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

cw18

I think of a Remoska as a type of Slow Cooker -- their website is here

phizzimum

Hi everyone

first of all - condolences to Mrs M and Bashful

Just got back from a very damp camping trip to Devon - and I'm actually looking forward to being able to cook real food again! I did take a couple of no-knead loaves with me, and I was pleasantly surprised that they didn't go stale. I think even my girls are sick of eating stuff out of a packet - which is amazing as recently they've been coveting their friend's shop bought cakes and biscuits and turning their nose up at my home-made creations (hurt, moi? sniff sniff)

need to plan some meals today, and hopefully get time to do a bit of baking (after the unpacking and washing is done of course) although catching up on this thread has reminded me that there's half a coconut cake in a tin somewhere - I made it at the beginning of the month so it's probably hosting some sort of fungal colony by now - oops!

naturally_2

Hope Weezl and Acetate monkey are ok after the minor plumbing incident! <<hugs>>

I almost managed to get down to weezlish frugality with a happy find on Monday. Found a packed of slimming world friendly flavoured cous cous for the pricely sum of 10p - one of them will do my lunch very nicely! popped back (well, didn't mean to, I meant to go to home bargains but it was shut so I found myself in its neighbouring cheapy store, which is generally a bit more expensive but does occasionally have these wonderful bargains!) and bought 15 packets!

... and since HB was closed I will be popping back yet again this lunchtime - and don't think I will be able to resist more cous couses! I figured even if I get bored of them you can add chopped bits and bobs to liven it up. So guess what I'm having for lunch for the rest of eternity?!:rotfl:

My next month's food and grocery budget is £1.71 a day - so I have started a weezl style spreadsheet that breaks down the cost per portion of my ingredients - did you know that 1/4 packet of tesco value pasta is 5p?! and that is a large portion. I feel extremely geeky now.:rolleyes:

cw18

Have to confess that we don't like the value pasta -- find it much more chewy than the stuff that comes in 3kg bags...... the blokes can even tell when I cook half-and-half (and so can I !)

Value spaghetti = 23p for 500g, and I do 80g/person so 3.68p each
Non-value spaghetti = £1.15 for 1kg (though on offer ATM), so 9.2p each

Value pasta = 19p for 500g, so 80g is 3.04p each
Non-value fusilli = £2.97 for 3kg, so 7.92p each

So yes, using the non-value does make a huge indent into my cost per head for a meal -- but using the value is false economy as loads of it ends up in the bin (and takes some of the sauce with it as well, so they bin more than just the cost of the pasta )

There aren't many other things we won't drop labels on though......

Brown sauce (which isn't used often) is HP only. Tomato ketchup (used once or twice a week) can't be value. Washing up liquid and washing powder I have to be careful of due to hubbys eczema (so opt for the Ecover type, but normal Mr T own brand which does reduce the cost a bit). Coffee is something else hubby is happy with Mr T/Mr A own brand but not value. Baked beans cooked into a meal are value, but as a side dish are the non-value version. And rice is always the non-value version....

frugalswan

((hugs)) to Weezl and Acetate Monkey. I'm still around, trying to be frugal, and every time we go to the supermarket, the Other Half is completely amazed at how little we spend now. Even stocking up on some beer (that will likely last us until Christmas, possibly well into the New Year), our shopping bill still only came to £30. I know, compared to the frugalistic shopping trips mentioned on here it is an incredibly large amount, but I'm trying. We've already saved so much, now I need to get it down a lot less. (and buy a bigger freezer!)

That said, while our shopping budget hasn't gone down to the lowest levels, I do buy in bulk where possible, and batch cook to freeze. I try to waste nothing and next year will be digging for frugal victory with my tomatoes and anything else that I can grow. Normally I can't keep plants

Now, I have to find a crumble cake recipe for the bagful of plums my boss gave me from her plum tree.

cw18

Oh ! And on the subject of coffee, it's works out cheaper in 200g jars than 300g jars --- at least at Mr T. Been that way for ages, so it's not a temporary glitch in the pricing system either !!!!

perrywinkle

foxy-tigger wrote: »

Ok......I think I am going to sound stupid.....but...... what is a Remoska?!?!?!:o

Yep. I was right. I did!!!!:rolleyes:

Hi foxy-tigger,

they're like a mini oven - use much less electricity than a normal oven and give great results - there is a thread here if you want to find out more - I'm one of the many converts!! http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?p=13522029#post13522029

HTH
Perrywinkle

MRSMCAWBER

Morning all

Hope AM and weezle have recovered from the plumbing incident :eek:

Just been out in the garden-and i have

1. 2 of my 5 aubergines about ready for coming off..they aren't as big as the shop ones -but denser and more heavy ..and there are more buds on it
2. loads of peppers-some just starting to show signs of ripening
3. patty pan and courgettes to fetch in
4. chillies some red, some on their way
5. about another 1lb of tomatoes and loads more going translucent -so they will be ripening soon:T
6. a couple more cucumbers to come in soon

If only the stuff would ripen together i would be doing ratatouille... failing that i will make various pasta sauces for throwing into dishes come autumn/winter -when we want to remember summer

Right a couple of recipes-just in case any one can make use of them



Right i will post the recipe..and add my alterations along side just incase anyone wants to use it -(i doubled it up to use the nanas n eggs):D but bellow is the orinal quantities

