Tuesday 4th November

thriftlady_2

Afternoon everyone:wave:

My storecupboard challenge is continuing. I'm crossing things off my inventory and have a list of meals I can make from what I have.

I'm wondering if it is worth starting a thread. I know there have been similar threads before -would anyone be interested or is it just more of the same stuff? What do ya reckon?

Anyway I have in the freezer several smallish bags of summer fruit from my garden -rasps (only just stopped picking them), red and white currants, blackberries and gooseberries. My lot don't really go in for hot fruit puddings-apart from me and ds1 so I'm going to make it all into jam -jumbleberry jam I made some last year and very successful it was too.

I know I'll only be moving the fruit from the freezer into jars and onto a shelf, but we get through the jam and it can be used as a sauce on cheesecakes and things especially if you add a slug of alcohol;)

I'm eating leftover chickpea and veg couscous for lunch in a mo and supper will be pitta pizzas for the kids and feta and bulghar salad for me and OH.

I'm rereading Delia's Frugal Food -oh alright I'm reading my new poshed-up copy. Yep I am that stupid:rolleyes: stop laughing P-Penguin , I bought a book I already own because I was seduced by the new styling even though there aren't any photos of the recipes. It has inspired me to use more of the lovely, simple recipes in there though.

I really did choose the wrong name when I joined MSE -I should have chosen Cookbooklady instead.

wannabe_sybil

mioliere wrote: »

Sybil - has your evil cat had his thyroid checked? A friend's cat was permanently starving and the vet diagnosed thyroid problems and sorted it out after an (expensive!) operation.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with evil cat's thyroid. I know this for two reasons. The first is that she is an evil cat. For all of the fourteen and a bit years I have suffered with her she has been a monster, begging for food like a starving waif and then sniffing at it and walking off, leaving a full dish and me grumbling. The second is that she has just had a full lot of blood tests

Actually she was a rescue, and I don't know how regular her food was before we got her or how often. Really she was too small to be away from her mother but the people she was rescued from didn't bother about that, they were using kittens to train dogs to fight. Regularly she used to eat so fast that she was sick, but it never bothered her, as she just begged for more food to be put down as I was cleaning the last lot up. :rolleyes:

Floss2 - I have never made chicken liver pate. The thought intimidates me a bit, but I may get there one day I have opted in my delivered order to have some really inexpensive jars of paste, 25p for a jar, and a spoonful of that down with the medicine on should work, then afterwards as begging happens I will put down the usual two teaspoons of catfood. She wastes so much, but I do worry about her - she is just fluff and malice.

Lady Sybil in the Terry Pratchett books has a much easier job giving her dragons their medicine. They may explode but they don't bear grudges or plan ambushes!

Evil cat is trying to sit on my mouse at the moment. She not her usual horrific self at the moment as she is a bit traumatised from the vets.

Is it okay to add wheatgerm to a basic bread dough in the breadmaker? I want to increase the nutrition for little bear who loves breadmaker bread but it isn't fortified with thingies.

(I really do not know what I would do without this board!)

wannabe_sybil

Also to add, thriftlady, while envying your supply of soft fruit, my eye jumped and I read that there was a phrase 'slugberry jam'.

Doesn't sound as tempting as your jam, but I am sure there is a lost soul out there who would find the idea attractive.

Bargain_Rzl

Afternoon all

((((hugs)))) PP, jayward, candygirl and anybody I've missed out
Mega congratulations to catznine's DS :j
Redruby, I hope you're getting on OK with the opera DVDs If you are tight for time, the shortest of the ones I sent you is Rigoletto

I am sooo tired. It is my own fault for never going to bed early enough, plus I've had a cold on and off for nearly two months, which is either a symptom or a cause of me being really run down. And I'm mega busy this week, though tonight is my night in. I am cooking a Thai-style red chicken curry for the freezer - minimal effort involved, I just need to chop onions and red peppers and chicken, and bung it all in a pot with some coconut milk and curry paste. Must finish off two reviews tonight but they should come quite easily. The last one I did gave me writer's block and took me ages :doh:

Plus I am trying to stay on budget while very busy (I normally have a £50 "buffer" fund per month that I can subsidise myself with on particularly expensive weeks, but oops, I spent it before the month even started ). Not easy, but possible. I've been having far too many takeaway bacon sarnies for my breakfast lately, so am cutting those back for a start. Had porridge this morning with brown sugar :drool:

Still, from next Thursday onwards I've only got plans for 3 evenings out of the next 14, so will have some recovery time then!

thriftlady wrote: »

I really did choose the wrong name when I joined MSE -I should have chosen Cookbooklady instead.

You're not the only one I consider I've done well if, when the Book People come to my office, I get out with only one purchase. Last Friday I had £31 worth of cookbooks in my arms at one point, and was pleased that eventually I had the willpower to put back everything except the one I'd planned in advance that I was going to buy (the Jamie Oliver MoF one, for £10) But the Book People visit us every couple of months, and then there are the charity shops as well, and... well you get the picture. I live in a tiny flat with no storage space, and yet I have 2 shelves full of cookbooks :eek: (I also have 9 shelves full of opera and concert programmes ) and I don't even have the three I keep meaning to get - Delia's Complete Cookery Course, the Be-Ro book, and Cooking in a Bedsitter (if I need a recipe from one of these I phone my mum )...

