama whilst we turned off the gas to the house and tried to get a gas engineer during a pandemic where over a million people are isolating in the UK alone.  Finally after an emergency call out fee of £200 we had the cooker made safe - and had a hob but no oven. We could get a new cooker but couldn't get it installed for three and a half weeks (did I mention the number of people isolating).   Now we are nearing the end of the tunnel (2 nd of August can't come soon enough), we are sick and tired of pasta and rice and need to find £700 for the callout, new cooker, installation and disposal of the old one added together; oh and the "hot zone" has to be a minimum size above the cooker or they can't install it (cue adding more tiles to extend it up the wall behind the hob and to either side which has necessitated taking down a kitchen cupboard and three shelves!  More money and a storage problem which we are kicking down the road for now). 

So, this is an ideal protein packed recipe that I often forget. It is cheap, filling, carnivore or veggie depending on what you put in it and can use up the debris left in the bottom of the veggie rack to avoid food waste and postpone that trip to the shops.  As always the basic basic version, plus ideas to jazz it up.

Spanish Omelette (serves 3-4)

1 onion, sliced

oil

300 g potatoes, cooked and cut into chunks

5 large eggs

Make sure you have a large frying pan, ideally one that fit under a grill but this is not totally necessary.

Soften the onion in the oil, add the potatoes and stir until the onions are just starting to get a little brown on the edges (not too much or they will be bitter).

Break the eggs into a bowl or mug and lightly beat together to break up the yolks.  Spread the veggies out into a thin layer and then pour in the eggs and turn down the heat.  Now watch the edge of the pan- you should see the egg mixture at the edges start to turn solid, , this will spread over the bottom of the pan, do not stir.  When it looks like only the very top is still wet then either flip to the other side (use a plate to turn it over) or if your frying pan has a heat proof handle put under a hot grill.  After about another minute the omelette is done.

Variations:

Add chopped peppers to the onions at the start of the recipe

Add sliced mushrooms

Add chopped chilli

Add chopped bacon when you add the potatoes

Add leftover roast meat or sausages (already cooked) or meat alternatives just before you add the eggs

Use tinned potatoes instead of fresh

Use leftover roasted veggies

Add garlic

Use leeks instead of onion

Add chopped chives (garlic chives are good) or use the tops from garlic or onion plants from the garden if you are growing them

Add mixed frozen veggies after the onion but before the potatoes to allow to thaw and start to heat through

Add herbs such as thyme or basil

Add chopped or sliced tomatoes (especially good for cherry tomatoes that are overripe)

Add spinach or kale to the onion

Add grated cheese to the top before putting under the grill

Serve hot or cold, on it's own or with salad

Need help managing money and dealing with debt- new website Moneyhelper

Here in the UK and probably round the world a significant proportion of the population has struggled with money over the last year.  We have people who have lost their jobs because the business has folded, been on furlough with a reduced salary for months on end (me!), been made redundant as businesses have had to slim down, or lost part of a family income because of a COVID death to name a few.  Meanwhile being bored at home has meant more online spending as a trend.  

As part of the recovery for the economy from what has been a year when the borrowing the government has had to do is the highest since WW2 the government (the money and pensions service) has launched a new website called Money helper. The idea is that it is a one stop shop for advice for savings, pensions, benefits, debt management, and everyday spending and taking control of your money here in the UK and there are advisors online to talk to live, and all of this for FREE.  If you are struggling don't wait for it to get really bad before taking control of the situation; and if you are about to transition to another milestone in life (new baby, retirement etc) find out the pitfalls that are waiting for you- it is worth a look.

Post Furlough/Student Food: Stuffed Potato Galette

 Anyone who reads through this blog knows that I am a big fan of the humble spud for bulking out other ingredients without breaking the bank.  This recipe is a kind of stuffed potato pancake filled with what could be left overs and cooked on the stove top not the oven.  It would be pretty difficult to find another one that sounds more like me!  Not only that but it uses mashed potato so you can use the store cupboard instant stuff if you need to which can make it FAST.  Served with some vegetable matter on the side it serves 4 amply.

Stuffed Potato Galette - serves 4

for the minced meat filling:

olive oil

1 onion, sliced

2 cloves garlic, crushed

300 grams of minced beef

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp chilli

chopped fresh parsley

Fot the potato dough:

800 g potatoes, peeled

1 egg

salt and pepper

approximately 200 g plain flour

For assembly

50-60 g grated cheese

Make the meat filling whilst the potatoes are cooking. Fry the onion in some olive oil until soft. Add the crushed garlic and the minced beef and cook breaking up any lumps with a spoon. Once the meat is brown add the spices and continue to cook for 1-2 minutes until the aroma really gets going. Stir in the fresh herbs and set aside to cool.

Boil the potatoes untill tender, mash and allow to cool until at least cold enough to touch. With your hands make this into a dough with the egg and enough flour so it holds its shape and is not wet. Depending on your potatoes and how starchy they are this may be more or less flour. Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces.

