50p a day til Christmas - healthily?! Weezl's next challenge...

BASHFUL_2

EagerLearner wrote: »

Hi Bashful how about french bread? Milk, egg, cinnamon... mix, let bread soak both sides for 30 secs so it's not too mushy, and fry in butter... yummy yum yum x

OOOH thankyou!!! I dont have any cinnamon....any alternative???? and sorry I havent got a clue....how much milk and how many eggs???!!

BASHFUL_2

Thanks DoomandGloom. Another great idea x x x

MRSMCAWBER

Evening all

Just thought i'd pop by again I keep on reading -but like to poke my nose through the door occasionally
Im off to a good start this month -worked out a meal plan using as many items as i can that we allready have in... 6 days in and only spent 2c :rotfl: not as daft as it sounds... I had loads of my plastic bottles to return and i pay 25c deposit on each one...so with the money i got back i got more water and other bits and only had to hand over 2c:j

I have set my budget at €100 -about £80 for August for a 5 week month... but when i get through tomorrow I can put this weeks €20 away as i have only spent 2c this week.. the extra i save is going to go on one side so i can take advantage of Whoopsies-once i have freezer space

I posted a recipe for low cal/fat choc brownies on another thread that only require 50g of choc and they are seriously yummy -especially if you keep them in the fridg I will copy the recipe over in a moment just in case anyone wants it ..

I have Been getting loads of stuff out of the tubs n pots... so they are really saving the pennies now :T i have 30 tomato plants of various kinds (many from seeds from a supermarket tomato )and they are laden down with fruit.. starting to ripen up now too :j and are delicious also getting :-
aubergines
courgettes,
beans peas -nearly done now
salad leaves
patty pan
cucumbers
carrots
the potatoes are done now
and have just set loads more salad leaves, carrots and pak choi
my butternut squash plants are thriving...just keeping fingers crossed that they fruit well

Made tortilla wraps for dinner tonight and had left over roast chicken (from frezer) mixed with sweetcorn, onion and mayo and salad, and hubby has wraps n salad for tomorrow but with duck (freezer again), onions and hoisin sauce...and a piece of HM banana and coconut cake from the freezer -so he is a happy bunny

right enough waffle i will get off and leave you all in peace -for now
have a great evening all and keep up the inspirational work

Here we go folks...

CRANBERRY AND CHOCOLATE BROWNIES
makes 12
140 cals 5.5g fat 1.9g sat fat
Preheat oven to 180/350/gas 4

1. 50g plain choc -i used the 70% one with pieces of raspbery in i got earlier
2. 100g low fat spread
3. 1/2tsp vanilla extract
4. 4 tbs cranberry sauce
5. 2 eggs
6. 150g caster sugar
7. 40g SR flour
8. pinch salt

• Melt 1+2 in a heavy based pan over a gentle heat, stirring until smooth -remove
• in a bowl beat 3-6
• pour in the choc mix, 7+8 an stir until combined -don't over work
• place in a lined 21cm square tin
• bake for 15-20 mins
• a cocktail stick should come out sticky when done
• allow to cool and cut into 12

It says that to vary it you can omit the cranberry sauce and add 25g chopped nuts -so i used walnuts and add a bit of fruit -so i added 25g dried cranberries....
I bet you could also replace the cranberry sauce with apple sauce
Instead of baking in a tin I spooned it into muffin papers (helps with portion control )and when baked they came about 2/3 of the way up...

cw18

thanks for that recipe

been working on a stock-take of my kitchen cupboads, and found an unopened jar of cranberry sauce that won't "officially" be safe to eat come Christmas. I was wondering how to use it, as the only person who eats it as a sauce is my son, he only eats it at Christmas, and he's the one in the family who is most funny about eating anything past the 'use by' date -- even stuff in tins and previously unopened and factory sealed jars !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Seakay

BASHFUL wrote: »

OOOH thankyou!!! I dont have any cinnamon....any alternative???? and sorry I havent got a clue....how much milk and how many eggs???!!

The cinnamon isn't essential. Use one egg for anything from a quarter to a half pint of milk. If you want it sweet then sprinkle with a little sugar after frying or put a dollop of jam, honey or golden syrup on, or leave out the sugar and eat it with any or all of fried bacon, mushrooms, tomatoes.

Sian_the_Green

MRSMCAWBER, wow to the massive crop you have been getting! I have been growing things for the first time ever this year and am eagerly awaiting my first tomatoes. I would love to grow squashes and patty pan, big meaty veg not just salad leaves, do you think they would work in our climate? Do you get more sun over there?

Have been at home with the 'rents for a few days and make your tortillas last night for tea with chinese chicken (1tbsp of honey to 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp chinese 5 spice, marinate and cook!) followed by iced buns, yum, so thanks :T

minibudgetgal

Hi sian the green,
We are growing both patty pan and butternut squash (cambridgeshire) and they arent ready yet but are doing OK. Hopefully they wil ripen before the first frosts!
mini
ps. am drowning in courgettes of all types. We have grown a round one that tastes pretty "meaty" and stands up well in the slow cooker

Sian_the_Green

Thanks Minibudgetgal, Will try them next spring. The main prob I have is that I am still renting year on year in different places so can't put down roots (ooh, love the double meaning there). I need things that crop within a year, can go in pots or that are transportable... I will have more of a plan next year I hope!
Weezl, hope all is well with you, for what it's worth, if I were your lodger I wouldn't put my bike in my room (not that I have a bike) and would look at you and AM bashfully and admiringly whenever I saw you
Come to think of it, that would get annoying...

Money_saving_Diva_2

In_Search_Of_Me wrote: »

re the cat food try mr t own or lidl with gravy - my fussy b***** cats will eat it and one of ems a pedigree princess!

Thanks for the suggestions honey but despite mine just being a ginger moggy, she refuses anything but Whiskas and Felix. She is 12 though and getting over an operation (which cost over £300.... but that's another story!) so I guess I can indulge her for a little longer and then wean her off them.

cw18 wrote: »

Sounds like you've done brilliantly well this last couple of weeks :T
We use a couple of packs of the beef savoury rice alongside a dozen of the Mr A Smartprice bangers to feed 3 of us -- it seems to have become a family favourite, and is one of (if not the) cheapest meals I make

Thank you for the encouragement CW, I really appreciate it!

My OH did his monthly visit to Lidls tonight and Batchelors savoury rice are 49p BOGOF and the pasta and sauce are 4 for £2, so that makes them even more frugal. As I said before we add a big handful of normal rice into one packet of savoury rice before we start to cook it and it could easily feed 4 people that way! Can't persuade the OH to try the really cheap asda sausages - he is convinced only 'good' (read branded) sausages are edible!

Oh and bashful, - we too have made our own prawn crackers tho I bought my box from Tescos - it wasn't as cheap as the one Ashia mentioned but it was still a fairly generous amount for not much money and it IS fun watching them puff up and they taste fabulous when really hot!

moggylover

BASHFUL wrote: »

hello.....does anyone have any ideas for stale bread other than bread and butter pudding????? x x x

Hi - how about bread and butter pudding with a difference? Instead of putting fruit in - either sprinkle in those little chocolate chips that you can buy quite cheaply in the supermarket, or rough grate some of Mr T's milk and/or white and cook! Doesn't taste anything like bread and butter pudding - and looks fab if done with both colours of chocolate. If I am feeling really extravagant I add a little cream to the milk and egg mix as well (and possibly serve with a little drop as well. Can also sprinkle a little cinnamon on top if you like.

If you make in individual ramekins you can make this into almost a "dinner party" type pud by popping on some fresh fruit (especially things like blackberries or strawberries).