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

Lesley_Gaye

Nitha wrote: »

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!

Nitha

I wasn't sure about a breadmaker either. I have made rolls successfully for a long time, but can't seem to get consistent results with loaves, and I'm never that happy with them anyway. Then I saw a breadmaker on my local Freecycle, just up the road from me, so I bagged it and have used it several times now. Still getting used to it, which flour to use etc, but have had some really good bread from it. If you could get one on your local Freecycle, if it turned out to be a 'hobby of the month' after all, you could just put it back on Freecycle so it didn't clutter up the place.

Lesley

Confuzzled

PHEW!!!

my goodness it's been a busy frugal day today!

got up this morning, determined NOT to get on the computer right away. instead i took a shower and washed the dishes/cleaned the kitchen.

i made up some homemade vinegarette since the bottle i bought was nearly empty. tastes not too bad but i think i put too much veg oil in it (YES i used veg oil, can't afford that fancy stuff!) so after i use a bit i'll add in some more vinegar and i think it'll be perfect.

i also made some of my 'dog's breakfast' to use up some stale biscuits and some nectarines that were going off in a few spots plus the two apples the wee one keeps avoiding eating :rolleyes:

after breakfast had a short session on the computer and printed out my list of recipes off here i've been keeping. then i shut the computer down and took the wee one into the garden. we fed our new compost bin torn up toilet roll and thin boxes torn up a bunch of soft leaves off on of our shrubs to help up our green content (we use so much of our fruit and veg we don't have a lot to contribute!) and i trimmed the hedge using a very dull pair of hedge clippers...ohhhh my poor arms and hands!

that lot went in the composter too. the ex is coming to visit my daughter this week so i'm gonna put him to use trimming the other side of the hedge and the top

also did a load of laundry, hung it out to dry (and barely managed to get the dry laundry in before it got rain soaked!) i gave the tomatoes a feed OMG that stuff smells awful :eek: i've been letting my homemade brew for the toms stew on my kitchen window sill, liked to have gagged when i opened it... i have a leaky screw coming out of the rain gutter outside so i place a bucket under it and use the water to water the plants...anyway i dumped my brew into the bucket, mixed it with a stick and watered the tomatoes with it.... i am DEFINITELY going to wash any tomatoes i eat off those plants first :rotfl: oh well the tomatoes should be happy, i've used a similar brew before and it works well. i stuff a bit more plant trimmings in the container added more water and it's in my window sill til next weeks feeding.

i also FINALLY got around to lopping off the sprouting end of the sweet potato and planting it in a bucket. it's now sitting on top of my fridge where it gets plenty of light and heat. very beautiful plant, it has varigated purple and greens leaves and purple stems.

we also did a bunch of cooking today including eating the 2/3rds of the sweet potato that was left after cutting off a sufficient part where it had sprouted. it was a HUGE one and i had no intention of wasting that much. i stabbed it and stuck it in the microwave, peeled it, mashed it up with a bit of milk and butter and a little sugar and we ate it for lunch mmmmmmmm

we also made the lentil pate recipe i got from this site, THANK YOU to whoever supplied it it's sooooo tasty! i've got beans cooking now too as i plan to make a mixed bean dip with some sauteed peppers and onion and garlic. tonight for dinner we'll have the lentil pate, bean dip, ryvita and a salad of home grown rocket, nasturtium flowers and leaves, chives and a few tiny onions. might even chuck in some of the last window ripened pepper and of course i'll use my homemade vinegarette!

we also made a microwave sponge cake as per the recipe from here and it worked (knew it would, last time i was using a cheapy mix and hoped it would do ok in the microwave but it didn't) we put golden syrup in the bottom mmmm delicious!

also went out for a wee walk and watched an hour of science films with my daughter... and now i'm tired but happy!

i've decided i'm going to try and alternate days each week so we'll have one day veggie and one with meat etc. this should really help cut back on the budget and also help me with my weight loss. i don't believe in diets, i believe in healthier lifestyles and now that i don't have my ex to sabotage me i can do things that have worked in the past and get into better habits including eating less meat.

anyway i'm just rambling now...hope everyone has had a good day

In_Search_Of_Me

Just popping in...not much to report as been v busy with work etc...six lots of wine on the go...just need to degass two ...anyone got any ideas of best way to do this without buying mega expensive gadgets?!!
Re meeting up is anyone interested? Can those that definately are pm me so that I can get organising!! So far its me, shaz and weezl!! (with the gorgeous ferg too!)

Lesley_Gaye

In_Search_Of_Me wrote: »

Just popping in...not much to report as been v busy with work etc...six lots of wine on the go...just need to degass two ...anyone got any ideas of best way to do this without buying mega expensive gadgets?!!
Re meeting up is anyone interested? Can those that definately are pm me so that I can get organising!! So far its me, shaz and weezl!! (with the gorgeous ferg too!)

I would love to meet up, but it's a bit too far for me. I'm in East Sussex.

Used up the last of the carrier bag of 20p/lb toms from the greengrocer today. Made Oven Dried Tomatoes from the Cranks Fast Cook book. I halved them, scooped out the seeds (and put them in the soup pot), then tossed the halves with garlic, lots of dried basil, balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Then dried them for an hour and a half at 140 degrees. They keep for quite a while and taste fantastic.

I usually have them stirred through pasta with Boursin type herby cheese and some peas. yum yum. Have also whizzed them with and without something creamy as a smooth pasta sauce; on jkt pots; and my eldest daughter steals them straight from the jar if she gets a chance.