Using baking parchment draw a pencil line the size of your frying pan, turn the parchment pencil side down and using the first piece of dough flatten the dough into a circle that fits the shape you have just drawn. Now we are going to assemble the galette in the pan.

Put the pan onto a medium to low heat and add a little oil. Put the first circle of dough into the pan and top with half of the cheese, followed by the meat mixture followed by the remainder of the cheese. Leave a border round the edge so that the dough can be pressed together to seal. Quickly flatten the second piece of dough in the same way and the first and place on top of the filling. Press all round the edges with a fork or spoon to seal the two layers of dough together.

After about 5 minutes sneak a peak at the underside of the dough, it should be brown. Turn the galette over to cook the other side with the help of a plate. and cook for 2-3 minutes on the second side.

Serve with salad or other vegetables on the side.

Variations and tips:

Since the potatoes for the dough have to be cold before use anyway make the most of your fuel and make this dish the day after you have potatoes for dinner and cook double. In the summer I do a big batch an turn half into potato salad and half into this recipe.

Make it veggie - instead of the meat mixture use sauteed mushrooms and other veggies such as peppers and courgettes. Or use vegetables that you have oven roasted previously (making good use of the oven by cooking them at the same time as something else of course).

Flavour the mince meat with different herbs and spices. This version is flavoured with chilli but you could make it more Italian by adding basil and oregano and a squirt of tomato puree. You could make it more Greek by using oregano and a little cinnamon. Use spice mixtures such as ras-al-hanout or Z'atar to flavour the meat. Use other meat instead of the minced beef.

Instead of cooking the meat from scratch use leftover spag bol sauce, or chilli. Leftover curry also works but with this leave out the cheese.

This also make a good recipe to add to the mix if you are into doing a freezer cooking day using minced beef.

In this recipe you need a cheese that melts nicely but this could be Cheddar, something like a mozarella or even a blue cheese.

MASTERCLASS - HOW TO MAKE & SELL DIGITAL FILES on ETSY - SVG, EPS, DXF, ...

Best tutorial I have seen in a long time.  Starting on making my bundles for listing now!

Food for 1 week - a Sainsbury's v Morrisons comparison

 I am ashamed to say that I do not use my nearest supermarket.  For me I have spent years comparing items pricewise and Sainsburys has come out more expensive overall.  However, recently they have introduced a price match for ALDI which means that suddenly the odd item here and there is cheaper than where I usually do my shop (Morrisons).  With this is mind I revisited my £15 meal plan and compared item for item to see if it would be cheaper.

In short the total is cheaper - instead of £14.96 the total would be £14.17 but the devil as they say is in the detail...

1)First up margarine £1.00 using an item on offer at Morrisons when the post was written

Price is the same (albeit for own brand) - interestingly own brand at Morrisons would be slightly more expensive if they did not have an offer.

2) 500 g frozen mixed veg 85p at Morrisons

A winner at Sainsbury's thanks to the price match

3) Passata - 35p per carton at Morrisons

40p per carton at sainsburys - not so good

4) 1 kg of onions - 65p at Morrisons

a whole 20p more expensive at Sainsbury's

5) 500 g red lentils £1.15 from Morrisons

same price

6) Loaf of bread (800g for 49p at Morrisons)

Price match to the rescue again - a 13p saving at Sainsbury's

7) 2 pints whole milk - 80p at Morrisons

no change in price - not a big surprise really...

8) 500 g pasta 45p at Morrisons

Sainsburys is a loser this time at 10p more expensive

9) 1 head garlic - 45p at Morrisons

A nice surprise to find a 20 p saving here!

10) 6 eggs for 75 p at Morrisons

15 p more expensive at Sainsbury's

11)1 kg of granulated sugar 65p

This one looks like it is cheaper but look at the pack size - gram per gram it is more expensive and would last me half as long BUT if the bottom line is the total at the checkout this week then it saves me 15p on the total bill - you pays your money you takes your choice...

12) Own brand baked beans 30p per tin from Morrisons

Price match again - 9p per tin saving

13) 500 g plain flour - 45p at Morrisons

Same price BUT look at the pack size.  Thanks to price match this is a massive 3x the amount for the same cost OR I could have chosen to have a pack the same size for a 5p saving...

14) 1 kg frozen cauliflower/ broccoli 99p at Morrisons

£1 at Sainsbury's - let's call this one a draw...

15) £1.89 for 350g cheese

smaller price saving 39p off the total BUT for a smaller pack (the next nearest was 400g of cheese for £2)

16) 100g curry powder 65p

15p more expensive at Sainsbury's

17)  Mixed herbs 95p

10 p saving

18) 8 pack of sausages £1

20 p saving thanks to price match

19) 80 value tea bags 55p 

Half as many teabags for 15p definite loser for the final item.

So what is the conclusion-.  Well as a generalisation the ALDI price match makes all the difference.  You can find out what is included by following the link on the Sainsbury's Groceries homepage  and this includes over 250 items at the latest.

