Don’t bother with growing from seed, just buy a couple of nice plants from your local garden centre for £1 to £1.50 each.  Gardener’s Delight is a good variety to start with, producing loads of lovely sweet cherry tomatoes.  The plants may need putting into a medium size pot with more compost straight after purchase, then into a large pot when they’ve grown some more.  Some varieties can be planted outdoors after all risk of frost has gone, but you’ll probably find you get a better crop if you can keep them in a greenhouse or conservatory.  Other than that, just:

• Feed once per week with special tomato feed (from garden centres and DIY stores) once flowers have appeared;
• Tie in the main stems of vine-types of tomatoes, cutting off the side shoots that grow at a 45 degree angle between the main stem and side branches (otherwise, they sap the plants of energy).
• Give them plenty of water, often 1-2 times per day in hot weather – a good way to get your child involved.
• Harvest the tomatoes when lovely and red

And pretend you haven’t seen your children stuffing them in their mouths!

Morrison’s

• 150g asparagus half price at £1
• 2 bunches of salad onions for £1 (or 84p each)
• whole Galia melon half price at £1
• 3 x 410g cans Branston baked beans for £1 (68p each)
• 1kg Buitoni penne pasta half price at £1.14
• 500g Napolina extra-virgin olive oil half price at £1.89

The Co-op

• Danepak thick cut bacon half price at £1.59
• Gino D’Acampo pepperoni pizza at a special price of £2
• Hovis 12 soft white rolls down from £1.49 to £1
• 2 x 350g Lake District Cheddar cheese for £4.09 – delicious

Waitrose

• 300g medium Cheddar cheese down from £2.49 to £1.66
• 500g chicken breast down from £6.89 to £4.59
• 1l Kelly’s clotted cream ice cream half price at £1.99
• 900m Yeo Valley organic frozen strawberry yogurt half price at £1.74
• 340g Rowse light & mild honey down from £2.59 to £1.72
• 1l Ribena half price at £1.43
• 160 Typhoo round tea bags down half price at £1.89

Asda

• Mission 8 soft flour tortillas down from £1.56 to £1
• 500g Lurpak spreadable down from £2.98 to £2

Sainsbury’s – until 22 May

• 250g asparagus half price at £1.50
• 250g Normandy camembert down from £1.75 to £1
• 1kg Jersey Royal potatoes half price at £1.50
• Large crackling pork leg joint (approx 2kg) down from £13.38 to £8.90
• 120g Lyons smoked salmon half price at £2.99
• Weetabix Weetos on 2 for 1 at £2.50

Tesco

• Discovery tortillas down from £1.59 to 63p
• Large pack of Jersey Royals half price at £1.24 until 20 May
• 500g Clover half price at 97p
• 350g Pilgrims Choice Cheddar cheese half price at £2.24
• Pizza Express 8″ Margherita pizzas half price at £2
• 4 x Branston baked beans half price at £1.27
• 1kg Napolina spaghetti half price at £1.09

Shopping! Some of you love it some of you hate it. If you have a hectic lifestyle you can always have your shopping delivered for free. In fact, you can have it delivered if you’re just plain lazy or you hate shopping.

However you  view it, shopping is pretty much a necessity (unless you’re a monk living on some remote Scottish island that humanity hasn’t touched for two centuries).Personally, I like to get out to the shops to see what’s on offer. Sure, you can check it out on the web but where’s the fun in that.

The only problem is the ever increasing cost of living. It’s not just our fuel costs that continue to rise: the price of food creeps ever higher. What can you and I do about it? Well, there’s not a lot we can do about the prices but there are a few simple steps we can take to cut back on how much we spend. Let’s take a look.

Make A ShoppingList

A shopping list is a key ingredient that will help you keep you on track. Think of it like a plan; without one thing’s could go horribly wrong. True, Von Moltke did say that a plan never survives contact with the enemy (I’m not sure he was talking about Tesco but who knows?). But at least you refer back to it if things start to wrong and your shopping backs takes on the mass of the European food mountain!

