Living on less but I like it.

Dear reader,

Welcome to a new bloggie friend, No more spending. Thanks for following.

As you may know, I have decided that fast food at work was eating into my budget as well as making me fat and unhealthy. So for 2013 my partner and I will be taking packed lunches to work.
As I am now a yellow sticker and cheap supermarket shopper I find it increasingly difficult to find healthy foods to use. Most of the reduced stuff is processed or baked goods. Pasties, breads and quiches. All things I can make myself for a fraction of the price.

I read Cath Kelly's book recently about a teacher who sets herself the target of living on a pound a day. She also discovered that a whole packet of digestive biscuits is about the same price as one orange. I want to spend less but don't want to store more poundage on my body.

I am trying to be imaginative with the food we take to work. I am making proper meals for when we work late like chilli and rice, curries, jacket potatoes, meatballs and pasta. Our food has to be portable and microwaveable. Salads are great but not exactly what you fancy when it's freezing outside.

I am happy with my £40 per week budget but do have to be careful when I shop. I quite enjoy the challenge and nothing much gets wasted anymore. I discovered a nice recipe on a slimming world you tube clip which is nice to eat especially when you have cravings for a colonels fried chicken meal. I don't eat from any take away place anymore. I am concerned about the quality of the meat, the cleanliness and obviously the health implications of the calorific content.

The recipe is simples and as follows:

Chicken portions-drumsticks or thighs are best and I think more tasty than breast.
Breadcrumbs
Chicken flavoured bovril
Herbs that you like.

Boil the chicken pieces, I remove the skin as it contains all the fat. Yes, boiling sounds yuk and it does look a bit pasty. I cook for about 10 mins.
Let cool so you can handle and coat with the bovril. Sticky job.
Then roll in your own mix or breadcrumbs, herbs and spices. I usually use a bit of garlic salt and any other dried herbs I have. Like spicy? Chilli flakes or paprika.
Then roast for 10 mins to crisp up.

This is a really nice chicken dish that makes you feel as if you have had a treat at a fraction of the price and calories.

If you have any good ideas for packed lunches that are a bit different to sandwiches I would love to see them.

Have a great weekend.

Sarah. X