Recipe | Cinnamon roasted sweet potato chips

Remember those turkey burgers I posted earlier in the week? Well, they go great with cinnamon roasted sweet potato chips. I saw the original idea for these on Pinterest (where else??), but I don’t remember looking at the recipe, I just improvised. Another great simple budget meal using what you already have in the cupboard, this is going to become a favourite in my eyes!

Ingredients: 1 sweet potato per person//ground cinnamon//olive oil//salt

Preheat your oven to 200oC. Chop up your sweet potato into long chip shapes. Pop them in a bowl and sprinkle them with cinnamon, and a shake of salt. It depends how cinnamony you like them, but I’d go for at least a teaspoon. Add a good glug of olive oil and mix them all up so they’re all covered in the cinnamon goodness. Place them on a baking tray in the centre of your oven for 45 minutes. Give them a good shake a half way.

Enjoy!

How else do you like your sweet potatoes? I’m on a real sweet potato kick at the moment, so give me some more ideas!

Recipe | Turkey burgers

I have been craving burgers for a while now, and I think Pinterest is probably to blame! So, instead of making someone, or going out and spending £10 on one, I decided to have a go at making some healthy ones myself. I’ve seen a bunch of recipes around the interweb for turkey burgers, so mine is a bit of a mishmash of all of those, I just sort of winged it based on what I’ve been pinning!

Turkey is also quite a cheap meat to buy, and very high in protein, meaning you get a lot of bang for your buck. 500g was £2.59, an onion is about 10p, and an egg is about 15p depending what you buy. That makes a total of £2.84, or 36p per burger. So yeh, a definite budget meal!

Makes 8.

Ingredients: 500g turkey mince//red onion//1.5 tsp garlic powder//1 tsp hot chilli powder//0.5 tsp black pepper//1 tsp Italian herbs//sprinkle of salt//egg

Chop up your onion finely and place in a bowl.

Break up your turkey mince and add it to the bowl. Then add your herbs and spices.

Break an egg into a cup and beat well.

Add the beaten egg to the turkey and spices, and combine well with your hands.

Form the mixture into eight burger shaped pieces and lay on a baking tray. Pop them in the fridge to firm up for about 30 mins.

Heat up a frying pan with a couple of sprays of oil, and cook your burgers in batches. I did four at a time. They need about 5 mins on each side, but the thicker/thinner you make them, the different your cooking time.

Serve up with your favourite side, maybe a bun, maybe a salad, or my personal favourite, sweet potato fries!

These also keep really well in the fridge, and a great for snacking on (oops), and also reheating. They could also be made into meatball shapes and put into tomato sauces for a sort of bolognese. Ooh the possibilities!

The nutritional stats on these are pretty good too:

Per burger: 146kcal//3 carbs//7 fat//20 protein//8 sodium//1 sugar

Any other good burger recipes out there for me?

Recipe | Chicken and olive pasta

I made this recipe some time last summer, took photos as a good little blogger does, and then promptly forgot to do the write up! I cooked it for a friend at the time using up leftovers in the cupboards, and I remember remarking at the time just how tasty it was. It’s a bit of a summery recipe, but with all this grey rainy weather we’ve had lately who couldn’t do with a little sunshine? Anyway, enough blabbering, here’s the recipe!

To serve two you’ll need:

Two chicken breasts//100g pasta//onion//black olives, chopped//tinned tomato//garlic powder//mixed herbs//oil for cooking//tomato puree

Chop up your onion and add to a pan with hot oil. Soften gently in the oil, and add a couple of shakes of garlic powder, and mixed herbs, depending on your tastes.

Add the chicken and cook it through, stirring regularly. Put water onto boil for your pasta.

Add in a big dollop of tomato puree, and the black olives and ensure all the ingredients are covered well. Leave for 2-3 minutes.

Put the pasta in the boiling water. Add the tinned tomatoes, turn the heat up a little and continue to stir all the ingredients together.

Once the pasta is cooked and drained add it to the tomato, chicken, and olive mix and stir it all together really well.

Serve up and sprinkle with a little grating of hard cheese, or maybe some fresh basil.

2014 saving challenge

I know money and saving isn’t often talked about publically, unless you read some thrifty saving blogs, like I do, but I want this blog to cover all different aspects of my life, so I’m going to post about it. Hope that’s ok with you all?

Since moving into my new flat last July I’ve been really struggling to save some money, despite my best efforts. Now, thanks to a couple of different factors, I feel like I’m in a better position to save up some of my hard earned money, for emergencies, for my future, for fun, and holidays. My good buddy Megan introduced me to this challenge just before Christmas, and I think it’s really super, so I am going to share it with you today!

For each of the 52 weeks of the year of 2014 I will be saving some money, starting with £1 in week one (already been and gone, I’m a little late with this I know!), up to £52 in week 52 in December. If you continue upping your savings by £1 a week throughout the year the total you’ll save is an impressive £1,378. Pretty good huh?

If you’d like to start saving now we’re currently in week four, so the total you’ll need to put aside is £10, an easy amount to start on, don’t you think? By next week your little pot will go up to £15, which is great to see adding up!

