Apologies

I feel I should apologise for my lack of posting, but life has just gotten in the way.

We have been getting the garden sorted, trying to fill as many gaps with produce  so that we can reduce our grocery bill. The idea being that we grow enough veg so that the veg box delivery will incorporate fruit as well so that is taken off the supermarket list.

I am still making 99% of our bread, buns, cakes etc it is only really when I'm short on time that I purchase items.

As myself and the boys have been off school this week and there has been a day out with friends dinners have not been from the menu plan, but have still used bits up from the freezer.

Another thing we need to look at is that we have to pay for the college bus for Tom now instead of it being a free pass, so that is another £300 per year to find, plus books and along with an increase in car insurance of £130 per year and then general increases as normal, so we need approx an extra £500 for normal living expenses. So this is where I'm hoping the garden will help.

I'm hoping to have a stall at a local car boot sale in a couple of weeks time which will hopefully get rid of some clutter and also be an outlet for some of my jams that i have been making.

Organic Veg Boxes

I have a weekly organic veg box delivered by a wonderful company http://www.woodlandsfarm.co.uk/.

The contents are always, have always been lovely and fresh and are very good value; I have been using them for approx 5 years now; and apart from one week during this last bad winter when we ourselves were snowed in they haven't missed a delivery.

I tailor my box to suit our needs as a family but they do standard boxes as well.

Take a look and maybe you might find they are a company who could deliver to you.

Week Commencing 14 March 2011

We are eating from menu plan 3 this week.

We have had very changeable weather over the last few days going from warm bright sunshine to dull overcast with showers and the temperatures have been like yo-yos as well.

The rhubarb is really coming through now, and I moved some daffodils which had grown up in the rhubabrb area; my plan is to make this a dedicated rhubarb patch which will make it easier to maintain, so this year will also see the horseradish being moved into a different separate area which can be just for it.

I have sorted out what seeds I will be growing this year and and am just waiting for the overnight frosts to cease so I can get some seeds in, I don't have a heated area so they go in trays in the greenhouse with bubblewrap as insulation over the top, this worked fairly well last year.

Today has also seen the landill bin go out for only the second time since the start of the new year, so that is a similar timespace to what we were when I was recording everything; again the weekly landfill rubbish has fitted into a carrier bag and as much as can be has been recycled or composted.

Week Commencing 28 February

We are on week 1 in the menu plan this week.

I have had a quietish day today, went into town to open the boys bank accounts which they wanted, with cash point cards, then to KFC for lunch and finally to a friends for coffee.

The weather has been very wet and dreary.

I heard on the news earlier that fresh vegatables will be more difficult to comeby as alot of farmers in Lincolnshire have fields of crops which were ruined in "the big freeze". The farmer interviewed was the owner of the organic farm where I get my veg box from. This will make it more imperative to try and grow more in the future.

We had one last day off school due to teacher trianing, and will all be back tomorrow, until Easter.

menu plan w/c 7 Feb

Mon - sausage & chips

Tues - gammon, mash, veggies, parsley sauce

Wed - lasagne

Thurs - beef casserole

Fri - chilli & saffron rice

Sat - burgers

Sun - roast lamb and all the trimmings (boys will have chicken)

Menu Plan w/c 31 Jan

Mon - Fish & Chips ( fish baked in the oven, hm chips)

Tues - sausage & mash, assorted veggies

Wed - pork casserole

Thurs - mince & tatties

Fri - pasta bake

Sat - tacos

Sun - roast chicken with all the trimmings

Menu Plan w/c 24 Jan

Mon - pie & chips

Tues - haggis (Burn's Night)

Wed - lasagne

Thurs - beef casserole

Fri - chicken & rice

Sat - quiche

Sun - roast beef

any veggies used will be from the organic veg box or our garden which have been frozen

Menu Plan w/c 17 Jan

Mon - roast chicken, roast potatoes, carrots, broccoli

Tues - steak pie & hm chips

Weds - mince cobbler

Thurs - pork casserole

Fri - chilli & rice

Sat - pizza

Sun - roast pork,yorkshire puddings, roast potatoes, carrots, green beans, leeks

Shopping less at the Supermarket

I have been looking at the meat pack which my butcher does £30 delivered

Fresh Yorkshire Chicken
Joint of Scotch Silverside
Corner Gammon Joint
1lb Lincolnshire Sausage
1lb Minced Steak
2 Scotch Rump Steaks
2 Lincolnshire Pork Lojn Steaks
2 Yorkshire Chicken Breast Fillets
2 Ind Scotch Steak Pies

Now I have worked out that if I buy 2 of these plus some extra sausage, pork cheeks and shin beef (for casseroles and curries), then some fish from the docks I can easily have the meat/fish for a month for approx £100 (we are big meat eaters); the meat/fish will average £3 per meal for the 4 of us.

Add in the organic veg box or homegrown veggies, fruit and potatoes from the farm shop if not the veg box, milk and dairy from the milkman, eggs from the farm gate and homemade bread, cakes and pastries.
We have the makings of good wholesome food without much supermarket shopping, maybe once a month or couple of months for tins, dry goods, household and toiletries.

