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

cw18

enjoyfinancialchallenges wrote: »

Hi after spending the last 11 days lurking on the sideline Ive decided I am going to join in, if thats OK with everyone.

Welcome aboard

Frugaldom

Unbelievably, the weather here is worsening! :eek: The winds haven't let up for 2 days and seem even worse tonight My greenhouse is taking a real battering as the bricks around the edges are being pinged off like tiddly winks and the guy ropes just aren't strong enough to hold the structure as securely as I fear it needs. It is still there but looks like it is slowly, but surely, being shredded and buckled. It's very sad to think that it may not survive another night of this but I guess it is best it happens now and not during summer storms when it would have been full of tomatoes etc.

Backing/cookathon has gone TOO well! I have ended up with too much food to use, so am sending a large pie over to DD tomorrow - DS will drop it off en route to work. I had a fairly big turkey at Christmas, said it would serve 8 but there are only 3 of us here, so I cooked it, removed the legs and carved everything else up. We have already had 3 main meals each (9) from the white meat plus 3 lots of soup from the main bird. Each drumstick had a fair bit of underside meat attached, so was wrapped and frozen individually. I defrosted one for yesterday and sliced off all the meat I needed to make today's tikka massala and then stuck the drumstick in the slowcooker overnight to make more stock. When I drained off the stock, I removed the remainder of the meat, thinking it would do for adding to the soup - but also got enough for 2 large family-sized pies. I had stripped all the meat into a baking bowl, so I seasoned it, added a tin of (9p) peas, a tin of (11p) carrots and poured over some thick gravy made from a bit of the stock. Luckily, I had mixed up 3 lots of shortcrust pastry (and 3 lots of crumble), so only one lot of that made it into the freezer and 2 lots crumble, as we ate one after dinner. Managed to fit the 2 pies onto one oven rack and the apple crumble onto another, so not too much electricity wasted whilst heating the kitchen. I was so pleased with the end results that I did a sophiesmum and took a photo! Will edit it in soon. So - a curry, 2 x 8" pies and a pot of soup out of one (very rubber) turkey drumstick, not counting the turkey sannie I had whilst making it all.

The winds are so high now that I can feel the house trembling and the livingroom carpet is being lifted by the draw from the chimney! :eek: Anyone know if there's a hurricane near by?? :eek: I hope little calf is staying close by her mum! What a day to be born!

Edited in - Well said Looby, I did know what you meant about the mindset, but I keep thinking back to a particular incident about 18 months ago and having a giggle. A friend and I decided we were going to travel into 'the big town' for the day and find out what all the fuss was regarding Mr T's superstores. I'M STILL RECOVERING! How 'small town' sounding is that? :rotfl: We had never explored a 24 hour store before and we were both over err... [strike]21[/strike] [strike]31[/strike] 41 at the time.

More edited in - Welcome Enjoyfinancialchallenges, hope you have a fun year in 2009 and beware the onset of [strike]insanity[/strike] frugal eccentricity. Thanks for joining us here. :T

sophiesmum_2

nykmedia wrote: »

Unbelievably, the weather here is worsening! :eek: The winds haven't let up for 2 days and seem even worse tonight My greenhouse is taking a real battering as the bricks around the edges are being pinged off like tiddly winks and the guy ropes just aren't strong enough to hold the structure as securely as I fear it needs. It is still there but looks like it is slowly, but surely, being shredded and buckled. It's very sad to think that it may not survive another night of this but I guess it is best it happens now and not during summer storms when it would have been full of tomatoes etc.

Backing/cookathon has gone TOO well! I have ended up with too much food to use, so am sending a large pie over to DD tomorrow - DS will drop it off en route to work. I had a fairly big turkey at Christmas, said it would serve 8 but there are only 3 of us here, so I cooked it, removed the legs and carved everything else up. We have already had 3 main meals each (9) from the white meat plus 3 lots of soup from the main bird. Each drumstick had a fair bit of underside meat attached, so was wrapped and frozen individually. I defrosted one for yesterday and sliced off all the meat I needed to make today's tikka massala and then stuck the drumstick in the slowcooker overnight to make more stock. When I drained off the stock, I removed the remainder of the meat, thinking it would do for adding to the soup - but also got enough for 2 large family-sized pies. I had stripped all the meat into a baking bowl, so I seasoned it, added a tin of (9p) peas, a tin of (11p) carrots and poured over some thick gravy made from a bit of the stock. Luckily, I had mixed up 3 lots of shortcrust pastry (and 3 lots of crumble), so only one lot of that made it into the freezer and 2 lots crumble, as we ate one after dinner. Managed to fit the 2 pies onto one oven rack and the apple crumble onto another, so not too much electricity wasted whilst heating the kitchen. I was so pleased with the end results that I did a sophiesmum and took a photo! Will edit it in soon. So - a curry, 2 x 8" pies and a pot of soup out of one (very rubber) turkey drumstick, not counting the turkey sannie I had whilst making it all. :T

