Stretching our meals and breakfast loaf

Dear reader,

It has been raining since last night here in Buckinghamshire. Still very warm but damp, almost Caribbean weather-just dreaming.
I have been having a good read of all your blogs and have also found a few new ones that I like.

As you know, I really enjoy cooking, experimenting and making food stretchy that bit further. I have had to as the price of food now is so high.
I discovered this blog Mortgage free in three and Elaine has some great recipes. She set me off wanting to cook today and since we are back at work next week I got going in the kitchen.

I usually cook Big man a breakfast when we are off. Nothing too major, usually poached eggs or some bacon and eggs, that kind of thing. We don't have the full works although I so could!

Yesterday when I delved into the freezer I found three sausages so I defrosted them overnight in the fridge. The trouble was, I fancied a bit of a cooked breaking too. Big man fancied sausage and egg sarnies but so did I now, what to do with just three?
I squeezed them out of their skins and formed them into flat patties and dry fried them.  They tasted better than they looked, they went further and cooked much easier too.

I went back to my blog reading and found a malty loaf recipe on Elaine's blog, Mortgage free in three. I usually find a recipe then realise I'd have to go shopping for the ingredients. Not so this malt loaf, I had them all. Three weetabix,  50g of sugar, 125g of porridge oats, cold tea, 2 eggs and 125g of SR flour. I made it, cooled it, sliced it and it is superb. I thought it would be good to take to work as a kind of breakfast slice as I don't often fancy breakfast at 5am. Here's the recipe Malt loaf

I also used the oven while it was on to make 6 chocolate muffins from an Approved Food packet mix I found in the back of the larder. Big man and I will take these to work in packed lunches.

I cooked my chicken and want to see how many meals I can use it for. We both had full roast dinners today from it with green beans, peas, roast and mash potatoes, parsnips and roasted carrots. I had a clean out of the salad trays in my fridge. You know, the ones that hide all sorts of stuff, well mine do anyway. I found a garlic clove and a very ugly looking bit of root ginger. As I had a load of carrots I peeled them all, chopped into inch size chunks and not wanting to be wasteful, I chopped the garlic and ginger along with some dried chilli and covered them in oil. I poured this over the carrots and they were just wonderful. I plated up two more dinners and we will have the same tomorrow to save me cooking again. I'm at work tomorrow in case you thought I was lazy. I have a plateful of meat left and of course the carcass which won't be wasted. Who else makes stock or soup from the carcass?

A massive hello and welcome to my new followers. I can't seem to see who the latest followers are. Does anyone else know how? Mine aren't in any particular order.

It's always nice to get new followers and I always try to follow you back if you also blog.

I hope you all have a great weekend. 

Much love

FIB. Xxx