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December 2018
With the Toy Show being on last night Christmas season has officially kicked off in Ireland; in fact I have a Christmas party to go to tonight. The kids are obsessed with Christmas and their pure joy and delight in decorations in the shops and music playing on the radio is brilliant. As usual for the start of December though I don’t have the decorations up and I’ve no Christmas Tree in the sitting room quite yet. I know I’m not the only one. I suppose it’s a hangover from the days of being so stressed out about money that we tried not to put the decorations up early or…
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How To Visit Taste Of Dublin On A Budget
Updated for 2017! For ten years I managed to avoid Taste of Dublin, I knew it was on, I knew where, and convinced myself that it wasn’t worth visiting and not to bother. However, in year 10 I was invited along as a guest of the organisers to check it out. This gave me the opportunity to head on in and see if it was worth the admission price, what’s on offer, and to figure out if it’s worth your while to head along this year (year 12). The Ticket Price The cheapest tickets you can buy directly online are €17.50 per person and these are available for the Thursday…
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Simple Chicken Traybake
The beauty of this simple chicken traybake is that once it’s assembled you just bake it in the oven and wait while the delicious smells fill the house.
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Wholesome Frittata
This frittata tastes delicious while still warm at dinner, but is also the perfect next day lunchbox fare because it’s just as nice cold. There’s no reason why eating healthily should be hard to do!
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Gently Spiced Pork Meatballs
The trick to perfect meatballs is to roast them in the oven before adding the meatballs to the sauce. This is not only a way to render off the fat you sometimes find in the cheaper cuts of meat, but the browning process in the oven adds extra flavour. It’s easy to see why this meal is a hit with my family.
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Quick and Easy Vegetarian Tart
This vegetarian tart is so easy to make thanks to the pre-rolled puff pastry. There really isn’t much to do apart from bake the pastry, then fill it a quarter of an hour before serving, then cooking for the final few minutes. It’s the ultimate make-ahead party food, and you’ll look like an absolute genius to produce something so pretty from your kitchen at the last minute. What makes it more incredible is that you only need 5 ingredients to make it!
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My Tips For Managing The Family Budget
It’s a delicate balancing act but you don’t need me to tell you that I’m sure. How do you allow for all the costs during the year, make sure that the bills are paid, that there are enough savings for special occasions, and not end up pulling your hair out in frustration? I’d love to tell you that it’s easy to manage the family budget, but it’s not. Setting up a management system will take time. I’m not going to pull any wool over your eyes. My best advice to you is to put the time in today, and you’ll find it much easier in the future. This is not…
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Potato Pizza
When I peel potatoes I always peel at least twice as many as I need for a meal. If I’m going to invest my time at the kitchen sink peeling spuds, then I might as well make it worth my while. Once mashed, I divide the potatoes into 2 sections – 1 to cool for freezing, and 1 for the main meal. Frozen mash is one of my kitchen secrets because I keep it on standby for busy days or quick suppers. How do I cook the mash once defrosted though? Mash and gravy are one of life’s luxuries and there is nothing like a spoon of mash made with…
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Tuna Fish Cakes
While I love Fresh Fish Friday, I don’t always have the budget or time to get to the fishmongers to get some decent fresh fish. This recipe for tuna fish cakes uses a medium tin of tuna which is handy to have in the store cupboard for frugal weeks. If you have fresh vegetables to put with this meal, do as they will brighten up your plate. Alternatively a tin of sweetcorn and some frozen peas will go just as well. There’s nothing wrong with eating from the store cupboard every now and again, especially if it saves you money in the long run.
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Leftovers Pie
I realise that in the technical sense of the term, this is not a “pie”. I’ve already received a lecture from my other half about him being short-changed. He rang this afternoon and I mentioned that dinner was ready. When I informed him that it was leftovers pie he was delighted, then the excitement turned to disappointment when he realised that there was no pastry at all involved in this pie.
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Meatballs In Onion Gravy
I often wonder what people consider to be a frugal recipe. Watching the new series of “Save With Jamie” last night where he talked about his recipes costing about STG£1.75 per portion being frugal I realised it’s easy to forget that frugal to him is excessive to me! If you’re interested in what I think of his book to accompany the series you can read my review from September here. Before I get to my own recipe ,which costs far less than what you’d think, I just wanted to mention my own book. The price has dropped significantly on Amazon and if you’re interested in picking it up for a…
