The Temple Bar Chocolate Festival takes place this weekend, running from today until Sunday.  The program has a mix of free and paid events, and there are also some special offers on chocolate-themed menus in restaurants around the Temple Bar area. Some (free!) items of interest from the programme: Children’s Baking Workshop with Divine Fairtrade [...]

I made this for dinner recently as a side for my Roast Chicken in Butter Sauce. Each time I make a tomato sauce, it’s different. It’s a wondrous, organic, changing thing and can taste so different each time, redolent of memories from the past, spag bol when I was a kid, bruschetta on my first [...]

This is a warming little recipe to serve up to your kids and kidults alike on Halloween evening after you’ve been out on a hard night’s trick-or-treating. Although I know all our cheapeats readers are extremely on the ball, I am nevertheless obliged to point out the following: Kid version – less spice, no alcohol. [...]

By Catriona McGrath At the risk of damaging all that wonderful credibility I like to think I’ve built up with my many (two?) reviews I would now like to draw the attention of all cheapeats readers to the wonder that is ‘Kraft dinner’.  I discovered this when I lived in Canada and I’ve been lamenting [...]

This week’s Pricewatch column has an interesting piece about the health claims made for processed foods, and how the European Food Safety Authority monitors those claims. We’re probably all familiar with how some foods will trumpet their lack of fat, while conveniently forgetting to mention that they are extremely high in salt and sugar. We’re [...]

The fake blood, that you can buy in shops, is usually unconvincing and leaves a heavy mark that requires such a serious cleaning job that you end up drawing actual blood when attempting to remove it. Well, this non-toxic blood recipe will save you money and is so realistic that your friends will think you [...]

Special buys at Aldi this Thursday October 29 include: Steam Iron – €19.99 Chocolate Shortbread Assortment – €4.99 Bath Seat – €14.99 Good to see equipment for people with disabilities and those who need who need home help at low prices; hopefully this will come in handy for some carers. Meanwhile, I’d be keen to [...]

1. Some great traditional Halloween fare at Lidl this week, including: “Half price” pumpkins – 49c per kilo Irwin’s Barm Brack -  99c Roasted Peanuts (500g) – 99c The pumpkins are cheap, and that’s to be applauded, so I mean this as a very mild criticism: how can something that’s only in the store for [...]

Thanks to everyone who entered our 1,000th post/M&S Competition, and for all your kind compliments about CheapEats!  And thanks also for the helpful suggestions on how the site can be improved. The two lucky commenters who will get €50 vouchers to spend in Marks and Spencer are: Random Integer Generator Here are your random numbers: [...]

Donal Skehan is giving away a signed copy of his lovely Good Mood Food Cookbook on his blog. Get over there and get your name in the hat!