5 Steps To Frugal Cooking

I kind of get a little kick from getting the most out of my money when it comes to doing the weekly food shop, I also like to make the healthiest meals for the cheapest amount possible.
I thought I would share some of the things that I like to do to save us money!



1. MEAL PLAN
I know a lot of people say it, but it's true. I started meal planning only a year ago, but I wish I had done it sooner! It allows you to look through the cupboards before doing your grocery shop to see what you have in, and then buy exactly what you will need through out the week.

2. SEPARATE MEAT AND FREEZE IN BAGS  
This is one I have done for a very long time and can't imagine myself not doing it, I like to buy meat in bulk. Whether its chicken, mince, whatever it is, buy plenty, we are a family of four with kids 4 and under and I can make one large chicken breast go between all of us, I can also split a 500g pack of mince into two to make two meals, It may be less meat than you are used to, but it's going to save the pennies and really, you don't need all that meat, bulk up with other things like vegetables to get the most from it, whether it be added to your sauce or or as a side to your meal.

You could label things better than I have here if you get confused as to which meat is what!

3. FREEZE LEFTOVERS / VEGETABLES
The freezer is your friend! It is very tempting when you have made too much food to just do a mega portion of food for everybody, but why not get out some Tupperware and portion some food in there for the fridge/freezer? It could make a great meal for an emergency dinner or just a nice bit of lunch for the next day.
On the same hand, when it looks as though vegetables or even fruit might spoil, chop them up and pop them in the freezer to use at a later date, no waste!

4. COOK FROM SCRATCH
You have to make time for this sometimes, but if you can do it, it will not only save you money, but it's also a lot more healthy for you. It has been years since I last bought a ready made jar of sauce, I feel like people can sometimes over complicate the thought of making a sauce from scratch, but really, as long as you have some herbs and spices in the cupboard, the base for most of my dishes is a tin of tomatoes for 30p.

5. IGNORE THE OFFERS
It's hard not to be drawn in to those offers sometimes, but having worked in retail for many years I can say with confidence 9 times out of 10, those offers aren't worth it. Stick to a list and your meal plan and only get what you went in for.


I hope you at least got some tips there as to how to stay a little more frugal when it comes to the food shop, I know I love reading things like this and finding out something that might be useful, so if you have any other tips that might be helpful, feel free to leave them down in the comments, I would love to know!

Thanks, Anna xx

Valentines Inspired Marshmallow Crispies | Little Appetites

These are my Valentines inspired marshmallow crispies (valentines purely because I made them pink and drew some hearts on there.. that counts, right?)  perfect to do a spot of baking with the little ones, and lets be honest, we all love a good rice krispie cake!

INGREDIENTS

It's nice and simple this one, you will need,

3 Cups - Marshmallows (preferably small)

4 Cups - Rice Krispies 

1/4 Cup - Unsalted Butter

You can use a splash of food colouring too for a pop of colour and a bit of fun!

METHOD

Melt the butter in a large pan (this is also the time to add the food colouring if you want it).

Once the butter is all melted down, add in the marshmallows and gently melt into a soft liquid, I must say I found this part extremely satisfying and Tom thought it was the greatest stuff ever!

Soon as the marshmallows have melted, take it off the heat and add in your Rice Krispies, you have to work quickly here so mix them in well, then transfer into a baking dish which has been greased, or use baking parchment and then press it down to flatten it.

After that we wait... patiently, sort of. Until the Rice Krispie mix has completely cooled.

Once completely cool, cut into squares, and then the fun part DECORATING! 

We just used some sprinkles and a little icing to pipe on some hearts! 

Tom got very involved in the whole process, but Ewan, as I suspected, didn't really want much to do with the whole thing! Oh well - You win some, you lose some!

This post has been linked with Stephanie and Lorraine for their Little Appetites Linky. 

Perfect Homemade Pesto | Recipe

My perfect pesto recipe

I have been making this pesto for years now and it never fails, once you have tried this you wont want to buy it jarred again - trust me.

It's a firm favorite in this house, whether it's the kids, or a meal with friends it always goes down a treat.

The great thing about this recipe is that you can make it to your taste, if you like basil, wack it in, if you are a fan of garlic, go for it! (providing it's not a hot date you're making this for) There is no exact science to it, and that's the way I like my cooking to be!

INGREDIENTS

Basil - One of my favorite herbs to use, something so refreshing about both the smell and taste of basil. Nothing that reminds me of summer days more.

Garlic - I am a big fan of garlic, did you know it has the potential to reduce the risk of heart disease, cholesterol levels and even cancer? So get it down you, raw is best. I remember my Grandad used to eat raw garlic almost every day!

Pine nuts -  They add an amazing crunch, you could roast them before hand for even more flavor.

Parmesan - Try not to buy this stuff ready grated, it quickly loses it's flavor that way, it will last longer as a solid block in the fridge anyway.

Olive Oil - This is what brings it all together into a paste - how much of this you add depends on the consistency you like your pesto.

METHOD

Simpy Chop everything into manageable chunks and add to your blender, blend to the texture that you like, sometimes it's nice to leave some chunks in there, other times smooth is the way to go! Tip - Start by adding a small amount of Olive Oil and then gradually keep adding to get the desired consistency.

There you have it, how easy was that? 

The best way to enjoy this is with pasta of course! But another suggestion I have tried in the past, is stuffed into a chicken breast and wrapped in bacon, you could also just dip some bread in there!

If you're one of those sneaky parents (like I can be) you can always blend in some spinach, they will never notice!

Also if you make too much, you can store it in the fridge for up to a week. 

Let me know if you try this recipe and what you thought to it down in the comments below, I would love to know!

Anna xx