Live on £4000 for a Year, 2009 Challenge, part 1

bails

Afternoon all, proper poorly here so OH and I are both still in bed. Looks like it's going to be a v unproductive day :rolleyes:

On a happier note, we had a really lovely time with my friends in the Lakes (well, technically Cumbria as it's just east of M6) and it has completely reinforced my determination to 'live the dream'. They have a gorgeous farmhouse which they got 100k cheaper than asking price 6 months ago :eek: - it was 3 bed but they've made a 4th and also have attic space, and a huge stone barn to convert into accommodation for their mountain bike business. It was an absolute steal I'm telling you! Best of all though it's right on the edge of the Howgills and is a stunning location, with so many perfect 'playgrounds' on their doorstep :j OH is a city boy originally (from London Town of all places :rolleyes:) but he loves the outdoors too and this has been our 'plan' for a long time. We've chatted quite a lot about our friends' situation and I think the plan is really going to happen!! :jIt'll have quite a long time frame on it (too long for me currently but I'm working on that ) but to think that one day we'll be in that position is so fantastic! And by then I'll hopefully be well enough to be out in the hills I love as much as possible
Ooh, sorry, a little overexcited there :rotfl:It was just so lovely to see all our friends and have such a wonderful time in an amazing place :j
OH just got up so we're off to have breakfast Have a great day everyone and someone do something productive for me witll they please?

Annie021063

Bails - Hope you feel better soon

bails

Aah, thanks Annie x

MRSMCAWBER

Hi all
yep its still snowing savingfortravel :j and hubby cleared some off the patio this morning



Annie .. how about making broccoli cheese to have with a jacket potato?
you can make a basic white sauce (using cornflour if you want lower cal) and instead of hard cheese use a low shops own philli cheese -the ones with herbs are nice like this oohh and its nice if you put chunks of steamed carrot/onion in with the broccoli too
oohh and you could use the floret bits for that and use the stems (best bit) -slice them up into the freezer to put in stir fries at a later date

well the topside cooked nicely and is cooling so I can slice and freeze...hubby has just tried a bit of one end and is sat making contented sounds on the sofa..so I best be quick with the freezing of it

fizzel81

grr mini rant what is wrong with some people, offered some toys on freecycle nothing wrong with them boys just grown out of them (and for the silly rpices on ebay its not worth ebaying them)

anyway they were comeing between 1 and 2

just had an email run out of time even though i was in your area, i can come in week or just give them to someone else, im a tad annoyed feel like just taking them down the charity shop tomorrow

looby-loo_2

Annie021063 wrote: »

Hi ALL
Just had my asda delivery and the silly packers have given me 2 kilos of brocolli instread of the .20 I asked for. They have refunded the difference and let me keep the brocolli. So....... what to do with it? I have used one bunch (do you call it a bunch?) in my batch of free SW Veg soup I made this morning, I can eat some with my dinner tonght but what about the rest? There is tons of it.
Any ideas?

I bought brocolli on Christmas Eve when it was 5p Kg. I kept it cold and it lasted until yesterday.

grandma247

Broccoli in batter like tempura. I would just use pancake batter with curry powder added to taste.
Broccoli is nice in Quiche type flans too. Broccoli and salmon quiche yum.

Zelie

I think I'm doing this wrong. On the 30th I spent £26.94 on groceries which included treats like steak and cream cakes and was intended to last me the first week of the year. Now I think it's all going to do me for two weeks instead.

Not that I wouldn't be interested in finding out when supermarkets do the cheap veggies. My local place is 24 hours and although I've never actually been there at 3am that seems the only time they might cut prices. Is it because it's in London and they are never actually going to have excess?

fizzel81

Annie021063 wrote: »

Hi ALL
Just had my asda delivery and the silly packers have given me 2 kilos of brocolli instread of the .20 I asked for. They have refunded the difference and let me keep the brocolli. So....... what to do with it? I have used one bunch (do you call it a bunch?) in my batch of free SW Veg soup I made this morning, I can eat some with my dinner tonght but what about the rest? There is tons of it.
Any ideas?

can you blanch and then freeze some to use at a later date?

quick question on onions can i freeze them and if so do i need to blanch first or just as they are? twice now owen has tried taking a bite out of one plus id rather a mammoth chopping sesh with them to make it a bit easier when i want to use some iykwim

Annie021063

Thanks for all your ideas on the Broccoli. I think I will try to hang on to it for a bit then try some of your recipes, my garage is very cold and it might last in there.