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

hmkn

sorry to bring up the subject of snails again, but firstly I'm pretty certain there are no toxic snails in the UK. All the foraging books/programmes I've ever read/seen say all British snails are edible. Can't swear 100% as I've never tried myself (too busy bringing carrier bagfuls of the little blighters back from new allotment to feed chickens But I figure they feed us indirectly as they make the hens happy so they lay more eggs :j )

Secondly, if anyone does get the urge to try them (and it's no different from shellfish really, I suppose...) please don't purge them with salt first. It's unnecessary and really cruel. When you think what salt does to slugs, there's no need to do that to a snail before you eat it! (Having said which, the slugs v my courgette plants has got to a personal level now, and if I didn't have hens to eat them I would be thinking up more elaborate tortures I'm sure )
So, please feed them carrot and let us know how you get on! I've heard they don't taste of much, especially if you cover them in garlic butter!

On a different subject, anybody that gets meat from a butcher could ask about pigs ears/tails and trotters. I get mine free, and the kids love the tails and trotters especially. The dog is very partial to a bit of ear!
The trotters were liked just boiled, but are v popular in a Chinese-type plum sauce (I made some 'dipping' sauce from wild plums last autumn, and dilute it a bit). Some chopped up belly pork makes it more substantial. I buy a piece with the bone, bone it myself, which I do so badly I can use it for spare ribs, chop up some for the stew and make the rest into bacon (courtesy of H F-W). 3+ meals from one piece of meat (depending on how much you make into bacon and how much you put in the stew). It might not quite fit into Mr and Mrs W's budget, but for anyone not quite there yet it's good. And I feel less cheeky asking for freebies if I buy something too

HMK

BARGAINHUNTER!

germish_se wrote: »

Skintscotchlass just posted this on the flylady thread but I think it applies to all OSers so here you are an article that gives us a NAME!!
http://www.fabulousmag.co.uk/features/feature_frugalistas_issue_023.php

I read this article today in Fabulous magazine and thought immediately - thats me! Thats what I am! I popped the magazine in my bag and brought it home with me I was so impressed!!

jcr16

wow so loving this thread. def want to try the steam sponge pudding's. although hubby said he would prefer them the syrup rather than jam. so i'm gonna do a few of each i think.
weezl74 what slow cooker do u have ? i have atiny cheap one from argos and i'm looking to getting a bigger one as family now bigger .

Petlamb

BARGAINHUNTER! wrote: »

Yum - that sounds yum! Do you think I would be able to freeze this?

I'm hoping so as im planning to make it tomorrow for work dinners for me...

I would imagine so as weexl feeds herself and AM, and the curry makes 12 portions - but maybe weezl herself can confirm or deny whether it's okay to be frozen...?

ZoeGirl_3

Have to admit I would never eat a snail, I have had my son cry once when I served something really weird (he was quite tired and it was the last straw) and if I served snails he might just leave home. Poor boy, he does love the frugal baking and LOVES pancakes, so he doesn't moan too much.

Still, I got two packets of choc biscuits in the mail today (prize I won) and I was dancing at the mail box. Free food!!!!!

For the people thinking of freezing bananas, if you do it in the skins just a note that the skins go black, and this doesnt harm the inside at all, and then when you want to use defrost, peel and use as normal. :j

Have a few ideas for using up stale bread if anyone is keen, since I seem to have more of that when I make my own than when I buy it...

Cheap Egg "Souffle"

6 stale slices thick cut bread (i use anything, bits, crusts, etc)
some grated cheese (optional, up to you how much, or leave out)
some mustard (again optional but does improve taste if you have it)
3 eggs
2 cups milk

Spread the bread with mustard (if using) and mix it in a dish with the grated cheese (if using). Or just break bread into chunks in the dish. Whisk the eggs and milk and pour over bread, making sure all bread is coated. Leave to stand for at least 30 mins for bread to absord liquids. Give it a mix up or two along the way. Bake uncovered for 30-45 mins depending on size of dish. Cooked when top is crisp and golden brown and centre is firm.

I love this stuff, have served it hot for lunch/dinner or cold for brekkie/lunch. I use reconstituted powdered milk, stale bread and free eggs,to VERY cheap for me. :rotfl:

sandy2_2

ZoeGirl wrote: »

For the people thinking of freezing bananas, if you do it in the skins just a note that the skins go black, and this doesnt harm the inside at all, and then when you want to use defrost, peel and use as normal.

I've never had any success peeling bananas frozen in their skins, so now i always peel them before freezing

jo1972

hmkn wrote: »

On a different subject, anybody that gets meat from a butcher could ask about pigs ears/tails and trotters. I get mine free, and the kids love the tails and trotters especially. The dog is very partial to a bit of ear!

Hiya HMK,

Do you have any good recipes for pigs ears/tails? I've never eaten them before and wouldn't even have the fainest what to do with them!

xx

In_Search_Of_Me

Morning weezl! Have a good day Soooo many posts! Chuccked when I heard the news this am about food wastage. All I can say is Gordon Brown should have a meeting with our Weezl should he eh!! Bet she could teach him a thing or two! (behave!)

hypno06

Morning guys - inspired by this thread yesterday I have vowed to be more pro-active with everything food etc related.........when I first joined MSE I embraced OS big time, but over the last few months that has slipped somewhat.......as a result we have a chaotic house and budgets that although have good intentions, never get stuck to.

My aim is to be thoroughly back in the swing of things by the beginning of September when we have a new student lodger coming to stay for the school year....so that gives me 6 or 7 weeks to re-form my good habits, and work towards that elusive "yay I have stuck to my budget!" cheer!

So many of the great and the good from DFW have said how fab this thread is, so thanks guys for mentioning it, otherwise I may not have ventured over here!

Today has seen a good start, with OH bringing home food from a friend's house that they won't eat (they have this strange OCD thing going on whereby if a food is within about a month before of its sell by date, they "can't" eat it), that I am incredibly grateful for!!

moanymoany

germish_se wrote: »

Skintscotchlass just posted this on the flylady thread but I think it applies to all OSers so here you are an article that gives us a NAME!!
http://www.fabulousmag.co.uk/features/feature_frugalistas_issue_023.php

Love this site. Thank you.