The Good? -

The good has been finally finding my  Mojo again!

Firstly of the Nigella variety… I absolutely love to cook and while I lost my culinary spark I have been miserable.

But somehow it returned last week with an absolute vengeance, I have been cooking up a storm like a Sophie Dahl on acid and I have watched so much cooking  TV porn, with The Food Network  on permanent sky plus overload! Granted it has helped that the Milsta has kept me up into the wee hours. The only adult in charge of the remote has its bonuses and a little sweet satisfaction to it!

Anyway my biggest triumph came this evening with what I am affectionately calling “Old Mother Hubbard’s pie” . It might not sound too delightful but trust me its really good, I  will post the recipe here for you tomorrow to have a look at and maybe try.

The good is also that I have finally managed to stop stressing about getting my website up and running. I have so many things to create and I am so nearly there, its been a steep learning curve and not an easy one while trying to juggle a very lively none sleeping toddler. But I feel like I am nearly there, and I have butterflies…. I really cant wait! Hope you’ll all join me on opening day!

The Bad-

Many of you will have read about the very sudden  loss of my amazing dad. He died a year and a half ago (has it really been that long?) and he was extremely special to me , My post people we lost , is all about him if you get the chance to read it sometime .

I have felt really lost without him, but I am getting into a better place about it now. Having Milly so close to his death was actually a god send,(although it didn’t always feel it at the time)  she is a constant reminder of the circle of life (yes, I know …excuse the corney Disney pun) and she really looks like him so I feel like a bit of him is constantly around.

But my mum on the other hand is still at the really raw stage of grief  and this makes me feel so guilty about feeling better.

April 2nd was my lovely mums birthday, but it is bitter sweet as it would have also been their 45th weeding anniversary. As childhood sweethearts (my mum has never kissed another man)  they married on her 18th birthday.

With Grief  still at the fore front of her every thought  I think  for her, time has not been such a great healer. If anything its getting worse, she says the first year your just kind off numb but now the reality of missing him so painfully every day is really getting hard.

I don’t know how to help, I can see her slipping away into a dark place but I feel unable to stop it, I want to scream at her that we still need and love her but I know we are not enough…we are not my Dad, her other half.

Its very sad and I just hope she finds a way to cope without him, I know for absolute sure that he would not want her to be unhappy, life is a funny thing. If you are lucky enough to have a soul mate then you are destined eventually to leave them or be the one left behind.

Certainly makes you value what you have right now, that’s for sure.

The Ugly? -

That would be my beautiful 16 month old daughter Milly, she is not at all ugly, I think she is an angel obviously, but her new found tantrums are. From wanting crisps for breakfast to no letting her run around naked all day this child has a willful nature that has appeared out of nowhere!

Where is my angelic little baby? the one who sat quietly and played while I sewed or painted. Chuckling happily to herself every once in a while. She has turned into a screetching hell raiser, a nighttime fiend. If before her theme tune was Bambi now it would defiantly be the prodogy’s  fire starter!

Funnily enough though I still find her utterly adorable (even though teen Ellie often wants to strangle her, especially when she’s on the phone to her mates with Milly yelling very loudly in the background). I just look at that tiny ball of frustration and anger….I  smile, and think…you’ve got fight girl, I’ll give you that! ;D

OK….. at first glance not terribly diet concious but after nearly 2 weeks of cake wilderness I had to make some.

The kids helped and we all had a great time.

Warning though, these cakes are only diet if you limit yourself to 1, but when they are hot out of the oven smothered with warm honey its tough…I stopped at 2! quite commendable I think  ;D x

Carrot and Poppy Seed Cakes with Honey Glaze

4oz of self raising flour

40z of soft butter or marg

40z caster sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp of vanilla essence

handful of raisins

a small handful of poppy seeds

2 tablespoons of honey

1 large 0r 2 small carrots (grated)

The small facts :

cals per serving 120, about 10p a cake

Makes 12 cakes approx.

Method-

Pre-heat the oven at 190 0c.

Beat together the butter and the sugar, add the eggs and vanilla essence , then flour, poppy seeds, raisins and grated carrot.

Mix it up.

