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Baked Potatoes with Posh Beans & Simple Side Finger Salad

Simple & cost effective comfort food.

Serves 2

4 small potato’s

1 tin baked beans

1 stock cube

Heaped tbsp butter

2 tbsp cooking oil

Salt

Pepper

2 carrots, grated

1/4 cucumber, sliced

1/4 green pepper, chopped

Use a fork to prick deep holes in the potato’s, rub in cooking oil, and season with salt & pepper. Wrap in foil & bake for 50mins at 220•c/200•c fan/430•f, remove foil 20mins before end.

Slowly heat beans with stock cube, butter, and black pepper, to a soft boil then remove from heat. Heat for a few minutes before serving.

Serve with grated cheese & simple side finger salad.

Slowing down for Christmas

First mince pie of the year.

Papa Bear has finally finished work for the holiday, and I’ve had a busy week in the kitchen, stocking up on freezer portions to save cooking over the festive period. Baby Bear is baking nicely & ready to enjoy their first Christmas from the comfort of my mince pie filled belly!

Everything seems to have gone remarkably smoothly this year, it’s the strangest thing.

We have the Christmas food shopping arrive tomorrow, with great plans for truffles, trifles, and my very favourite Christmas Eve tradition- Hot chocolate & marshmallows with a good book in bed.

We have a rough idea of a few things we’d like to get done in the week before switching off on the 24th. And we’ve finally decided where Baby Bear’s little den will be, so can start folding & sorting through the mountain of gifts & hand-me-downs we’ve been given, that are taking up half of the living room at the moment!

I might save the job of folding tiny little bibs & baby grows for a quiet & magical hour before bed on Xmas Eve : )

We like to do very little over winter, preferring to spend the whole of December & January in hibernation, fattening up & reflecting on all that we’re thankful for. It’s such a pleasure to slow down & enjoy the good things in life, cosy jumpers & hot porridge, under a blanket by the fire.

I’ll stop babbling now as I’m full of snacks & it’s late, so it’s time to go to bed.

Nos da pawb, night night everyone

xxx

Mediterranean Eggs & Toast

Fast & tasty protein boost.

Prep: 15mins, Cost: 63p per portion.

2 eggs

1 tomato, deseeded & chopped

1/2 pepper, chopped

1/2 small leek

2tbsp milk

2tbsp olive oil

Salt

Pepper

Fry the pepper, tomato, and leek in oil for 5mins, then add the whisked eggs & milk. Add salt & pepper, and stir for another 5mins until eggs are cooked.

Serve with toasted crusty bread.

Papa Bear’s Packed Lunch

Pesto Pasta with Pepper & Carrot

Prep: 20mins, Cost: 35p

Papa Bear needs fuel for a heavy day at work, and this quick healthy pasta fix can be made the night before, is a convenient solution when he’s travelling around, and is a cheaper alternative to eating out. Super tasty too of course!

Vegetable Stew with Home Baked Wholemeal Bread & Butter

Hearty root vegetable stew for cosy Winter nights.

Serves 8

Prep & Cook: 1hr 45mins

Cost: 24p per portion

1 swede

1 leek

4 potato’s

5 carrots

3 vegetable stock cubes

Salt

Black pepper

Add chopped vegetables & crumbled stock cubes to a large pan, cover with boiling water. Heat back to a boil then reduce heat & simmer for 1hr 30mins.

Serve with crusty bread & butter.

Sausage Casserole with Home Baked Bread & Real Butter

This monster can feed four people, or two & freeze leftovers

Prep: 20mins, Oven: 45mins, Cost: £0.61 per portion, Serves: 4.

8 sausages

3 potato’s, diced

3 carrots, chopped

1 leek, chopped

1 tin chopped tomato’s

1tbsp tomato purée

2 vegetable stock cubes

1pt boiling water

2tbsp olive oil

Salt

Pepper

Home baked bread & Welsh salted butter.

In a deep pan, fry up the sausages in olive oil for about 10mins then set aside in a dish.

Reduce heat & use the remaining oil in the pan to cook the leek for 5mins. Add tomato purée, salt, and pepper, and mix well. Add the potato’s & carrot, and turn for 5mins until well coated. Add chopped tomato’s & vegetable stock, and bring to the boil, stirring regularly.

Empty pan into casserole dish & oven cook at 160•c (fan) for 45mins or until potato & carrot are just soft enough.

Welsh salted butter.

Served with home baked bread & Welsh salted butter.

Home baked bread sliced with a 45yr old electric knife! One of my Mam & Dad’s anniversary gifts and still going strong!

Honey & Banana Porridge

This morning’s early breakfast, already followed by digestive biscuit dippers & red pepper hummus (cravings!).

50g rolled oats

100ml milk

125ml water

1 banana

2tbsp honey

Large pinch cinnamon

Heat the oats, milk, and honey in a pan. Stir occasionally to a soft boil, then reduce heat. Mash half of the banana into the pan, stir & simmer for a couple of minutes.

Transfer to serving bowl, add the rest of the banana, honey, and cinnamon.