Recently I’ve seen a lot of people buying stock cubes (mainly my friends). And I can’t help but shout at them!!!!
If you cook a full chicken, please keep the carcass. It is fantastic for stock. Just boil it up in your slow cooker and you have fantastic chicken stock for no money! My local store charges £2 for 10 stock cubes.
Once again, it comes down to wastage!! Use your produce! Also, homemade stock tastes so much better!!!
Since just before my son was born, I batch cooked. I have got into the habit of bulk buying meat (it can be cheaper) and then making multiple meals in one go in order to freeze and eat later on. I’ll give a little insight into what I batch cook with
2kg Minced Beef
A whole chicken
Pork
Lamb
These are all meals that you can prepare in one day, freeze and eat another day! I tend to freeze in plastic tubs. They’re much healthier than ready meals because you know exactly what has gone into them!. I may have missed a few bits off but because its bonfire night and I haven’t posted in a while, I thought I’d share a few bits whilst I have two minutes to myself! Tomorrow, I’ll post some slow cooker hacks! Some recipes I’ve found to be, not your everyday meals, but something indulgent and really fun!
Happy Bonfire Night from the UK!!!
So, I’m from Staffordshire and at this time of year we love a certain dish called lobby! It’s comforting, easy to make up and the best comfort food on these cold, dark evenings!! This is one of those recipes that every family does differently…so here’s mine!
Ingredients
Method
Chip all ingredients and add to a slow cooker (low and slow is best). Brown the meat in a pan and add to the slow cooker along with 2 stock cubes and some water. Leave for 4 hours on high and season at the end with a little salt and pepper. Add a glug if vinegar and serve with crusty bread…and thank me later! Also, may I add, we normally eat it 24 hours after it’s cooked (my family tradition I don’t know about anybody else). But, be my guest to eat it straight away!!!
I love dishes that originate from certain counties. The sense of tradition warms my heart! Give it a go!
Has anybody ever sat back and really thought about how much food is wasted each day? The food that is perfectly good to eat yet may look a bit sad.
I’ve been watching my waste recently. Throwing out that stalk of broccoli or that sad looking pepper. Shoving products in the bin such as a chocolate bar because it’s gone past its best before date. And, it wasn’t until I sat back and watched how much I waste that I really realised how silly it is. For those who don’t know about these dates, I shall explain!
If you buy meat and struggle to use it before the use by date, freeze on day of purchase. This almost acts like time standing still. The product will still be fit for consumption for a period of time and stops you wasting food, and money.
I’ve also started using up all food that looks a little sad and bits of veg that I normally would never use! I’ve made “scrappy soup” as I call it. With sad looking peppers, tomatoes, broccoli stalks etc. With added seasoning and a little bit of love, the sad veg and the bits destined for garbage heaven, become a lovely comforting meal. (You have to add crusty bread…it’s a must!!) Also, batch cooking and freezing is a fantastic way of reducing the wastage of food in your household and in turn, SAVES YOU MONEY! (can’t grumble at that, eh?)
So, go and check your fridge!! don’t throw your sad looking veggies away! Plan what you eat around what you buy and cut your wastage! Use up them bits in different meals such as pasta sauces, in a curry, or like i said, scrappy soup!!!
Enjoy your night! I’m off to bake some brownies! x
I love slow cookers. Not only can you whack all your ingredients in and leave it all day and come back to a hot meal, but the food tastes so much better!! The meat is so tender and beautiful. So, I thought I’d share some of my favourite meals I use my slow cooker for! I’m in a bit of a rush as I’m making a Sunday roast today, however I will try to add some recipes later on!!
Also, slow cookers are a lot more energy efficient than normal ovens and therefore save you money on gas and electric!
Get your slow cookers out and use them!!!!
Bye! X
This is a recipe I love from bulgaria. Since my mum bought her house there, I’ve spent a lot of time eating and exploring bulgarian cuisine. And I must say, it’s absolutely delicious!
Ingredients
1lb of feta cheese
1/3lb mozzarella
2 eggs
2 chillis
2 roasted peppers (chop them up)
2 sliced tomatoes
A pinch of parsley and oregano to taste
Method
In a dish, layer cheese, peppers and tomatoes. Ensure the top layer is cheese. Cover the dish and bake in the oven at 200c for twenty minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly! Break eggs over the top of the dish and add the chillis (these can be left out) then heat until the egg is cooked or cooked to your liking!
This dish is delicious and if you try it, I hope you enjoy it!
Довиждане!
We all know somebody who is a “brand snob”. That person who swears that asda home brand would simply make their insides burst!! However, I’ve tried many home brand items and I want to share them with you! Most of these items are bought in asda and as well as saving you money, they also may help you see just how home brand doesn’t necessarily mean it’s bad.
I find these amazing. Chopped and plum tomatoes from Asda’s home brand are lovely. They’re fantastic to use as a base for a pasta sauce, to put on your fry up or use for curry! (Sometimes I eat them on their own as they’re my favourite food!!)
2. Asda home brand packet noodles
There was a time where I would only eat bachelor’s super noodles simply because I thought home brand noodles just wouldn’t taste right or would be bland. However, Asda’s noodles are lovely and cheap and taste just as good! I use them regularly and add broccoli and different veg to bulk them out.
3. Asda home brand crisps
Hands down these are the best. I always buy the multipack meaty pack. They taste fantastic and you don’t miss the big brands (promise!)
4. Asda home brand tomato ketchup
Some people swear by Heinz, I swear by asda! Lovely tomato ketchup! Not too sweet or too salty and contains less sugar than big brands!
5. Asda home brand pasta sauce
Some don’t have the time to whip up a sauce. This home brand sauce is lovely. Sometimes I add my own seasonings just to give it an oomph!
So there’s 5 products that I’ve found are amazing! So sometimes, try a home brand…you may be surprised!!
If anybody sees this, thank you for reading my new blog.
So, I’m a mother and I love cooking for my son. He is only a one year old but he loves his food. I was never a good cook before he was born. But since starting weaning him, my love for cooking and finding new recipes has grown and grown. I also love to be as frugal as possible. I feel that food is a huge part of everybody’s life but I’m positive and completely certain that good food doesn’t need to cost the earth. Here I will be posting recipes, frugality tips and just general food chit chat!!
cookfoodandlovelife 