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

SunnyGirl

I've used some cherries today, for the filling in a cake, that I bought last June and they were lovely. As Mrs Bartolozzi says the only thing that could possibly be wrong with them is that the texture might be slightly different -I find that happens with frozen fruit anyway. Enjoy eating them

Confuzzled

we had a lovely frugal day yesterday and i thought i'd share

we started out by cleaning up the kitchen and i managed to convince my 7 year old to do more chores than she normally does and she actually thanked me for giving her more 'adult' chores cuz it made her feel more grown up *laughs manically, chuffed her plan worked so well MUAHAHAHA*

we made a sponge cake using my blender to mix it (i don't have a mixer anymore it got left behind with the ex) so that turned into a lesson on how to use a rubber spatula to get every last drop and the fun way to clean a blender (fill half way with warm water and a touch of washing up liquid then liquidise it for 30 seconds) which she found very amusing

sadly the cake didn't turn out so well. i think it was the combination of trying a sponge mix in the microwave (i was thinking of that quick microwave sponge recipe i've used before) AND deciding to blend our berries into the sponge instead of just putting them on top that did it. what came out was not very spongy and very purple, it reminded me of the home made play dough i once made her using grape koolaid to colour it (american friends had brought us a selection and we don't like grape flavour) to her credit she did eat a portion even though she didn't like it. we're going to give the rest to the birds though!

they don't get much now that we got our compost bin so i don't feel quite so bad

we also cleaned out the fridge and reorganised which was badly needed, i didn't have to throw away as much as normal, just a few sauces moulding on top as they kept getting shoved to the back of the fridge and couldn't be seen. i plan to do an inventory list for the fridge like the ones on the cupboard doors so that will hopefully help with that not happening as much.

then we went into the garden and picked some peas. most really weren't quite ready but we knew we could eat the pods and just couldn't wait! plus we wanted to encourage the peas to start producing even MORE peas so lets' hope it worked.

we had great fun shelling the peas, with one bowl for the peas, one for the pods and the compost mini bin (as i call it, got it free with the compost bin, it has a tight lid and a handle for transporting things to the composter) and giggled away as we shelled peas, the wee one said she really enjoyed it.

we'd already cooked some potatoes badly in need of using in the mircrowave, i taught her how to get the eyes off (just found out that the reason why my potatoes go off so quick is tht the hot water pipes run right behind my cabinets that they are in!) had a little discussion about why the eyes are poisonous (home educating so i never miss an opportunity to teach!) and when i asked her if she knew why i was poking holes in them she told me the correct answer, i was so chuffed, guess all those little tidbits i squeeze in are really sinking in!

anyway we'd already been into the garden and picked some more rocket and chives so i chopped those up for the potatoes and a salad. we also used up the once icky green pepper that mum had cleverly 'turned red' by letting it sit in our very warm south facing kitchen window. the wee one was so amazed i could do that neither of us likes green peppers but it's always so much cheaper to buy the three packs and these were from the 49p aldi's lot so i wasn't going to argue about one green one...

so we had a lovely lunch of baked potatoes with butter, chives, cheese and a salad of home grown rocket, force ripened red pepper, carrot shavings, the fresh peas we'd shelled and a little bit of rose petals. it was really delicious she scoffed hers down and asked if we could have the same for dinner which pleased me because i'd already baked enough potatoes and made enough salad to do just that

i did however add the pea pods to the evenings dinner. i sauteed them in butter and garlic puree til about half were well browned and a little bubbled (a bit like frying courgettes) omg they were absolutely to die for! i could have eaten an entire pan full of them they were so yummy! at this point i'm not sure we'll get many peas i'm in love with the pods :rotfl:

for today i plan to get the composter going properly, clean out the freezer and inventory that and the fridge and maybe make a proper microwave sponge cake.

happy frugaling everyone

Lesley_Gaye

nopot2pin wrote: »

