50p a day til christmas, healthily?!-Weezl's next challenge (part 2)

Cazzdevil

weezl74 wrote: »

cazz, hope you're feeling better this morning? I'd be very happy to share thoughts about which of the allegdgedly 'essential' baby spends are actually essential, and how to do things frugally if you like!?

Thanks, Im feeling much better this morning. When OH got back from his ride he knew something was up and wouldnt stop hugging me and saying the 3 little words to me. Bless him. And I got a couple of texts from some girls we occasionally ride with (female mountain bikers are few and far between) inviting me out for a ride tomorrow so that, along with some lovely messages on here put a stop to my loneliness :T

Absolutely on the frugal baby front, I have it on good authority that having a baby doesnt suddenly swallow up all your disposable income but one of us is likely to quit work to be a SAHM or D so all hands on deck to get into good money saving habits now so that its second nature by then.

I had a slight raid of my mothers cupboards last night. My god I got a HUGE bag full of tins and you would barely notice that I had been. Nothing hugely unusual; tinned veg, tinned fruit, corned beef, curry sauces, pasta sauce etc but I would like to try some new ideas with them so here is the first challenge:

I got tins of pineapple slices, raspberries, mango slices and mandarin segments - what can I do with them other than a trifle or a fruit flan?

Phew, sorry for the waffle folks, and a HUGE thanks for helping cheer me up last night, despite being the newbie to the thread you have all made me feel right at home :grouphug:

Sian_the_Green

shaz_mum_of__2 wrote: »

Oh and lastly i have switched to Slimming World classes(student rate) and lost 8lbs in 2 weeks only another 2 and a half stone to go!!

Whoah! That is impressive. Do you find it is the classes or the plan that helps you?
Do you think you are feeling sad because there aren't enough calories in your life?

vandanfc

I got tins of pineapple slices, raspberries, mango slices and mandarin segments - what can I do with them other than a trifle or a fruit flan?

Smoothies, Sorbets, Fools. Pineapple upside down cake.

shaz_mum_of__2

Sian_the_Green wrote: »

Whoah! That is impressive. Do you find it is the classes or the plan that helps you?
Do you think you are feeling sad because there aren't enough calories in your life?

The plan definitely although its a small friendly group too

I just seem to be eating loads and its nice not having to weigh everthing and i have still had chocolate everyday either a curly wurly or some maltesers

The sadness is just a stress thing a couple of days and i will be fine i just have had a really busy stressful month which for a control freak and a perfectionist is not good

cazz pleased you fel better today .this really is one of the friendlier forums:T

how about a pavlova type dish with the fruit i must admit i have never made meringu but i believe you can make it in the microwave


Been on u tube watching videos this lady is fab

http://www.youtube.com/user/DepressionCooking

and very suitable here

Shaz

shaz_mum_of__2

SunnyGirl wrote: »

Does anyone have a sweet & sour sauce recipe that makes a lot of sauce as the kids all like their plates drowning in it :eek:

Mr t do a sweet and sour in the same tin as the 9p curry sauce think it costs alittle more but might me cheaper if you dont have the ingredients which are as i remember

water,tomato pureee or ketchup with sugar and vinegar added to taste and thickened with cornflour i too add cheap broken pineapple chunks bits of carrot and peppers (chopped babycorn too if i get a whoopsie)

HTH

Shaz

Sian_the_Green

meringue is ridiculously easy if you have a hand whisk

175g sugar (colour of meringue depends on colour of sugar)
3 egg whites

Using a very clean bowl pop the egg whites in and whisk until stiff
Whisk in sugar a little at a time until it forms stiff peaks, it should be pretty smooth
Whack onto a baking liner/paper and spread gently to pavlova shape in the oven at 110 degrees ish for about 1 1/2 hours. If you turn the oven off at the end and leave the meringue in there it will go nice and crunchy

Leave to cool a little, slather with cream and chuck the fruit on the top. Sprinkle with toasted chopped nuts

Never make them any more as I would eat the whole batch

Sian_the_Green

Oh, and if you decide to make a pavlova for your housemates from Jamie's recipe and you want to make a lovely sugar syrup to make the topping don't leave the pan on the heat and forget about it and then have to put it outside because it burns and sticks and have to have your neighbours walk past it looking at you weirdly and then spend the next week scrubbing the pan for dear life

Just a tip...

SunnyGirl

Shaz & Weezl Thanks for the recipes although at 9p a tin it may just be cheaper to buy it and jazz it up with other bits like onion, peppers, pineapple etc. It's the only sauce I've struggled with really so not too bad.

I've just made a spag bol for tonights meal with grated carrots, chopped mushrooms and finely chopped celery in to pad it out a bit!

fletch3163

Hi everyone

Sunnygirl, there's a thread on O/S and it's got tons of Chinese recipes on it from someone called Kwaichi I think it is. I'm totally rubbish at linking so here's his recipe. It's on page one if you wan to check though and all of the recipes look authentic. Cheers everyone

SWEET AND SOUR CHICKEN

Sweet and Sour sauce is easy enough to make. Just add the following into a pan:

3 oranges (grate the zest and include)
2 tablespoons of vinegar
1 chopped pineapple or 1 mango
1 lime
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon tomato puree
1 tablespoon cornflour
1/4 litre of pineapple juice
1/4 litre of water

Bring to boil then simmer. Keep tasting until the flavour is to your satisfaction. Thicken further with cornflour if required.

To make the chicken Hong Kong Style:

cube or strip cut chicken breast fillet or thigh fillet
dip cuts into egg white and place onto surface full of plain flour
Pour a generous dusting of flour over the chicken and use a clean teatowel to press flour to the chicken. (If you find this hard then use cornstarch instead)

Deep fry in peanut oil (peanut oil is healthy like olive oil but not as good. Don't ever use olive oil for high temp cooking as it burns too easily).

Remove chicken when flour coating turns greyish brown and bubbles.

Add to sauce and add diced onion, peppers and courgettes.


If you prefer the big chicken balls then cube chicken

Make a batter by mixing a whole whisked egg with 100g of self raising flour. Allow to settle for about 5 mins and then dip chicken into mixture.

Deep fry in peanut oil (it's a lot more expensive than veg oil but it's worth it for your health and flavour)

I personally prefer making a beer batter for my chicken. I just mix some beer with some self raising flour (no egg involved).



Kwai Chi
Professional Video blogger

Cazzdevil

Hmm... I'm now thinking sweet & sour sauce with the tinned pineapple and possibly the tinned mandarin segments, mango chutney with the tinned mango and raspberry ripple ice cream with the tinned raspberries...

See - this thread is inspirational