Stop Lurking: Get In, Shop, Pay And Get Out

As you stroll through the abundantly aisles your senses are aroused by many aromas. The sweet scent of summer fruits, the delicious twang of fresh herbs…. don’t falter. It’s a trap! A supermarket is a business and what do businesses want? Your money!

Stores are laid out in such a way that they entice you ever deeper into the bowels of the money making machine. The cheapest goods are at the entrance and the more expensive items further into the store. The moment you stall you’re trapped. Buy what you need and get out (and don’t be tempted by the enticing smell of oranges…. mmm!)

The Mark Of The Beast

Ok, we’re not really going talk about Old Nick but there is a mark to beware of: the BRAND! Branded goods are more expensive. A lot of money has gone into marketing a product that you’ll instantly recognise. Marketing costs money and this investment needs to be clawed back. This results in higher prices.

Skip the big brand products and go for value labels or simply shop at low cost convenience stores. You never know, you might actually prefer “McTavish’s Fruity Highland Shortbread” over the overpriced, original brand.

Side Step The Supermarket Rip Offs

Next time you walk through a supermarket have a look at the layout. Can you see how the aisles are lain out in a way that draws you deeper into the store? Think of yourself as the hapless moth drawn towards the alluring scent of a mate. Wings beating, you drive yourself forward into your mates warm embrace…. wrong! You drive yourself into the heart of the spider’s web.

Once you’re in the trap the supermarket spider will… I’ll leave that to your imagination! Don’t be fooled by what retailers call “loss leaders”. Make your list, get in, shop and get out whilst restraining the urge to buy those ugly, unwanted mock-camel skin slippers!

Take The Bus To The Shops

This has nothing to do with saving money on your fuel bills. Ok, it has little bit to with fuel bills as you’ll save money by not driving but that’s not the point I’m trying to make. Shopping bags can get heavy and I mean heavy. Now imagine having a weighty plastic shopping bag handle cutting into you hand as you walk to the bus station. Not a nice thought, is it?

If you leave your car at home you’ll think twice before you try to buy the equivalent of you own bodyweight in food!

My name is James and, most of the time, I spend days writing about ways to save extra cash over at my blog, www.moneysavingzone.co.uk. Why not come over and pay me a visit some time? See you there.

The festival sounds amazing, with Disney performing for the first time ever outside its theme parks.  Cant’t wait!  See you there!

For more details go to http://www.sainsburys-live-well-for-less.co.uk/occasions/queen’s-diamond-jubilee/

Sainsbury’s

• 130g John West no-drain tuna steak in spring water down from £1.89 to £1
• 1l Napolina extra virgin olive oil half price at £3.24
• Bag of kiwis half price at 74p – great for lunchboxes
• white seedless grapes half price at £2.50 per kilo
• Bag of satsumas half price at £1.25
• Activia 4 Intensely Creamy strawberry yogurts half price at £1.09
• 820g British chicken thighs and drumsticks half price at £2

Waitrose

• Warburton 400g gluten-free brown bread  down from £2.49 to £1.99
• 500g green seedless grapes down from £2.69 to £1.79
• Rankin outdoor bred sausages down from £2.79 to £1.86
• 750g Kellog’s All-Bran down from £2.78 to £1.85
• 250g New Zealand lamb steaks down from £4.50 to £3.37

Asda

• 2 packs of Black Farmer Daughter chipolatas for £4 (or £2.58 each)
• 2 x 6 free-range eggs for £2.
• 500g Flora spread down from £1.70 to £1
• Oat So Simple down from £2.98 to £2

The Co-op

• 12 British beef meatballs half price at £1.25
• Birds Eye 12 omega 3 fish fingers half price at £1.24
• Saccla pesto half price at £1.14
• 1l Ribena on 2 for 1 at £2.89

Morrison’s

• Young’s 10 Omega 3 fish fingers half price at 99p
• Cantaloupe melon half price at £1
• 2 packs of herbs for £1
• British lean minced steak half price at £3.75 per kilo
• 1.5kg baking potatoes down from £1.25 to £1

