So far I’m cheating, by living almost entirely on food I already have. Have hardly spent a penny of my budget. This has really made me realise how much food I waste – those pulses that go past their sell-by date because I’m not ‘in the mood’ for pulses, the rest of that cabbage I ‘don’t fancy’. Spurred on by the challenge of a £21 budget, I’m working my way through the cupboard and the fridge first, cooking tasty meals and really enjoying them. Can’t believe how little I’ve spent in a week and a half: £4.20 at Mayfield Organics.
It’s curious how, with a restricted budget, my appreciation of food has increased! When I can go out and buy absolutely anything I like I often just can’t think what I want to eat.
Favourite dish: pot barley (Arjuna), chicken gizzards (farmer’s market), a carrot, an onion, a pinch of thyme, salt and pepper. 20 minutes in the pressure cooker. Probably sounds too plain for most people, but it’s the best comfort food for these chill, grey days and I love those plump chewy grains of barley.