Wooo Hooo again :j

Just been watering the plants again....
And my Jalepeno chilli plant, that has many green chilli's, now has one RED chilli :cool:

I was thinking yesterday, of picking the chilli's off, so that the flowers that are still on the plant, had a chance to fruit.... but I think I will wait a few more whiles, to see what happens

I grew chillies for the first time last year and we got millions of the things. I am just using up the last ones from the freezer (I just chopped them roughly and froze them in plastic pots). If yours are anything like mine, they don't need any encouraging. Inspired by last years success, I have 5 different types this year of varying strengths and they are smothered with flowers and tiny chillies, so looking forward to another bumper crop. Congrats on the red one BTW, mine are a long way off being red

Lesley_Gaye

poohbear59 wrote: »

Thanks for the help.
The things I have lurking in the cupboard or freezer, that are not part of my menu plan each month are:

Quinoa flakes
3 x breast of lamb (still with ribs)
Fennel (in the garden)
couscous
rice noodles
mint hot chocolate instant drink
oatibix
tahini
crab apple jelly
vegimite
Burrito dinner kit for 4

In the garden we have lettuce, cabbage, and eggs too. Nothing else is ready to eat yet.

My menu plan for July is
Spag Bol
Roast chicken
Sweet and sour chicken with fresh pineapple
Bacon and onion suet roll with cabbage (from garden)
Veggie chick pea curry
Fish pie
Fried spicy pieces of chicken with potato wedges and salad
Keema Matar
Veggie cottage pie and beans
Mince pie potatoes and mixed veg
Cheesy potato bake
Fish or egg (from our own hens) and chips
Prawn and pasta
Chinese chicken
Corned beef hash
Toad in the hole
Breast of lamb ??
Pork chops, jacket potatoe and veg.

I have used quinoa successfully as a type of risotto, and cooked and cooled as the carbohydrate in a salad, similar to a couscous salad. Not sure if the risotto would work for flakes, but prob would for the salad.

Jamie Oliver's main course couscous salad is really good and you can throw in any salad veg you like, and I have also tried it with hot veg and it was really nice. I posted the recipe earlier, or I could send it if you would like it.

Nigella Lawson does a double potato halloumi bake. This is ordinary potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, and then any other vegetables that will roast (carrots, parsnips, peppers, chunks of cabbage, mushrooms - whatever you have or fancy). Chop in even sized chunks, toss in olive oil and s+p and roast for about 40 minutes. I often throw in some big sprigs of rosemary and bay leaves from the garden too. And add some garlic cloves to roast too - yum. Then for the last 10 minutes, lay over the top some thinly sliced halloumi and pop back in the oven until the cheese is soft and yummy. The fennel would work really well in this. This is lovely as a main course on its own, or you could pair it with any meat that you want to use. Actually, I've just realised that I assumed that the fennel you have in the garden is the bulb type fennel, whereas you may have the leafy herb type fennel. I am talking about bulbs of fennel, so if you have the other sort - not much help!

Tahini works well in hummous. Use a tin, or cook your own chick peas, Then whizz the chick peas with a goodly dollop of tahini, some olive oil and s+p. If you can spend the money, the zest and juice of a lemon gives a nice flavour. Or you can add some roasted pepper, fresh or from a jar, or roasted tomatoes (suggested here by Weezl). You can also use any dried or tinned beans in the same way to get a different type of dip or spread. Hummus or bean spread can make a main course with crudites of veg and some nice crusty bread, or as a jkt potato topping, with maybe some salad veg. I love it on hot buttered toast

Have you thought of maybe making a stock with your leftover chicken carcass and have some lovely soup? Or maybe that is in your lunchtime list. You can also use the last tiny bits of chicken from the carcass, whether or not it has been used to make stock, in the same way as the fish in fish cakes. I have made these with various different spice combinations that have worked well. We prefer what has become our classic spice it up mix of a little turmeric, about quarter of a tsp (too much makes it bitter), and a tsp each of ground cumin, coriander and garam masala. Any spice mix in a jar that is lurking in the fridge would work well.

