Craft Forum

After talking to blinx on the good morning thread she mentioned shopping on not much money. So I suggested the sites listed below. I have started a thread here also on frugal cooking too as I know we all need to watch the pennies at the moment and I’d love to hear about any other websites or recipes people have Piccies also appreciated My OH works away a lot so I tend to batch make things and put them in the freezer, usually works out cheaper in the long run and handy too.Far cheaper and healthier than buying those supermarket ready meals. Check these sites out, they are excellent frugal cooking, better budgeting, creative homemaking & low cost living,

I’d also grab yourself a slow cooker if you don’t already own one. They are soooooo cheap and easy to run and great for families as you can just throw everything in, in the morning and then forget about it until tea time Most supermarkets sell them I have seen them recently starting from £9.99 you can also get diidy ones too for cooking for one/two. There is a slow cooker recipe thread here

Just on my way out but as a teaser. I’ll add the recipes later here are some yummy and not to mention cheap to make and low fat as I am on the SW diet that I have made and photgraphed recently. Just off to track them down on my pc

Here you go Cheese and broccoli pasta quiche, thick spicy carrott and parsnip soup, broccoli soup, summer berry and kiwi cheesecake.

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that summer berry and kiwi cheesecake looks fantastic, very very yummy
Sarah x

Thanks Sarah, it was   I ate over three quarters of it I was allowed though as it was adapted to be a low fat Slimming World recipe. So I could’ve eaten the entire lot if I had wanted too, darn family members spotting it in the fridge only kidding

look at all that yummy food!!!!!!

Would love to no how to make the Cheese and broccoli pasta quiche

Thanks Louise I’ll post the recipe when I get back from Hobbycraft. I know, I know I have been saying I am going since around 9 this morning. But I truly am now just had to feed master pickles some cheesy,beefy noodles to almost busting. So hopefully it will slow him down and he won’t run me amock in there, kids

Aww poor pickles

All looks lovely.  Will look forward to some of those recipes then

I actually find a whole chicken quite cost effective (though I do like organic meat so not that cheap).  I made roast dinner, then sandwiches, currey and 2 risottos from one chicken!  Oh and I guess you could make stock with the rest if you felt inclined.

pinkpuppy - 28 July 2009 01:32 PM

Aww poor pickles

He was very,very well behaved.So I treated him to (bribed) 3 rides on Thomas the tank and a ride on Rupert.He took charge and dragged one of those wheely baskets all around the shop.I had to keep on stopping and taking various potential purchases out though I did let him keep the two pairs of safety scissors though.I promised him that when he was three I would buy him some special childrens safety scissors.He sat for over an hour at my Mums practicing with them bless him I also let hime keep a childrens craft pack adn a robin redbreast stamp he took a particular shine to and wouldn’t put down, bless him.I then treated him to his first ever visit to pizza hut.He ate one piece of his pizza and one of his garlic bread the rest came home with us.He did devour a huuuuuuuuuuge bowl of ice cream and sweets from the ice cream factory machine in there though, funny that

Here is the recipe for the cheese and broccoli pasta quiche Louise

it’s so easy to amke and utterly gorgeous to eat. The entire family loves it including Pickles who is a very, very fussy eater. Ok the recipe here goes.

Ingredients.

Two packets of Batchelors mild cheese and broccoli pasta and sauce
2 large eggs or 3 medium eggs
200g pot of very low fat cottage cheese
100 - 150 g of quark, depending how creamy you want it.
cracked black pepper, the kind out of a pepper mill

You will also need a large quiche dish. Will measure mine shortly for you. The quiche fits perfectly in it.
You will also need some foil or a large plate to cover the quiche whilst cooking or you will get a crispy top, not nice

Turn your oven onto 200 (sorry don’t know what it is in gas)
Pop the two pasta and sauce into a pan and boil the kettle.
Add 1 pint and 8oz of boiling water (do not add milk as it says. It will still be creamy without it beause of the quark and cottage cheese)
Bring to the boil and cook until it has expanded (the pasta) but not fully cooked but almost. Still slightly hard, as it will finish off cooking in the oven and won’t go hard.
Turn the heat off and add the cottage cheese and stir well. (mix it all in the pan saves on washing up, hurrah)
Add the quark and then stir well.
Beat the two eggs in a cup and add plenty of pepper to your liking and taste, then add this to your mixture ad stir well.
Pour the mixture into your quiche dish (no need to crease if it is not stick it not lichtly spritz with fry light but this shouldn’t be neccessary
Lightly wrap the top in foil (not touching the quiche or pop a large plate on top. Then pop into the oven for 35 minutes.
Take out of the oven and lightly shake it, it it wobbles pop it back in the oven for a few mins.
Leave it to stand for five minutes and then devour, deeeeeeeeeeeeeelish.

This is my version of the quiche through trial and error I find that it is much creamier with the quark added and it is free.I have also made a salmon and rice one using Batchelors golden rice and a large tin of salmon. You can eat the quiche hot or cold with a salad. It keeps well too. So if you want to have a good green day. make it up b4 lunch time, eat some for lunch and then snack on the reat for the rest of the day as it’s free. Also ideal to take to work. To reheat. Simply cut a slice and pop it into your microwave for about 1.5 - 2 minutes. Depending on your microwave.

darcy_d - 28 July 2009 02:33 PM

All looks lovely.  Will look forward to some of those recipes then

I actually find a whole chicken quite cost effective (though I do like organic meat so not that cheap).  I made roast dinner, then sandwiches, currey and 2 risottos from one chicken!  Oh and I guess you could make stock with the rest if you felt inclined.

Wow. I have heard that before.I watched someone demonstrating how to completely cut a chicken up so there was nothing but a carcass left and that was used a stock and they made soooo many meals with it on the Alan Titchmarsh show.I remember thinking I must try that and you don’t realise just how much is thrown away that could be made into a meal.Organic and free range is dearer your right.But I find it more cost effective in the long run as I find that you go to check on it half an hour later andf the roasting dish is swimming in water and the large chicken has shrunk considerably.They are very expensive though.But we have a lot of loacl organic produce only farmers markets near us and it is far cheaper from them as you are buying direct.

Thanks for the recipe!!

Wow sounds like little pickles had a fab time, and pizza too!! o my, wish i had come with you now! hobby craft then pizza hut!! sounds like a perfect day out to me!!

pickles thoguht so

Recipe for a big party

ELEPHANT STEW

-Ingredients
1 elephant [ medium sized] 
1 rabbit [ optional]
salt & pepper to taste

Method
cut elephant into bite size pieces, this takes about 2 months, add enough brown gravy to cover
cook over kerosene fire at 465 degrees, serves 3000 persons

For those who dislike elephant stew, rabbit may be added but only if necessary as most people don’t like hare in their stew.

freezes well.

Enjoy. 
 

Ghxo