I’m planning on swapping a few of the weeks around, so by the time it comes to December, which is already a busy month, I won’t be so strapped having to put aside just over £200, compared to what I would be in April for example.

On top of doing this challenge I’m also planning to transfer a monthly amount into my savings account, and regularly emptying my purse of all change and adding to my savings pot!

So, what I want to know is, what are your tips for saving money, and do you save regularly? Also, if you’d like to join in with the 52 week saving challenge, I’ll be posting regular updates about how I’m doing, but you can also read these helpful links!

Image source

Recipe | Chilli hodge podge

I’m not sure this is a recipe as such, more something I made out of odds and ends in my cupboards and I really enjoyed it, hence the ‘hodge podge’, and I wanted to make sure I didn’t forget it! It’s really healthy too, made of all veggies, so perfect for those trying to be healthy over January, and yet comforting enough to hit the spot on dark, cold, winter evenings.

You’ll need:

Onions//garlic//celery//chilli powder//italian herbs//tomato puree//tinned tomatoes//cannellini beans//quorn mince//bisto gravy//oil

Fry off the onions and garlic in some oil until softened.

Add the chilli powder (lots), italian herbs, and tomatoe puree and give it a good stir.

Add in the quorn mince and allow to defrost and cook through.

Add in the celery and cannellini beans. Give it all a good stir.

Add in the tinned tomatoes. I only used one tin. Keep stirring.

Boil the kettle and put about 3tsp of gravy granules in a mug with a splash of the boiling water to make a paste. Add the paste to the chilli mix and give it a good stir. Did you know bisto granules are suitable for veggies? I didn’t, but the addition of the gravy keeps this a veggie dish but adds loads of flavour.

Simmer away for about 20 mins. Keep stirring, and if it looks like it’s getting dry, add a splash more water.

Taste to see if it needs any extras. I found the taste of celery to be quite strong, so I added loads of chilli and gravy granules to keep the taste none celery-ish.

I served up mine with some carb free mash, inspired by The Londoner (I mashed mine, not blended, but it was delicious nonetheless), and half an avocado, and a sprinkle of cheese. It felt very indulgent and so filling, but actually the only bad thing about it was the bit of cheese on top and the butter in the mash. So a totally healthy recipe in my eyes!

I think it’s a good reminder for me that even when I think I have nothing in the cupboards I can still create a delicious and satisfying dish that totally hit the spot. I need to do this more often I think, and this definitely qualifies as a budget meal!

Recipe | cupboard basics| Tomato barley seafood

It’s when I’m trying to use up what’s in the cupboards that I’m at my most creative in the kitchen. Well, perhaps what I would term ‘creative’, others would term ‘student food’. This is one of those recipes, where I had everything in my cupboards/freezer, and maybe you will too. It turned out really well on my first night, so I took notes and photos to share with you when I cooked it a second night. It’ll serve two if you, but they’re pretty big portions, so you might find it serves more!

You’ll need:

passata//onion//mixed seafood//paprika//pearl barley//garlic//salt//pepper//butternut squash, cubed

Set your oven to 200oC and roast your cubed butternut squash for about 25 mins. Ten minutes in, put your pearl barley onto cook. (I don’t have photos of this bit, as I did double of this and reused the extras on the second day, sorry!)

Once the squash has been in for 15 mins, (give it a good stir half way), chop up your onion and garlic. Add it to a hot pan with some oil in and cook until softened.

Add in the passata and stir through. Keep the heat on med-low.

Add your seasoning. A tsp of paprika, a sprinkle of salt and a dash of pepper.

Allow to simmer gently for two to three minutes. Then add in the seafood. I got a mixed tray from Tesco which had mussels, prawns, and squid rings in. It freezes well and is great to defrost to make different meals.

Give it all a good stir.

Once your butternut squash is cooked, add that in, and stir again.

Now, you can either add your drained pearl barley into the mix and make it a semi risotto/paella, or serve it separately. The first night I had it separately, and the second night I mixed it in. Both were equally as good.

All served up, ready to eat!

How do you make the best of cupboard basics?

Budget challenge | Week four

Another week, some more money spent. Here’s where it went!

Friday lunch with friend £8, and enjoyed a delicious fish finger sandwich and a catch up. Yum. Total spend = £8

Saturday I went for a long run, to my friends allotment and then blackberry picking. On the way home I stopped into Morrisons and got a few essential toiletries and some coffee. Total spend = £10.61

Tuesday I got a serious craving for chocolate, so nipped to the corner shop at lunchtime for a milkyway. Total spend = 50p

Wednesday night I went out with some new friends to a wine tasting. We tried 9 different wines and sampled cheeses, and enjoyed nibbles too. It was a really great night and seriously good value in my opinion. Total spend = £15

Thursday I spent £2.09 on some chocolate and £12 on some jelly beans and energy bars ahead of my half marathon in a couple of weeks. Seems extravagant I know, but definitely needed. Total spend = £14.09

Total spend this week = £48.20

Comments? Wow I was way over my £30 budget!!! Ooops. Next week I’m going to try really hard to stick to it and not go out and spend money. It’s going to be seriously tough!!!!!