BANANA GINGER PARKIN
Makes 12 portions -i doubled it and got 30 good portions out of it
pre-heat oven to 160c/325f/gas3
grease and line a 7" x 11" tin

1. 200g plain flour -i used SR flour but still used 1/2 the bicarb -just in case;)
2. 2tsp bicarb
3. 2tsp ground ginger
4. 150g medium oatmeal -I used porridge oats
5. 4tbs dark muscavado sugar -I used molasses
6. 75g sunflower marge
7. 150g golden syrup - I added a bit of the syrup from the stem ginger jar
8. 1 beaten egg
9. 3 ripe bananas -mashed

• sift flour, bicarb and ginger
• stir in oatmeal
• melt syrup, marge and sugar in a pan over a low heat -then stir into flour mix well
• beat in egg and banana
• spoon into tin and bake for about 1hr until firm to the touch, allow to cool then remove from tin

Strangely enough mine only took 1hr -even though the recipe was doubled and my tin was 10 1/2" x 8 1/2"..and it came out about 2 1/2" deep

They drizzle icing over and pieces of stem ginger.. i have just brushed over some of the syrup from the stem ginger.. If we like it and i make it again im adding pieces of stem ginger.. just didn't want to add anymore weight to it incase it made it sink :rotfl:

With it keeping so well it would be great for those who have to pack up kiddies lunches... you could miss the ginger out and add a few choc drops, sultanas etc...:T

CHICKEN CANELONNI
serves 2 greedies

I only did it for 2..and the amounts sound mean -but im amazed at what it made:D and somehow the balance was perfect

• fry 1 chopped onion in a drop of oil
• add 60g mushrooms and 60g peppers -mine were frozen
• then when softened I added 1 chopped patty pan -about 60g courgette is the same and 120g fresh baby tomatoes chopped -just because that was what i had from outside that needed using and plenty of seasoning then cook slowly to allow the veg to soften down
• add 120g leftover roast chicken and a dollop of cheese/white sauce -just enough to bind it
• Leave to cool then use a tsp to fill the tubes

That was enough to fill 10 canelonni tubes (the ones the size of brandy snaps) and there was a bit leftover

i put 5 tubes in each dish and the leftover sauce over the top, poured over some cheese sauce (hm from the freezer :T ) then i put red liecester and lancashire over the top and baked -well they were the 2 cheeses that were open

It was stunning ....i should have used the rest of the filling to fill more tubes -didn't realise it would be soooo filling -little oinker that i am i still ate it.. next time i will do 12 tubes and only have 3-4 each with salad not 5

Today is my 5th NSD in a row but i will have to get a couple of bits on Saturday... we are heading toward the NAAFI to go blackberrying anyway -so hopefully they will have some whoopsed milk for the freezer (i will find space ) other than that i can only think of loo rolls, potatoes, onions and washing up liquid..so hopefully i shouldn't spen too much
right i will get off and knock the bread dough back.. then get on with some x stitching..have a good day everyone

naturally_2

CW18 - Doesn't Mr Moneysavingexpert himself say drop a brand only when you can't notice or can live with the difference? I really wouldn't worry about your pasta habits - yes value is a whole lot cheaper percentage wise, but as you say its no good if it gets thrown out or if you feel miserable for eating it.;) On top of that at the end of the day we're talking less than 5p difference per portion - which really isn't a big enough drop in the ocean to work up much of a sweat about!


For what its worth I think the value stuff takes longer to cook, so maybe that's how I cope with the difference?

I will have to try out 80g sized portions, that way I could get a whole extra portion out of a packet! I am just so greedy :rolleyes:


MrsMcawber your recipe sounds divine!

foxy-tigger

cw18 wrote: »

Have to confess that we don't like the value pasta -- find it much more chewy than the stuff that comes in 3kg bags...... the blokes can even tell when I cook half-and-half (and so can I !)

Value spaghetti = 23p for 500g, and I do 80g/person so 3.68p each
Non-value spaghetti = £1.15 for 1kg (though on offer ATM), so 9.2p each

Value pasta = 19p for 500g, so 80g is 3.04p each
Non-value fusilli = £2.97 for 3kg, so 7.92p each

So yes, using the non-value does make a huge indent into my cost per head for a meal -- but using the value is false economy as loads of it ends up in the bin (and takes some of the sauce with it as well, so they bin more than just the cost of the pasta )

There aren't many other things we won't drop labels on though......

Brown sauce (which isn't used often) is HP only. Tomato ketchup (used once or twice a week) can't be value. Washing up liquid and washing powder I have to be careful of due to hubbys eczema (so opt for the Ecover type, but normal Mr T own brand which does reduce the cost a bit). Coffee is something else hubby is happy with Mr T/Mr A own brand but not value. Baked beans cooked into a meal are value, but as a side dish are the non-value version. And rice is always the non-value version....

Have you tried the cheapy pasta from morrisons?? That is 19p for a bag of fusilli 500g (if I remember correctly!) and the pasta is really lovely. a lot better than the value version of Tesco's stuff?! that isn't the best.

Thanks PerryWinkle about the oven :D I am reading THAT thread now!!!!
:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl: