Bean and cumin burgers

Tried out a recipe from another blog for tonight's tea. Burgers which are made from kidney beans, onion, carrot and cumin (33p for 2 adult size and 1 bubba size) which I serves with Slimming Workd style wedges (40p) and a large salad (45p, including a whoopsied lettuce for 14p!). So total meal for three was £1.18 made totally from ingredients already in the house. Oh I added a fake cheese slice on top of the burger which adds 11p on so grand total of £1.29!

Ok so this is before they're fried, they don't look like anything special. Really I think if I'd had simmered the beans for longer the skins may have been made smoother. They actually tasted yummy. Definitely something we'd make again. 

This month's challenge.

I've been back at work now for three weeks. It's been tough settling into being a working mum and coming home and finding energy to cook. The bubba has been playing up at bedtime so it's been chaotic. However, due to an 'error' there was a big problem with my pay this month so I have set myself a mini challenge this month.

We are to love out of our freezer and cupboards for the month. I've said this previously, but now my stockpiling has really come into its own! Pennies are very tight now! My goal is to set a budget of £15 a week which will be milk (bubba is now on cow's milk), bread, fruit and veg. It's essential to select the reasonably priced fruit and vegetables, those in season.

I'm going to rummage in the freezers and then sit down with my pen and paper and plan our meals for this coming week! Wish me luck :)

A quick and easy (and cheap!) pasta dish

We had this last night for tea, well the bubba and I did hubby was out. 

It made a massive pan full, enough for two adult lunches and lunch for bubba today and three other lunches each for this week. 

Three tins of tomatoes 99p (I originally used two, but thought it needed a bit more) 

Fresh tomatoes 40p (lurking in the fridge)

1 x Aubergine 60

1x courgette 40p

Large onion 20p

Green lentils 100g 6p (from approved foods) 

Yellow, red, green peppers free

Pasta 500g 30p

Works out 32p per adult portion or 16p for the baby's portion :-) 

Homemade BBQ burgers

At hubby's request he made burgers for us all tonight. We did our weekly shop so grabbed some mince (unfortunately no suitable whoopsies :( ) so we paid £3.33 for a packet of lean mince. From that we made 4 large burgers and three small ones for bubs for tomorrow so equivalent of 5 I guess so tonight for the two adults the costings are. 

Three burgers (mince £1.99, egg 16p, onion 10p, garlic clove 8p) 

Rolls x 3 (30p)

Chips (60p)

Salad (60p) 

So £3.83 in total, not particularly a cheap meal, but was very yummy :-) 

Still one burger and three small ones for the bubba for lunch tomorrow :-) 

Oh! I forgot my fake cheese! One slice was 7p, can't have a burger without some fake cheese ;-) 

Pork steaks for tea tonight!

Tonight we enjoyed some pork steaks that were on offer in the supermarket this week. We pan fried them with BBQ frylight so they were delicious! We made some chips (slimming world friendly), served with sweetcorn and peas. Hubby decided that an egg was also needed.

So the costings, just for two adults.
Pork £1.42 (two generous sized steaks)
Potatoes 70p
Peas 21p
Sweetcorn 33p
Eggs 16p x2
Total 2.98

Last night's tea.

I've been a bit quiet lately with lots going on, people staying, us going away and keeping busy. 

Had a super cheap meal yesterday. It was haddock loin which was a Sunday bargain at 49p (reduced from £5+) for two long pieces. Then I made a tomato and red pepper sauce with pasta, carrots and peas. 

Total cost for the whole meal for 2 adults and two big baby portions was £1.88! 

Fish 49p

2x tinned toms 33p each 

Onion 15p

Spaghetti 7p

Peas 21p

Carrots 30p

The pepper was free as was given to us. 

Surely meat and fish must be the most expensive foods to buy?

Many friends say that their main outgoing  is meat/fish. I can get that cheaper by looking for reduced items at the right times, using cheaper cuts, looking for good offers or using vouchers. Also we don't eat meat or fish everyday. We might have omelettes for tea, or a dish made with beans such as kidney beans or chick peas. 

Meat can be stretched. A roast chicken is cheaper than buying breast. We can make a chicken do three main meals and the bones make beautiful stock if you've time. Mince can be bulked out with veg, tomatoes and pulses such as lentils. Personally my favourite in mince are green lentils, but also red lentils. I've heard of grated carrots and porridge oats being used. Sausages can be chopped into a casserole so you need less, this is true of any meat or fish really. By bulking out with veg/pulses less meat is needed