One of the highlights is the 1kg of rice for 45p which would make a good substitution for the pasta in my original list and give more food in the long run for the same price (yes at a pinch one form of carbs is pretty much like another).  Other things like eggs, flour, teabags are geared towards the bigger value packs though - great if you are scaling up to feed a family - or can operate on a monthly budget, not so good if you are hand-to-mouth on a week by week budget.  I still cannot get all the way down to £10 for 1 person without cheating and using value packs and proportional pricing - well not unless you want baked beans on toast for lunch and dinner for 7 days!  What it really underlines is that it is very rarely cheaper on everything when you compare one shop with another and you also have to weigh up things like travel costs as well.  Using a price book (and stocking up if you can) for groceries that have a long shelf life does help, so can combining journeys like the work commute (assuming you still do one) so long as you are disciplined and don't fall for the offers etc instore.  Finally, don't forget that if you can have a little wiggle room in your food budget for emergencies this will help with the mindset as there is nothing that will make you stick to your old (bad) ways more than knowing even if you don't like it you have to eat it or go hungry;  just remember even an emergency tin of beans or soup will do and try that recipe you have been recommended by your mate - it might even change your mind.

Post Furlough/Student Food: World's cheapest soup? Potato Soup

 With the wind and rain blowing a hoolie this morning soup springs to mind for lunch.  I have previously done a "cream of anything" soup post which made the use of those veggies that are about to go in the bin - incidentally it is also great made with tinned or frozen veggies as well.  This time this is the cheapest (thick) soup that I can think of - at it's most simple it is just stock, potatoes and a splash of oil and so can be really cheap, but of course it would not be one of my recipes if I did not include some variations if you have extra money in your budget or ingredients in your fridge/cupboard.  It begins to sound like the real life version of Stone Soup.

Potato Soup (serves 4)

450 g potatoes, peeled and cubed

Splash of oil

Stock to barely cover (can be homemade or from a cube) ~ 1 1/2 pints

In a large pot toss the potatoes in the oil and allow to saute for a few minutes until just starting to begin to start to colour.

Add the stock and bring to the boil.  Simmer until the potatoes are soft.

Mash with a potato masher or use a stick blender.  Add extra liquid to get desired thickness.  Serve

Variations:

Ah where to begin...

When you add the extra liquid use milk or cream instead of stock.  I have even used skim milk powder instead of fresh milk, still adds a creamy flavour.

Add a chopped onion to the potatoes, allow to soften for as long as possible before adding the liquid.

Use sweet potatoes instead of all "normal" spuds

Add cooked bacon for extra flavour

Add grated cheese for extra flavour

If garlic is you thing then add some garlic along with the potatoes

Add chopped leek to the potatoes

Add chopped chives or chopped dill on the herbs front.

Add curry powder or garam masala (mix into the veggies after they are softened in the oil but before the stock and allow to become fragrant before adding the liquid)

Post furlough food: Dump and go pork and potato casserole in the crock pot/slowcooker.

 This weekend was a bank holiday for the UK.  We found ourselves at IKEA collecting a bed for our 17 year old having discovered that the metal bed frame had broken on his bed and his bum was halfway to the floor each night - he hadn't bothered to tell us for months!  Anyway this involved a 4 hour drive to to click and collect and then get back home during which time our two autistic sons were tasked with taking the old bed apart on their own- which they did much to their surprise.  They then got to put the new one together with only help when absolutely stuck (Dad was banned!).  Final comment was "It's just like a big Lego really"  so a very well done A and B- I told you you could do it!

This meant of course a very late day and whilst the boys love pizza or sausages and chips the grown ups in the house not so much so I put together this dump and go from some pork I had in the freezer before the road trip.

Pork and Potato Casserole - serves 4

500g pork - I used tenderloin as this was what I had in the freezer but you could use cubed meat or chops, even mince

1 tin of cider

2 courgettes, chopped

2 carrots chopped

500 g new potatoes, washed and halved

1 tsp garlic granules or 1-2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 chicken stock cube.

At this point you can put all the ingredients in a freezer bag and freeze if desired.

Place all the above ingredients in the slow cooker and leave to cook for bout 6-8 hours - or in our case 10, the longer you leave it the more the cider will soak into the potatoes.

To serve,

Fry a sliced onion until softened and brown.  Add the liquid from the slowcooker and 2 tsp of cornflour that have been mixed with water to make a paste.  Stir all the time and bring to the boil when it should be thick.  Mix back with all other ingredients and stir to make sure everything is coated.  Serve.

Variations:

-The reason I add the onions at the end is because I loath the taste of "boiled" onions which is what you get if you add them at the beginning - however feel free if you want a dump and go bag for the freezer and you don't mid the taste

-this works well with sausages instead of pork

- if you don't do alcohol then use apple juice instead

-Add some sage if you have it, pork loves sage

-Use other veg instead of courgettes and carrots - any root veg will work well as will squash, don't add mushrooms though they go slimey.

Fresh Basil from Cuttings - an experiment.

