Budget, week 4

Another week, another budget, another overspend. No excuse this time, just got sucked into some deals and was a little less prepared than normal. It just goes to show that you need to keep your wits about you. I honestly think that part of the problem is that food is so readily available, wherever you turn. If we had to grow more and food was harder to come by we would probably all be a bit healthier for it. The trouble is that time is also such a scarce commodity so it's practically impossible to grow enough to live more cheaply and hold down a full-time job. Sometimes I yearn for a simpler life. At least the overspend was not too much (£10.06) and due to a fortuitous bit of luck we had a marketing voucher for £10 to help with the total spend.

The plan for this week is as follows -

Budget week 4

Saturday -

Breakfast: Coffee (no time for breakfast as we are off to the Olympics!)

Lunch: Packed lunch of salami and cheese sandwiches, apple, dried banana, marmite crisps

Dinner: The rare treat of a meal out (again due to the Olympics)

Sunday -

Breakfast: Boiled egg and marmite soldiers

Lunch: sandwich with leftover salami

Dinner: Jamaican jerk pork belly, rice and peas, mango salsa (in honour of Usain Bolt and in front of the TV watching the closing ceremony)

Monday -

Breakfast: yogurt, fruit and granola

Lunch: leftovers from Sunday

Dinner: chicken curry, brown rice and chappati

Tuesday -

Breakfast: yogurt, fruit and granola

Lunch: leftovers from Monday

Dinner: miso broth with rice noodles, spinach and chicken

Wednesday -

Breakfast: yogurt, fruit and granola

Lunch: leftover soup

Dinner: chicken, cannellini bean, pancetta and brown rice pilaff

Thursday -

Breakfast: yogurt, fruit and granola

Lunch: salad

Dinner: prawns with rice noodles and coriander pesto

Friday -

Breakfast: yogurt, fruit and granola

Lunch: salad

Dinner: Fish and chips with peas (these are all from the freezer)

Last week we had some recent favourites including the watercress pesto (I think I have a thing with pesto at the moment) with spaghetti and the mung bean dhal. I also made some really lovely oat, apricot and walnut slices (from the Meat Free Monday book). These were delicious and so very easy, definitely worth doing.

Oat, apricot and walnut slices

The weather has been rather hot, humid and oppressive lately and inspired by a photo in the weekend newspapers (which in turn had been inspired by Pinterest), I made some fruit salad ice pops. These are so easy and a perfect end to a hot day.

Before...

...and after!