Plus: keeping on top of Christmas with a budget — and taking the pressure out of those traditions

"Use cheaper chicken pieces like leg, thigh, or wing rather than a whole roast chicken to keep this meal budget friendly."

Plus: Black Friday on the shop shelves - and how to shop smart on a budget

To evoke memories of time spent in the Middle East, I finish a meal with an orange polenta cake, washed down with bright, fresh mint tea. 

Plus: "Keep an eye out on the specials and bargains to be had at this time of the year and you will easily have a full pantry by the time the Christmas holidays roll around."

I regularly get messages from parents who are struggling with this phase

Plus: "...we’ve all heard of pumpkin carving, but have you heard of turnip carving? Turnip jack-o-lanterns are more traditional in Ireland than pumpkins — a good pastime to set idle hands to."

"From pumpkin seeds to inner flesh, a pumpkin is one of the most versatile vine fruits that is remarkably easy to produce, and we really shouldn't allocate it as a decorative purchase only."

"Your instinct may be to pair soup with a few slices of crusty bread or a roll but there is plenty there to keep an adult filled for several hours."

Plus: Sometimes we disregard the cost of the process of cooking and that’s the cost of the energy that we use to bake, stew, and heat our food