Blog

The cost of food and drink has pushed the UK inflation rate to 10.1% and, according to Lord Stuart Rose, it will continue to rise. One of the places we are all feeling the increased costs is in our weekly shop. Rising food and drink prices made the biggest contribution to the change in the inflation rate between June and July with the biggest impacts from bread, cereals, milk, cheese and eggs. If you are a Lurpack lover, you will definitely be aware of this: some supermarkets were selling it for £9 a tub during July. One of the best…

Eat together as a family One of the best ways to promote healthy eating habits is to eat together as a family and eating together is also a great opportunity to bond with your loved ones. Studies have shown that families who eat together tend to make healthier food choices. How about making dinner times fun and letting the whole family have a go at choosing what is for dinner each night?  Try and make sure you still have a variety of dishes and that all the different food groups are covered. I like to theme nights: meat-free Monday, traybake…

1. Canned Beans & Lentils Beans and lentils are some of the more nutritious foods you can choose. When they’re canned, they’re some of the more long-lasting food staples you need to have in your kitchen. Outside of being nutritious, they’re quick and easy to cook and add can be added to lots of different meals. As well as making a meal in their own right, they are also brilliant for bulking meals out and making them go further: you can often reduce the expensive meat content by adding a tin of beans or lentils – my half and half…

Cooking for guests: exciting and enjoyable or scary and too much pressure? Here is how you can make cooking for guests an enjoyable experience for all involved! Image Credit – CCO License Check Dietary Requirements Different people have different dietary needs, and it might not always be obvious whether your guests have any. Before you start planning your soiree, have a quick check all of your guests’ dietary requirements. It’s better than not checking, and ending up serving food they can’t or won’t eat: my husband took over the reins recently when we had very good friends round – he…

People often ask me about the kitchen equipment that I can’t live without – now, I’m not really a gadget person (I can’t stand clutter!) but I do love things that I can use for multiple purposes and those that save me time and energy! Being a busy, working mum, I need items that will simplify family life. Here are my top 10: 1- A small blender (I have a nutribullet).  I use mine for hummus and other dips; dressings; smoothies and breadcrumbs. 2- A handheld stick blender and whisk.  I bought mine when my now 15 year old was being weaned and it…

If you are going away for the summer, you need to start planning: as well as all that packing, you also need to make sure you have taken care of all of your food related needs! 1- If you are self catering, write a plan for your breakfasts along with some simple lunch and dinner ideas.  By doing this, when you go to the supermarket (sad but true: this is one of my holiday highlights…I love a foreign supermarket!!!), you know what to buy for some fuss-free family meals. I use the recipe library, which is part of my subscription service, as…

Shop from a list and never go shopping when you are hungry!! Shopping from a list really is a game changer as it means you only buy what you need BUT you need to have your meals planned first so that you know exactly what you need to buy. Look for yellow stickers in the supermarket – Generally, supermarkets tend to yellow sticker items first thing in. the morning, after lunch, and just before closing time – and the biggest discounts are usually just before stores shut. Yellow stickers not only reduce your food bills but they also make you…

Sticking to a budget and saving money is more important than ever but we don’t want to compromise on our family’s health.  Meal-planning is an easy way to ensure that you are able to provide healthy, varied family meals whilst saving time and money. Here are 5 reasons why I love meal-planning and how it has helped my family become healthier and happier: Saves you money By creating a meal-plan and writing a shopping list, you only buy what you need.  I plan for our 7 dinners; we have a set order of breakfasts and for lunches I have soup,…

Whether you are having a street party or a back garden gathering these 4 simple recipes are certain to go down a treat: classically British party food with a Royal twist! Double cheese straws – Mozzarella, parmesan, red pesto and pastry: a tasty twist on the classic! A simple, family recipe that definitely has a place at my Jubilee celebration! The perfect addition to any Royal table and the perfect lunchbox treat or after-school snack for hungry children: the ultimate finger-food! Easy coronation chicken – No Coronation party would be complete without this classic dish. The original recipe dates back…

I am going to be brave and admit it: I am not a fan of BBQs. If you invite me to a BBQ this summer, you’ll find me hanging around the sides! All of those sausages and burgers really aren’t for me! So, what do I like to see on the table? 1- Some good quality bread (no stale rolls please!!) 2- A couple of interesting salads – now, I’m not talking a bowl of limp lettuce and a couple of cherry tomatoes. I’m talking salads that could be a meal in their own right like my broccoli, fruit and…

