Just a quicky.

How many cups of tea or coffee do you have each day?

Personally i believe water is very important to us all and we should all drink more.

The other reason i ask is that we usually re-heat the kettle to have a second or third cup.

Especially in the morning.

 To save electricity and money fill up a thermos(flask) with the first kettle of hot water.

You then have enough water for your other drinks without having to re-boil the kettle every time.

 For heavy coffee drinkers and If your determined enough, when your hot water has gone try drinking just water.

WITH THIS TIP YOU COULD SAVE MONEY, ENERGY AND REDUCE YOUR STRESS AND BLOOD PRESSURE.

Cheers

• FOOD TO GROW FROM

Mixed Bean Feast & Root Vegetable Mash
Serves 2-4
Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons of olive oil
2 onions  chopped
1 clove garlic chopped
1 clove garlic left whole for the mash
Fresh rosemary or thyme chopped
1 vegetable stock cube
3 tablespoons tomato puree
4-5 cups boiling water
1 cup of sweet corn
4-5 carrots (for the feast)-(peeled and cut into bite sized pieces)
6-7 carrots (for the mash)-(peeled and cut into even chunks)
1 medium  swede (for the mash)-(peeled and cut into even sized chunks)
2 large sweet potato (for the mash)-( peeled and cut into even chunks)
1 cup of passata  (fine sieved tomato)   
1 can drained (in water) kidney beans
1 can drained (in water) pinto beans
1 can drained (in water) cannelini  beans
Drop of milk or soya milk
1Tablespoon of butter or soya butter.

Place large pot of water on to boil and place the carrots, swede and sweet potatoes and garlic clove in it. Boil until soft. As  it boils ......   
Turn stove/oven  on to  a medium high temperature to preheat.
Pan fry onions & garlic in olive oil until soft. Add  the chopped herbs of choice. Stir in puree and mix well. Transfer this mixture into a large pot big enough for the remaining vegetables .Add  the corn, carrots, all the beans ,stock cube ,passata and water. Cook on a high heat for approximately 10- 15 minutes. Turn the heat down and simmer for a further 15-20 minutes. As the feast cooks out the colour will change to a  lovely russet reddish hue and become quite thick and saucy. Season to taste. I love Maldon sea salt and freshly  milled  black  pepper.
Meanwhile back at the mash ....once the root vegetables are tender drain off the water AND save the water if you are making the lentil soup. Add  the milk, butter and season to taste with salt and pepper and madly mash with your mashing tool.
    
Once you’re happy with the flavour and  thickness of your Bean Feast turn it out into a casserole dish. Place the Mash  on top and  spread  it to create an even topping. You can place a few more knobs of butter on the top if you wish. Place in oven for a further 15 minutes to crisp up the top.   
Serve with a nice green side salad to ensure full absorption of vitamins and nutrients.
Enjoy!
P. S. This dish does freeze well.

Lentil & Vegetable Soup
Serves 2-4

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons of Olive oil
2 Onions chopped
1 clove garlic chopped
1 vegetable stock cube
1 tablespoon of tomato puree
1 sweet potato peeled and cut into bite sized chunks
2-3 carrots peeled and chopped and cut into bite sized chunks
2 cans of Lentils drained
3 cups of boiling water Or your saved vegetable water from  MASH
Pan fry the onions and garlic in the olive oil until soft. Transfer into a large pot big enough for the rest of the ingredients. Place the boiling water in the pot and add the vegetables ,lentils, puree and stock cube and  cook on a high heat for 15-20 minutes. Once the vegetables are soft  take off the heat. Put through food processor or blitz with hand held kitchen tool . The soup should be smooth and thick to your taste, if you find it’s too thick then add a little extra water to loosen. Season  to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve with raw carrot sticks and a chunk of wholemeal bread and butter.
Yum.

BB = Bank Balance
This helps BOOST your BB because the ingredients are cheap yet nutritious and part of the batch cooking process, which helps reduce utility bills.
If you make these two meals you can peel, chop, prep enough for both and save yourself some time.


Family Spirit
Imagination fires enthusiasm & interest. Knowing that I peel chop and cook my suppers for my family gives me a huge amount of pleasure. The more I see them tucking into my homemade handmade fodder the more I want to do it. I know that the importance of good wholesome food can sometimes lose it’s totem pole positioning in our busy schedules but I really believe that the effort I put into preparing nutritious meals for my gang starts with my love for them and nobody loves ‘em like I do.
   
Nutrition Boost

The mixed beans & lentils we’re cooking with are a great source of protein, have a high fibre content and are packed full of essential nutrients. Sweet potatoes and carrots are amazing vegetables. Carrots give us Beta-carotene, which looks after skin and eye health while sweet potatoes are great for improving digestion by stimulating good gut flora. So look good on the inside as well as out...Happy cooking    

Hi foodies.

If you love good food , health food, natural foods, or simply love the best tasting food on the planet, this is your place.

Over the following months we will be building a dedicated area for good, well priced food ideas and recipes. There will be health tips and places to find the most interesting food ideas and initiatives.

You can have your input and join us in creating a webjam that can help and inspire others to prepare meals for families and individuals alike. It is not always easy to get out of the buy one get something you dont need cycle. Nutrition is the most important thing. No nutrition = No existence. 

Food can make you happy-food can make people sad. The trick is to recognise what you are attracted to and share your ideas . Be inventive with food.

We will start with some simple ideas and grow together using real ingredents, tried and tested meals and help each other create new tastes and food experiences .

If you would like to post your favourite dish that is nutritious, delicious and cost effective then we look forward to your post.

Remember our goal is to give inspiration to people who have no food background and require much needed advice, guidance and ideas that can decrease food bills yet in increase nutritional intake and experince the real taste satisfaction of preparing real food.

If you need a Foodboost or have foodboosting ideas then please get involved.

Positive thoughts,