Menu Plan w/c 10 Jan

Mon - chicken curry & jacket potato ( there is enough curry leftover from yesterday)

Tues - fish pie served with carrots and green beans

Wed - bolognese

Thurs - sausage casserole

Fri - beef stir fry

Sat - quiche

Sun - steak

any veggies used are either from the organic veg box or our garden which have been frozen

Menu Plan w/c 3 Jan

I am trying to use as much as possible from the freezer and cupboards this month, although I do need some meat and fish before the end of the month. I also receive a weekly organic veg box.

I have planned meals for basically the whole month but will only post them here weekly.

Mon - takeaway ( I save my coppers throughout the year and this pays for a New Year treat before we all go back to work/school)

Tues - pork steaks, roast potatoes, carrots,broccoli,sprouts and swede

Weds - savoury mince and mashed potatoes, green beans

Thurs - gammon and chips

Fri - tacos, salad

Sat - HM pizza

Sun - chicken curry and pilau rice

any veggies used are either from the organic veg box or our garden which have been frozen

Menu Plan w/c 21 June

Monday - Meatballs, new potatoes, fresh veggies

Tuesday - Chicken Salad, fried potatoes

Wednesday - Macaroni cheese, salad

Thursday - Chicken curry, rice

Friday - Tuna Salad, New potatoes

Saturday - Tacos, salad

Sunday - BBQ, salad

Menu Plan w/c 7 June

Monday - Fish Fingers, hm chips, salad

Tuesday - Mince and Mash potatoes, fresh veggies

Wednesday - Egg salad, new potatoes,

Thursday - pork curry, rice, fresh veggies

Friday - Jacket potatoes

Saturday - BBQ (weather permitting)

Sunday - Salmon, new potatoes, salad

All the salad levaes are now from out of our garden.

The cucumbers are coming along very nicely and all the indoor tomatoes have flowers on; so it won't be long before we are having homegrown of those as well.

Menu Plan w/c 31 May

Monday - Steak, jacket potatoes, salad

Tuesday - Scampi, chips, salad (inc hg leaves)

Wednesday - Tuna & Egg salad, boiled potatoes

Thursday - Spagetti Bolognese

Friday - Cheese toasties, salad (inc hg leaves)

Saturday - BBQ (weather permitting)

Sunday - Roast Chicken, roast potatoes, fresh veggies

Menu Plan w/c 24 May

Monday - Corned Beef Salad, jacket potatoes

Tuesday - Tuna/pasta with salad

Wednesday - Sausage & mash, fresh veggies

Thursday - Fish fingers & bubble & squeak(using last night leftovers)

Friday - hm pizza

Saturday - burgers

Sunday - roast chicken, salad, new potatoes

Menu Plan w/c 17 May

Monday - Chilli and saffron rice

Tuesday - Pork chops, mash and fresh veggies

Wednesday - Tuna and Salmon salad, new potatoes

Thursday - Meat Pie, chips, fresh veggies

Friday - Jacket potato, cheese & beans, side salad

Saturday - Pizza

Sunday - Steak, new potatoes, salad

Menu Plan w/c 10 May

This week again sees us out for a couple of evenings, so the slowcooker will again come into play to have dinner cooked ready for when everyone gets home.

Monday - Meatballs, salad, new potatoes

Tuesday - Pork Casserole, mash, fresh veggies

Wednesday - Steak Pie & Chips, fresh veggies

Thursday - Sausage casserole, mash, fresh veggies

Friday - Chicken savoury rice

Saturday - Pizza & chips

Sunday - Steak, new potatoes, salad

Menu Plan w/c 3 May

With all the extra work and activities going the last couple of weeks on things could have taken a nose dive but I made sure that either the slow cooker went on before I went to work or that dinner was something that could be easily prepared once I was home.

Monday - Roast Chicken, roasties, yorkshires, fresh veggies

Tuesday - Fish Fingers and Chips served with fresh veggies

Wednesday - Spagetti Bolognese using fresh veggies

Thursday - Salmon and Tuna salad with new potatoes

Friday - Sausage & Mash, served with fresh veggies

Saturday - Fish & Chips (away football match)

Sunday - Roast Pork, Roasties, Yorkshires, fresh veggies

Menu Plan w/c 19 April

Monday - Sausage, mash, onion gravy, fresh veggies

Tuesday - Chicken & chips, salad

Wednesday - Chilli & rice, with added fresh veggies

Thursday - Chicken & noodles, fresh veggies

Friday - Pork Curry, rice, added freah veggies

Saturday - Pizza & Chips

Sunday - Roast Lamb, roasties, yorkshires, fresh veggies

Menu Plan w/c 12 April

I have abandoned the menu plan again this week as we have various activities going on due to school holidays.

The main thing will be that anything we do eat has to come from the freezer or cupboards.

There are 2 days when this will not be in place:

Wed - friends are coming for the day and we are going to the All-you-can-eat Chinese

Fri - is Toms birthday and we are going out for lunch.

The menu plan will be back in earnest next week as we are all back in school/work.