Budget challenge | Week one

I drew out my £30 for the week on Friday, pay day! I was pretty excited about having money to spend, but also pretty worried about how far that £30 would stretch.

Friday at work I treated myself to a doughnut (60p), it was pay day afterall. In the evening I went to my friend’s house for dinner as she kindly cooked. The evening was cheap as we spent £5 on a bottle of wine and everything else was taken care of. Total spend = £5.60

Saturday I went to a wedding, by far the biggest challenge of the week. I stuck to soft drinks all day, at 90p each soda and lime was my tipple of choice. Not very exciting for a wedding, I know, but it meant that I was wide awake and happy and fun and dancing all night, without the fear of a hangover the next day. I also shared a taxi home with some friends, allowing me to split the cost and came in at £10.50. Total spend = £13.20

Sunday I had planned on a Sunday lunch, but with funds low and needing to last me the remainder of the week I suggested a picnic and walk to my friend. Stocked up with sandwiches, carrots and humous, crisps, apples, and a drink all for £4.26 we set off for a lovely 8.5 mile walk. Of course, no Sunday walk in the sunshine would be complete without a stop at the pub, and with some hesitation I opted for a cider, although I didn’t expect it to be as much as it was at nearly £5. Total spend = £8.76

Bank holiday Monday I knew needed to be a cheap one as nearly all my money had gone already!! I followed a 7 mile run with another 5 mile walk and managed to spend no money. My friend kindly treated me to a Koppaberg mid walk, although I did offer to pay. In the evening after doing all that exercise I was seriously tempted to go out for a Chinese with my friend, but keeping in mind my budget challenge and all the exercise I managed to do I decided not to undo all my hard work and stayed at home instead. Total spend = £0

Tuesday back to work and I managed to get the through the whole day without a trip to the sandwich lady, vending machine, or corner shop. A success in my eyes! In the evening I was desperate to go out for some chocolate, but made do with some frozen fruit in the cupboard as a snack instead. Maybe this challenge will be good for my waistline too? Total spend = £0

Wednesday I needed to get a couple of bits of fruit and veg plus milk to get me through a couple more days at work. I only had £2.44 left for the week so needed to be really careful what I spent. I don’t drink cow’s milk so I knew that would be expensive anyway, at £1.38 a carton. I ended up getting the milk plus some bananas at 69p and decided to leave the vegetables until next week as I still had a big bag of frozen peas in the freezer to use up. Total spend =£2.07

Thursday I did a lot of exercise and running about being active generally, so by the afternoon all I could think about was an ice cold drink. I spent my last 43p on a diet coke and it was glorious. Total spend = 43p

Total spend for the week = £30

Comments?

I actually found this week tough but interesting. It showed me where I normally spend a lot of my money getting little snacks etc throughout the week, so I really had to think in advance about what I needed to spend my money on. I spent nearly all my money in the first three days, so I need to try and improve on that for next week.

The £30 budget challenge

This summer has been an expensive one for me. Holidays and moving house all in a month has left me feeling the pinch. So in an effort to undo some of the damage I have made on my savings and credit card, I’m setting myself a challenge. To spend £30 a week. Don’t get me wrong I know £120 a month is a lot more than some people get to spend, but I also know when I’ve tried to do spending challenges before, I’ve failed.

I’ve worked out a tidy little budget for myself, and allowed myself to include a couple of things in there that I enjoy, before my £30 starts, such as my sports massage, running club fees, etc.

The £30 is to cover socialising, travel costs (within reason) and any food/toiletries I need to buy. I’m including food for the time being because I still have quite a lot of Jenny Craig food left, so I don’t envisage myself needing to spend money on anything other than milk and maybe some fruit and veg for the time being. I also won’t include petrol within my budget because I don’t travel much with my car and I know that filling up the tank will last me ages and ages.

I have lots of free things I can do, such as running, long walks, working on my quilt, reading and learning to crochet (yes, I’m an old lady at heart), so I’m hoping it won’t be too boring. Plus my friends are keen to watch the pennies too, so hopefully we can do cheap/free things together.

I’m planning on drawing out my £30 at the beginning of each week and keeping it separate in an envelope and writing down each time I spend some money, so I get a good idea of where it’s going. I also think it will make me more aware of what I actually spend my money on. If I have any money left over each week I’ll save it up in a jar to treat myself with something. The ultimate goal!!

I’m hoping to post a weekly update on how I’m doing so you can follow my progress. I started last Friday, so expect my first update at the weekend….

 

Cupboard basics | Pasta and chilli

Whenever I’m feeling a bit meh and uninspired in the kitchen, or even a bit down, this very, very simple dish never fails to comfort me a little and hit the spot. I’m not going to say it’s a recipe, because it’s definitely not. But when the cupboards are bare, and you’re feeling a little down try this and I hope it’ll cheer you up.

Boil up your pasta until al dente, drain and then toss through with a glug of olive oil, a shake of black pepper and a good shake of chilli powder. If you’re feeling fancy add some hard cheese too. Yum!