by Thrifty Lesley | Mar 24, 2023 | All Recipes, Dinners, Lunches
A mixed vegetable quiche is a classic British dish that comes out very cheap with a bit of frugalisation. If you think quiche or flan sounds like something your granny makes, you could always call it a tart and feel all contemporary. If you decide to use the oil...
by Thrifty Lesley | Aug 6, 2022 | All Recipes, Lunches, Round Up Post
School packed lunches – the dreaded chore! Can you feed a hulking teenager for 30p a head? Ideas for school packed lunches – many people with school aged children need them. Packing up a lunch box for children or an adult packed lunch is bad enough. It can...
by Thrifty Lesley | Nov 27, 2021 | All Recipes, Cakes and Bakes, Less than 500 calories, Meal Plan 2
Raisin Biscuits 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...
by Thrifty Lesley | Oct 26, 2021 | All Recipes, Meal Plan 2, Other
Carrot Jam I was looking at the leftovers in meal plan 2 and thought, with a little adjusting, I could probably get another day out of it. And right enough, I did! Very satisfying! One of the things I experimented with was wondering if I could use the last of the...
by Thrifty Lesley | Sep 16, 2021 | All Recipes, Meal Plan 1, Puddings / Desserts
Baked Marmalade Sponge This post was first written in June 2013 and updated in June 2021. Are you following Meal Plan 1? If so, this baked sponge can be eaten at any time during the week when you need the calories. Would be lovely as a Sunday tea, or maybe after...
by Thrifty Lesley | Jun 9, 2021 | All Recipes, Other
Apricot jam. Fresh and wonderful, and better than even the poshest versions you can buy! Damn Fine Home Made Apricot Jam I first wrote this apricot jam recipe in July 2019, and updated it in June 2021 This wonderful apricot jam recipe makes six beautiful jars of jam....
by Thrifty Lesley | Jul 19, 2019 | My Diary
The garden in July I took a few pictures of the garden this week. It’s been looking really good this year. I usually buy a basil plant and put it in a large pot, it lasts all summer. I’ve tried keeping one in the house over winter, but they really...
by Thrifty Lesley | Jul 29, 2018 | All Recipes, Other
Have you, like me, been making wonderfully fresh and delicious home made jam from all the fantastic produce available in the summer, perhaps from garden or allotment? I simply love loading up the cupboards with jars of jewel coloured preserves. Home Made Jam Recently,...
by Thrifty Lesley | Jul 4, 2017 | All Recipes, Other
Using up bits and pieces of fruit to make a lovely fresh Summer Berry jam Sometimes, I get a bit of this and a bit of that fruit wise. There are lots of things it can be used for. I’ll use it for smoothies, or fruity, oaty crumbles, or a pie, or clafoutis, or a sweet...
by Thrifty Lesley | Sep 2, 2016 | All Recipes, Cakes and Bakes, My Diary
Something old and something new. A lovely pie and a leftovers pudding Vegan Green Lentil,White Cabbage & Onion Pie Something old and something new today. I fancied a pie today, so I did us a green lentil, white cabbage and onion one, seasoned with sweet chilli...
by Thrifty Lesley | Jul 17, 2016 | Breakfast, Cakes and Bakes
Plummy oats and a damson cake Well I tried the golden milk overnight oats and I can’t say that I’m a fan. I didn’t use any sweetening as I am weaning myself off sweet things, and I didn’t use some of the more unusual ingredients, but I don’t think it would have made...
by Thrifty Lesley | Apr 8, 2016 | All Recipes, Cakes and Bakes
Lentil flour and the simplest bread I’ve ever made 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...
by Thrifty Lesley | Oct 11, 2015 | All Recipes, Puddings / Desserts
Bed time ice cream? Dinner with friends and family last night was lovely, of course! Lots of chat and laughter. Got home very late and slept only fitfully, so am pretty tired today. It seems to be that if I miss what my system considers to be my sleeping ‘slot’, it...
by Thrifty Lesley | Sep 6, 2015 | All Recipes, Cakes and Bakes, Less than 500 calories, Meal Plan 10
Herby Scones, 2p a scone – Meal Plan 10 We had these lovely herby scones at lunchtime with a bowl of tomato soup made with our tomatoes. I’ve had to wait a very long time for that soup this year, our tomatoes are scarce and only just ripening. It really is a...