Back from a lovely break and feeling very refreshed for once :)
Sundays are traditionally a day of rest. We like to spend it as a family. I also use this quiet day to start getting ready for the next week so Monday can start off relatively peacefully.
Laundry has been done and put away, beds have been changed, schoolwork has been printed and prepped, menus plans have been finalised, budgets have been set, shopping has been done etc.
Finances are extremely tight for the next few months, everything seems to have exploded at once and needs paying for. This year is going to be very busy but joyful, lots going on.
Started off baking some munchies for the up-coming week. Oats were 49p per kilo at Lidl. For good, wholegrain Scottish Oats. I bought 12 kilos (yes 12! My daughter is a porridge fiend). So decided to make some flapjacks!
I have found the perfect flapjacks recipe! Tried a few and they either fall apart or are too crunchy, these are gorgeous. Next time I bake them I will take pics and post the recipe.
I also found a marinated chicken in Lid's reduced freezer 30% off which made it £2.69 for a 1.6kilo bird. Stuck it straight in the slow cooker when I got back for dinner. Wasn't sure what to put with it but you can't go wrong with a slow cooked, seasoned chicken. The men-folk of the house are all full of cold and were craving chicken.
Making more of an effort to run out and grab the reductions. The most variable bill we can reduce is the food bill, to try and save up for up-coming payments. The oats are from Lidl's half price weekend offer. Will do us several months of porridge and flapjacks.
Sainsburys had 1.1kilos of haddock fillet down to £3.50, there were 4 whole large sides of haddock inside and I have a sack and a half of potatoes left from the Morrison £2 12.5kilo offer a few weeks ago. So home-made fish and chips for tomorrows tea with mushy peas.
Tesco didn't have much in the chiller or veg sections but there were tonnes of bread products being marked down. I got a loaf of toastie bread, a pack of giant English muffins, 2 x 6 packs Warburtons sliced cobs, and a pack of Warburtons square wraps, for a total of 98p.
Its actually worked out cheaper than making my own from scratch.
When it came to dinner time we didn't fancy any stuffing or roast-type dinner. So I made some home-made seasoned potato wedges and some roasted red onion and pepper.
This is my new toy, I've had it for a few months now. A lady down the road was selling her twice used halogen oven for £10. Its taken some getting used to but I've just about cracked it. And it uses about 60% less energy than a conventional oven! I don't need to heat up an entire oven just for 1 tray of potato wedges anymore.
For awesome potato wedges:
Pierce and microwave your scrubbed potatoes first! For about 10-15mins. Not enough to make it into a soft jacket potatoes, but enough to make it slightly soft throughout. Cut into wedges, then season and oil. The microwaving dehydrates it slightly and creates a slightly glue-y surface as the potatoes start to release starch. It means it stays fluffy inside and crisps up quicker on the outside, and the seasoning sticks better.
Busy but satisfying day. My sink is all shiny ready to wake up to in the morning and I've got ahead on the housework and laundry. Ive got leftover chicken in the fridge and stock in the slow cooker overnight for a risotto later in the week. Got off to a good start for the upcoming busy week.
