Thank you Pointlessfan, yes pretty much what I thought re Economy Gastronomy. Still, if you get even one or two ideas from a book it is something. Delia Smith How to cheat at cooking was much better re ideas but not so economical.
Low spends day so far, 4 bread rolls for burgers, nice steak ones I bought reduced in Tesco.
Batch cook last night of leek and potato soup, hunters chicken bulked up with extra veg and using half the normal amount of chicken, and Victoria sandwich cake baked as muffins. These last do as pretty much instant puds with some warmed syrup or jam and custard and will freeze until needed.
My colleague at work who is from Scotland told me when times were hard when she was little her mum served a thick veg soup for dinner followed by cloutie dumpling and custard. My own parents still make a bacon hotpot which is sliced potato and onion layered with bacon . Fabulous with crusty bread, Dad says it was a dish much liked in the North East mining villages where he grew up. You can put in as much or as little bacon as you like. Am trying to channel this in my own cooking.
Rice cooker has died. Tried to cook rice myself, limited success. Happily Argos have one on sale for around fifteen pounds including the three year guarantee.