I've been taking a leaf out of Frugal Queens book and spent some time bulk cooking for the freezer! I now have more than a dozen home made "ready meals" available! That should help us resist temptation to order a takeaway!

I have 2 portions of soya bolognaise, 4 portions of chilli con carne (minced beef and soya mix to stretch it) and 8 portions of italian pasta soup (I doubled the recipe), which is more like a spicy vege stew, it is so filling! Here's how to make the soup:-

Italian Pasta Soup

1 large onion (finely chopped)
1 lg clove garlic (crushed)
2 sticks of celery (finely chopped)
1 tablespoon olive oil
15oz tin of tomatoes or 1lb fresh tomatoes
1 + 1/2 pints of stock
4 oz wholemeal macaroni
1 handful of chopped parsley
2 carrots (grated)
sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Saute the onion, garlic and celery in the oil for 5 minutes, without browning. Roughly chop the tomatoes (skin if using fresh)and add to the pan. Stir in the stock and bring mixture to the boil. Reduce the heat and add the pasta/macaroni. simmer for 15 minutes until just soft. Chop the parsley and add with the grated carrots. Stir and season to taste! Serve with chunks of wholemeal bread. My cookbook says this amount will serve 4, has 163 calories a portion and is high in fibre and vitamins, it is also very yummy!