Hello Dear Reader,
If I were to pick up the phone right now and call the local takeaway, they would take an hour to cook it and get it to me. They would charge me a fortune and a delivery charge. It would be full of salt and the MSG would send me raving around the house on a chemical rampage! Nonetheless, I love a stir fry and a few noodles and though certainly not a cheap supper, I can't resist a takeaway.
The ingredients tonight are mostly what I had in the fridge, defrosted from the freezer and from the store cupboard. My grocery shop on the way home consisted only of fruit, veggies and salad. I love broccoli and will happily eat sweet peppers like an apple! I sliced some loin chops, which were part of a bulk purchase from the local butchers and then portioned for our meal sizes and frozen. I chopped some veg and fried the lot in two tablespoons of smoking hot sesame oil.
I served the lot with spicy noodles, to which I simply added boiling water, covered and microwaved for about five minutes.
The final supper time, including chopping, wiping down the kitchen and stacking the dish washer is about half an hour. I may not be able to resist a take away but I can surely beat them on speed and price!
I had to show off my lovely gift which Foster Mummy brought me yesterday! She is a love and knows me so well.............a nine pack of loo rolls! Posh ones too........on special offer in the Co-op! Don't bother with flowers or a cake when you visit your frugal friend, take them tea bags, some cooking oil or a box of tissues! I promise they will be appreciated.
I have the same 'takeway' again for lunch tomorrow, which I will just re-heat. There's my confession for the night..........I can't resist a takeaway!
Over to you Dear Reader, what can you not resist? What do you whip up in the kitchen to satisfy your culinary needs?
Until tomorrow,
Love Froogs xxxxxxxxxxxx
your "homemade takeaway" looks yammy...
ReplyDeleteI love parathas and a hot curry. The last time I looked at a takeaway menu they were charging £2 for a paratha, and £7.50 for a single portion of curry. To feed a family of 7, it could be terrifying, we all want 2 parathas! So I make it at home. Cost of 14 homemade parathas is 60pence. Curry and rice for seven works out to just under three pounds. I am thankful for youtube and the many cooking lessons I have learned there. :)
ReplyDeleteHello Mama
DeleteMe to I am in the throws of re skilling and there is not an older generation left in my home to ask "How do you do this?" I love a take out to but the prices are indeed frighting. What you made sounds delicious.
yea you tube!
I have recently discovered the joys of home made pizza over shop bought versions: tastier by far, healthier if you use lots of veg and simple fun entertainment if you get your children involved :)
ReplyDeleteNothing tastes better than a good old stir-fry! I make my own Naan bread now to enjoy with the curries I make. We live in a small town and I can make better pizzas, curries, stir fries and fish and chips than I could buy and I know the freshness is better too!
ReplyDeleteWe used to eat take away curry but then we went on a diet and I tried yet again to make a good curry - and blimey I did it finally. My curry mad husband says my curry is better than the takeaway - I am amazed I have finally learnt how to do it!
ReplyDeleteAnd now I do my own fish and chips and my own stir fry - saved loads of money and we have both lost nearly 2 stone each!
My Mom always brings us gifts of tea bags - I love it!
L.x.
My girlfriend in High School was born in HongKong and taught us all how to make a good stir fry. She always insisted that we cook the meat first and then add the veg last. That way they stay crispy and colour up nicely. The amount of meat or fish can be tiny by western standards. I've seen her literally use nine prawns for a meal for five.
ReplyDeleteI buy those toilet rolls too, only when they are on offer. My Mum told me about them and so I bought two packs, mainly because husband has to take them to his garage. Men seem to go through yards of loo roll. I was going to say I don't know what he does with it but that's a silly comment to make!!
ReplyDeleteI love mac and cheese, and like my own better than the store bought ones. We can't order a takeaway, as we live too far from the nearest town!!
ReplyDeleteI love a stir fry & I made chicken fried rice at the weekend - the kids love it & say it's just as good, if not better than the takeaway!