HTH, Lesley

Nitha

Has anyone else lost their quick post box?

Anyway back on point. I've already prepared my fish pie tonight. Used pollack (£1.78 for the pack), some prawns I found in the freezer, potatoes (from my sainsbury's basics £1.97 5kg bag), some organic rocket I got from the bargin fridge in Mr T's last night (had to buy a microwave - lol) at 34p, tinned sweetcorn from the storecupboard, some old carrots (which are going in the mash topping), an old red onion, garlic and milk, flour, butter and egg to make a sauce. Serving 4 I think it added up to circa 70p per person, but am very pleased with it.

Looking at breadmaking. Has anyone tried just using dough hooks on their mixer? OH won't let me buy a breadmaker as he thinks it will just be 'hobby of the month' for me!

meanmarie

Nitha...I think that it may depend on your mixer...if you have a big Kenwood or the like I think it will work ok...to be honest I am finding it quite easy to make my bread by hand, try some of the breads that don't need kneading, takes a while to get the hang of it, bread is usually edible but tastes better as you do along
HTH

Marie

phizzimum

confuzzled - your post really cheered me up!

I'm home-educating too, and your 7 year old sounds just like mine. since taking my girls out of school my attitude to lots of things has changed. A failed cake suddenly becomes a successful science experiment!

I'm not feeling well today, and have been bit (make that very) grumpy with everyone , so your post has put me in a better frame of mind, thanks.

ETA: why are potato eyes poisonous?

Lesley - that halloumi bake sounds scrummy, must find a pen to write it down.

poohbear59

Lesley, Thanks for the ideas. I had never thought of using left over chicken bits for 'chicken cakes', probably like rissoles (sp?) we used to have for school dinners and I loved them. I can imagine my family will love the spicy variety.
I must try the halloumi too. I have never tried to make it and I could do with expanding my menu ideas. DH has decided that he doesn't like couscous but maybe I could try Jamie Oliver's recipe. Is it available on internet?

mmmm...The hummous with roasted peppers and tomatoes sounds gorgeous.

cheerfulness4

phizzimum wrote: »

I'm home-educating too,

Me, too Phizz. And agree confuzzled - never miss an opportunity in ordinary life where something can be learnt. Makes for a fun way of teaching, don't you think?

Lesley_Gaye

poohbear59 wrote: »

Lesley, Thanks for the ideas. I had never thought of using left over chicken bits for 'chicken cakes', probably like rissoles (sp?) we used to have for school dinners and I loved them. I can imagine my family will love the spicy variety.
I must try the halloumi too. I have never tried to make it and I could do with expanding my menu ideas. DH has decided that he doesn't like couscous but maybe I could try Jamie Oliver's recipe. Is it available on internet?

mmmm...The hummous with roasted peppers and tomatoes sounds gorgeous.

Poohbear - I gave some recipes in post 2713, including the couscous one. If you don't want to find the post, here is the recipe

Couscous Salad
This is a main course salad from Jamie Oliver’s The Naked Chef
Serves 4
255g/9oz couscous
4 tblsp oil
Juice of a large lemon
285ml,1/2 pint water
2 red peppers from a jar, or peeled and deseeded
A small red onion
¼ clove garlic, finely chopped
1 medium fresh chilli, deseeded and chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp red wine vinegar
2 handfuls fresh herbs (basil, coriander or flat leaf parsley)

Put the couscous in a bowl and toss with olive oil and lemon juice. Season with crunchy salt and fresh ground pepper. Add the water and leave to stand for 15 minutes or so for the dressing to be absorbed.

Put all the other ingredients in a bowl, drizzle with more olive oil, season to taste and stir. Leave for 15 minutes then mix the vegetable mix with the couscous