Had a rather hectic month but have missed being on here, so here goes with our everyday food again.......

Last night's supper, sliced vine tomato with Greek style cheese. Sprinkled with a little sea salt and black pepper, then topped with a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. A beautiful mix of flavours contrasting with one another; the sweetness of the tomato, the creamy acidity of the cheese, and the seasoning flavours and textures, made for a delicious and nutritious snack. Better than what I usually eat when the Late Night Munchies strike.....All ingredients from Aldi, total cost of this supper, approximately 35p.

Spaghetti bolognese with broccoli on the side......

I was forbidden to put mushrooms in this by son who hates them! I usually sneak them in but in spite of my best efforts to keep them off his plate,some inevitably make it there, resulting in an annoyed teenager, which ain't fun! So started off with some onions,carrots and celery cooked in a little oil til softened. Then added the mince and cooked til coloured,added  a stock cube and then a jar of Aldi's Bolognese sauce, some tomato puree and a little water. For seasoning used some extra garlic powder, some mixed herbs and a little mixed spice, chilli powder and smoked paprika, which gave an extra kick to the dish.

Cooked the spaghetti ,popping some broccoli in with it for economy, then served with ground black pepper,grated cheese and some olive oil drizzled over. Tasty.

I was very tempted to keep this little gem to myself, but I did say that I would share any bargain finds, when I started this blog......

240g of gorgeous thick,tasty ham, off-the-bone style, from....... Pound land!! Absolutely delicious! As most ham of that quality would cost at least £1.25 per 100g, this is a bargain indeed....

Yesterday's Sunday brunch - sausages, egg, fried potatoes, beans and toast! ......

Using leftovers from the previous day's unblogged dinner; we were too hungry to begin the meal by photographing it! Aldi pork sausages, sliced potatoes and egg, (microwaved the sausages for a minute first, to ensure thoroughly heated) and all done quickly in just a little oil (ordinary oil, rapeseed, from the ever-reliable Aldi,which is apparently a very healthy one,high in monounsaturates!) . Really tasty, and filled son's tummy to give him the energy for an afternoon of footy with friends. Remembering that this is an honest blog and each meal is analysed after eating, if not before!! Yummy. Salad to compensate later on though.....and my fingers are crossed...

Apple and mixed berry Crumble, with vanilla ice cream......

Some beautiful windfall apples, cooked with sugar and mixed spice, then cooled, portioned into tubs and some put in the freezer. Some used today , together with a sprinkling of mixed berries (from my freezer, courtesy of Farmfoods) put into an 8" x 5" pyrex dish, topped with crumble mix and baked for about 25-30 mins at 180° C. 

NB. The recipe below, gave more than enough so I saved enough from it, for two more crumble toppings, in plastic tubs in the fridge.The crumble was made using a basic mixture of 10 oz flour, (plain or self-raising), 5oz butter and 5oz sugar,(I used half brown and half white) rubbed together, or in this case, processed for 30 seconds in my little food processor-what a brilliant little item it is!! - . A good sprinkle of cinnamon was added, and a handful of porridge oats (the rolled variety) stirred in, before topping the fruit with one third of this mixture, and baking. This crumble gave about 6 portions.

Starter of egg mayonnaise, and main of chicken pasty with vegetables....

In reverse order due to slight technical hitch!! The idea of the starter was to get some good protein into son and to have a quick snack ready for him on return from football - with a sprinkle of chilli powder on top, it went down well. 

Then the 'main' of Gregg's Chicken Bake, now stocked in Iceland, £1.50 for two, with buttered potatoes and carrots, and some broccoli. Doing this blog has made me look hard at what we eat, and am starting to think that our meals are a. Quite same-ey, and b. Often quite high in carbohydrates!! In my defence, I rarely deep-fry, and only shallow-fry in a little healthy oil such as sunflower or vegetable/rapeseed oil. Tonight's pasties were oven-baked in our useful combined/microwave, much quicker. The eggs and broccoli were popped on top of the  potatoes and carrots, for the last ten minutes of cooking.

After-school snack for my little treasure- Tortilla wrap with ham and cheese...