Spoon into cake cases and cook for around 20 mins.

When they are out of the oven put them on a cooling rack and put the honey in a pan to warm, poke small holes in the cakes with a skewer or cocktail stick and spoon  in the warm honey as a glaze…. oh now try not to eat all 12 at once!

This one is a based  on a weight watchers recipe but don’t let that stop you, I have spiced and  freshened it up a bit and it ended up rather nice .

Oh, must just say Milly (1) didn’t have it because of the prawns (she had cheesy beans instead!).

So this recipe makes enough for 4 and contains around 440 cals… yum!… and cost no more than 3 quid! Double Yum!

Ps. The pic is not mine today, I forgot to take one before we scoffed, sorry ;D

Prawn Biryani

200g Brown Rice (30p)

2 red onions (10p)

150g of cooked peeled prawns, if frozen, defrosted (about half a bag of Morrison’s prawns) (90p)

half a can of  tomatoes (15p)

5 fresh tomatoes , chopped into 4 bits (50p)

4 tablespoons of low fat Crème fraiche (50p)

A good handful of fresh chopped coriander (25p) (a bag is 50p at morrisons)

lol, question …can you tell where I went shopping this week?

From store cupboard and fridge -

1 heaped teaspoon of crushed ginger

2 garlic cloves chopped

2 teaspoons of oil

1 teaspoon of chilli powder

1 teaspoon of turmeric

1 teaspoon of  cumin

1/2 a teaspoon of garam masala

A good handful of fresh chopped coriander

1 tablespoon of sultanas

pinch of salt

small handful of chopped nuts (optional)

Boil rice (brown usually takes a little longer that white, around 30 mins) and then drain and set aside.

Heat the oil in a pan and add garlic ginger and onion, fry for a few mins and then add all the spices apart from the fresh coriander.

Add the prawns , the tomatoes and the Crème fraiche and cook for a few mins until everything is quite thick and yummy. Then add the cooked rice, cover pan and cook gently until rice is warmed through. Toss in the coriander sultanas and nuts at the end. YUM!

Spring has just about sprung and although its hard to imagine now, there is a small glimmer of hope that in a couple of months I won’t be wearing my trusty “covers all me fat bits and flatters me  a bit on the good bits, winter coat”.

So time to stop eating all the pies, and the butter and the cream and the wine and the chocolate!…and get down to some serious muffin top shrinking!

I’d love it if you join me, all the recipes as before are under a fiver for 5 people,  all will be under 500 cals and have to taste really good!

So this is the first, I found the inspiration in a old copy of good house keeping ( circa 2007 ! ) at the dentists, but I have changed it quite a bit for our frugal diet needs. I was a bit worried about the strong flavour of the Marmite and ale for  Milly (1) and Jack (9) at first ( don’t worry the alcohol cooks away ;D) but the flavours mellowed out to a lovely rich gravy and everyone really liked it.

Pan Fried Sticky Sausages and lentils

( 420 cals per person, approx )

10 low fat sausages ( £1.60 from rainbow )

half a pack of mushrooms ( 50p )

250 ml of dark ale ( 50p, about 1.20 for a bottle)

250g ready cooked puy lentils (65p from Sainsbury’s )

a good handful (half a bag) of chantenay carrots, quartered lengthways  (50p, £1.00 for a whole bag at Tesco’s)

2 parsnips, quartered lengthways ( 60p going off isle at rainbow )

1 red onion (10p)

French bread, optional, see notes.

From Store Cupboard

2 tsp Marmite

2 tbsp of runny honey

1 red onion

Heat a little oil in a big pan and fry the sausages on all sides until nicely brown. Set aside for a sec.

Add onion, carrots and parsnips to the pan and fry for about 10 mins until golden and softenened.

Then add the mushrooms and cook for a further 2 mins.

Ellie doing the stirring....

Return the sausages to the pan and add the marmite and honey. Then pour over the ale bring to a simmer and add the lentils.

Add a good pinch of salt and pepper.

Cook  for about 20 mins or until the whole thing becomes reduced and sticky.

