About ME!

HELLO!!

I'm Christine. I'm a busy mum to 5 year old twins, Robin and Evie and wife to Ian. I also run a property management company. We live in a small village in beautiful, rural Northumberland. I love spending time at home with my family, running and exercising and socialising with my fabulous friends.

When I'm not busy with work, family or friends, my favourite pastimes are cooking and eating (often a combination of family/friends and food). I particularly get so much (too much?!) pleasure from making healthy, nutritious meals from nothing (well, whatever I've got in the house!), making leftovers exciting and not wasting a thing. I HATE waste. I've wanted to start a blog for a few years but time just hasn't allowed it. But I'm very excited about getting it going now and sharing my passion for food with the world!!

I'm very health conscious and want to feed my family good food, on a budget. As you can imagine, time is not something that I have a lot of so my cooking has to fit in with my busy life. Weekday cooking has to be fuss-free and speedy but I still want it to feel indulgent.

I am also a keen vegetable gardener. There is little better than creating a whole meal from produce that you raised with your own fair hands. And in the British weather, it's not always easy. It makes you appreciate it even more though! I would urge anyone to have a go at growing their own. Even if it's just a few of your favourites in pots or some herbs on the windowsill. Do it!

I'm going to try and share some of the recipes that I create and any tips that I have along with general ramblings about food and the good life!

Don't expect fine dining, just homemade, tasty, healthy and wholesome food. Always on a budget! Maybe with the odd flashy, entertaining number thrown in for good measure. The budget won't go out the window though.

I'm very new to this so please bear with me until I find my feet!!

I hope you enjoy it. All feedback very much appreciated!!

Thanks y'all!

Friday, 4 April 2014

April budget, COMPLETE!

Total spend £50.00

Shopping list - 1st April 2014, Lidl, total spend £30.04p

I've had a break from the freezer delving this week. Will be back to it next week!

Closed cup mushrooms £0.85
Potatoes 2.5kg £2.09
Aubergine, 1 £0.69
Mixed peppers (pack of 3) £0.89
Bag onions £0.69
Celery £0.69
Carrots, bag £0.75
Frozen peas £0.99
Whole milk 2x 4 pints £1.90
Sausages, 12 £0.99
Ham £1.69
Butter £0.98
Honey hoops cereal £1.15
Spaghetti £0.95
Easy yeast x 4 £0.56
Raspberry jam £0.99
Chickpeas x 3 tins £1.17
Apple juice £0.65
Pepsi max, 3x 2ltr bottles £2.97
Go cat big bag of cat food £3.75
Chicken thighs, 1kg £2.65
Beef mince, 500g £2.00

5th April 2014, the village shop, total spend £0.99p
Tin of pineapple £0.99

6th April 2014, Lidl, total spend £1.96
2x butter £1.96

9th April 2014, Lidl, total spend £8.09 

Milk x 2 £1.90
Butter £0.98
Ham £1.69
Pepsi max x2 (if I wasn't addicted, I wouldn't waste my budget on it!!) £1.98
Pack of 3 peppers £0.89
Apple juice £0.65

16th April 2014, Lidl, total spend £0.95p
Milk x 1 0.95

Dad gave me some leeks, purple sprouting broccoli and carrots from his garden! Yay!

Stayed at mother in law's for easter weekend. 

22nd April 2014, Lidl, total spend £7.97

Butter x2 £1.90
Baked beans x4 £1.00
Milk £0.95
Lemons x3 £0.89
Potatoes 2.5kg £1.89
Cherry tomatoes £0.65
Tomato ketchup £0.69

My neighbour has given us some excess milk that she has too. 

That's me done for April now. 1 week to go and feel confident that I can work from the storecupboard and freezer for the rest of the month. 

And I'm, unbelievably, right on budget. Not a penny over! 

I did a full cupboard and freezer stocktake on Monday so I'm going to plan the next few weeks around what I have already. 

Ok, off to be frugal and feel smug ;-) 
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