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

Brighton_belle

hello - wonder if one of you lovely people can help. I read your thread regularly but as I'm still getting to grips with the GC & live on 4000 a year challenges, don't feel up to signing up here yet:D .
Anyway, I have today been cooking in my sc wheezl's spiced lentils & sundried toms as on post one, light supper recipe collection. The flavour is fantastic but the lentils are still virtually rock hard. It's all been in the sc for 8hrs now - help! Don't know what to do - I follwed the instruction in the post.
Thanks a lot in advance.

cw18

lentils (in my eyes) are funny creatures. the first bag I bought said they had to be pre-soaked - but people on here said they don't. so I've been and found another make that doesn't say this is needed.

I know I've seen on one bag (not sure whether one of mine, or one I didn't buy due to spotting it) that they weren't suitable for use in a slow cooker..... so might be worth checking your bag

loocyloo

just got back from my 'weekly' shop (well about every week and half! and i still spend the same amount for more days!) this 'week' i visited mr T. hadn't been for a while, as my local store is small (they call it a 'top up' store) and rarely stocks value brands. i don't know what has come over mr T ..lots of 'discount range' lots of fruit 'market value' at 75p for a bag ..10 plums, 7 apples can't remember what else! some of the brands i see at aldi or lidl!

but best news ... value butter at 50p !!! no restriction that i could see on how many you can buy...i bought the last 3 on the shelf! i didn't see a sign saying 'special offer' or anything!!

i'll be back there tomorrow for more butter!

xxx

Brighton_belle

Thanks cw - that was really helpful. I'm very new to lentils so don't know much about them. The bag is in the bottom of our dustbin, and didn't fancy a routle! Anyway, you made me realise that the lentils were not going to soften in the sc so I bit the bullet and have emptied them in to a pan with boiling water and am cooking the whole thing - don't seem to be loosing any of the delish flavour which was my main concern

In_Search_Of_Me

Brighton belle most of us arent actually living on the frugal budget that weezl is (although I know I should lol!) so feel free to chat away...not living on 50p never stopped the rest of us joining in...just think of it as doing better and letting some of the weezl influence rub off...I left the range with nowt today (put it in my basket and changed my mind - 5 is 5 after all...see weezl I'm getting there - albeit slowly!!). Re lentils I posted a linky a while ago about them and think the general dea was soak first although I seem always to have been lucky having never soaked and been ok but I dont use a sc...dont like the idea of food sittig out for so long!

Brighton_belle

thanks a lot ISOM. I will then:j (eek, another forum, can I cope, yes I can, I will, I must:D ). Also tried weezl's yog pudding tonight and it was divine, though I accidentally use half the amount of yog she suggested so really it was a HM ice cream. No complaints - biggest prob is how to be frugal and not scoff the whole lot:o . The lentils (with sundried toms and sultanas and spices ) have survived the boiling and are now ready for tomorrow's lunches. Got 6 portions out of it, 3 larger than the others as there's 2 of us here and I keep having to remind myself that I should be eating less than OH, him being a bloke. Can't spend anything else on food til 1st Oct as I have spend my gc budget and I'm determnined to stick to it so these two recipes are a god send. SO thanks weezl:T

Sian_the_Green

I had a great weekend at a friend's house and we went blackberrying near Cannock Chase, beautiful round there but not as beautiful as our blackberry and apple 'crumble'

shaz_mum_of__2

Morning all

Had a really lovely day at Uni ......followwed by an awful afternoon - major problems with grant lots of phonecalls to agencies and lots of tears,there was a time i thought i wouldn't be able to do the course .....................at least i know this is what i really want now or wouldn't have been so upset...LOL

Anyway HM pizza for tea tonight ,i made the dough in the machine last night then popped in the fridge to proove


I use this recipe for the tomato sauce but you can just reduce tinnned toms or use puree

for the dough 10fl oz water
2 tablespoons oil
450g bread flour (i use all white)
1.5 teaspoons salt
0.5 teaspoons sugar 2 tablespoons italian seasoning
1 teaspoon easy blend dried yeast

Make the dough then proove either in the fridge overnight or in a warm place till doubled

then knead and roll i use a large oblong baking tray about 14" x 12"
Top with sauce,other toppings etc(i used smartprice salami(1/2 the pack) some pepper rings(from garden) and sliced black olives (currently 35p per tin at Asda) and topped with grated cheese

Bake in a hot oven for 20+ mins

the dough rises in the oven to become a deep pan

Not done costings if anyone wants to please do !!

feeds 4 hungry people with salad(free from garden)

Must go take DS to school raining so will have to use car...grr

Shaz

cw18

question for anyone that can help my curiosity.....

one of our local shops had some wheat flour in Whoopsie! yesterday. Just done a google, and the £1.99 they wanted for a 4kg bag looks to have been pretty good value, but I wouldn't have a clue what it gets used for

Any ideas? Just it's something I've never seen before, so it intrigued me a bit

shaz_mum_of__2

Cheryl - isn't wheat flour just brown flour ie wholemeal ???

Had a meal idea for tommorrows tea

sausages cooked and sliced small mixed with baked beans and a splodge of BBQ sauce made into a shepherds pie type thingy with mash and maybe a little grated cheese

what do you think ? I have a freezer full of sausages i bought at the local CO_OP reduced to 60p for 16 have realised 5:30 is the time to go!!! got 3 stuffed pork chops for about the same too

Money is going to be really tight the next few weeks so am really pulling my horns in and using my precious stockpile and only going to buy in bulk or really good specials and whoopsies

Any tips for breadrolls i make great loaves but rolls always end up like saucers


Shaz