Cooks notes: The 2 men ( Jack and Big J ) and the baby (Milly) who have no muffin tops to worry themselves about had lots of crusty bread and butter with this. Me and Ellie, who do have aforementioned muffin tops abet small ones, had lots of extra veg from the freezer.

YUM!!!!

Anyway enough of my technical trials….so this is the last 2 days of the frugal week!!!

Its been a real eye opener into how much money (and food) I waste, so i think I’ll carry on ….I am cured!

Now I just need to curb my shoe, pretty fabric, paint brushes,cookbook and vintage tea cups obsessions ;D

Its OK to have a few vices and I’m off the wine and the chocolate this week as I am on a bit of a diet, so I have to have fill my life with some joy!

My new mission is to create lots of lovely yummy filing food, under 400 cals and under £5 for frugality.

I’ll road test them on the ickle family and if they are up to scratch I’ll put up them for you here.

Not that you guys need them, I know your all a size zero with great hair and big bank balances xxx

Day 5 was just me and big J, so this a fancy smamancy  recipe for 2, but if you wanted it to go further you could add a couple of spuds chopped, and the other half a tin of toms.

Romantic Lamb Passanda

(lamb gently cooked in red wine and medium spices, at least that how its described in my indian take away menu…works for me!)

350 g lamb cubed (£2.10)

1/2  tin of toms (30p)

5 fresh tomatoes (70p)

2 garlic cloves (10p)

1 onion (10p)

6 mushrooms (65p)

3 tablespoons of  full fat yoghurt (50p)

handful of chopped fresh coriander ( 25p, its only 50p a packet in Morrison’s)

From store cupboard-

1 glass of red wine,

1 bay leeaf,

about 5 curry leaves (optional, I get mine from the www.thespicemarket.co.uk  as they are yum and cheap…. that is not an advert tho

1 tablespoon of tomato  purée,

1 teaspoon of ground ginger,

1 tablespoon of oil,

1 tee spoon of cumin seeds,

1 teaspoon of ground turmeric,

1 teaspoon of chilli powder,

3 cardamom pods,

100 ml of water,

1/2 a teaspoon of garam masala.

First warm the oil in a large pan and add the onion, garlic and  all the dry spices for a few mins to release the flavour, my eyes were watering at this point, but don’t worry everything will mellow out lovely over the slow cooking time.

add the meat to brown for a few mins and then chuck in everything else, put a lid on it and cook really gently for at least 2 hours (3 ideally), the longer you leave it the more lovely it will become. I have put it on really low in the oven a couple of times and just left it all day, its just yummy and spicy and warm and mellow if you do this.

Either way, right at the end of cooking time stir in the yoghurt , garam masala and sprinkle on the fresh coriander, serve with rice …Yummy!

Sunday night we had Chicken sausage and stuffing pie, but instead of left over chicken I added 450 g of cubbed chicken breast (£2.40, going off isle) and sausages (£1.00 going off isle)  that I just fried off and then follow the rest of the recipe, I have wrote it before (its Jack’s fav thing!)

And you can find it on here at  Left over love! ……..

So guys I think tonight I hit the wall. I was mooching around the going off isle feeling pretty uninspired…. I feel like a giant steak or yummy take out or just a big ass box of roses (I am hormonal, can u tell?) . NOT what is on offer here… a lank bag of lettuce, a piece of day-glow  yellow fish, two strawberry trifles (they are ALWAYS here) and….. two large piece’s of turkey.

I am not a turkey fan, it always goes dry and it has no flavour. I have to say if it wasn’t  for you guys and your fantastic comments so far and the fact that I keep looking at bigger houses on rightmove as frugal inspiration I would have  given up, but no….that turkey was whispering to me….. take me, take me….I can be delicious.

And then inspiration hit, I saw the barefoot contesa do something simular (but with chicken, and more posh) on the cooking chanel the other day. So here it is, turkey escallops Parmesan with tomato pesto pasta ! Or if your explaining it to the under 10′s its like a giant cheesy chicken nugget and tomato pasta twirls…that should keep everyone happy! Oh and by the way it was actually amazingly good, I think my fav of the week in fact, I am a reformed turkey hater….yay me!!! ;D And if your still with me…yay YOU!

