Make do, Mend and Minimise in 2015

Hi All,

I hope you've had a good day. I've done my second and final shop of the month for the grand sum of £7.42 (no wonder the supermarkets' profits are falling). I have found this little experiment extremely revealing and have been surprised at how long my supplies have lasted. I will go back to having a 'stock' of food in the house simply because I don't live anywhere near a supermarket, but once I've 'topped up' all my basic supplies, I will just try and shop for milk, cream, fruit and vegetables twice a month and go back to having an evolving shopping list, that is, jotting down what I am running short of. More to do with where I live rather than economy. I also know now that I can manage on very little and I shall probably repeat this £10 spend in two or three month's time.

I've certainly learnt to be more careful with what I have in stock, as it were, and instead of eating extra (so it didn't go to waste) I am now portioning up leftovers and freezing them for another day. Another bonus is that it's great for my waistline.

Here's an absolutely delicious Jamie Oliver recipe - not exactly cheap but great for a treat.

Spiced Slow-Cooked Lamb Shanks - serves 4.

4 lamb shanks, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, tsp coriander seeds, 2 tsp chopped fresh chilli, tbsp. fresh rosemary, tsp dried oregano, tbsp. flour, tbsp. olive oil, finely chopped clove garlic, large carrot, quartered and finely sliced, 6 sticks celery, quartered and finely sliced, 2 medium/large onions, quartered and finely chopped, 2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar, 17oml dry white wine, 6 anchovy fillets, 2x400g tins plum tomatoes, handful fresh basil, roughly chopped.

Season the lamb with sea salt and freshly ground pepper, Grind the coriander seeds and mix with the chilli, chopped rosemary and oregano. Roll the lamb in this mixture, pressing it in well then dust with flour.

Heat a thick-bottomed casserole pan, add the oil, brown the meat on all sides and then remove from the pan. Add the garlic, carrot, celery, onions and a pinch of salt and sweat them until softened. Add the balsamic vinegar and allow it to reduce to a syrup. Pour in the white wine and simmer for two minutes. Add the anchovies (these really intensify the lamb flavour) and then add the tinned tomatoes. Shake the pan and return the lamb to it. Bring to the boil, put on the lid and simmer in the oven (180 degrees/gas 5 for one and a half hours, then remove the lid and cook for a further half an hour. Skim off any fat and taste for seasoning. Finally stir in a handful of roughly chopped basil. Serve with mashed potato, couscous, polenta or rice.

Viv xx

I was the youngest of the family and had two older brothers which meant that if I wanted to play it had to be on their terms We had a very large garden and one year the three of us decided that the bottom end was perfect for a cricket pitch
So it was duly dug out (mainly by me I felt ) then rolled with Dads roller and we would spend hours playing cricket.

I can do a pretty mean slow spin even now :):) Much to the delight of my grandsons,who think its a hoot that Granny can not only bowl, but whack a ball a fair distance as well:D (not much good at running anymore so I get my smallest grandson to run for me );)

In those days if the ball got whacked over into next doors garden my brothers would give me a shove over the wall as I was the smallest, and I would have to retreive it .

Next door had a nasty growly dog that I hated, but I could outrun the beast ,which was just as well as it would have made short work of me if I hadn't. I soon learned to take a flying leap for the top of the wall, and one of my brothers would grab me and yank me out of the way of 'Fang' as we called the blighter :):)

I too climbed trees and fell out of them as well, and broke my arm on one occasion. Hoping that it would get me out of school work was a waste of time as I still had to go.

One accident I remember well was sliding with new shoes on in class at our local school in Blackheath. I slid too much and ended up on my butt ,catching my chin on the desk. I had a pretty good chunk of chin split open. My teacher Mr Rhodes took me to St John's hospital, he was the only teacher with a car in those days, where it was stitched up.

While waiting to be seen he decided to make sure I knew my 9 time tables.So there I was with a big wodge of gauze holding my chin on trying to learn my 9 times tables .
To this day I am perfect at them: :rotfl: .I think he thought it would take my mind of being stitched up.Afterwards we went back to school and the head mistress Miss Knott promptly tore a strip off me for being so silly as to slide in class No sympathy at all. I got told off by my Mum as well for ruining a perfectly good school blouse with all the blood and she was very cross about it.No one seemed to think it was odd that teacher carted you off to the hospital and when I got home after school I had to tell Mum what had happened.In those days (1951) teachers and parents were law and you just did what they said.Didn't even get a day off.just had to go back 10 days later to get the stitches out then back to school again.Yet we all survived,I remember playing on bomb sites that were lethal and I dread to think if one of my grandchildren thought of playing in the places my brothers and I played in.But no 'elf 'n'safety then just survival of the fittest.My Mum's tin of germolene and a sticky plaster, unless it was really deep, was the only first aid we had.

Morning everyone, been absent for a few days as I've been super busy at work but have been reading and enjoying all your memories. Like so many of you I was a tomboy and used to spend most of time outside climbing trees, riding a bike, playing football, etc. I never broke any bones but have a fine collection of scars.

Have decided to have a roast again today so have planned a few meals with the leftovers for during the week. Me and OH rarely have Sundays off together due to working different shifts so it's nice to have two off in a row. I'll pop to the supermarket in a bit and get all the stuff we need for this week.

OH was doing a tidy up yesterday and found a tray and pots that we used to grow herbs in so I'm going to get some to grow again. We live in a flat with no outside space so we can't really grow much but the herbs were very successful. Might see if I get one of those living lettuces as well.