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

shaz_mum_of__2

Hi Mrs M

he's going into REME as a aviation tech (only 4 taken on this year i was sooo proud)

Doing a year at harrogate college then off to arberfield (sp??) will be 4 years training so i don't feel so worried abou the active service part althoug the recruiter did a good job of convincing me about accidents at home more likely.....LOL but thats his job

I have loved the way he has presented himself at interview etc and i think he has realised why i make him do so much for himself (washing,ironing ,paper rounds etc) because now he is quite independant and capable and he takes everything in his stride he can be quite sensible and mature at times

The major that is in the pic read out his report from selection camp and i blubbered quietly

Off shopping this morning for the huge list of stuff he needs by next weekend

The army doesn't do frugal does it?!!

i am suffering poundland withdrawl syptoms so might have a look there too

I have wanted to ask too mrs m whats with all the stockpiling is this a new thing or something you always do

Shaz

MichH

I cant remember who posted the link for the company that sells glass jars (was a few pages back), but I would like to say thank you. I am always running out of jars and this looks like quite a good way to have a stock that doesn't cost the earth.

MRSMCAWBER

MichH....Its more like organised chaos :rotfl: I have flashes of organising brilliance followed by heaps of chaos and mayhem

Shaz...:j My hubby is REME ..not aviation mind ...
If hubby is anything to go by -you wait until they keep giving him more kit, then change the design, so give you more kit..but won't take the old stuff back :eek: my hubby has more boxes of gubbins that we know what to do with.. apparently they will take a lot back when he finally leaves :rolleyes: ..not before we have been through and seen if any of it will have a use ..thermals etc well WHO would want 2nd had thermals :eek: so they will only dump them :rolleyes:

Stockpiling hmmm its genetic me thinks :rotfl: Im not as bad as i used to be-honest .. At the moment, I know that I have about 90% of what i need food wise for the month(and then some) just a bit of fruit n veg will be needed -so this months GC budget will be put into buying stuff that is either on offer, or that we use a lot of..so next month I can take advantage of different whoopsies or offers .. I find it saves us a fortune.. like when i got 14 blocks of extra mature cheddar on promotion at €2.99 when its normally about €7-8 in the naafi.. so we won't need cheese for a while -so the say €8 a month i would have spent on cheese will get spent on something like 10 tins of tuna ...
Some things like suet etc -I can only get from the NAAFI (although im looking at ordering it from that site you mentioned:D )..so come winter if everyone else starts wanting it , it will get cleared out.. getting several boxes in gives me a bit of a head start... plus i think we might be in for a bad winter..watch it be a heat wave :rotfl:
Heck that was a confusing reply ..so a condensed version is -yes I always stockpile.. and with food prices etc on the increase and talk of crops not getting gathered etc Im off to an early start

Aril

Just popping my head round the corner to wish congratulations to Weezle and Acetate Monkey:beer:
Woo hoo a baby thing under production:j. I couldn't deal with a pig's head in my unpregnant state let alone when I was pregnant so I take my hat off to you:D [or I would if I was wearing one!]
Aril

In_Search_Of_Me

Morning all! Hello weezls! In amongst the general chatter and then us all falling asleep I didnt have the budget increase discussion so my reasoning is here with some [STRIKE]argument[/STRIKE] reasoning being provided by the delectable Ceridwen! OK here goes, reasons for increase of 50p + the extra bit...
1) As previously mentioned you will have cravings and they must be obeyed...its your bodies way of requesting what it needs and as you discovered mrs w ya need to listen to that body!

2) Since the start of the challenge food prices have gone up alot so f you work out date of challenge, price cost and then increase by x amount you and increases will be even;

3) As you are at present I recon with price increases you must be on the equivalent of 40p a day...not enough

4) You now need to eat more than lentils!

5) I do think you could do with some fresh fruit in your diet now that there be a baby in there. Good for him to have lots of variety, good for you to have fibre and its good for your bowels...much needed to avoid an uncomfortable condition later in pregnancy!

6)That chicken was yummy and ya should have it more often!!

7) I said so!

There that should do it....no stats, fact just plain common sence...would be interested to know the results of cost increases to see how far from the actual amount I am!! Knowng you have lots of spreadsheets I know you can easily check and this is the fundemental reason behind the argment!! I is worried that ya needs more...

Thank you all for good wishes yesterday and lovely weezles for a gorgeous meal. Hope you have a lovely day and special hugs for Mrs W....:grouphug:

hugs to for shaz..aw bless him. No wonder you're proud!!