Turkey Escallops Parmesan with Tomato Pesto Pasta -

400g of turkey breast, 2 breasts (£1.89 in the going off soon section)

1/2 a packet of pre-grated Parmesan cheese around 25g’s (50p)

Cooks notes… feel I should tell you, until now I would not ever have used this stuff, only the proper wedges you grate yourself, (food snobbery)  but its fine for this and also really convenient if you have a cute little baby type person yanking at your leg while your cooking.

1/2 a bag of pasta shapes (25p) they are on offer at rainbow at the mo.

1/2 a jar of salca red pesto (50p) also on offer at the mo.

1/2 a bag of lettuce (50p)

3 tomatoes (50p)

Store cupboard-

1 egg

1 piece of white bread

salt and pepper

pinch of paprika or chilli powder

First take the two large turkey steaks and hammer them flat with either a meet tenderiser or if you don’t have one of them, you can bash away (gently though ;D ) with a rolling pin, we are aiming for two thin steaks that we can cut lengthwise into 4 large strips.

Then prepare the coating. In one bowl beat an egg. In another bowl add most of the Parmesan cheese (keep a little bit by for the pasta) bread crumbs ( I do this by whizzing up the bread in my trusty cheap hand blender, you could also use a food mixer but they are a bit annoying and bulky to wash afterwards;D) with the salt, pepper and a pinch of paprika.

Put a large frying pan on to heat, on a medium flame while you do the next bit……

Once you have the 2 bowls and the giant turkey strips, you get to the fun part! You quickly dip the turkey in the wet egg mixture and then into the dry breadcrumb mix and then straight into the sizzling pan, do the same with all 4 pieces of  escallops .

Note-  You must make sure the pan is hot enough to sizzle other wise it won’t brown nicely, in the same respect we are going to cook these puppies for 15 mins so if they are browning to quickly turn the heat down just a touch. Turn them 2 or 3 times throughout cooking for a really lovely even crispy texture.

While that’s happening put  boiling water in a pan and start the  pasta (usually takes around 12 – 15 mins)

Once the pasta is cooked, drain and stir in the pesto, sprinkling the rest of the Parmesan cheese for extra flavor.

Then take out the yummy Parmesan escallops and serve  on a bed of lettuce and tomatoes with a side dish of yummy pasta… Really good!

If you’ve read the start of the week you’ll know that I have just £5 a day for 5 people.

Anyway, I really wanted to share this one with you because it was a such a Big Success! Jack the curry hater, and Milly the food thrower both sat quietly with a few mmmm’s and ate the lot! Result!!!

Creamy lemon Coriander Chicken Curry with Red peppers (cheaper and healthier than a take away, and just as yummy!)

2 Onions ( 50p )

200ml of Creme Fraiche (I used reduced fat one) ( 89p)

1 Red Pepper ( 89p ) (bit of a rip off, that?!)

1/2 the Medium cooked chicken from yesterdays Roast lemon chicken post ( 2.00 )

OR about 450 g of cooked chicken breast

2 tomatoes ( 30p )

1 lemon ( 20p )

From store cupboard-

1 tablespoon of olive oil

1 teaspoon of cumin seeds

3 cardamom pods

1 teaspoon of ground turmeric

1 teaspoon of chilli powder

1 tablespoon of concentrated stock (I use the knor one in the bottle)

large handful of fresh coriander or 2 teaspoons of dried

salt and pepper

Rice

First fry garlic and onions in olive oil in large frying pan until translucent. Add the cumin, cardamom pods, turmeric and chili powder, add water if it starts to stick.

cook for 2mins.

Add the red pepper, the toms (quartered)  coriander and stock with enough water to cover and cook until the pepper is soft .

Stir in chicken, cut into large chunks add juice of whole lemon add a little more water if necessary and cook gently covered for about 20mins, then add the creme fraiche and cook for further 10 mins and serve with rice..YUMMY!!!