Aldi's Torchon ham, and mature Cheddar cheese, popped into a tortilla wrap then microwaved for 30seconds,and finished by sitting on top of the (switched on!)toaster for a minute or so each side. Served with the usual cucumber garnish! A simple snack for a hungry teen, though I reckon he'll soon be wanting two, the way his appetite is growing... 

Our dinner, a delicious Chinese buffet at Shanghai, Shanghai, Carlisle...

The top picture is son's high protein starter, ha ha, featuring chicken in various forms, his cutlery flying in enthusiasm.         Then to the gorgeous selection of dishes; sweet and sour , black bean, curry, sweet chilli sauces with chicken, pork or beef, beautiful braised vegetables- tender cauliflower, broccoli, carrot, courgette and cucumber, in the most deliciously light, garlicky sauce, and accompaniments like prawn crackers and won tons, with tasty rice or noodles.

And to finish off, we had (small!) desserts including ice cream, banana and pineapple fritters, with fresh fruit, these are not pictured as they disappeared too quickly to photograph! A lovely treat. 

Good morning! Our breakfast of Weetabix with yoghurt, blueberries and honey, topped with a sprinkling of cinnamon...

My son wanted to try something different for breakfast, so after much thought (or as much as possible at this hour on a Saturday) I suggested this. All ingredients from the marvellous Aldi, and in fact the inspiration for this brekky came from the back of a pack of Aldi's own Wheat Bisks,so thanks to them! The total cost of this lovely breakfast, is estimated at about 45p per person, at most. A 500g tub of yoghurt, at about 45p,will easily serve four people, as can the 150g pack of blueberries at 99p. The mixture of honey and cinnamon on top, really added to the mix of flavours. Healthy,tasty and my boy loved it. All good.. Our nutritional good deed in advance of the Chinese buffet we plan to have later, in honour of it being the last weekend of the school hols.... Happy Weekend!

Tonights dinner, Toad-in-the-Hole, mashed potato and carrots, with peas and gravy.

Since my son had stated that he was ready for 'something substantial', I  produced this. Bless him,he is 13 with hollow legs,apparently. Basic Yorkshire Pudding /pancake mix of a cup of everything- SR flour, milk and eggs, with a pinch of salt, all whisked together and poured over sausages (Iceland's Pork Cumberland sausages "Butcher's Market" 72% pork,cook from frozen, really tasty) in a baking tray with a little oil in it. Preheated the baking tray to begin cooking the sausages, for 5-10  minutes, before pouring the batter mix over. Then baked at about 200°c or gas 7, for 25 mins or so til golden and puffy.

Served with mashed veg and peas (Aldi's own frozen Petit pois, lovely, sweet and tender), with a little gravy over. Suitably substantial for his Lordship? Yes, it was...phew. Teen tummy filled,at least for the time being. Job done. Oh, and some leftover for lunch tomorrow!

My son's latest bake, plain sponge cake with light chocolate butter cream icing, and chocolate niblets sprinkled on top. Impressed, delicious x.

Son working so fast he's just a blur, whisking the icing mix for this cake- usual basic sponge recip used , 8 oz SR flour, 8oz butter or margarine, 8oz sugar and 8oz eggs or 4 small to medium sized, plus a heaped teaspoonful of  baking powder and a little splash of milk. All-in-one method, whisked together then baked at 180°c/Gas 4 for about 35-40 minutes, we used 2 x 7" round time this time so took longer than the traybake of a few days ago. I'd have done a traybake, anything to save a bit of electricity, but my son wanted a round cake and it was his baby,so to speak, so I let him! 

The cake part iced,with icing in the middle, about 1/3 of a 500g pack of icing sugar, whisked using a fork, with a little vegetable oil and some butter, (the two together give a good texture to the icing) and then about a dessertspoonful of cocoa mixed in, as we didn't want it too rich this time. Cake coated in icing and then chocolate niblets sprinkled over the top. The choc niblets were from BM Bargains who do a nice range of baking products, but if we hadn't had them we'd have grated some chocolate over .it. 

This cake came out well, good one Son,well done.x

Some Pasta with summery salads and hard boiled egg ...

Pasta quills served warm with red pepper and sweetcorn on top, and an apple,celery and mayonnaise salad on the side, with cucumber and hard boiled egg. Nice on a hot day.

And with a little black pepper and olive oil over it....

Salted caramel fudge - it would be rude not to share this find......