 With the approach of the Easter holidays comes the warmer weather.  Last year I invested in a polytunnel and had limited success growing Basil - despite numerous gardening articles that it is the easiest herb to grow, to be fair it is probably how I water it but there we go... I love basil and tomatoes and when I look at most of the recipes I have posted they involve this combo so to have my own basil would be a saving.  I have tried basil from the supermarket in "growing pots" before and they usually last a week if I am lucky.

So this time inspired by a YouTube video (of which there are many)  I am going to take cuttings from my supermarket basil.  If the worse comes to the worse I will have wasted £1.50, which is afterall the same as a pack of seed anyway.

Materials:

1 pot supermarket basil

scissors or snips to cut the stems to length

cups/jars/galsses to stand the cuttings in

water

a sunny windowsill

Snip the stems of the basil just above a leave node (ideally they should be about 4 inches long and have a couple of leaf joints along the stem.  Remove the lower leaves to leave a cluster of about 4 leaves at the top.  The remaining stem will sprout from the leaf node that you just cut above, the cutting will sprout from the leaf node that is in the water.  Leave for a couple of weeks, changing the water every day.

Sounds simple enough doesn't it!

Now I don't have a sunny windosill - but since I got paid £25 in Amazon vouchers I managed to snag a Growlight that I wanted for my pepper seedlings anyway so I will be snuggling the basil cuttings alongside and will update this post later with as it works for me - or not...

Day 1 - just started - still alive!

Day 7 - mother plant is still alive which in itself is amazing!- the cuttings however show absolutely no sign of any roots at all. :(

Day 20  - still no roots or any sign at all of anything happening.  By now we should at least have some baby tendrils forming.   Hmm......

Finally - May bank holiday weekend we have enough roots to try and plant them up!  All we have to do now is fight off the slugs.

Post Furlough/student food: Sausage and Lentil Soup/Stew - slow cooker and freezer friendly Dump and Go recipe

 This is one of those recipes that can be bagged and frozen ready for throwing into the slow cooker straight from the freezer on your way out for the day - remember when we were able to do that!  Once it is cooked the leftovers also freeze beautifully and since it uses sausages and pulses - both of which are cheap it will not break the bank either - win win win.

Speaking of slowcookers they are one worthwhile investment if you are serious about saving money on fuel.  The often quoted statistic is that they use the same as a lightbulb - but this is misleading because since LED lightbulbs became the go to this is no longer true. They use about 1% of the electricity that it uses to keep the oven on low (comparing one hour of slow cooker use with one hour of oven use) and unlike Instant Pots and other trending kit they are under £30 and widely available so they recoup the outlay quickly.

Onto the recipe - if you intend to freeze it uncooked then freeze without the added liquid - saves on freezer space.  The only difference between a soup and a stew is the amount of liquid.  I use a pack of sausages from the chiller, but you can substitute frozen sausages if you prefer - just make sure they go straight back into the freezer before they start to defrost.

Sausage and Lentil Soup/Stew (serves 6 ish)

1 pack of you favourite sausages

340 g brown lentils (when I am feeling lazy this is about 2/3 rds of a 500g bag)

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

1 onion diced

2 sticks celery, chopped

3 crushed cloves garlic

1 carton passata

1 tsp mixed herbs

4 pints water or stock for soup or enough water to barely cover for stew

To make fresh:

Brown the sausages in a little vegetable oil, remove from the pan and add the onions, fry until softened.  Add the garlic and stir for 1 minute until fragrant.

Add all the ingredients except that water to the slow cooker, use the water to rinse out the pan used for frying to get the last of the juices from the onions and garlic.

Bung on the lid and cook on HIGH for 4-5 hours or  LOW for 7-8 hours - it will not hurt significantly if you go a little over!  

I like to slice the sausages before serving to make them portion better between us all.

Serve with fresh bread. pasta or rice

To freeze cooked:

Allow the stew to cool then portion into freezer bags, label and freeze.  To use thaw in the fridge overnight (or microwave if pushed) and heat either in a saucepan or in the microwave until piping hot   all the way through.

To Freeze "raw":

Once the sausages and onions have been browned add to a freezer bag along with all the ingredients except the stock or water.  Label with instructions that remind you to add this and how long it needs in the slow cooker - it is easier to write it on the bag rather than a inventory sheet which gets lost!  No need to thaw - the bag can be emptied in as is to cook.  Once it has been thoroughly cooked freeze the leftovers as above.

Variations:

The pulses that you use can be any kind lentils not just brown, if you do not have lentils then beans can be used as a substitute.  If you use dried beans remember to soak them overnight and then change the water and bring to a "hard boil" for 10 minutes before draining and adding to the slowcooker.  A slightly more expensive but less faff version is to add a drained tin of pulses.  This can even be generic baked beans in tomato sauce if pushed - still very cheap.

The sausages you use can be supermarket "bangers", hot dog sausages (from a tin only about 50p a go), frozen sausages (I always have a pack in the freezer for emergencies), "fancy" sausage like smoked sausage (kiebasa), Chorizo also makes a nice addition but can be a bit much if used as the sole meat.  I use leftover bangers for this recipe as well - when I cook sausage and mash just for the kids I have 2 sausages leftover -pop those in the freezer and when you have 8 you have enough for this stew.