Also made two jars of raspberry jam with some raspberries from the garden - we've eaten the rest! Had some with a slice of HM bread - lovely!

nopot2pin

In_Search_Of_Me wrote: »

Just popping in...not much to report as been v busy with work etc...six lots of wine on the go...just need to degass two ...anyone got any ideas of best way to do this without buying mega expensive gadgets?!!

There is a couple of ways to do this....

When you rack it off the sediment, put some into a jug... about a litre.
Then with the wine you have in the demi, cover the opening with one of your hands, lift the bottom of the demi with your other hand... and shake shake shake it ..make sure you take your hand off the opening hole when you feel a little pressure to let the gas out.
You need to have about ten, one minute bursts of this, MINIMUM. Some wines take more.
With the wine in the jug, stir like a mad thing until the gas goes, then add back into the demi john.

The other way, is, after racking, to use a long handled spoon, using the handle into the demi and stir like a demented blender.

A degasser gadget, attaches to a drill, they cost about £15.
Worth every penny IMHO.

The shaking method, I would say, is better than the handle method, without a degasser gadget...
With the shaking method, no only is your wine degassed, but, you have inadvertantly been multitasking :cool:, and worked off a little of those bingo wings that, you may or maynot have

Hope this helps a little

In_Search_Of_Me

Lesley its those simple things in life that give most pleasure isnt it...sounds lovely and brings back memories of my much missed granny and her bread and hm jam...
Thanks no pot! Bingo wings yes, bingo tummy too!! Unlike weezl am not fit and would be most grumpy if I walked 10 mles..thats if I could walk ten miles which I'm not sure I could!

shaz_mum_of__2

nopot2pin wrote: »

There is a couple of ways to do this....

When you rack it off the sediment, put some into a jug... about a litre.
Then with the wine you have in the demi, cover the opening with one of your hands, lift the bottom of the demi with your other hand... and shake shake shake it ..make sure you take your hand off the opening hole when you feel a little pressure to let the gas out.
You need to have about ten, one minute bursts of this, MINIMUM. Some wines take more.
With the wine in the jug, stir like a mad thing until the gas goes, then add back into the demi john.

The other way, is, after racking, to use a long handled spoon, using the handle into the demi and stir like a demented blender.

A degasser gadget, attaches to a drill, they cost about £15.
Worth every penny IMHO.

The shaking method, I would say, is better than the handle method, without a degasser gadget...
With the shaking method, no only is your wine degassed, but, you have inadvertantly been multitasking :cool:, and worked off a little of those bingo wings that, you may or maynot have

Hope this helps a little

you can also pass backwards and forwards a couple of times between 2 demijohns if you have a big funnel and a steady hand

Shaz

Elfinwings

In_Search_Of_Me wrote: »

Just popping in...not much to report as been v busy with work etc...six lots of wine on the go...just need to degass two ...anyone got any ideas of best way to do this without buying mega expensive gadgets?!!
Re meeting up is anyone interested? Can those that definately are pm me so that I can get organising!! So far its me, shaz and weezl!! (with the gorgeous ferg too!)

I would have loved to as well, but bit too far from Worcestershire. Hope you have a fantastic day!

Confuzzled, your day yesterday sounds absolutely perfect! You seem to have composting down to a T - we have also just got our mega-large composter dellivered by the council, but I am clueless as to what proportions of what I should be putting in it? I know you are supposed to put some dry stuff in with the grass clippings and veg peelings, can anyone help? :eek:

Today I shall be concocting a meal plan to hopefully get us thorugh to the end of the month on what we already have in, except 3 items I still need to buy: fresh milk, a couple of tins of tomatoes and some onions. And tonight we are having a free 'date' - got some free cinema tickets, and going to pop some corn to sneak in with us!!

Elfin.

Confuzzled

Elfinwings wrote: »

Confuzzled, your day yesterday sounds absolutely perfect! You seem to have composting down to a T - we have also just got our mega-large composter dellivered by the council, but I am clueless as to what proportions of what I should be putting in it? I know you are supposed to put some dry stuff in with the grass clippings and veg peelings, can anyone help? :eek:

well the bumpff that came with the composter suggests 50% 'brown' and 50% green. i get a lot of carboard boxes either from my approved food orders or from food boxes and of course toilet rolls so it's really the green stuff i'll have issues keeping up with. i'm thinking of collecting the grass from the nearby park after it's mown to add to the composter to help with the green portion of it. i'm also going to get my ex to donate some urine as an activator when he comes for his visit (at least he'll be useful for something! ) womans urine is meant to be a bit to acidic i hear. might even toss in a bit of soil though we don't have much spare around here... this house was previously owned by old people and the front is mostly paving slabs and the back mostly stones *sighs*

if this were my home i'd have an elaborate raised bed system in the back, a whirly gig for the clothes (takes up less space though i prefer the regular laundry lines) and put lawn in the front for my wee one to play in, but i just rent so i have to make do with what i can

your date sounds like fun and i 'sneak' stuff in to the cinemas all the time... not only is their stuff overpriced but it's often way too salty or really watered down and frankly quite nasty!

have fun!

poohbear59

Lesley Gaye I made your spicy chicken cakes last night with the help of DS1. In fact he did most of the cooking, I just organised him. They all loved them despite the fact we had hardly any chicken left as DH had made himself a huge batch of chicken sandwiches. He was working yesterday so it was better than buying food when he is out..
Then we had a power cut form 8pm until 6.30 this morning so we have saved on electricity too. I suggested we have one electricity free evening a week but they decided that I was taking things too far. The lads played board games lit by oil lamps and I sat and knitted.