It is tough NOW. So how are we coping

purpleivy

MRSMCAWBER wrote: »

Evening all

On the meal planning front I have worked out that I have enough main meals and veg in the freezer, cupboards etc for more than 35 days and thats just off the top of my head :T ....
This weekend I have made quite a bit of stuff

1. 3 chicken, leek + sweetcorn pies, -leftover roast chicken
2. 2 beef, onion + mushroom pies, leftover from steak puddings
3. and have minted lamb, potato + onion in the fridge to make 2-3 pies tomorrow -from roast lamb at lunch time ....

I make the pies in victoria sandwich tins as there are only 2 of us.. freeze them with raw pastry -then pop them out and into bags .... We will probably only average 1 pastry meal a week -but it makes meat go much further :T
So im hoping that this month will be no more expensive than a standard month ..even allowing for any xmas "extras" :jIn fact Im going to try and spend as little as possible ..still aiming to carry on saving as much as I can from the housekeeping "just in case"....

We had about 7" of snow yesterday ..and its trying to sprinkle again :j its lovely sat indoors knowing that we have plenty of food stashed, blankies and emergancy supplies ...so the weather can throw what it wants at us ,

I hadn't thought of this as an exercise - considering how many meals I have in the house - but I think it would be a useful thing to do. Would help me see what few things I would need to make the stuff I do have in go further.

MRSMCAWBER

Hi there

The chicken pies are simple.. the original "concoction" I came up with was actually a chicken cobbler for the remoska....but Yesterday it became pies

• melt a little butter/marge in a pan
• add 2 chopped leeks and cook until soft
• then I add some frozen peas, about 1/2 tin sweetcorn and the leftover chicken-about 200g (or whatever you have)oohh and some chunks of steamed/boiled potatoes too
• then I make a white sauce by melting about 2oz butter/marge in a pan and stirring in 2 oz flour to make a roux then slowly adding about 1pt warm milk and cooking until smooth(you need the sauce rather thick)..then I add a good dollop of English mustard -but you can use wholegrain if you want it a bit milder
• stir the sauce into the chicken, leeks, sweetcorn and peas..check the seasoning and alow to cool whilst you make the pastry cases

I normally add about 40g really strong cheddar to the sauce (but hubby finished the block off and forgot to tell me so I could get another out of the freezer :rolleyes: -but to be honest it didn't make any difference ) -so less cals and less money spent there :T

The base is lovely topped with savoury scones and baked... and any leftover is good in a jacket potato

This weekend I used a "whoopsed" chicken -€2 I think it was- and have got a roast dinner for 2, 3 pies, another of the breasts in the freezer and a batch of chicken n sweetcorn soup off it :j

PurpleIvy.. its amazing just how many meals you realise you have the stuff in to make .....I could get through at least the next month just needing fruit, yoghurt and possibly more milk once I have used that up in the freezer..
and thats including having enough stuff in for breakfast stuff and stuff to make hubbies lunches for work (usually soups n stews with HM bread)

we have about 9" of snow now and its still going... I love winter -but knowing I don't HAVE to go out is brilliant

D&DD

Slow down you lot I've got to read this from the start as I've been offline for a few days
Great,great thread Kittie,thankyou! I'm sure we'll all be comfy in our new 'home' :T

Financiallywise,things are looking ok for us as DS2 has finally been awarded HRM so our main worry of the 'aged beast'(our car) has gone.
Our debts are paid up in February which will free up around £900 a month :eek:

Jobwise, OH is a postie so hoping he won't be in trouble there,we haven't heard of any possible jobcuts yet...

Storeswise..well you all know the score on that one (I can't help it if everywhere seems to have special offers ATM!)

So all in all our 'prepping' has paid off so far,as to how long and how bad this recession lasts/gets I personally think its going to take a long time for things to recover..

I see GB and his cronies are following America's lead with a 'stimulus' package..it didnt do any good over there and now theres talk of them(the U.S) doing another one!

Who is going to end up paying for all this???
Where is the help for the people being hammered the most..those who have always WORKED and have mortgages to pay.
I live on an estate where most are on benefits and noone here seems to be struggling,yet friends who have jobs and work hard are!!
I dunno somethings wrong somewhere..

mummysaver

Morning ladies! And any chaps! Nice to be back "home", we went to visit my mother in law at the weekend, and everytime she tried to throw something out I grabbed it and wrapped it in foil to bring home with us lol! Not sure whether she's most concerned about the fact she thinks I'm mad or just poverty stricken - did try to explain, but not sure she believed me! Kids even tried to explain that "mum can make a meal from anything and it's always really nice" bless em! Anyway I came back with a huge amount of cheese and assorted puds (kids were most excited about shop puddings!) and all sorts of other bits and bobs.