Let me explain, I really really fancied a roast tonight but didn’t want to blow the budget so I have only used 1/2 a medium sized chicken for this recipe. I will use the other half for tomorrows creation. If your not trying to save cash the leftovers make the best midnight snack sarnies! ;D

The Best Lemon and Garlic Chicken in the world EVER! – (hope I haven’t bigged it up too much)

1 Medium sized whole chicken (we will only be using half) -£2.00

5 chippolata sausages- £1.20

1/2 a bag of potatoes -50p

bulb of garlic -70p

1/2 a bag of Chantilly carrots going off isle 3 lol! -25p

1 cabbage….. same isle, -25p

From store cupboard-

1 teaspoon of dried thyme

1 teaspoon of dried rosemary

1 teaspoon of dried parsley

about 4 oz of butter

Ok , all’s you do is peel the potatoes and cut into pieces ( I cut small ones in half, bugger ones into 3) and place on large baking tray.

Then mix together the butter and all the herbs into a bowl and smear under chicken skin and on top, cut the lemon into slices and shove gently under the skin (if your squeamish, you can place on top) .

Sit Mr Chicken nicely right on top of the potatoes and garlic (broke into segments, but not pealed) and cook for around 2 hours for medium birdy.

When its around an hour before the end of cooking time, shake the potatoes a bit (they should be basting nicely in all the chicken juices) and check on chicken, if its going to brown at this stage cover in a little foil.

Then 1/2 an hour before end, add chippolata’s and cook veg.

When cooked take chicken out, turn the heat up as high as it will go and blast the roasty’s for another 5 mins, this will make them seriously good!

Then to make the gravy drain the pan of most of the fat, squeeze out the yummy roasted garlic and then add about 300 ml of gravy (I use good old bisto) .

Oh I also had a little bit of yesterdays bacony mash left so served that too.

E’ Viola! …. P.S… Don’t forget to save half Mr Chicken for tomorrow’s creation. Its gonna be Creamy Lemon-Coriander Chicken Curry with Red Pepper, so worth the sacrifice ;D

So I start my quest at the lovely rainbow “going out of date tomorrow” shelf but to my dismay the only thing on offer this evening is individual trifles and garlic bread, well that would be carbs and at a push one of their 5 a day ?,but no…oh poop….

Will just have to get inventive….so I have a quick memory scan through my fridge (i could almost hear the whirling, this whole save money lark takes allot of brain power you know!)

And then it hits me, something from my childhood, a bit of updating for this century ;D and,….. Captain dinner has landed!

So here we are ta daa, not exactly cordon blue cookery! But very warming on a winters evening ….

Yummy Cheese and Potato Pie Italian Stylie!!

1 pack of value smoked bacon (£1.50)

1/2 a bag of potato’s ( 50p)

1/2 a pack of value mushrooms (35p)

1 onion (10p)

1 garlic clove (5p)

1/2 a packet of grated mozzarella cheese (75p)

1/2 a packet of grated cheddar cheese (75p) ( was on offer, 2 bags for £3.00)

4 Tomartoes

From store cupboard-

Good pinch of dried parsley

Good pinch of thyme

3 sun dried tomatoes (in oil from jar)

Firstly chop up the onion, garlic and sun dried toms and fry gently in a little oil for a couple of mins, then cut the bacon into small pieces and do the same with the mushrooms and add to the pan, fry gently.

While thats cooking peel the potatoes, cut into cubes and put into a big pan of salted water for about 20 mins or until soft.

When the bacon is crispy and the onions soft and yummy, take off heat. Mash the potatoes with a really good couple of knobs of butter (can’t beat buttery mash) and then add nearly half of the 2 cheeses (saving a little for the top) and finally the onioney bacon mixture. Along with a good grind of pepper and a pinch of salt.

Give it a good stir, place in a oven prof dish , top with sliced tomatoes  (saving some for the salad) and grill until the top is golden brown.

While its under the grill fry off 4 more bits of bacon until crispy and place it onto of pie, yum!

Day 2 done, yay me! and anyone else joining in, Yay YOU!  can we save money? yes we can! sorry I know, I’m getting a bit carried away ;D xxx

Stuff! lovely stuff!

This week I am starting a new years resolution, a bit late but what the hay? I am about to embark on a quest…to boldly go where no icklehelen has gone before…to save money.

I have never been good at economising, my efforts of saving money always tend to end up having the reverse effect.