Homemade is often cheaper and better quality than shop bought – it’s one of the reasons why I am a massive advocate of cooking from scratch! This is one of my favourite kitchen hacks: homemade vanilla extract. Vanilla extract is made from just 2 ingredients: vodka and vanilla beans – the cost to make 250ml is about £10 which is significantly cheaper than buying a good quality one from the supermarket. So how do you make it? Split 5 vanilla pods lengthways Immerse them in a bottle containing 225ml of vodka Put on the lid and give it a good…

In my opinion, a good tomato sauce is something that you should always have a supply of in the freezer. It’s a cheap, budget friendly staple that can be used in so many family meals: stirred through pasta, on your pizza base, spread over chicken and topped with some mozzarella or as a base for some delicious Turkish eggs or a sausage and bean casserole … A basic tomato sauce forms the foundation of many of our favourite family meals which is why we should all have that perfect recipe to hand; a recipe that we can pass on to…

With increasing energy and food costs, many of us are trying to tighten our purse strings and find ways of saving money – being more mindful of what we spend on food each week, is a great place to start! Creating, and sticking to, a realistic grocery budget, doesn’t mean you have to compromise on taste and you can still create healthy meals that the whole family will enjoy.  Here are 8 simple steps to saving money on your weekly food shop: Make sure the whole family are on board!  You all need to be willing to try and reduce…

I always knew that meal planning was the cheapest way to feed your family but I’ve never sat down and actually worked it out! With rising energy and food costs, we are all trying to find ways to save money and reduce our outgoings: sticking to that family budget is now essential as we are all feeling the financial pinch. Last week, I worked out what an online shop would cost for a family of 4 based on my current meal-plan: based on a Sainsburys shop, it came in at just £45.25 – with the £1.25 subscription fee, that means that…

My top 3 batch cook recipes to make your kitchen life even simpler  ???? Batch cooking can help you save money on your food shop: buying in bulk is cheaper than buying small amounts and it gives you the gift of time in your busy schedule and ensures that you always have access to healthy home-cooked dinners.  Many of my recipes are suitable for batch-cooking and making double of something doesn’t double the time or the effort.  Home-cooking is a more nutritious and healthier way to enjoy meals, but sometimes there just aren’t enough hours in the day!  I am…

Fritters – one of those super easy dishes to make that works well for breakfast, brunch. lunch or dinner! Every fritter follows the same formula: you just need to choose from the four categories and create your own fabulous fritters. I like mine topped with a poached egg as in this recipe but you can also simply serve them with a chutney or yogurt dip; or with some fried halloumi or bacon or some grilled tomatoes. The options are endless – so get creative and let me know what you come up with!

Download my recipe booklet here! Christmas dinner can be one of the most stressful meals of the year to prepare, but it doesn’t have to be! By starting the process now, you can get ahead and make sure that your Christmas day is filled with bucks fizz and silly board games instead of peeling, boiling and stirring! As well as preparing your sides, you can also pre-make and freeze your mince pies using your very own mincemeat (it’s much easier than you think just click on the links and follow my super simple recipes!) So, apart from mince pies, what…

This is a new term for me, but it simply means that we are trying to reduce our meat consumption.  And while I am not ready to ditch animal products completely, I am definitely onboard with reducing how much we eat.     It started off as meat-free Mondays and now I’ve managed to slip in another meat-free dinner most weeks.  And my reasons behind this change?  For me there are three:  health, the environment and money. 1- The world’s longest living communities are primarily plant-based. This type of diet, with the addition of lots of healthy fats, is good for…

With the start of term just around the corner, your thoughts may be turning to school snacks (I must admit, I always have snacks running through my mind!!) So, to help you out, I have unlocked 5 of my favourites for everyone to enjoy – make sure you read to the end as I have definitely saved the best ’til last!! And what’s fab about these recipes (apart from how they taste of course!) is that they are simple enough for children – and in my case husbands – to make! Breakfast muffins – these are definitely not just for…

10 reasons why is Delicious and Real better than a cookery book