Substitute other meat for some of the sausage in this recipe - add a couple of rashers chopped bacon, leftover roast meat, mince.

If you want to stretch the recipe slightly then add some more chopped veggies.

Making cards and scrapbook backgrounds - resources for free

 One of the things that I like to do and do not do as much now my "kids" are teens is making things together.  However I have found two resources that I am using to up my craft quotient and keep me away from the screen more often.  Usually this would be sewing - but my machine is sick and thanks to COVID cannot be mended yet... so I resorted with scissors and paper to get my fix.

The first resource is a monthly pdf  from "Call me {crafty} Al".   Her YouTube channel contains the link in the description and a new video is released on the first of the month and has been for over a year. This uses card stock and patterned paper from pads (usually 12x12) to produce a set of co-ordinating cards.  Of course they are US cards which needs mentioning as this is not a standard size for the UK and you need to buy specific sized envelopes but I digress. The layout and cutting guide are free and anyone who uses them uses the hashtag if they post online so that you can look at all the examples from around the world for inspiration.

Here is this months video for your starter for ten

The second resource that I have been using is for background papers and elements.  This came about because my youngest son is still at home rather than school and will be until I get my jab.  The school I have to say have been brilliant - no fines here and when we return it will be phased as he has not been in the building for a whole year come this week.  As a result I have been acting as his teacher/teaching assistant and one of the things we had to do was a mood board for a textiles project that the pupils in school will be completing - we have indicated that since we have a home sewing machine there is no reason for us not to do it either.  For the task to count towards assessment (B is not at the GCSE stage yet) it needs some information to back it up so we needed to do a digital mood board - and therefore headed to the digital scrapbook sites available on the net.  This one stood out for us - free, easy to navigate and thousands of papers (mostly suitable for backgrounds which was perfect).  When I say thousands I mean over six and a half thousand sets in 36 colourways - someone sure had a ball in Photoshop. Anyway the site is called chantahliadesign click here to head to the Home page.

Right off to review, adapt and supplement the mainstream worksheet for today for my SEN son for the day.  Keep safe.

Meal Plan week 1 £15 per person.

 OK so this is the outline sketch of the meal plan for week 1 of the £15 menu - if you do not remember then what I bought is in the post here.  I need 21 meals for one person in total.  3 cups of tea a day within budget otherwise if I get thirsty there is always water!  The days here are interchangeable and I have assumed that you have access to one freezer drawer as most people have a fridge freezer nowadays.

Day 1

Breakfast - 2 slices toast and spread

Lunch - Slice of eggy bread made with one slice of bread and 1 egg (use margarine to cook)

Dinner - Lentil Dahl with homemade flatbreads

Day 2

Breakfast - 2 slices toast and spread

Lunch - Minestrone soup made from 1/4 of the tomato sauce plus small handful mixed veg and a small handful of pasta, use 1 slice of bread to make croutons

Dinner - 2 sausages with 2 scrambled eggs and 1/3 tin baked beans with 1 slice toast - OK it's a cooked breakfast but why can't I have this for dinner?

Day 3

Breakfast - 2 slices toast and spread

Lunch - 50-75g pasta in cheese sauce - make enough cheese sauce for 4 - freeze the remainder

Dinner - Lentil Dahl with homemade flatbreads

Day 4

Breakfast - 2 slices toast and spread

Lunch - cauliflower cheese using about 100 g of the cauliflower/broccoli and 1/4 of the cheese sauce

Dinner - Homemade pizza - top with 1/4 tomato sauce and 1 sliced sausage plus cheese

Day 5

Breakfast - 2 slices toast and spread

Lunch - baked bean "meatballs" in 1/4 tomato sauce with pasta - the 2/3 tin of baked beans left over from earlier in the week

Dinner - Lentil Dahl with homemade flatbreads

Day 6

Breakfast - 2 slices toast and spread

Lunch - Quesadilla with beans and cheese filling

Dinner -Pasta bake - 75 g pasta, 1/4 of the tomato sauce, 1 sausage sliced, handful of frozen veg, top with one slice of bread crumbled and some cheese.

Day 7

Breakfast - 2 slices toast and spread

Lunch - Cauliflower cheese with more of the leftover cheese sauce with 2 sausages on the side.

Dinner - Lentil Dahl with homemade flatbreads

I also have 3 eggs and some flour left over so I can make myself a batch of cupcakes for sweet snacks during the week!

I could also have made onion fritters (read bhajis but shallow fried) to go with my dahl.

At the end I have almost half the lentils left, some onions, some veggies, half of the pasta, half of the flour, 2 sausages, half of the garlic and most of the mixed herbs and curry powder to carry over into week 2. 

and I did not resort to beans on toast or a cheese sandwich which was my worst fear at the beginning...

Post Furlough/Student food - Quesadilla with beans and cheese.

