A quick and fruity ice-cream for yer auld lad on Sunday.

What’s the highest praise in your family? The word or phrase that you hear and then you know you’ve done a super job; outdone yourself? Our word is a simple one that speaks volumes.

According to the dictionary, a person who is a ‘great’ is someone who has achieved importance or distinction in a field. In our family, the word great came from my Grandad Jim. He’s been gone a number of years now and yet every time I or someone speaks the word or it crops up in the family WhatsApp I smile fondly and I’m confident that all of us do.

Great occasions are days when we gather to celebrate; be it a birthday or Father’s Day, or maybe it’s just a day to be together. Great feasts happen, in the summer there’s barbecues and strawberries, and in the winter it’s roast dinners and cake. Well, that’s not strictly true, we don’t limit our cake enjoyment to any particular time of the year and nor should you.

As the kids run in the garden and play the adults sit around drinking tea and chattering. Now my own dad is fond of using the word ‘great’ to describe family time. I get up out of bed every morning and tell the boys that it’s going to be a great day. I find that the intention is set and these days, where we decide they are going to be great, are the best.

When it comes to living on less, attitude has an awful lot to do with your feelings around eating on a budget. I realise it’s difficult but having the determination that your final shop receipt is going to be lower will help you plan your shop around the best deals. Presenting a great meal to your family starts with your smile and pleasure in eating together.

I of all people understand that smiles and enjoyment do not a great meal make but they certainly help.

This week Lidl once again is the cheapest supermarket for my sample shopping basket. Across some of the grocery stores you may notice some slight increases in certain products and this is partially due to a rise in the cost of wheat based products. You will be able to see this reflected in the prices of things like bread, biscuits, and pasta in the weeks ahead.

Tomorrow being Father’s Day, I’m including two simple recipes that are perfect for celebrations at home. You can make the coleslaw up to 3 days in advance and the ice cream is quick to make but stores for up to 1 month.

All of the supermarkets have steaks on special with Father’s Day in mind. There are oodles to choose from and they’re perfect for the grill, whether outdoors or indoors. Prices range from about €7 all the way up to €15 and beyond for a packet of 2 steaks.

Cherries are back in season, albeit short, so keep an eye out in your local supermarket for this wonderful Irish produce. Once pitted, add a handful (or more) of fresh cherries to a small container of vodka or gin to steep until you’re making the Christmas cake. If you don’t want to wait for Christmas then these boozy berries make for excellent cocktail garnishes.

The key to preparing this simple coleslaw is that you make individual components up to 3 days beforehand providing you keep them in sealed containers in the fridge. You can then add them at the last minute and mix. So if you’re planning a BBQ on Sunday, get this out of the way on Friday evening and then leave the ingredients to one side.

If you intend to make enough for a large party just stick to the ratio of 1:4 of carrot:cabbage and always mix just before serving as the carrot tends to bleed into the mixture. If you like to add herbs or a slight onion flavour then chop some chives and parsley into the mixture.

Make Ahead Coleslaw recipe by:Caitriona Redmond  You can make this coleslaw up to 3 days in advance and it's [erfect for summer barbecues Servings 4 Preparation Time 5 mins Cooking Time 15 mins Total Time 20 mins Course Side Ingredients 1 large carrot 1 quarter head of white cabbage 2 tablespoons of good quality mayonnaise (reduced fat if you’re watching calories) 2 tablespoons of natural yoghurt (low fat/fat free if you’re on a diet) 1 tablespoon of cider vinegar Cracked black pepper Equipment 1 large chopping knife 1 chopping board 1 cheese grater 1 vegetable peeler 1 large mixing bowl 1 tablespoon 2 large freezer bags (optional) Method Peel and grate the carrot. If preparing for mixing at a later stage place the grated carrot into a plastic, sealable freezer bag, seal and put into the bottom crisper drawer of your fridge. Using a good sharp knife remove the core from the cabbage, peel off the outer, softer leaves (probably about 3) and discard these into your compost bin. Finely cut the cabbage into thin lengths. Repeat the step above with the freezer bag if preparing for another day. To serve take the large bowl and measure all the dressing ingredients into the bottom of the bowl (mayonnaise, yoghurt, vinegar, black pepper) and stir until they create a thin dressing. Next add your cabbage and carrot and mix well until loosely coated with the dressing then serve.

You can make this coleslaw up to 3 days in advance and it's [erfect for summer barbecues

1 quarter head of white cabbage

2 tablespoons of good quality mayonnaise (reduced fat if you’re watching calories)

2 tablespoons of natural yoghurt (low fat/fat free if you’re on a diet)

Peel and grate the carrot. If preparing for mixing at a later stage place the grated carrot into a plastic, sealable freezer bag, seal and put into the bottom crisper drawer of your fridge.

Using a good sharp knife remove the core from the cabbage, peel off the outer, softer leaves (probably about 3) and discard these into your compost bin.

Finely cut the cabbage into thin lengths. Repeat the step above with the freezer bag if preparing for another day.

To serve take the large bowl and measure all the dressing ingredients into the bottom of the bowl (mayonnaise, yoghurt, vinegar, black pepper) and stir until they create a thin dressing.

Next add your cabbage and carrot and mix well until loosely coated with the dressing then serve.

This recipe is perfect for dinner parties, lazy afternoons in the sun or BBQ’s. I really love the fact that it takes only 2 ingredients and 10 minutes (max) to make. The quick ice cream is also sugar-free and no-churn.

If you use tart fruit in this recipe then you will need to add a sweetener. You could add a tablespoon of pureed apples or pears. I instead use 3/4 berries and 1/4 ripe mango which is beautifully sweet and freezes very well. I peel and cut the mango into small chunks the same size as a raspberry. Summer berries are just coming into season in Ireland so watch out in the “yellow sticker” sections for overripe berries as they are the most sweet.

Cheat’s Ice Cream recipe by:Caitriona Redmond  This quick and easy ice cream stores for up to 1 month. Servings 4 Cooking Time 15 mins Total Time 15 mins Course Dessert Ingredients 250g crème fraîche (full fat works best but low-fat also works) 140g frozen fruit Method You will need a food processor, stand mixer or an electric whisk for this as it’s too hard to blend them together by hand. In a large bowl, pour in the crème fraîche and start whisking on low. Add the frozen fruit bit by bit. It will get a bit “clunky” so increase the speed to just below medium and whisk until you see the mixture beginning to take on the texture of ice cream. The berries will break down in the mixing process. You can now serve the quick ice cream OR you can spoon it into a heat-proof bowl with a lid and freeze it for another day. It lasts for about 30 days in the freezer providing you’ve well insulated the bowl. Personally I serve it straight away with added berries on top for texture. If you were feeling particularly bold you could have it in an ice cream cone but I’ve been known to eat it with a spoon directly from the mixing bowl

This quick and easy ice cream stores for up to 1 month.

250g crème fraîche (full fat works best but low-fat also works)

You will need a food processor, stand mixer or an electric whisk for this as it’s too hard to blend them together by hand.

In a large bowl, pour in the crème fraîche and start whisking on low. Add the frozen fruit bit by bit. It will get a bit “clunky” so increase the speed to just below medium and whisk until you see the mixture beginning to take on the texture of ice cream. The berries will break down in the mixing process.

You can now serve the quick ice cream OR you can spoon it into a heat-proof bowl with a lid and freeze it for another day. It lasts for about 30 days in the freezer providing you’ve well insulated the bowl. Personally I serve it straight away with added berries on top for texture. If you were feeling particularly bold you could have it in an ice cream cone but I’ve been known to eat it with a spoon directly from the mixing bowl

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