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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to serve homemade soup 3 nights a week

96 replies

Belini · 11/08/2011 22:41

I have five weeks to save a rent depost for a larger house. I have three DS and twins on the way would I BU to serve them homemade veg and lentil soup 3 nights a week and also not buy junk such as crisps biscuits and juice for the next five weeks to give them a better home. The reason I am asking is that my mother has reacted like I have suddenly decided to feed them on bread and water and has went to supermarket and bought some "essentials" these include puddings diluting juice polish and kitchen roll. The last two were in response to me saying that i was sure there was some cleaning stuff I could do with out. AIBU??

OP posts:

OohThatsMyTractor · 12/08/2011 15:19

This thread has some good recipe ideas, they are mainly vegetarian and therefore cheaper than having meat with every meal.

OohThatsMyTractor · 12/08/2011 15:22

Meant to say, no YANBU serving homemade soup three nights a week, I would love it if someone served me instead of having to cook everything myself lovley homemade soup with cheese on top and fresh crusty homemade bread. I have a fab recipe for a really quick and easy homemade foccacia bread that I will dig out for you.

festi · 12/08/2011 15:27

YANBU however I would try to include some variation and also you can buy smart price biscuits for 43p a packet, I never buy crisps anyway so definatly not UR on that count.

what you need to do is swap branded goods for the cheapest like crisps, pasta, noodles, cereals etc.

for the amount of veg and food used and price you make the soup try curry, pasta bakes, trir frys, pies etc. I think the soup lacks imagination.

passingtime · 12/08/2011 16:44

yanbu, its not like they are going to starve!

twentypoundsover · 12/08/2011 17:16

I make a veggie alternative to shepherd's pie with a tin of lentils, some grated mature cheddar and a couple of dessertspoons of soy sauce for the bottom bit, then the usual mash on top. Serve with veg. Very tasty and extremely cheap.

Mumsnut · 12/08/2011 18:03

My Mum made really good soup when we were little ... and it had suet dumplings in it which were WONDERFUL.

(Cheesy mashed potato was good too.)

MightyQuim · 12/08/2011 20:12

YANBU. I'm making spiced sweet potato soup tonight. There will be some left for lunch tomorrow and it's cost me pennies to make. If you make different soups and maybe have a different sanwich on the side it will add variety. Much better for your kids than sausage and chips one night followed by nuggets and chips etc

Choconellie · 12/08/2011 20:47

These dishes all sound great! Do any of you fancy posting the recipes? I would love to try them out.

InfestationofLannisters · 12/08/2011 21:04

Three DC and twins on the way saving for a better and bigger house. I've been in that position with just one and then two after having lost the house I owned due to wanky XH bad luck.

Would you consider accepting a virtual helping hand via Paypal as well as the practical advice you have been given?

CheerfulYank · 12/08/2011 23:30

Good idea, Lannisters. (Great name, btw! :) )

Soup is great; my husband shot a huge deer this past fall and we had venison and root-veggie stew two or three times a week all winter long.

WilsonFrickett · 12/08/2011 23:40

YANBU. Sounds brilliant. I think the key is to ring the changes a bit with the soup - add tiny pasta one night (love tiny pasta, always reminds me of weaning DS ), rice another. Dumplings or savoury scones instead of bread. A veggie stew one night - blend and thin the leftovers and add lentils for soup next day, etc. And don't forget eggs - cheap protein :).

Serenitysutton · 12/08/2011 23:47

Soup is not enough for a dinner/ supper- only a few hundred calories. You'd be better off with some manky bean stew that people always suggest when you want to save money on food; with rice. At least that's a proper meal.

amistillsexy · 13/08/2011 00:05

serenity, how many calories do you want in a main meal? I'd have thought "a few hundred" is plenty!

I'm shocked at people suggesting that soup and bread is not enough/boring. When I was growing up we had a different meal for each night of the week...but the same meal rotation each week, so Tuesdays, for example, were always jacket potato nights. Now that was boring.

I try to vary the meals as much as possible, but only because I get bored. My 3 DSs couldn't care less if they had the same thing every night, as long as they all liked it, and soup is one of the few things they all agree on!

In fact, I think I might start a soup revolution and do the same thing as you, OP.

It's soup on the menu tomorrow, boys!

rhondajean · 13/08/2011 00:07

I was brought up on soup and home made rice pudding!!

Ive been making fab roasted veg soup lately. Purely by chance discovery. I had roasted a huge tray of veg (parsnips, onions, carrots, peppers) with chicken and garlic and there was too much of the veg for us to eat. It seemed a shame to throw it out but I knew there was no way we would eat roast veg two days in a row so thought aha! and made up some stock (if Knorr is good enough for Marco etc etc) mixed it up and blended it with the hand blender. It tasted AMAZING.

amistillsexy · 13/08/2011 00:17

Rhonda, there's a cafe near me which serves the most amaxing soups and that's how she makes them-just roasts whatever veg she's using with garlic and whizzes it up with stock. Her carrot and garlic is to die for! Yesterday I had aubergine and feta, which was mildly spiced. The feta was crumbled on at the end, though, not roasted !

ravenAK · 13/08/2011 00:19

Sounds lovely, & super healthy - I should do soup more often!

I would say that if you do get bored with it, rice + a tin of value kidney beans would readily turn it in to a very nice 'manky bean stew' .

I did a veggie shepherd's pie tonight - onions, peppers, carrots, mushrooms, lentils, kidney beans, tinned tomatoes & a cheap jar of chilli sauce, topped with mash - you could try something like that for a change. Basic curries with Patak's paste, veg & pulses are good too.

CheerfulYank · 13/08/2011 00:20

A thick soup, bread, fruit is plenty for a main meal and I'm surprised anyone would think otherwise.

madmomma · 13/08/2011 00:26

they sound like lucky kids to be eating all that fresh veg and Mummy's cooking YANBU at all!

InfestationofLannisters · 13/08/2011 01:00

People used to live on soup / stew and bread, even fighting men and servants doing relentless physical labour

You sound genuine OP and I'd like to help in a small way if I can. Please feel free to PM.

redpanda13 · 13/08/2011 01:48

YANBU I would move in with you for homemade soup 3 times a week. DD probably would too. Homemade soup with bread or beans and toast are her favourite meals.

Original poster

Belini · 13/08/2011 09:30

Thankyou for all your comments. I did deep down know IANBU just my Mum always seems to give me a wobble. My boys are eat what you are given kind of kids so will be more than happy with the menu. We are very open about things and they understand we are on a tight budget and that you have to save if you want nice things and a bigger house etc.
cheerfulyank your coments always give me a lift thankyou xx
to all those with yummy recipe ideas please post or pm me
Lannisters that is a lovely thought and this is a polite decline its only been a few days but I already feel so good that I am doing this myself its very motivating

OP posts:

grovel · 13/08/2011 09:36

When does a soup (perceived to be a light dish) become a stew (perceived to be a filling dish)?. I produce what I call a soup quite often. DH calls it stew because it's really quite bulky.

WilsonFrickett · 13/08/2011 09:50

If you can eat it with a fork it's a stew

grovel · 13/08/2011 10:04

Thanks, Wilson. I think you're nearly right.
But I eat my soup with a spoon and DH uses a fork (and a hunk of crispy bread to mop up).

Original poster

Belini · 10/09/2011 09:56

Just a little update to say we did it! We lived on a super tight budget ad saved enough for the deposit we are now in our new house and very happy. Two more weeks on soup and and we will have all the little bits and pieces finished adn it will really feel like home.

OP posts:

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