ReplyDeleteThe last time I looked at a take away menu a decent sized pizza cost £16!! What? for a bit of bread dough and some cheap toppings? They can get as stuffed as their pizzas. That wouldn't be my favourite thing though--Indian food. Just walking past an Indian restaurant the smell is enough to send me scurrying--not into the restaurant though--home to MAKE curry. I am not above using a bought cook in sauce though if I am in a hurry. Still much much cheaper than a take away. I think one of the biggest favours you can do yourself is to learn to cook the food you like well. m
ReplyDeletethat sounds delicious and I think that loo paper is a great gift, thats the good stuff right ( Canadian here), lol,
ReplyDeleteI also cook my own 'takeways' as I really don't like the grease and salt of the real ones. I have found that the healthier the food you cook and eat, the more noticeable are the synthetic and artificial tastes of ready made food.
ReplyDeleteWe had tarka dal tonight - will happily splurge on a fish and chip out of paper once in a blue moon, but won't spend on food I can make myself cheaper and healthier. Enjoy the soft paper on yer soft cheeks x x x
ReplyDeleteMost of our meals are home cooked and from scratch as I have food allergies. Last night went pie shaped and dinner was a choice of pan seared salmon or lamb chop, potato salad, green salad and various chopped veg. I love salad in summer. So quick and easy. I recently splurged on the new Jamie book about 15 minute meals. I have some newer ideas but his speed is something I cannot match as we don't have many appliances or gas to cook on. How hot plates are never really hot enough to stir fry or pan fry on but we manage.
ReplyDeleteI must admit we do have a local take away and we sometimes eat in there. John is cheap at $6 for lunch that is packed with fresh vegetables and stir fried on the spot. He also happily cooks to my needs.
That looks delicious!! :) Mmm, cushelle. Why do they put the little koalas on the paper though?? Bit odd!
ReplyDeleteHome made always beats the shops for price and taste ....just some tomes it is better for time..but very rarely!
ReplyDeleteIts cakes with me, I look at the ones in the supermarket and think 'what a waste of money' however I cannot beat my local market, a chap on there gets mishapes, often M&S, 1 kilo of madeira cake for 75p add a 6p instant custard mix and Im in heaven! Am keeping up with the frugal November and my shopping spends are rock bottom, makes me so happy to know that tomorrows housekeeping is all mine and I sold lots of excess stuff on fleabay and made £158 this month. It has never worked for me before but we emptied the loft and had lots of boxes to sort so thought I would give it a go. I am so happy as we need to fill up the coffers for the bedroom tax next year and hopefully a weekend away as soon as possible. Not had a break for 2 years. hugs ginny
ReplyDeleteNever ceases to amaze me how much people pay for take-aways, the cost of ingredients works out at a few pence.
ReplyDeleteOur one exception is traditional fish & chips, we indulge a portion between us about once a month, there's still a few decent chippies about.
Mexican. My go to meal when I'm tired and hungry is roasted squash quesadillas: http://frugaleatingintoronto.blogspot.ca/2012/11/roasted-squash-quesadillas.html -- roast the squash in the oven, or if you are in a rush, nuke in the microwave. This recipe is for one, but can be scaled up quite easily. Healthy, cheap, and delicious!
ReplyDeleteOK, Foster Mummy wins the prize! I had the prize for giving a friend a dustpan, but loo paper is even better! I happily relinquish my crown. PS, it was a really cool dustpan, LOL.
ReplyDeleteOh Froogs, I adore Chinese food. But sadly, I have yet to find a half way decent Chinese place here in Hell. I made fried rice for the first time last week. I must say I was pretty impressed with myself! I just ordered a book of basic Chinese cooking from Amazon. I hope to have it just before Thanksgiving.
ReplyDeleteDo you have an Amazon? Meaning can they ship to you? Silly question, just curious.
I just bought 12 DYI and recipe books from them for $50.49!!! My upcoming birthday gift to me : )
you can find all the recipes you need on the web!
DeleteLOL yes, but i love, love, love books!
DeleteThat looks yummy! I love fried rice and even though I like to use a seasoning packet in it, I find mine is far better than the stuff I buy. (Sad to say my first attempt at egg rolls was okay, but not as great I had hoped.) I also prefer homemade pizza -- far less greasy and much better with my own veggies.