 For my £15 a week menu I ended up using flour and beans to make a meal for one of the lunches.  Not a good combo you might feel but it turned out quite tasty.

Nothing in the cupboard quesadilla - serves 1

2 flatbreads

1/2 a tin of baked beans in tomato sauce

1/4 onion

1 clove garlic, crushed

grated cheese

oil, butter or in the case of the £15 menu margarine to cook.

Chop the onion really fine and soften in the oil, add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. 

Add to the baked beans and mash together well.  At this point if you have it add a pinch of cumin or chilli powder, alas I did not without cheating!

Take one of your flatbreads and spread with the beany mixture, top with grated cheese and put the other flatbread on top.

Heat up the frying pan, at this point you may be able to get away with no oil.  Put the bean sandwich you have created in the pan and allow to heat through for a couple of minutes on each side - the aim is to get it hot all the way through and allow the cheese to melt without the wraps burning, depending on how thin your wraps are it will be quicker or slower.

Post Furlough/Student Food - wraps/tortilla/flatbread/chapatis recipe

 I always seem to crave a wrap for lunch when I do not have one available, however you can make your own if you have plain flour, water and oil.  For the £15 a week challenge week 1 I used melted margarine as I have yet to buy any oil- it still worked although the taste was rather different.  These tasted great with the red lentil dhal.

Flatbread Recipe - makes 4-6 flatbreads

200 g plain flour

100 ml warm water

2 tbsp oil or  butter/margarine

Bung the flour into a bowl and make a well in the centre.  Gradually add the water mixing as you go with your fingers, depending on the brand of flour you may need to add some extra flour or extra water, you are aiming for a soft dough.

Knead the dough for 5 minutes - this helps the dough to be strong enough to be rolled out thin.

Divide the dough into 4 or 5 pieces and roll out using a floured rolling pin, try to get it as thin as possible.

Heat a frying pan and put a small amount of oil or margarine into the hot pan, tilt so it spreads over the surface.  Cook each flatbread for 2 minutes on each side - don't worry if it puffs up slightly.  Cooked flatbreads can be used like wraps or warmed before serving.  They even freeze, put some greaseproof paper between each layer.

Variations:

You get a different flavour depending on whether you cook these with oil or butter.  You can also use flavoured butter to cook it in to add a slight flavour.

If you want a more definite flavour to your flatbread add herbs or spices to the flour before adding the water.  Try chopped coriander, garlic powder, nigella seeds, chilli powder etc depending on what you want to serve them with.

Post Furlough/Student food - simple cheese sauce

 For years my mum used to buy cheese sauce as a packet mix.  It was bright orange, tasted of chemicals and used to set solid if left on a plate!   She was brought up by her mum (someone who could burn water) to think that cooking was difficult and sauces the most difficult of all.

This is my super simple cheese sauce - use it on it's own with broccoli and cauliflower, add it to just pasta for a homemade (cheap) version of mac and cheese, use it in a lasagne, add it to chicken and mushrooms for a great baked potato filling - the list is endless.

Cheese sauce - enough for mac and cheese for 4

25 g butter

25 g flour

250ml milk

120 g cheddar cheese, grated

Melt the butter in  a saucepan and add the flour.  Stir to a smooth paste and continue stirring and cooking for 1-2 minutes, it should go slightly yellow if it goes completely brown start again!  Do not miss this stage as it "cooks" the flour and gets rid of the gluey taste.  Add the milk a dribble at a time, stirring all the time to avoid lumps; I use a balloon whisk but you can also use a wooden spoon.

Once all the milk has been added keep stirring but allow to come to the boil, this will let the sauce thicken.  Stir in the grated cheese and allow to melt into the sauce.  

That's it - about 5 min in total.

Post furlough/student food - homemade tomato pasta/pizza sauce

 When I was a student many many years ago I used to get together with a bunch of friends for beer and homemade pizza on a Friday night.  It did not take us long to realise that it cost us less (and therefore we had more to spend on beer) if we made our own bases and also from reading the labels that pizza sauce in a jar has the primary ingredient of water!  If you must use a jar then use a jar of pasta sauce - most supermarkets sell their own nowadays, but it is really easy (and cheap) to make you own and it can be used for pizza topping, pasta sauces and even freezes well.

Homemade pasta/pizza sauce - serves 4

1 onion finely, chopped 

oil 

1 carton value passata

1-2 tsp mixed herbs

1-2 cloves garlic

2 -3 tbsp water

Fry the onion in the oil  (in the case of my £15 per person a week menu then margarine) until soft.  Add the crushed garlic and fry for 1 minute more (do not be tempted to add the garlic at the beginning as it is liable to burn and be bitter).

Add the mixed herbs and the passata.  Use the water (just a splash really) to get the last dregs out of the carton - after all you paid for it!

Bring to the boil - that's it ready to use - if you overdid it with the water then simmer for a few minutes to reduce down.

