by Thrifty Lesley | Nov 15, 2023 | All Meal Plans, Celebration 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 | Dec 18, 2021 | All Recipes, Christmas, Dinners
I was watching a programme on cranberries and what to do with them and one of the chefs talked about a creamy base of leeks, topped with a crumble mix. I thought it sounded really nice, but they hadn’t put that recipe on the internet for that programme, so I...
by Thrifty Lesley | Nov 27, 2021 | All Recipes, Cakes and Bakes, Less than 500 calories, Meal Plan 12, Meal Plan 14, Meal Plan 2, Meal Plan 9
Post originally published October 2013, refreshed and updated November 2021 These little biscuits are fun to make, especially if you make tiny hearts or teeny squares. Spice them up with cinnamon or mixed spice at Christmas time. Or see the variations for masses of...
by Thrifty Lesley | Dec 28, 2020 | All Recipes, Christmas, Dinners, Love Your Leftovers, Lunches
Brussel Sprouts that are already cooked Bubble and Squeak The first and most obvious way is in bubble and squeak. Take a few cooked sprouts and chop them into quarters, add a couple of roasties, chopped small, mash in a few cooked carrots and parsnips. Squidge...
by Thrifty Lesley | Dec 28, 2020 | All Recipes, Christmas, Love Your Leftovers
Part 3 of our attack on those Christmas leftovers. more turkey ideas Using stale, dead, bread, that’s been whizzed into breadcrumbs, use the zombie burgers basics, and add some finely chopped turkey, ham, beef. Add in some stuffing if you have any, a sprinkle of...
by Thrifty Lesley | Dec 28, 2020 | All Recipes, Christmas, Love Your Leftovers
So after yesterday’s attack on the Christmas leftovers, and the ideas on the guest post at Skint Dad, we’re having another go at them today. Use up those clementines If you got over enthusiastic when buying the clementines, maybe buying a box or two when far fewer...
by Thrifty Lesley | Aug 29, 2019 | All Recipes, Breakfast, Less than 500 calories, Lunches
Do you have cheese sandwiches for lunch? Are you a little tired of them, or maybe wanting to ring the changes a little? How about making a potted cheese. I have lots of little bits and pieces of cheese stashed away in the freezer, things left over from various events,...
by Thrifty Lesley | Jan 3, 2019 | All Recipes, Bready Things, Breakfast, Cakes and Bakes, Less than 500 calories
This rather wonderful sugar free chocolate, cranberry and walnut tea bread started life as an extremely simple ordinary bread loaf. This sugar free chocolate variation has been on my HUGE list of things to try for a while, and one sleepless night, I mixed it up and...
by Thrifty Lesley | Mar 27, 2018 | All Recipes, Breakfast, Less than 500 calories
I had some using up to do today. There was a half used bottle of maple syrup that wouldn’t last much longer and I have lots of almonds that I need to use. So I thought I’d combine the two in a maple syrup and toasted almond granola. I don’t have any pecans which would...
by Thrifty Lesley | Dec 6, 2017 | All Recipes, Christmas, Other
This recipe was first written in December last year after a meeting of the great U3A cookery group – we have such fun! Cookery Group We had the last U3A cookery group meeting of 2017 yesterday afternoon. Half a dozen people came and the noise level was pretty extreme!...
by Thrifty Lesley | Oct 16, 2016 | All Recipes, Breakfast, Cakes and Bakes
Fancy a bit of baking on this cold and rainy Sunday? How about these Granola Breakfast Bars. They make a handy grab it quick and run out the door type of breakfast. Good for you too, with slow release oats and a bit of fruit in there as well. Mike loves the Sainsbury...
by Thrifty Lesley | Apr 8, 2016 | All Recipes, Bready Things, Cakes and Bakes
I was looking round the Internet last week, as you do, and came across lentil flour. What’s that, thought I, sounds intriguing. I started off with lentil flour and ended up with a loaf made with fizzy water! What I hear you say? That’s what I thought too....
by Thrifty Lesley | Dec 19, 2015 | Cakes and Bakes, Christmas, Love Your Leftovers
A few days ago, I made some mince pies for the U3A Christmas meeting. I had bought a new large jar of mincemeat, but then remembered I still had 2.5 jars of the same size left from last year. So I dug out one of those and used that. I made some oil pastry, then used...
by Thrifty Lesley | Jul 8, 2015 | All Recipes, Breakfast
Had a lovely day yesterday afternoon. The U3A budget cookery group came round and we did some puddings. We started off with Delia’s Chocolate Roulade, then Oaty Apple Crumble, Easy Cheesecakes and Chocolate Ice Cream. With a detour via making garlicky Boursin using...