Gave a huge hamper to brother and sister in law for Christmas, full of homemade goodies, they were very pleased.

I was reading the Times yesterday and it had ideas for pressies for free and under various limits, I couldn't help but feel that some of the writers were rather disparaging about being frugal. I can only assume that they have no idea how a vast percentage of the population live! Personally I like homemade stuff, my girls have had numerous requests for scarves like theirs that I made last year, so I have taught several of their friends how to knit, cos theres's no way I was going to churn out 20 of the things for pressies this year! Our homemade pickles and preserves always go down well with everyone, the requests start in September usually, about the time when I start pickling onions, so I don't thing any of the recipients are disappointed with a homemade gift as suggested by some of the writers. The answer to frugal or homemade gift giving is to ensure it's appropriate to the person to whom it is being given, as always it's the thought that really makes the gift. Just spending money is easy, but doesn't mean that a gift will be any more appreciated.

Yategirl

Mummysaver - could you tell me how you pickle your onions please? I have had requests but am unsure how to start or what quantities of ingredients I need...

I can't believe that people in the "public eye" such as writers for the Times or tv celebrites can really appreciate what it is like to NEED to be frugal etc... Friend and I were talking over the weekend about mortgage costs, trying to save money etc (and getting very miserable in the process lol!) and we got on to the subject of tv licences etc etc.. (a whole thread on it's own I know but...) we then got talking about earnings from TV.. when you hear about Jonathon Ross (as an example) earning 6m a year and that he was going to "feel his recent 'fine' of x amount" then I can honestly say that I think they have no idea how the real world lives!

mummysaver

Yategirl - Mr Ross and his ridiculous pay packet just makes me cross! Doctors and nurses should be receiving huge salaries, but a tv presenter, no! And don't even get me started on the licence fee!

Anyway, pickled onions are simple, just get your little pickling onions or shallots, greengrocers are often your best bet for the best prices, then top, tail and peel, soak in very salty water overnight, think sea salty! Beware, your kitchen will stink in the morning! So open windows and rinse the onions thoroughly. Put into sterilised jars with malt vinegar and mustard seeds and chillis, or you can use white vinegar and pickling spices or pickling vinegar (usually sold in big jars). Screw on lid, label and leave for min of 4 weeks, then enjoy!

I also did some cheats ones, just picked up the value pickled onions from Asda, added chilli and mustard seeds!

If you want to put them in kilner type jars, then Ikea sell them for £1 for 500g jar I think, and they make great pressies.

rosieben

I used to add a slug of sherry to my pickled onions; the jars sometimes need a little topping up with vinegar after a few days, and sherry does the job well.

catznine

It just got tougher for my dd! She has just been made redundant! :eek: from a job she loves and works so hard at, she is devastated! Thank goodness she has moved back in with us.

Catz x

mummysaver

Catznine - hugs to your dd, thank goodness she is living with you, at least that's one less worry for her.

Rosieben - thanks for the sherry tip, I shall try that next time!

Just put some more pickle on, had more requests for it! And had a text from dd1 asking if I can keep an eye out for baskets, as she is making twinks hobnobs and including the recipe for her friends for Christmas - hope the Times writers aren't numbered amongst them! dd2 has crossed one friend off her list, last year she opened dd's present (betty boop socks, a bathbomb and some chocs) and said "oh I don't think I want this" and returned it to dd2! dd2 laughed and put the socks on, as did all her other friends who did want their pressies, they then all trooped around at school as the betty boop sock gang! Good job my dd2 has a thick skin, she was outraged! This year dd2's friends are all excited as they have been told they're getting flannel cupcakes or reindeers! Best add brown flannels to my list!

Anyway the point of all that waffling was that some people actually like homemade gifts, obviously dd1's friends and dd2's friends do! Rather pleased about it really, else they wouldn't be getting anything. Friend at work spends a huge amount of money on pressies for her dds' friends, then wonders why she's broke!

Edit: dd1 did want to make all her friends sock monkeys, but knowing her level of patience and realising that I would be making a dozen of the things, I put her off that idea lol!

rosieben

Catz, sorry to hear about your dd, I'm afraid this is going to be an all too familiar scene for the next few months but she's lucky she has you to lean on.