I recently spent a small fortune in the Next Sale. While in the store foraging up and down the busy isles I was convinced I had enough to wear for the whole season…YAY MEEE!!! (sorry I have to watch way too much of the Disney channels  “suite life of zac and cody” than is healthy for an adult).

Anyway…

In the cold light of day what I actually had was 4 articles of clothing which didn’t fit (my logic while in the shop was I was going to diet?) , a couple of rather boring jumpers that make me look like a granny and a rather *special* pair of jade coloured skinny jeans, hmmm..cant think why they ended up in the sale rail?!

But you see, I can’t resist a “bargain“ even if said bargain stays hiding at the back of my wardrobe for six months before being hauled out for charity.

I am so popular with those folk that post the charity plastic bags through the door that they always leave me 2!

And I am possibly worse with food.

I really like too cook and big J really likes to eat and I am just no good at what my mum call’s  “cheap dinner nights”.

It always starts out well with a plan to make something like egg and chips but I end up coming back from the shops with a leg of lamb ( a total bargain with a whole £2.00!! off  and all the ingredients for garlicky potatoes and chocolate cake! (well in  all fairness I did use the eggs..and the potatoes!)

So I guess you could say that up until now I have been pretty much a lost cause, and a source of endless family jokes. But I really do want to change, with the times the way they are and the real need for a bigger house looming (Milly still sleeps in daddy and mummy’s room through lack of space, fun now… but when she’s 5? not so cute) I feel like I have to grow up and get with the program…the Economize and live in the real world program!

So this is plan/challenge A – go to the super market at around 4.30 daily (when they reduce the food about to go off…. yum!  and find stuff to make that nights meal… I have only £5.oo to feed all 5 of us.

And this is the first, I am going to try and leave a recipe dairy here everyday for the whole week, to maybe share ideas and also to keep me on the frugal straight and narrow. If I have to fess up to you guys daily I am less likely to cheat ;D

So hear it is, some of the ingredients I had already in and I have listed them as store cupboard items, hopefully thats not cheating too much. Your one time big spender, Helen xxx

** Oh and just a little icklebabe update for you, I have been working with big j on a lovely new retro style site and I have decided to come up with all new pretty things (hopefully) to match, these are the first off the production line/kitchen table ;D hope you like them!, matching artwork and other stuff coming soon….**

Minty Lamb Kofta style meatballs

I packet of minced lamb (£2.10 from the “use by tomorrow“) section

1 tin of value plum toms (52p)

2 onions (15p approx)

2 cloves of garlic (15p approx)

1 tin of chick peas (59p)

A little over a 1/4 of a pack of Halloumi cheese cut into little cubes ( £1.00 approx )

From store cupboard-

2 teaspoons of dried mint,

1 teaspoon of dried oregano,

1 teaspoon of lazy chilli paste,

1 tablespoon of tomato puree,

250 g couscous,

300ml of chicken stock (I used sainsbos basics cubes, 12p for a box),

100ml of milk,

A couple of nobs of butter

First blitz the onions garlic, chilli and oregano in a hand blender until it forms a paste, then put half the mixture in a pan along with a tablespoon of oil and a tablespoon of butter  and fry on a really low heat for 5 -10 mins being careful that the mixture doesn’t catch (it should not go brown).

Put the other half of the mixture to one side, and blitz the bread with hand blender to make bread crumbs , add it to the minced lamb along with 1 teaspoon of mint, halloumi cheese, egg and the other half of the garlicky chilli onion paste.

Then blitz the toms with hand blender and add to the pan along with 1 tablespoon of tom puree and 100ml of water, cook gently for another 10mins.

Once all the meatballs are in add a touch of salt and pepper and cook uncovered for 25 mins.

While thats cooking and towards the end of cooking time, make the couscous. In Aa large bowl add hot stock to the couscous along with a teaspoon of mint and a good nob of butter and the drained chick peas. Place a plate on to of the bowl and just let the couscous cook for five mins, after that time fluff it up with a fork and serve it with the meat balls…

YUM! my first frugal triumph! .. yay mee! (clapping hands London Tipton stylie ) …. sorry again ;D