How to use

Pizza topping

Stir in meatballs and serve with pasta

Stir in mince and veggies and serve with pasta as spag bol

Stir in mince and veggies and serve with mashed potato on top for cottage/shepherds pie

Stir in mince and veggies and use to make lasagne

Stir into pasta and top with breadcrumbs and cheese to make pasta bake

Cooked rice, veggies and leftover meat if you have any - add cajun spices or chilli powder

Stir in beans/lentils for veggie version of spag bol.

Water down with stock and use as a base for minestrone soup or as a soup in it's own right.

Nine Cards - one sketch #SUYSFeb2021

 Card making alongside trying out my new camera mount for the ceiling.  I came across a channel called Call me {crafty} Al whilst thumbing through YouTube during a  break from homeschooling last week.  The lovely lady who runs the channel designs a (free!) card sketch and instructions once a month to allow you to make a batch of between 6 and 12 cards using 12 x 12 pattern paper.  In an attempt to regain some of the storage in my house I pulled out this to use this month so the find was serendipitous to say the least.  Of course homemade cards are a fraction of the cost of  those in the shops - but only once you have bought the basic gear and also only so long as you do not disappear down that particular craft rabbit hole (guilty!).  Anyway these are destined to be sold off when the COVID situation allows.

Wear a hat indoors....Free knitting patterns

 I was passed these words of wisdom from someone this week "I wear a hat indoors so I don't have to have the heating on".  Given that I am on unpaid leave AGAIN - thanks to COVID, I am looking for ways to keep the costs down   The number of frugal/super frugal tips and sites that have mushroomed in the wake of the biggest dip in the economy in a decade give or take is enormous, personally with Raynaulds Syndrome in the family turning down the heat too much is not an option and some of the tips may save money but we don't want complete misery in life do we?

This collided in my brain with a homework that was set by my youngest's DT teacher (he is in the middle of a Year 8 textiles module) - "Knit something".  Now my SEN son does not have the patience to knit - or the interest- so we did about 8 inches of French Knitting which took about half an hour and did not drive us both to distraction; as a reward he got the half term award for the year group for this subject.

Knitting is something that is undergoing a revival thanks to YouTube teaching people how to do it - personally I learnt from my great gran followed by my mum, my grandmother being another one who did not have the patience. Those people that are in the middle in terms of generations are less likely to have had someone to learn from. These days I have the desire but not the time and none of my children are really interested...

However if you would like to knit a hat either to wear indoors or out - the choice is yours, I won't judge! - then here are a round up of FREE knitting patterns as far as I am aware.

All Free Knitting

The Spruce Crafts

Lets Knit

Knitting Bee

LoveCrafts

Knitting Help

Fave Crafts

Handy Little Me

Woolywormhead

Nixneedles

Free Vintage Knitting

Post Furlough/Student Food - Red Lentil Dhal

This is the first example recipe for the £15 for one person for one week menu.  Not the best tasting dhal in the world but a bog standard one that can be made with the minimum of ingredients.  It is cheap, freezes well and only takes half an hour ish to cook.  You can also halve the recipe and have some for today and some for tomorrow if you are a singleton and it tastes even better the next day.  Win win.  Adjust the amount of water to make a sauce or a soup.

Red Lentil Dhal - serves 4

oil 

1 onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, crushed

2 tsp curry powder

400g frozen mixed veg

1 carton of passata or tin of tomatoes

300g red lentil

1 litre of water

Fry the onion in the oil until soft (in the £15 budget I used margarine to do this - not as good but needs must) .  Add the garlic and curry powder and fry for 1 minute more. Add everything except the lentils and bring to the boil, simmer for 5 minutes until half cooked.  Add the lentils and continue to simmer for 20 minutes until the lentils and veggies are soft.

Serve with rice, naans, flat breads, baked potato, fresh bread  or wraps depending on what starches you have to hand.

Variations:

sprinkle with fresh coriander

add coconut milk to the curry in place of some of the water

stir in a tablespoon of mango chutney

use stock instead of water

use other veg e.g. squash, aubergine, sweet potato, swede, fresh or frozen, just half cook before adding the lentils.

This cooks well in a slow cooker, start off in a frying pan and transfer all the ingredients to the slow cooker after the curry powder has spent a couple of minutes in the oil.

£15 for one person for one week challenge - example shop from Morrisons week 1

 Make no mistake the most expensive way to budget is week by week.  Combine that with a challenge that 1) has £15 total for the spending bar, 2) is just for one person so no big value packs that are less pence per 100g 3) uses nothing from stock or stores 4) has to cover three meals a day, seven days a week and include all drinks it is hard..

Why then did I spend time doing this? Well things are in a bit of a mess at the moment aren't they.  We have children from low income families being given inadequate free lunches by government appointed firms who claim they are not profiteering (yeah right!) - that was supposed to be £15 per child per week.  We also have massive growth in unemployment numbers thanks to COVID and also people who are on furlough which may not be 100% of their normal pay. Food banks are busier than ever before with growth in the hundreds of percent compared with just 18 months ago. We also have food prices that have spiked on some items due to Brexit - anyone else notice that one?  If you look at the recipe websites and things like the BBC we have started to see cooking on a budget programmes like this one. I then had a YouTube suggestion for a video that did one weeks shopping on £10 - again from scratch (but from last autumn) so I wondered what my version would be.  I could not manage £10 - although I may revisit it and try again; hats off to Nicola who did.  It also proved impossible to recreate Nicola's basket post Brexit from the same supermarket chain as most of the value brands which those who are on a super low income rely on have quietly disappeared from the shelves in just 3-4 months.