Right, lunch break is over, must get back to work :rolleyes:

Love Rzl xx :wave:

redruby

Bargain_Rzl wrote: »

Redruby, I hope you're getting on OK with the opera DVDs If you are tight for time, the shortest of the ones I sent you is Rigoletto

Funny enough just sat down to watch one, will put Rigoletto on, and have a piece of coconut cake warm from the oven, if you were nearer you could pop in for tea, thanks so much for sending them, will let you know how I get on xx

ravylesley

Afternoon Everyone

Been busy today taking my yd to speech therapy and back to school.Doesnt sound much I know but these appointments always seem to suck in the whole day and leave very little time for anything else

But BM has been on and the currant loaf removed.I'll use it for the kids brekkie in the morning.WM has been on twice and one load is out on the line but its a thoroughly miserable November day out there so I doubt it will dry.I've made the pastry for the quiches for tea.I made double the amount of pastry and froze half for later.I'm also trying out a recipe from a jelly packet.Strawberry surprise which is basically strawberry jelly made up with 100ml of water,then a tin of strawberries is added and finally 2 strawberry yoghurts are whisked in and its left to set.Sounds like a version of the old favourite milk jelly to me.As to whether it will get eaten is another story.Its for tomorrow nights pud so I've got a good few hours to work the kids up to it:rotfl:

I've done my next fortnights meal and packed lunch planner as I'm determined I am not going to have to visit supermarkets needlessly and hopefully give us more variety in our diet as who can be inspired about lunchboxes at 5am which is the time I pack them!

Lesleyxx

Sunnyday

Afternoon peeps :wave:

just checking that all is well (actually i`m just delaying cleaning the house and cooking)

Optician has been visited and eyes tested, apparently my prescription has changed slightly (i`m not convinced) so the 2 for one offer of new glasses was taken advantage of, i have the receipt ready to send off so really 2 new pairs of designer specs for free

I sneaked into the market and bought some odds and sods - stewing steak to make a slow cooker curry, leeks for leek and potato soup and mushrooms to go in tonights paella, i went into the pound shop too and bought 2 huge tubes of colgate on BOGOF for a pound and some soup containers for the freezer and microwave so i`m a happy bunny.

I`ve just had a cheese and salami sandwich and a cuppa and now i`m putting off actually doing anything

Mrs Moneypenny - Hope that you`re feeling better soon

Sybil - Your posts always make me smile, we too have an evil cat, DH calls her the devils ball as she is a bit round at the moment as she has her winter coat and has done the usual cat thing of eating twice as much as normal for the last few weeks to get her weight up for winter :rolleyes: How much does your evil cat normally eat in a day?

I`m off to [STRIKE]waste some time [/STRIKE]browse for a while, catch you all later.

SD

r.mac_2

ooh redruby, what a nice sounding afternoon you have planned - I see you are based 'down south' what a shame I'm 'up north'!!!!!

Enjoy rigaletto and your coconut cake

VickyA_2

Good afternoon everyone :hello:

Many thanks to those people who wished my mum well with her test results. She gets them back tomorrow afternoon. School have said that I could go with her, but my dad is able to go which might be better for her.

Unfortunately yesterday I was also given the news that a boy in my class (Year 2) is now being treated for lymphoma. I'm trying to remain upbeat for the rest of the class as they are all worried for him. We're making a huge "get well soon" card, which will hopefully brighten up his room. He's in hospital 40 miles away, so I'm trying to work out when I can go and see him.

OS wise, I made a pot of tomato soup last night. We had half of it last night and the other half will be eaten tomorrow. I'm putting DH in charge of making a tuna pasta thing for supper tonight as I'm hoping to go to my Jazzercise class. I haven't been for ages, what with feeling run down etc.

I'll leave you all so that I can get on with my work (it's my PPA time this afternoon!). Nearly the end of the school day and I've got a list of shopping needed at Mr T's!

catznine

thriftlady wrote: »

Afternoon everyone:wave:

My storecupboard challenge is continuing. I'm crossing things off my inventory and have a list of meals I can make from what I have.

I'm wondering if it is worth starting a thread. I know there have been similar threads before -would anyone be interested or is it just more of the same stuff? What do ya reckon?

Anyway I have in the freezer several smallish bags of summer fruit from my garden -rasps (only just stopped picking them), red and white currants, blackberries and gooseberries. My lot don't really go in for hot fruit puddings-apart from me and ds1 so I'm going to make it all into jam -jumbleberry jam I made some last year and very successful it was too.

I know I'll only be moving the fruit from the freezer into jars and onto a shelf, but we get through the jam and it can be used as a sauce on cheesecakes and things especially if you add a slug of alcohol;)

I'm eating leftover chickpea and veg couscous for lunch in a mo and supper will be pitta pizzas for the kids and feta and bulghar salad for me and OH.
.

:j I would love it if you started up a thread on a storecupboard challenge, as I am also challenging myself to live off the stores and avoid the shops! Need to save up for the wedding!

Today was leftover curried red lentil soup, (from yesterday), with a pasta meal tonight, tomorrow will be fish pie using up some frozen pollack, odd prawns, peas, hm white sauce and mash (maybe with some grated cheese on top!

About one quarter of my chest freezer is now full of runner beans (any ideas?) Have loads of frozen blackberries as well!

(((Hugs))) VickyA

Catz x