Tesco

• 400g organic strawberries hal price at £1.99 until 29/4
• 250g Finest raw jumbo king prawns half price at £2.50
• 500ml Napolina extra virgin olive oil half price at £1.89 until 24/4
• 2 x 500g Weetabix Minis for £3 (or £2.19 each) until 24/4
• Large pineapple half price at £1 until 22/4

The Festival promises to be truly spectacular, with loads of other family entertainment over the weekend.  Best of all, Sainsbury’s are giving away 500 family tickets every day until 17 April in a nationwide ballot.  All you have to do is spend £60 or more at Sainsbury’s and enter their online ballot.

Hurry though!  There’s just 10 days left to enter.  For more details, click through to Sainsbury’s website.

First off, here’s a reminder of some of our top tips for cooking with children:

1. Choose simple dishes to ensure success.

2. Teach your children the rules of good hygiene (especially washing hands!) and get them to wear aprons.

3. Often as parents we think  we know what our children are capable of – test this a bit and you’ll be  amazed at what they can achieve!  Depending  on their age, get them to read recipes, weigh ingredients, help clean up, and then lay the table.

(If you’d like to read our full article on cooking with children, then click here)

For simple Easter dishes, we’d suggest Easter biscuits and Chocolate Nest cakes.

Easter Biscuits

You will need:  75g block margarine (eg Stork), 75g caster sugar, 200g self-raising flour, a pinch of salt, ½ tsp mixed spice, 75g currants, 1 beaten egg.

How to make:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180C or Gas 4, and grease a baking tray.

2. Sieve the flour and spice, then rub in the margarine until like fine crumbs.  Stir in the sugar and currants.

3. Bind together with a little beaten egg, and knead to form a stiff dough.

4. Roll out thinly until about 5mm thick.  Cut into rounds using a 7cm cutter, place well apart on tray, and prick with a fork.

5. Bake until light golden brown for about 18 mins.

Chocolate Nest Cakes

You Will Need: 20 paper cake cases; 200g chocolate; 200g cornflakes (or shredded wheat, or similar cereal); mini eggs

How To Make: Put the paper cases in bun trays. Melt the chocolate in the microwave. Stir in the cereal. Pour into cases and make a nest shape. Decorate with mini eggs and put in fridge to set. Enjoy!

Before You Start

• Choose some simple dishes to ensure success.  For example, filled jacket potatoes, chicken wraps, sandwiches, tomato pasta sauce, garlic bread, fish goujons, fruit skewers.
• Involve the children in shopping, do it when  you have time and try places other than a stressful supermarket.  Use farm shops and butchers where the  children can look around at the food, teach them how to choose a good  item, be it as simple as checking an apple for bruises, the more children  are involved the more fun they’ll have.
• Teach your children the rules of good hygiene  (especially washing hands!) and get them to wear aprons.
• Combine cooking with maths! Let the children help you prepare for cooking by weighing out ingredients – try and use either balancing scales, or scales with a dial that they can understand.  If using a dial you can place a sticker where the dial needs to go for the right weight to make it more visual for them to understand.
• Set up a chair so the children can wash any  fruit and vegetables in a sink of water, they’ll love it!
• You are the best judge of what your child is  capable of, but generally speaking, most primary school children should be able to do basic cutting up under supervision, and younger children could  decorate pizzas.

Whilst Cooking

• Often as parents we think we know what are children are capable of – test this a bit and you’ll be amazed at what your child can achieve!  Depending on their age, get them
  to read recipes, weigh ingredients, put vegetable peelings for recycling, help clean up, and then lay the table.
• It’s all about the utensils you use. Children as young as two make their own pies from scratch at Crafty Cooks. You can buy rotary graters which allow them to grate cheese, carrots etc without adding fingers to the mix.  A good peeler can give a child a huge freedom when peeling vegetables. Little rolling pins are a great investment to help them cope with pastry and dough, if the pin is too large and cumbersome they’ll just get frustrated.
• If making pastry, make it from scratch and let your child rub together the flour and butter until magically the butter disappears and they have a bowl of sand. Not only a useful life skill and a money saver but great for muscle development to help with handwriting!
• It’s important for children to learn about safety in the kitchen, let older children stir sauces and chop vegetables, just make sure you teach them how to do it safely first and always supervise!