Sian_the_Green

ZoeGirl wrote: »

(Ponders Weezls challenge thread next year ... "Feeding Fergus" :rotfl:)

I love it Zoe Girl, perhaps we could make it "Frugally Feeding Fergus"

hmkn

Hurrah! :j

I won!!:cool: Sorry, completely O/T (except that much of winning cake going in freezer for packed lunches next week) but I won best flapjack and came second in the victoria sponge in our village show My cake was still very warm , so I lost points for the jam (HM, of course ) running out the sides and lokking 'messy'! But- I was beaten by my friend that I run a cake stall with, so that's ok! I think we can now claim award winning cakes It was judged by WI judges, so we all got told off for not putting said cake on a doily!!! (I don't even own a doyly...)

Children also did well - DD1 won best treasure map, best bookmark and came 2nd in the greetings cards, DS won best vegetable animal and DD2 got best edible necklace (made of jelly sweets DD! won a couple of weeks ago- a box of 600!- so she was just desperate to eat it!) and got 2nd in the chocolate crispy cakes DD1 also got most points overall in the junior section, so she gets the cup for the year. All I need to do is learn how to arrange flowers and keep the slugs off my veg and we can go for a clean sweep next year
And I even won a bottle of wine in the raffle

Must go, I have Cheryls marrow chutney on the stove- smells wonderful

HMK

Lesley_Gaye

just read the last 3 pages as was entertaining Thurs eve, then had migraine all day Fri and Sat. Still feeling a bit fragile, but it's on it's way out now. I used to get them all the time, but not so often now

ANYWAY - many congrats to Weezl and AM, what a lovely new adventure for you both. My latest grandchild is 9 months old now and I'm very much enjoying all the lovely smiley bits without the rest of it. If you enjoy the process half as much as my daughter, you will love every second - even the yucky bits!!

cw18

hmkn wrote: »

I won best flapjack and came second in the victoria sponge in our village show .

But- I was beaten by my friend that I run a cake stall with, so that's ok!

Children also did well

Well done to one and all :T

hmkn wrote: »

Must go, I have Cheryls marrow chutney on the stove- smells wonderful

HMK

Seems funny seeing it referred to as mine -- in the family we call it Grandma's marrow chutney :rolleyes:

Glad to hear you like the smell -- keeping fingers crossed you like the taste as well ;rolleyes2

If not, then just package it up and post it this way..... I'm looking at my last (large) jar (which has seen signifant use in the last few weeks) wondering if I should be making some more this year -- it's either that or Branston on my butties (another thing we get the "label", but stock up when on offer), but I'm sure the chutney must work out cheaper

Lesley_Gaye

this is the pudding recipe. I posted it over on the recipe board, but don't know how to link to individual posts, so have cut and paste it in - it's very yummy, got it from an old Safeway magazine



Chocolate & Ginger Pudding
This is a no-cook, rich, very chocolatey pudding that can be enjoyed after dinner or as a cake with a cuppa at any time. It freezes well but doesn't get a chance to in our house!

Base
175g crushed biscuits, ginger nuts work well with this, but you can use whatever you've got
50g butter / marg

Topping
400g any chocolate you want to use, I use half 70% cocoa solids and half CDM
50g icing sugar
3 pieces finely sliced stem ginger and 2tbsp syrup from the jar
3tbsp dark rum
200g 0% fromage frais
2 x 142ml lightly whipped double cream

Method
melt the butter/marg and mix with the biscuit crumbs and press into a 20cm loose based tin, or anything that you will be able to slice the finished pudding out of.

melt the chocolate over some hot water or in the microwave. Add the icing sugar, rum and stem ginger and syrup. Beat in the fromage frais and fold in one of the pots of whipped cream.

Pile on top of the buttery crumbs and leave to set.

you could do this in individual portions if you like

If you are feeding children you can use milk instead of the rum, or for adults, you can replace the rum with something else, orange or coffee liqueur or whatever you have / fancy using.

The chocolate has many permutations. I have a friend who loves white chocolate so I will be trying a version using just white chocolate for him. My OH loves the really dark stuff but it is a bit strong for some, so I tend to use half 70% cocoa solids and half CDM. You could use all CDM, I expect the whole nut /fruit and nut CDM would be good.

The fromage frais and double cream can be replaced with any combination of creamy stuff that adds up to the right weight. So you could use all fromage frais, all double cream, some mascarpone or ricotta, I wonder if greek yogurt would work?