Found this in Poundstretcher - £1  for the pack, absolutely delicious and far too moreish.....the four squares of fudge pictured, were all that remained. They are no more! ......

Baked this afternoon, a Carrot and Poppy seed traybake, with Lemon icing

Using a basic all-in-one Victoria Sponge recipe,  8 oz/200g of sugar, butter (or margarine), self raising flour and eggs. 4 eggs is the usual amount but I weigh mine as sizes can vary and too much egg mixture has led to a drier result, I've found.

A teaspoon of baking powder, a little splash of milk and a sprinkle of salt,then allwhisked together for a minute or two until pale and creamy. I added some Poppy seeds also-just to try as my Mum used to use them sometimes-and half a finely grated carrot.

Baked in a small baking tray (7" x 9" approx) lined with greaseproof paper, for about 30mins at 180 °  or Gas 4.

Icing sugar (about a third of a 500g pack,for thinnish icing) mixed with lemon juice and a tiny bit of vegetable oil, until desired consistency, then drizzled over cake. This one came out well,nice and moist,pleased with it. Might have some tomorrow warmed with custard,yum!!

Burger in a bun, with Emmental cheese ,lettuce and tomato sauce....

I'm not a fan of burgers as a species, greasy and oniony things usually, which make the house smell, no matter how long the kitchen fan is switched on for! But when my son requested them I looked and found some in Iceland,yes Mum did go there, and got a pack of 4 quarter-pounders, made only from seasoned British beef, and 2 free in the pack for only £1.50. Result. 

Grilled slowly from frozen, and served in very-lightly toasted Barm cakes (bought at Home Bargains) with lettuce, tomato sauce and a touch of mayonnaise, plus a slice of delicious Emmental cheese (from Lidl) melted quickly on top of the burger, giving a beautiful, creamy,continental look to the burger. Very filling and reasonably healthy and high in protein, and no chips in sight! 

School holiday brunch, Pancakes, made by my young budding chef. Well done honey, delicious!

•  We used the the easy Yorkshire pudding style recipe of a cup of each ingredient - 1 cup of self-raising flour, a cup of milk and a cup of eggs (slightly less than,if unsure whether to add the extra egg or not) . It isn't strictly necessary to use this many eggs but its good nutrition for a teenager who is going through an egg-averse stage, plus the pancakes get a lovely golden colour and nice light texture. Whisked together in a jug for easy pouring into the pan.  A teaspoon of oil in the frying pan,heated up well, then pour enough mixture in to coat the pan,swirl gently around to do this. Pancakes are best done on a gas hob, electric may prove more difficult though not impossible. Cook over medium heat for a minute or two; when the pancake starts to curl away from the side of the pan it may be flipped,if feeling brave, or turned using a fish slice. Another minute and it can be turned out onto a plate,for the waiting hordes. Eat and repeat, several times! The batch that we made, makes about 8-10  pancakes, any left over mixture will keep in the fridge for a couple of days,just whisk up before use.    We filled and topped our pancakes with sliced banana, butterscotch syrup,and squirty cream today, naughty but nice! Oh,and a touch of chocolate sauce on the cream,purely for decoration!
  
  

Leftover Spaghetti Bolognese,a belated post from Friday's dinner! Spaghetti was refreshed with boiling water in a colander over a pan,then covered and steam-finished over a very low heat while the remaining bolognese mixture was simmered for 5-10 mins to reheat thoroughly. A little water was added, plus some more tomato passata as the mixture had gone slightly drier after being refrigerated. Served with some grated cheddar and side salad, plus drizzles of olive oil over the pasta and sauce, to get us some 'healthy fats' for the day!

The old faithful, Spag Bol, for tea last night , with a side salad.....

Should I admit to my practical shortcut? Yes I always cook plenty of a dish like this, to allow for naughty seconds,if required, and/or leftovers for the next day. There, I've said it, we do leftovers. I am not ashamed. When I did my chef's training years ago, it was known as 'rechauffe' and the main rule was to make sure that the food was thoroughly reheated, and was piping hot, particularly if it contained meat or fish. Also to be extra careful if using rice as it can be risky from a potential food poisoning perspective, the reason being that each grain can acquire harmful bacteria - if kept unrefrigerated for too long-but it's fine if you follow the basic guidelines! Ensure leftover food is refrigerated or frozen as soon as possible after cooking, and use refrigerated leftovers as sold as possible ie within 24 hours or so.  ...Anyway, used vegetable oil to sauté onion, carrot and mushroom, til softened about 10 mins, then added a chicken stock cube, the mince, fried for a few minutes to colour it, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, then added some tomato Passata (sieved tomatoes)and some tomato purée, stirring into the mixture. I used some garlic powder, a little chilli powder, a sprinkle of Worcester sauce and a pinch of mixed herbs.  Allow to simmer gently for 10minutes or so, and cook your pasta.  Served with a little olive oil on the pasta, some black pepper and Parmesan on the bolognese,and a little side salad! Yum!  Oh, and tonight, some broccoli  was popped in with the pasta to cook.

Today's light lunch - Egg mayonnaise sandwiches on white farmhouse bread, with Quavers and cucumber on the side

Bread from Lidl, eggs, mayo and cucumber from Aldi, and Quavers from Home bargains, I always search for best value and best taste combined!

Stir-fried Chicken with noodles

Stir-fried chicken breast (Aldi, frozen) flavoured with garlic,honey, and chilli, cooked with onions and mushrooms, and some broccoli, with sweet corn added

at the end. A little water,milk and gravy granules added to expand the sauce.

Our version of Krispie cake, son feeling creative!

We microwaved for one minute, a plastic bowl of marshmallows, syrup, crushed shortbread biscuits, 100g milk chocolate and a knob of butter, then stirred in some rice krispies unril of the desired consistency. Pat down into a container lined with greaseproof paper and chilled for a while in the fridge, marking into portions first for easier cutting. Sweet and tasty, think next time we might use some fudge or toffee in with the mix, and add the marshmallows last so they keep their chewiness, another reason to make more soon!

....and served with some chopped marshmallows and maltesers on top,as there wasn't enough sweetness there already....

Tonight's quick meal,all from the brilliant value Aldi - sausages, waffles, broccoli and peas... sensing a theme here, yes where greens are concerned its either those or cucumber! Well as long as my boy gets his nutrients!

Ashfield Farm Butcher's select Pork sausages, 72% pork,all British. Delicious and amazing value for money. Fried, but with only a coating of oil in the pan, and waffles done in the same pan,almost stir-fried. The veg were steamed in the microwave, in a little plastic tub with it's lid on, for 4 minutes, and then the lid was left on to allow the cooking to complete while the rest of the dinner finished cooking.  Topped off with some Tomato ketchup!

Tonight's dinner, courtesy of Ald - Gammon steaks, broccoli, tinned spaghetti ,carrots and potatoes, buttered.

Oh,and some sweetcorn, we like a mix of flavours in our house!

Some beautiful Honeydew melon from Aldi as a post-school cooling snack, perfect.

seeds removed, of course...

Today's Brunch, sliced banana on toasted farmhouse loaf, with warm honey drizzled over...yum..

And pudding to follow; Chocolate ice cream with warmed crumbled chocolate muffin on top, then some butterscotch sauce and squirty Dairy cream! Very sweet and very delicious, and not too heavy either!

Tonight's quick mixed supper, Chicken with noodles and broccoli, with some cheese and tomato Pizza on the side

Chicken breast (courtesy of Aldi, 1kg less that. £4) steam/sautéed in a little butter and olive oil, with honey,a good sprinkle of garlic powder, ginger powder and a small sprinkle of chilli powder. About 5-7 mins either side,ensuring any pinkness cgone.  Noodles placed in microwaveable dish with loose plastic lid, covered with boiled water from the kettle and with little florets of broccoli in among iit. Microwave for 3-4 mins ,stir then allow to steam for a few more minutes.. Bake pizza as per instructions, this one also from Aldi.

A quick energy boosting snack for my little treasure on his return from scout camp - Aldi's Torchon Ham and mayonnaise, with cucumber and Wotsits on the side!

Last nights dinner for a hungry 13 year old, quite carbohydrate-rich but he needs the energy! With cucumber always a favourite.

Chicago Town Ham and Pineapple pizza, with potato wedges courtesy of Aldi,  and sons favourite one-piece salad starring cucumber!