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Weezl's phase 1- recipe testing and frugalisation- come one, come all!

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  • Lesley_Gaye
    Lesley_Gaye Posts: 1,045 Forumite
    weezl74 wrote: »
    Hello again :)

    verdict and photos of thrifty cottage pie are now on blog.

    Also gratuitous piccie giving Fergie's feedback on the carrot cake :D:
    carrot-cake.jpg

    isn't he the cute one, and looking like he just might be a little mischievous
  • poohbear59
    poohbear59 Posts: 4,866 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker Debt-free and Proud!
    weezl74 wrote: »






    When we made the original ones (portions still as the recipe shows) they filled the dinner plate and neither of us could fit anything else in :o:).

    But now we were going to stretch a double batch to be 3 meals, I was thinking of a version of Allegra's DD's potato salad. Cold cubed cooked potatoes, fine green beans and raw onion chopped v finely and dressed in a 4:1 oil to vinegar dressing, with perhaps a tad of mustard and garlic.

    How does that sound, have you got any of the ingredients in?

    I can be more specific about amounts if you'd like to test how filling it will be for Bob and shirl?

    Sian too has recommended a scone base for cheapness. I wasn't sure because the bread dough rose so much it seemed to create a great volume for small pence, but I shall certainly try a scone base.

    Still never tried scones :o Don't tell my MIL!!!! xxx

    I don't have enough of the ingredients so have gone for chilli potato wedges. I made the yeast based recipe using 1lb of flour and two tins tomatoes, as that was all I had and the five men are eating it all. I have made a massive round pizza as I have a round tray. When it is cut up and the wedges added there will be no room for anything else on their plates:D

    I had some slices of garlic sausage in the freezer that I bought as a whoopsie ages ago so I cut up three slices and sprinkled on top for the men. It is hardly any meat but because of the strong flavour they will love it.

    I have also made a mini pizza for me with more tomato topping and less cheese.

    They won't be hungry tonight.


    Scones are so easy you should try them. My sons make their own when they come in from work/college when they are hungry. Or they did before I became extremely possessive about all the food in the store cupboard/fridge.


    ETA Your photo of Fergie is gorgeous. He looks like he loves the cake.
    business mortgage £0))''(+ Barclay's business kitchen loan £0=Total paid off was £96105 PPI claimed and received £13527
    'I had a black dog, his name was depression".
  • weezl74
    weezl74 Posts: 8,701 Forumite
    artybear wrote: »
    Wowie-you will have to make Fergus some frugal birthday cake!

    Grandma is making the cake, so I think it will be very Jane asher - esque and fit for a prince! :D
    ariarnia wrote: »
    a lovely happy looking baby - you wouldn't guess that he'd spent the last year on a 'starvation' 50p diet.
    :rotfl::rotfl:
    Allegra wrote: »
    Yep, that's da man. Lasagne sheets method to follow some time soon - am currently struggling to stuff the tart ! I mean, all the filling into the tart case :eek: The glass of wine earlier didn't help.................

    Regarding chili peas (that's not quite right now, is it ? ), I make "keema peas" - basically mince and peas curry. Anyone interested in the recipe ?
    always keen on a recipe :) How fab to see your OH :)

    Good to keep that male perspective!

    DH's verdict on the cottage pie, he gives it an 8 out of 10 but he thinks if shirl had a beef stock cube/bovril or somesuch it would tip up to an 8.5 :)

    :hello:Jonathan 'Fergie' Fergus William, born 05/03/09, 7lb 4.4oz:hello:
    :)Benjamin 'Kezzie' Kester Jacob, born 18/03/10, 7lb 5oz:)
    cash neutral gifts 2011, value of purchased gifts/actual paid/amount earnt to cover it £67/£3.60/£0
    january grocery challenge, feed 4 of us for £40
  • weezl74
    weezl74 Posts: 8,701 Forumite
    Another possible breakfast for menu planner 1. what do people think of this recipe, and would anyone like to try a batch?

    :hello:Jonathan 'Fergie' Fergus William, born 05/03/09, 7lb 4.4oz:hello:
    :)Benjamin 'Kezzie' Kester Jacob, born 18/03/10, 7lb 5oz:)
    cash neutral gifts 2011, value of purchased gifts/actual paid/amount earnt to cover it £67/£3.60/£0
    january grocery challenge, feed 4 of us for £40
  • ceridwen
    ceridwen Posts: 11,547 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    weezl74 wrote: »
    so as long as we show shirley that everyone stays healthy, she will hopefully relax a bit on some of her other food rules, like fresh milk?

    Possibly yes - I've done the dried milk thing myself before now - and thought "yuk" whilst doing it - to try and ensure that I came out the other end of the financial problems with my health intact.

    Uggh...thinking right now of all those cheese sauces made with dried milk and margarine I used to do - yuk...double yuk....Thank goodness I can now do them "properly" - ie with butter and fresh milk:D
  • ceridwen
    ceridwen Posts: 11,547 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    aless02 wrote: »
    Lasagne sheets - wayyyyyyy too much faff. Also, you can get value ones so darn cheap that embarrassingly, I'd say it's worth it jsut to buy them.

