Find out how I feed my family on a shoestring budget.

Saturday 11 June 2011

I'm back with a record breaking shopping list

Sorry folks. I have been faithfully photographing my dinner, but haven't got round to posting anything. I guess that's the trouble with cooking from scratch and veg growing - it takes a lot of time and doesn't leave much left over for blogging.

Anyway, I'm back and with a record breakingly mimimal shopping list. I sent Steve to do the shopping this week and so I had to write out a complete list, which he stuck to (almost) faithfully. This resulted in a grand total spend of £28.76. He only bought a small block of cheese so I will need to buy some more of that, but nevertheless I think he did a great job.

Here's the list in full:

1. Crisps 0.71
2. Bananas 1.42
3. Full fat milk 0.89
4. Crinkle cut oven chips 1.50
5. Soya milk x 2 1.18
6. Tinned tomatoes 0.33
7. Vitamins for N 3.57
8. Cauliflower 1.26
9. Spring onions 0.64
10. Semi-skimmed milk 0.89
11. Cornflakes 1.42
12. Wafer biscuits x 2 0.80
13. Lemon squash 0.29
14. Red kidney beans 0.17
15. Peanut butter 0.67
16. Veggie beans and saus 0.70
17.Baked beans 0.29
18. Orange squash 0.28
19. Orange juice 0.65
20. Wholemeal bread 0.60
21. Net of satsumas x2 2.00
22. Bag of pears 0.71
23. Cream cheese 0.61
24. Cheese 2.00
25. Bag of apples x 2 1.42
26. Curly Lettuce 0.67
27. Baby plum tomatoes 1.00
28. Mixed peppers 1.00
29. Cucumber 0.80

He didn’t buy the all fruit snack bars we give N, so instead I’ll make her some flapjacks with honey and raisins. There were o luxuries in this shop and chips were the only item that will go over one week, so I expect the shop will cost a wee bit more next week.

And now for the bit you’ve been waiting for – our dinners next week and recipe one.
Saturday – Spaghetti Sorentina (Trudie style)
Sunday – Cauliflower cheese, new potatoes and veg
Monday – Chips with homemade veggie sausage rolls (I made these a couple of weeks ago)
Tuesday – Spaghetti with lemon and peas
Wednesday - Orange cobbler (frozen) with veg. I made this a couple of weeks ago using butternut squash, swede and carrots.


Thursday – Turkish Stew (frozen)


Friday – Chilli and rice

Spaghetti Sorentina
This is one of my favourite meals. It’s quick, easy, surprisingly filling and suitable for vegans. It was the first thing I cooked Steve and he was slightly perturbed at how greasy it is, but loves it now. In the real Italian version you would use sundried tomatoes and garlic, but the first person to make this dish for me used spring onions instead and so that’s what I stick to. I don’t usually add pine nuts but I had some in the cupboard and fancied them.
1. Spaghetti
2. Olive oil
3. Sundried tomatoes (I used 12 for me, Steve and N)
4. A bunch of spring onions
5. Pine nuts (optional)
• Boil a kettle a put enough spaghetti for all of those eating in a pan.
• Toast the pine nuts in a dry frying pan. Put to one side.
• Meanwhile chop the sundried tomatoes into bite sized pieces and the spring onions into short lengths.
• Pour the boiling water on the spaghetti and simmer.
• Put lots of olive oil in a frying pan and heat. Add the tomatoes and spring onions and fry until a little charred.
• When the pasta has cooked, drain and add to the frying pan with the tomatoes etc.
• Add the pine nuts and toss together. Add more oil if necessary. Think of the oil as a dressing. You will need to keep mixing the dish on your plate to ensure the spaghetti is well coated in oil.