It is a little artificial to use nothing from stores.  The only time this really happens to us is when we first move out of home. I remember that I had a miserable month the first month I moved out after uni as I had to pay deposits/rent etc up front, was still buying necessary stuff for the house including cleaning stuff and had to buy a season ticket for travelling to my new job.  I think I survived the month on bubble and squeak with no extras. Once you get to the first pay check whether it is weekly or monthly that's when it starts to turn around. My mum was in no position to help much as she wanted to as she was unemployed herself and lived in a different part of the country.  The only other time that has happened to me was when we moved to Germany for work, but that was entirely different though as the company paid the rent (and therefore deposits etc) and we had some ready cash to buy the initial storecupboard.  If you do not have some ready cash as a backup and are starting from zero then it is really hard and you have to make some compromises somewhere.  After the first week you have some food items that you can carry over and it gets slightly better from there on; but make no mistake it is a hard way to live and I take my hat off to anyone who has to do this day in and day out - our family budget at this point is £20 per person per week and with carnivores even this is a struggle sometimes.  It is also a hard situation to recover from as when you have no wriggle room at all in your budget you know you have to eat what you have cooked or go hungry; how then are you brave enough to try a new recipe. Lentil dahl is super cheap but it may not be something you have ever tried if you come from a family that is traditionally meat-and-two-veg type meals.

Going week to week with your budget is also harder.  If you get paid monthly consider a budget for the month rather than week by week, that way you can buy things like oil, rice and spices at the beginning of the month and use it every week, the first week is expensive but everything gets cheaper from there on.

So here is my offering for inspiration.  Hopefully this is harder than the situation you find yourself in and even if you have something like oil, herbs and spices in the storecupboard then you have already earned yourself over 10% of the budget in terms of wriggle room. This can allow you to either add more variety, buy a better value for money larger pack which will last for longer (and save more long term), or use to save an emergency buffer in terms of pennies.

Here is my basket in no particular order- meal plan and recipes to follow:

Clover margarine - the cheapest tub at the moment (the only item that is on offer), use as margarine for toast and in recipes but also in lieu of oil which I could not get within budget - £1.00

500 gram frozen mixed veg - cheaper than fresh and with some variety.  In this case peas, carrots, sweetcorn, broccoli and red pepper. - 85p

2 x value passata - less watery than tinned tomatoes even though they are more expensive per item. (tinned tomatoes by comparison would have been 28p per tin) 2 @ 35p = 70p

1 kg onions  - no I won't use all of these I would have bought 3 single onions if I could and used some of the money elsewhere- the other alternative is frozen chopped onion but that is a few pence more expensive for half the weight, some to carry over to next week - 65p

500 g red lentils - protein hit and no soaking or long cooking £1.15

 

800 g loaf bread white or brown are the same price, toast for breakfast here we come but put half in the freezer at the beginning of the week if you do not want to have to throw half of it away because it is blue, contains 22 slices including crusts- 49p

2 pints whole milk - I plan to water this down to make 3 pints total, since it is full fat it will then taste like semi-skimmed - 80p

500 g pasta - any shape you like, not a time to be fussy and they are all the same price, if I use 75g per meal this would be 6 meals plus some left over - 45p

head of garlic - 39p

6 eggs - the most expensive way per egg but never mind...-75p

1 kg granulated sugar - ok so this is a weird one since I do not take sugar in my tea.  I wanted something sweet and figured I could use this in baking; this will last a whole month for one person I hope - 65p

2x 410g baked beans - definitely not branded ones 2@30p - 60p

500 g plain flour - not just for this week but useful for making sauces, biscuits, flatbreads, pizza bases....-45p

1 kg frozen cauli and broccoli - more frozen veg what can I say - 99p

350g white cheddar - smallest pack available and mature for more flavour - £1.89

100g curry powder - not enough in the budget to buy individual spices so a one size fits all flavour addition that will last several weeks- 65p

jar mixed herbs, again not just for this week and a mixture of flavours - 95p

8 value pork sausages- the only meat this week and not the healthiest but the cheapest, - £1

80 value tea bags - at 3 cups of tea a day this should last over 3 weeks - 55p

Total spend - £14.96

What's not on there.  Well I had several things that I removed and put back and removed again.  Week 2 will start with vegetable oil, potatoes, rice and 5 bananas (if I had set the budget at £20 they would have squeezed in with just over a quid to spare).

So my challenge for you is given £15 what would you buy for 21 meals for one person?  I would love to see you do better!

Edited - meal plan for week 1 plus links for recipes here