by Thrifty Lesley | Jan 13, 2024 | Dinners
A very tasty chicken and chorizo casserole that doesn’t take very long to make. Freezes and reheats beautifully too. I first made this with my daughter, in her kitchen in Paddock Wood, where she was living at that time. We were playing and having fun. We...
by Thrifty Lesley | Jan 11, 2024 | Less than 500 calories, Lunches
Ideal for lunches at home, or in a flask at work, this super easy sweetcorn soup recipe is nutritious, warming, filling and inexpensive. Good for those of us wanting to shed a few pounds as the average bowl is around 250 calories. Need more calories? I like to have an...
by Thrifty Lesley | Jan 2, 2024 | My Diary
This is a final update about my daughter Tracey. She is being cremated on Wednesday 3rd Jan. It’s a pure cremation, so there is no ceremony. It will be very strange knowing that that is going on, and not being there. It’s what she wanted. I hated the idea...
by Thrifty Lesley | Dec 18, 2023 | My Diary
About 10 days ago This picture was taken about 10 days ago Tracey is moving along her journey and some of it is extremely painful to watch. We are hoping she will make Christmas as she loves it so much. If I could do it for her I would, I think many parents would for...
by Thrifty Lesley | Dec 3, 2023 | My Diary
I took my daughter to see Nutcracker last Saturday at an Eastbourne theatre and it wasn’t what I was expecting at all. It was done by a very enthusiastic, but not very skilled, local dance company which seemed to consist mainly of little girls. On Tuesday when I...
by Thrifty Lesley | Nov 15, 2023 | Christmas, Saving Money
I can’t tell you how tired I am of hearing the words ‘Black Friday’! To me it says ‘buy something, buy something, buy something ……. Please, buy something, anything, please’. I have had endless emails all saying it’s Black Friday, spend some money with us. It hardly...
by Thrifty Lesley | Nov 15, 2023 | All Meal Plans, Christmas, Vegetarian Christmas Meal Plan
If you are on a tight budget, Christmas food can be very difficult, causing stress, and maybe even debt too. No need to get into debt, when with a bit of extra planning, you can enjoy a delicious vegetarian Christmas festive meal, without spending a fortune. Re-Priced...
by Thrifty Lesley | Nov 15, 2023 | My Diary
Where we are this week I used Fiver to have my favourite picture of my girls enhanced. They are 11.5 and 9.5 here. Just look at those gorgeous eyes! It’s how I think of them in my head. I have been taking a flask of hot soup to my daughters for my lunch when I...
by Thrifty Lesley | Nov 2, 2023 | My Diary
I haven’t been putting much from my life on here for a while and that’s because some pretty difficult stuff has been going on. My eldest daughter has been having health issues for a few years now – pretty serious ones. Very briefly – she has a...
by Thrifty Lesley | Aug 16, 2023 | All Recipes, Dinners, Poaching A Whole Chicken
A quick and simple healthy chicken spaghetti recipe using Sicilian flavours. Juicy chicken, sweet pops of raisins, salty olives, crunchy almonds, luscious sun-dried tomatoes and zesty lemon – delicious! Good hot for dinner, with any leftovers for lunch the next...
by Thrifty Lesley | Jun 25, 2023 | All Recipes, Dinners, Poaching A Whole Chicken
This tasty salad is made using brown rice for fibre, that’s been cooked in chicken stock, for extra flavour. Quick and easy to make, you don’t need to put the oven on when its baking hot and you just want some dinner. Filling from the brown rice and those...
by Thrifty Lesley | Jun 20, 2023 | All Recipes, Dinners
This gorgeous crumble has a nutty, seedy, oaty topping and a creamy, chicken and mushroom base. It will freeze very well, either cooked or uncooked. Lovely to have a home made ready meal in the freezer that just needs to be defrosted. It’s super easy to make,...
by Thrifty Lesley | Jun 6, 2023 | All Recipes, Dinners, Less than 500 calories, Sides
This is a very simple dish, cooked on the hob, in a single pan. Just aubergine (eggplant), tomatoes and olive oil, simmered slowly to an unctuous silkiness. Absolutely gorgeous just on its own, hot or room temperature. Stir through pasta, top a jacket potato or use as...
by Thrifty Lesley | May 31, 2023 | All Recipes, Dinners, Less than 500 calories, Sides
This easy swede mash can be used a side or a main course. Make it vegan by using a vegan cream. Swede mash is a common side dish, but this has fresh ginger, generous nutmeg and chilli to add extra flavour and a touch of creaminess. It tastes really good and may even...
