After reading about how we are all trying to save pennies by making things ourselves, I thought a page for us to share recipes that are made on a budget would be useful.

Also a place for us all to swap and share hints a tips, whether it be about a meal or the 'best' supermarket to shop at, at the moment.

It can be anything from a good snack on toast to a filling evening meal.


I hope this will become a busy thread as I am sure we all have a lot we can share with each other.

I'll start, this is a very easy yet filling meal and you can change and add different fillings very easily.

Make an omelet adding the filling of your choice, then use either half a small French stick or a third of a large one lightly toast it under the grill and when the omelet is cooked simply fold it in half and sandwich it in the French stick.

It's more filling than it sounds and really really tasty, and because you are toasting the French stick it doesn't have to be bought fresh that day, so its a good way to use up left overs.

I've mention in other threads that I've been busy making jams and chutneys this week. Those I've made from scratch.

One thing I do make with a little help is marmalade, as I hate cutting up the oranges, I buy a tin of Hartleys ma made thin cut cost 99p, 4lb sugar £1.60 and add water out of the tap. It takes roughly 30 minutes to make and you get 6lb of marmalade. total cost around £2.80 with the added elec. Go and buy 6 lb jars of mamalade and it it will cost you anything between 87p and £1.78 a jar depending on the brand.

As you can see even if you buy the cheapest brand you get a reasonable saving.

The marmalade is nice but sometimes I add a few extra's in for a change such as stem ginger or a few spices, Around Christmas I have been known to reduce the water a little and add whiskey.

i always add lots of veg to my spag bol...grated carrot, courgettes mushrooms and sometimes a tin of ratatouille or any tomatoes from salad that are going a bit squashy as well, then there is usually enough to freeze some leftovers for lasagne

i have been using my slow cooker to cook spag sauce and chilli then freezing them, as well as doing the same with casseroles..quick ready meals for when im back at work

im going to start using the breadmaker again too

also freeze leftover french sticks or rolls to make garlic bread

use leftover boiled new potatoes by roasting them or slicing and adding to curries

make your own pizzas using ready made bases or a pack of pizza base mix, can add your fave ingredients and nicer than shop bought ones

i always freeze leftover cooked rice too and reheat well in the microwave

I use my slow cooker to make spaghetti bolognaise, I brown the mince off in a frying pan and take off the excess fat, then put the mince in the slow cooker with a tin of chopped tomatoes, chopped onion, mushrooms, garlic, mixed dried herbs and half a glass of red wine.

Then I just let it cook away all day on the low setting about 5 minutes before we are due to eat I add some cornflour mixed with a little water to thicken it.

Because it's been cooking all day its really tasty, the flavours are stronger and it's ready when we are.

if you add the grated carrot it cooks to a lovely consistency without the cornfour Star

I'll try that next time, thanks DQ.

What I did forget to say was when I am browning the mince after some of the fat has been removed, I crumble a couple of Oxo cubes into the mince, adds to the flavour.

every so often i'll have a clear out of the veg box and use all the crabby old spuds in a cottage pie.

like i have done today! and used a couple of oxo cubes in with it the mince. yum yum! Great minds think alike Star!

x

Good old cheap tims of chopped/plum tomatoes from the supermarket of you choice can be quickly and cheaply made into a good pasta sauce by whizzing them up with carrot, onion, garlic, herbs and spices.

I make a lot of the things that I love, but are really expensive in the shops i.e. pesto/houmous (sp?)/chutney etc, the basic ingriedents are cheap (especially if you GYO as many of us do and there is a certain satisfaction to eating something you have grown and cooked

Additionally being a veggie I can make a lot of dishes cheaper; I do a lovely 'gardeners' pie (like cottage/shepards pie but named gardeners by Mr V as it is veggie) basically you use lentils as the 'meat' which is sooooo much cheaper than meat; I buy a big bag of lentils from Tescos (other supermarkets are available ) and it makes countless gardeners pies and currys.

Brilliant idea for a thread Star2104

Sudden thought before posting; I always make up a lunch box for Mr V too with home-made cookies/quiche etc which tastes better, is healthier and he enjoys

i use up squashy tomatoes in a home made tomato sauce for pasta. adding chopped up onions, garlic, peppers if there are any that need eating up, a tin of toms and the squashy ones too chopped up. add some seasoning, herbs etc and simmer for - well until its reduced really about 30 mins i guess.

My son bless him! prefers it to the shop bought variety and its dead cheap!

x

think i might resurrect my slow cooker... bought it when said son was a baby and ready meals on returning home from work were a must. Thanks DQ for that nudge...

x

Lemon Curd

Ingredients
4 lemons, rind and juice
4 eggs or 8 egg yolks (good to make a same time as meringues!)
110g/4oz butter
450g/1lb sugar

Method
1. Grate rind of lemons and squeeze out juice. Put sugar, rind and juice, butter and beaten eggs into a large basin on top of a pan of simmering water. Stir with a wooden spoon until thick and curd coats the back of the spoon. Pour into warm sterile jars, cover, seal and label. Refrigerate.

i have just chopped loads of fallen/leftover apples and stewed them, will put them in the freezer ready for puddings or to add to my porridge in the winter

Yum yum I like this thread. Where's your contribution D?