Week Commencing 14 Feb 2011

The menu plan is now running on a 4 week rotation so I won't bore you all with the details every week; I'll put the 4 week plan up on the sidebar.
Suffice it to say we are on week 3 this week.

Dave is still working long hours which means that most of the household chores, running around is left to me.

The weather here has been mixed to say the least, with wet cold days, dry clear cold days , and windy sunny days.

Laundry has been and will be pegged out onto the line weather permitting, or the indoor airer if not.

I have had to order some more heating oil but I'm hoping this will now last us until the summer and we will be back on track, don't really want to have to find an extra £300 for 500 litres.
We usually have 500 in July/August and 500 in February, well this winter we had to have 500 in November as well, although there was a little of that left but not enough to last through and the minimum order is 500 litres.

I will be sorting through my seeds soon and deciding what to grow this year. Some things we had too much of last year but others not enough so I need to try and get the balance right.

Garden Produce

Last night saw us eating leeks taken from the garden which had over wintered beautifully.

These I sauteed lightly in butter and served with our gammon, we also had mashed swede and carrot.

I have been very lax on the decluttering front but did make a small start yesterday afternoon, and cleared a pile of magazines; you know the ones you read and then keep for future reference to never return to.

Hopefully this will now spurr me on and i can get this moving.

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.