    Weezl, I'm happy to help out with Recipecal as well - I'm afraid my Excel skills are shamefully inadequate though I am quite good at maths/logics/analytical skills :). Also happy to test since I'm roughly basing this month's shop off you latest menu planner and almost all of those recipes will feature for us! Assuming you will be posting recipes for the above i nthe coming days or am happy to make it up from the ingredients given.

    I had thought of the battery eggs thing sooner...in 2012, they will be outlawed completely so supermarkets ARE starting to phase them out slowly.

    If I were eating vegetarian, I think I'd like more cheese/dairy introduced back into the diet. Maybe a spot of yoghurt?

    I had to have a good look at this post - as, if my memory serves me correct, Allegra is someone who knows ALL about having had years of a diet that was inadequate nutritionally and is still feeling the health effects years later - so very much our resident "expert" on this angle.

    Reet - lasagne sheets - well...actually...I've never spotted any wholemeal ones yet as I recall. I think I've only ever seen white flour ones. So - I WOULD appreciate a suitable recipe with this - that other people could use white flour for - but I myself could make the wholemeal ones I would like to see in the shops:D

    I was thinking myself earlier today that the whole "battery or freerange eggs" will soon be out the window anyway and people will have no choice but to buy freerange eggs:D - but I just couldnt remember which year that will come into effect. However - from the POV of this mealplan I was wondering whether we should ensure all eggs are costed-in as freerange anyways - precisely because of the fact that they ARE all that will be available soon and I wouldnt want the mealplan to become outdated.

    "Ohmegawd" thinks Weezl...."I can feel a headache coming on"......

    Though - we could carry on (on the other hand) with eggs being battery ones and we have achieved a £100 mealplan for now - knowing very well that in only a couple of years people will HAVE to spend that bit extra to get their eggs.

    On balance - I'm inclined to carry on with the mealplan as is - and just mentally note that some people will upgrade the eggs right now and everyone else will upgrade the eggs in a coupla years time anyway and either way it will add a leetle bit to the cost. But - right now - in 2010 it will be £100.
  • ceridwen
    ceridwen Posts: 11,547 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    weezl74 wrote: »

    AFAIK, I can bring back in (in the veggie planner) for £9 in the month 110ml each daily of whole milk. This will make 6-7cups of pretty ok looking tea.

    It will mean quite a bit of vegan eating (the bean curry, chana mutter masala, pasta with tomato olives and garlic) slightly less variety than the meat planner (choice of 2-3 breakfasts, 2-3 lunches and 6-7 evening meals)

    How does that seem?

    Is fresh milk worth it to Bob and Shirl I wonder?


    That would be okay with me personally - dont know about anyone else of course. But I know I am coming from a viewpoint where I rather admire anyone who can stick to a vegan diet - but I couldnt do it myself:o (HATE soya and have read stuff I dont like about it....). So - I'd be alright with it - dont know how others would feel....
  • taplady
    taplady Posts: 7,184 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    evening! am very behind with this thread(page 15:o:D) but wanted to pop on and say that the carrot cake was very nice indeed!:T
    Do what you love :happyhear
  • ceridwen
    ceridwen Posts: 11,547 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    edited 1 March 2010 at 8:39PM
    weezl74 wrote: »
    Hello again :)

    verdict and photos of thrifty cottage pie are now on blog.

    Also gratuitous piccie giving Fergie's feedback on the carrot cake :D:
    carrot-cake.jpg


    Hmmmm....the very first word that sprang right to mind about him is "perceptive" - I shall be interested over the years to see if I'm right on that...:cool:

    That is one child that is pretty intelligent - as I knew he would be:D

    You've got an old soul there Weezl - as I suspected you would.

    ...wonder what Kester will be like???? - a very different person I have the feeling...will be interesting to see...

    ...hmmm...thinks "if anyone asked me what I thought Fergus will be in years to come - based on that picture - I would say "businessman" actually of some description...that surprises me in a way....well...time will tell....
  • weezl74
    weezl74 Posts: 8,701 Forumite
    lesley and IOIWE thanks for saying you'd do more nutrition for us :) The cottage pie and chilli divided into 4 portions and including their potato/rice component would be very helpful. Lesley the mince is 9.1% fat if that helps with your calcs?

    Lesley, I've been pondering what you've said and i feel it sounds a bit fussy, but my preference is for recipecal (even though it is loads less user friendly) because that gives values for each of the vits and minerals rather than percentages. So when I'm checking out if one day is calcium-filled enough for DD1 it's slightly more helpful to have calcium expressed in grams or mg. However I am super happy for all help and have found all the nutrition you've calculated very useful :T:T:T.

    Also thanks millions for being up for spreadsheet looking :D:D:D:D.

    I wonder when we can both be on at the same time?

    Tomorrow we have an obstetrician appointment to hopefully see if we are all clear for a homebirth after the DVT scare I had :(, so I think I'll be a bit headfull of that until later in the afternoon....

    Erm any thoughts on when you might like to get our heads together?

    Weezl x

    :hello:Jonathan 'Fergie' Fergus William, born 05/03/09, 7lb 4.4oz:hello:
    :)Benjamin 'Kezzie' Kester Jacob, born 18/03/10, 7lb 5oz:)
    cash neutral gifts 2011, value of purchased gifts/actual paid/amount earnt to cover it £67/£3.60/£0
    january grocery challenge, feed 4 of us for £40
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