How to feed a family on less than you would think

Hello Dear Reader,

You told me all about your food spend and wanted some help on: batch cooking and freezing, reasonably priced lunches, healthy meals for your little boy who's nursery school age and filling up a hard working husband. Your big costs are nursery expenses, which I fully understand as you need to stay skilled and in the job market. You also wanted to know what to stock up on from Approved Food and you needed to get supper on the table super quick when you both get in from work. If you look at the side bar of this blog, you'll see 'labels' and the top label is 'frugal food'. You can also go to my archive of recipes on the drop down menu at the top of my blog. I'm not saying all my food is healthy (I like cake as much as the next woman!) but I hope it's affordable for the average working family.

Firstly, I'll answer your question about cheap cuts of meat.

This is where you need to get to the butchers and not the supermarket. Our local butcher sells every part of every animal! I buy pork knuckles which is the pig's leg from the knee down. It's good meat and effectively leg of pork. I buy the trotter attached and boil it to make gelatine if I'm making a raised pork pie however, most butchers will chop if off if you don't want it. Just roast it like a leg of pork joint and eat with roasties and veg. This will usually cost around £2.50 and feed all three of you very generously for Sunday lunch.

Whilst you're in the butchers get to know the offal they have on sale but don't expect it to be cheap. Thank you very much Hugh chuffin' Fearney Whittingstall and your trendy servings of heart and liver and thanks very much for sending the prices up! It might be more expensive than it used to be but it's still incredibly cheap way to feed a growing family. Even Dearly Beloved won't eat liver just as it is, but he will wolf it down in the form of faggots or meatloaf. If you have a food processor, this is dead easy to make. Here is 'Frugal Queen Faggots recipe'. If you love the taste of sage and onion stuffing, then you'll love faggots with onion gravy mash and veggies.

If you saw Jamie Oliver's programme on Money saving meals, he and I both agree on something, there is nothing wrong with frozen veg. I always make sure I have some in reserve. If I'm having a week of not spending, I will draw on my reserves of food and eat from my stores and my freezer. I'm happy to use frozen veggies in frittata, in fish pie, in veggie lasagne and even steamed with my meal. I understand that some people don't like it but it doesn't offend me in the slightest and all the research proves it's just as good for you. I also buy frozen berries and eat them for dessert with yogurt, with breakfast with porridge or in muffins which is a great way of hiding unusual vitamins from unsuspecting children or husbands!

When the silly season is over, the supermarkets will push lots of basics and will have reduced their 'everyday' food items. If you can, keep some frozen meat, fish, fruit and veg in store - it will get you through the month!

You will have noticed that I use my slow cooker a lot. I tend to buy chump chops, stewing steak, chicken thighs and cuts of meat that are tasty but need a slow gentle cook. They are cheaper for a reason so I use my slow cooker and make a lot of casseroles and stews. I make enough for lunch the next day too. You could take this to work in a food flask or a plastic sealed tub if you have access to a microwave. I enjoy a simple hot lunch and soups and stews are a great alternative to sandwiches.

Check out your supermarket freezer sections for meat and the frozen New Zealand lamb chops, they are cheaper than cutlets and casserole well. I buy lots of the casserole mixes, usually ten for £1 from Approved Food and the recipe and instructions are on the pack. I get it ready before work and come home to a 'ready meal'. I usually add some vegetables that can be steamed in under twenty minutes and I have a substantial meal for a lot less than you would think.

I buy rice either when on offer from Approved Food or from the supermarket. Either or, we have at least a kilo of it in the house at any time. You can stock up on pay day and keep going all month! Here's my recipe for PAELLA. I often add a handful of prawns to a veggie paella just to give that fishy little burst every now and then but in the main, we just have veg in a paella.

The other secret is add mashed potato to everything!

Bacon patties

Fish Cakes

Bubble and Squeak

You also asked about getting enough fruit and veg. I shop in Aldi and like their Super 6 offer. Every week, they will have an offer on fruit and vegetables and you can get fruit at a good price in Aldi for everyone in the family to have a couple of items of fruit a day at a reasonable price. Also, you can use tinned fruit as a dessert and we sometimes have that with instant custard. I promise it's just fine and tastes just like tinned custard. Try it with tinned fruit for a really cheap, tasty and reasonably healthy dessert.

I think one of the most successful meals I regularly cook is shepherdess pie, which is so tasty than no one will ever miss the meat. We usually eat meat every other day, as much for health reasons and keeping costs down. Too much meat makes me sluggish and I like my diet to be mainly veggies.

I love food, cooking it, reading about it, writing about it and of course eating it. I don't have much time and want my food to be reasonably affordable and easy to cook. I hope I've given you a few ideas but don't hesitate to write to me again if there's something specific you want me to help you with.

Until tomorrow and you know what you get tomorrow!!!!

Love Froogs xxxxxxxxxxxxx