i need to do a weeks shopping for about £15, only food everything else sorted, what do i buy??

[lucysmam]

as i'm on a super-duper tight budget this week. stuff like beans, tinned toms and mince, tea bags etc (basic stuff really) have to be included as well, but i'd like to still be able to do something a bit interesting and exciting with the limited budget i have. also, i dont have a freezer at the mo so all needs to be either fresh, able to refrigerate for a week or cupboard type stuff.

thanks in advance for any suggestions xx

1066 - how do you make frying pan pizza?

Anyone have a recipe for tomato and chilli sauce? Only problem is I don't know how too cut chillis . I was going to use chilli flakes butcan't find them so gave up on it.

mamadiva, i chop the end with the stalk off, cut in half, scrape out the middle with the seeds in then cut as finely as possible. Just remember either to wear gloves or wash your hands before you touch any part of your body after chopping them because it's not a pleasant experience if you don't!!! I once forgot and rubbed my eye, really unpleasant irritating feeling all night after that!

My omelette method _ produces a fluffy, rather than flat omelette but I prefer this

3 eggs, beaten with a tiny amount of water - about a teaspoon or two
Salt and pepper

melt butter make sure it coats pans really well, pour in egg as you would if scrambling. But don't touch the mixture as it starts to set. When you have a flat, slightly set mixture, run a palette knife around the edges a few times, shaking the pan like when yo make pancakes. Add any filling (we like chopped peppers, herbs and sliced spicy sausage). When the bottom is yellowy-brown, add cheese then bung whole thing under the grill for about 3-4 mins. the cheese will melt and the egg will rise like a souffle. Slide off the pan, fold and serve.

Thanks Lucysmam I know about the wash your hands thing. My mum went to the toilet once after chopping a chilli and forgot to wash her hands....I've never heard such a blood curdling scream

Do you think it'd be alright to chop the chilli and put it in with chopped tomatoes? I don't know am confused.

lucysmam! I do meal plan I do it every week, usualy food shop online and can cook really nice meals. But not nice cheap ones

lmao mama!! ive not done that myself but can imagine after runnbing just my eyes it wouldnt be very nice!!

I'd pop the chilli in with the toms myself & mix them together. Can't see why not!

luna, oh. never mind then, ignore me

runnbing????? well, thats a new one! i mean rubbing

Do you need teabags? Could you drink tap water?

Peapod, 31p a box of 80 from netto, tesco value and asda smartprice are all we drink most of the time. tap water just wouldn't do anything for me first thing in the morning

lucysmam - did you find out about the allotment?

yeah, they don't split the ones that we have near us, but they do split some that are an hours bus ride each way according to the woman i spoke to friday. I'm going to ring again Monday and double check though as I'll probably get someone else.

If not, wilko's near me are starting selling off summer stuff so will give it a week or 2 and then get a couple of planters and have sent my dad an email asking him to pick me some seeds up next time he goes to garden centre as he's always there for something or other on weekend.

Wasn't sure what to get though so asked for cabbage, garlic, leeks and carrotts. Figured they'd make a good start and come in very handy when the weather starts to get colder and I'm cooking more homely type food if you know what i mean.

hmm are those things you can grow in planters?

think you can grow anything in A planter

why dont you see a0 if they would split one for you
b) if anyone you know would share it?

I'm not very good on phone but mil is & usually gets what she wants so might get her to ring for me

just out of curiosity, does anyone get veg boxes?? do they work out more expensive than supermarket and what type of stuff do you get in them?

I found them a bit of a PITA and I like cooking!

You'd open it and EVERYTHING would be caked in mud, there would be potatoes which were nice, sometimes onions but not often, and then there was always a massive squash or pumpkin (which we weren't keen on) and artichokes and lots of really random veg we weren't too keen on... woudl have to
hunt the net for recipes to use them and it took hours!

oh, i'll scrap that idea then, cheers luna. how did you get on with your cheap shop?

i've had a much better experience with river nene box scheme - really loved it. not caked in mud at all and mainly loved the veg we got
squash/pumpkin - my kids love!

eggs x 12
streaky bacon and back bacon
big pack of spaghetti
bread
baked beans x 4
small dbl cream
block of cheese
bag ov value peppers
big pack of value mushrooms
4 big potatos
2 onions
garlic
tin of toms
basil if you can afford it

will make - Spaghetti carbonara

beans and cheese on toast

bacon, mushrooms, scrambled egg, eggie bread and beans

tortilla (using the peppers mushrooms and cheese)

pancakes (for cheap pud)

baked pots with cheese or beans or both

spaghetti with tomato sauce using tinned toms, garlic, basil and any onion mushrooms and peppers that you have left

it ain't gormet but it'll fill you up

i have no idea how to make spaghetti carbonara bewilder! but i'm liking the look of that list, especially eggy bread, we've not had that for ages

carbonara increadibly easy, will give you recipe if you like

yeah please, if you don't mind

my carbonara is 3 egg yolks whisked with either double creme, creme fraiche or fromage frais (depending on if you are on a diet lol) with a bit of parmesan and black pepper thrown in, chuck in a bit of friend bacon then toss in freshly cooked pasta (tagliatelle or spaghetti.) voila!

ok

put 75ml of double cream, 2 eggs and 1 egg yolk in a jog and mix, add 3oz grated parmesan

cook spaghetti as per pack instructions, when spag is about 5 mins from being cooked heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a pan, fry 1 pack of pancetta (or chopped up streaky bacon) until just going golden, add 2 cloves finely chopped garlic.

drain pasta, don't put the pan back on the heat but do keep the pasta in its pan at this stage, add pancetta and garlic and most of the left over oil. Working very quickly stir the pancetta into the spaghetti then add the egg cream and parmesan mixture, stir very quickly until all the pasta is coated. Grind over some black pepper and serve with extra parmesan

yummy - bear in mind not suitable for the infirm or pregnant women, the heat from the pasta does cook the egg but it's better to be safe than sorry. If your a bit squeamish about raw eggs you can put the pasta back on a low heat for 2 mins after you've stirred the egg mixture in but you must keep stirring and watch it like a hawk or you could end up with scrambled eggs.