And After…

• Don’t let your children do a runner after the cooking is done, the tidying away is just as important! Let them help you bring the dirty bowls over and sweep up the floor. Their future spouses will thank you!

Tesco

• 400g Pilgrim’s Choice Xtra Mature Cheddar cheese half price at £2.24
• 500g Flora Buttery half price at 97p
• 943g Healthy Living chicken fillets down from £9.99 to £7.99
• 2 gammon steaks half price at £2
• 800g premium beef mince down from £3.80 to £3.25
• 627g lamb chops half price at £4.85 until 27/3
• Danepak thick cut bacon half price at £1.59
• Pizza Express 12″ pizza half price at £2.50

The Co-op

• Beef roasting joint half price at £4.99 per kilo
• Whole leg of lamb half price at £6.19 per kilo
• Elmwood large pork leg roast half price at £3.49 per kilo
• 4 scottish farmed salmon fillets (360g) half price at £3.75
• 540g British skinless chicken breast fillets half price at £3.75
• 2kg King Edward potatoes half price at £1
• Aunt Bessie’s 12 yorkshire puddings half price at 99p
• Cadbury’s chocolate mini rolls down from £1.43 to £1
• 1l Kelly’s ice cream half price at £1.99
• 200g Nescafe Gold Blend down from £6.48 to £5

Morrison’s

• 460g Young’s fish fillets half price at £2
• 2 for £1 on fresh cut herbs
• 2 x 200g Amoy medium dry noodles for £1 (normally £1.09 each) – great for a quick stir fry
• 2 x 121g tuna steak in spring water for £1

Waitrose

• 200g blackberries down from £2.99 to £1.99 until 3 April
• 750g mature Cheddar down from £5.75 to £3.83
• Yoplait Perle de Lait coconut down from £2.09 to 99p
• 2 x 500g Countrylife butter for £4
• 1kg chicken breast fillets down from £11.29 to £7.52

Sainsbury’s

• white seedless grapes half price at £2.50 per kilo
• Bag of kiwis half price at 74p
• 2kg Albert Bartlett Rooster potatoes half price at £1
• 2.6kg beef roasting joint half price at £12.97
• 1.93kg whole leg lamb half price at £10.60 – ideal for an Easter roast.
• 2.75kg boneless gammon joint half price at £10.97
• 750ml Filippo Berio extra virgin olive oil half price at £2.34

Asda

• 2 x 6 Happy Egg co free range large eggs for £2
• Debbie & Andrew’s sausages on 2 packs for £4
• 730g Branston brown sauce down from £1.78 to £1
• 500g Nestle Shredded Wheat honeynut down from £2.08 to £1

The recipe below is for a 1lb cake.  It’s an ideal size if you don’t wanted to be tempted by leftovers – and it’s a great size for a school cake sale.  But if you’re feeding a crowd, the recipe is easily doubled – just use a 2lb loaf tin and allow extra cooking time.

Lemon Drizzle Cake

• 100g soft margarine
• 100g caster sugar
• 2 eggs
• finely grated zest of 1 lemon
• 100g self-raising flour

For the drizzle: 1.5tbsp caster sugar and juice of 1 lemon

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 180C or Gas 4.  Line a 1lb loaf tin with greaseproof paper.

2. Beat the margarine and sugar with an electric whisk for 2 minutes.  Then add the eggs, whisking a bit betweeen putting in each egg.

3. Sieve the flour into the mixture.  Add the lemon zest and mix.

4. Spoon into the tin and level the top.  Bake for about 35-40 minutes.  Check it is done by inserting a skewer into the cake – if it comes out clean, the cake is done.

5. When the cake is cooling, mix together the remaining caster sugar and lemon juice.  Prick the warm cake and pour over the drizzle.  Leave the cake in the tin until completely cold.

Happy Mothers Day!