ReplyDeleteYum! This made me realize it's been far too long since I made a yummy stirfry. We whip up delicious curries (chicken or chickpea are two of our favorites), or my husband makes an amazing Thai chicken. It includes some smooth peanut butter, a bit of sesame oil for flavoring and lime juice, plus garlic and chilies. I just finished eating and I'm getting hungry again! lol
ReplyDeleteLooks delicious! And so much more value for money than the takeaway shop. The last time my son, his partner and boys came for lunch, we bought fish and chips. Cost a small fortune! Have decided I will not be doing that again! They weren't that good anyway :(
ReplyDeleteThat looks great. We occasionally buy the odd pizza if we get a voucher through the door. But asda does lovely pizzas and they are miles cheaper if you were to buy and do the ingredients yourself. I buy one and freeze one to use later or another ti,e. We bought a book called 'the takeaway secret' and I use it time and time again! Also the Hairy dieters book has some great recipies if you are watching your weight. Chicken fijatas for tea tonight and the meal pack only cost 49p! as they were selling it off. All I have to add is chicken and peppers.
ReplyDeleteIf I have a pizza craving and am feeling lazy,a quick and easy alternative is toast covered in tomato puree and a bit of grated cheese and thinly sliced onion on top, grill and eat!
ReplyDeleteIf I have a pizza craving and am feeling lazy,a quick and easy alternative is toast covered in tomato puree and a bit of grated cheese and thinly sliced onion on top, grill and eat!
ReplyDeleteYummy! I prefer to DIAH, but we do treat ourselves to fish and chips (from the nicest, friendliest shop ever) sometimes as it's my partner's favourite so we are supporting a small local business.
ReplyDeleteLove the loo roll pressie, how sensible! It reminded me that my cousin always used to give a Christmas pack containing stamps, regular soap and American Tan tights to our elderly auntie, and she loved it far more than any exotic smellies etc, because it was useful and practical!
hi frogs, we t a lot of stirfy!i am currently working my way through 9kgs of dried udon noodles...that's a lot of noodles!good ol' approved foods!we also bought some reduced pork fillet at £1.60 each and froze them, I slice half of one of these with lots of chopped veg, I make my own sweet and sour as I am diabetic but I can recommend lidls, its one of the best ive tasted!happy wokking!x
ReplyDeleteAnother one of my faves is homemade falafel in wraps with chilli sauce an lots of salad topped with tzatziki - half a pack of dried chickpeas make about 25 and they freeze after you have cooked them..very cheap to make!
ReplyDeleteWe had stir fry last night too with sweet and sour sauce. I love stir fry and it is a great meal when you get in tired from work and want dinner on the table quickly : )
ReplyDeleteYour post (and the comments) seem to assume that people buy take-out (or takeaway) because they crave the food. That has NEVER been the case with me. When I buy it, it's usually because I don't want to cook or, more likely, don't have a clue what to cook.
ReplyDeleteMy solution is to keep steak in the freezer! (bought on sale, of course). I can thaw the steak in the microwave, bake potatoes in the microwave (or make rice), and throw together a salad in less time than it takes to go get the take-out. And for a WHOLE LOT LESS MONEY! Even if the take-out happens to be fast food. I've had lots of complaints about hamburgers brought home from McDonald's, but nobody here has ever complained about steak! And cooking a steak at home costs less than half the price of hamburgers at Mickey D's.
Once (and only once) I stopped at Applebee's and picked up take-out meals. They cost me over $40! If I am going to pay that much, I am going to sit down and be served and let someone else wash the dishes. Those dinners weren't that great by the time I got them home and they had sweated in the foam boxes. I asked myself why I did that and have never even been tempted to do it again. Gimme a steak!
If I ever tell you I had steak for dinner, you may assume I didn't want to cook. That's basically the only time I serve it.
Every time we would go out for Chinese I'd get sick. So I got a Weight Watcher recipe for Sweet and Sour Pork and Fried Rice, it's delicious and so easy to make.
ReplyDeleteOoo Mr Twigs bought a gammon joint last week for £2.79!! we had some for Sunday dinner, then he made a gammon and leek pie, ding dong it was lovely. I can't resist a nice pie
ReplyDeleteTwiggy x
This looks amazing froog and just like the real thing, my failure or treat that i cant go without is angel delight moose mmmmmmmmmm one packet and a pint of milk makes a big bowl full of the yummy stuff which luckily for little old me my kids do not like it woohoo.
ReplyDeleteHi, such a knowledgeable information. Thanks for sharing.
Deletetake away food warwick qld.