:j :j Good isn't it???:j :j
This is exactly the reason why my freezers never get empty:rotfl: I take a small piece of meat or something out and it transforms itself into another half dozen meals which fills freezer right back up again.
Woo Hoo :T :T Can't wait to share your pics Nyk.:D


PS - Hope the greenhouse survives:eek: - we had to move ours last year as it got battered the previous winter in it's last position, and that was a £250 one.

andromache_2

Hi all! I'm just back from my not-exactly-frugal-but-still-extremely-bargainous 3 nights in Spain - I think it cost about £90 including everything though I need to wait to find out what exchange rate I was getting before I can add an accurate amount to my total. It was lovely - it snowed and it was very beautiful. Back at university now! I've read through lots of posts but I don't have time to read them all! Welcome to guesty and
enjoyfinancialchallenges, hope you'll enjoy this one

Frugaldom

Apologies for hogging another post but I just had to take a pic of the first pies baked in the new oven and have edited my previous post several times already. I don't normally do this, but I am still amazed at how much I got from one turkey drumstick just by adding extra veggies to the pie fillings. I would have included the apple crumble in the pic but it's all gone already! The pie cases used are 8", so one for DD's household and one for us. Next time, I'll freeze the drumsticks uncooked so the pies, stews and extra meat can go back into the freezer.:rotfl:

Members of my family who sneak a peek at this challenge but won't post - see? I CAN bake something without burning it! These are just nicely browned so I can tell they are ready!



PS: It does feel a bit funny taking pictures of food but I'm sure I'll get used to it.

PPS: I may try another giant jaffa cake this year but haven't plucked up the courage yet.

fizzel81

what a busy hour or so

ive gutted the utlity room cupboard and its now full of baby wipes, some nappies 80odd loo rolls and activfizz

rehung the window voiles

stripped the chicken and a stock is now being made in the slowcooker overnight

i can fit 4 plastic storage boxs in the cupboard plus have half a shelf 4 boxs will be £16 but i can then fill them to create a better storecupboard, sophiesmum or anyone who has a good stocked one would be nice to hear exactly what the best things to stock are iykwim mine used to be non existant its only something ive started doing since last year around summer so ive still alot to learn

found a raincover i now dont need and a too small buggysnuggle from ds typical, i gave the p3 buggy away via freecycle the raincover was one that zips on so not much use to anyone who doesnt have this type of buggy and im sure its now wrong time of year for a buggy snuggle

also found new pair of gardening gloves, thats my hint to get starting once its not so frozen out

already planned dinner for tomorrow bacon and chicken wraps with jacket potatoes and will make a chicken n celery soup tomorrow once ive dropped the boys off

must start listing on ebay then will update listings with pictures tomorrow, if i dont start i will never get anything listed

Cat_Addict

Nykmedia that is just amazing - I'm awestruck! All that from one turkey leg! I'd be lucky to get a stir fry out of it! (are they really big?)

sophiesmum_2

Fizzel - what i did was to sit down and make a list of all the non perishable foods that I used on regular basis,then a list of meals that I made regularly and worked on both until I had lots of stuff in I knew would be used over a period of time. Off the top of my head mine has - dried goods - pasta, rice, couscous, peas, bens, lentils, seeds, nuts, barley, bulgar wheat, tapioca,pudding rice etc
tea, coffee, sugar, honey, syrup, marmalade, jam. marmite, sweetener, dried milk, chutney,
bread flour all types,, self raising and plain flour,olive oil, salt, stock cubes,herbs, spices, gelatine,jelly, dessert mix, blancmange, merringue nests, pizza base mix,
tins - kidney beans,tinned fruits, evaporated and condensed milk, salmon, tuna, sardines, few soups, baked beans, lots of tinned toms, beans and sausage, salad dressings and mayonnaise, pickled stuff, pesto,lasagne, olives,capers,, chocs, biscuits, sweets, rice cakes, cans of pop for DD college, OJ cartons. uht milk, baking stuff - toppings, icing sugar, dried fruit, porridge oats, muesli, curry sauces, sweet n sour, chilli sauces, vinegars, etc

I would stick with the stuff you use most regularly first and build up from there.:D

Frugaldom

Cat_Addict wrote: »

Nykmedia that is just amazing - I'm awestruck! All that from one turkey leg! I'd be lucky to get a stir fry out of it! (are they really big?)

Comparing a chicken drumstick to a turkey drumstick would be a bit like comparing a mini to a bus :rotfl:
I wonder how many meals we could get from an ostrich drumstick?? :eek:

Stockpile items - I'll be starting 2009 by topping up stuff I use most of or am most urgently needing - cling film, tin foil, freezer bags, disposable gloves (I always wear them when baking), washing up liquid, toilet rolls, sterilising fluid, washing soda, soap nuts, bicarbonate, vinegar, salt, herbs & spices, cooking oil, sugar, cooking sauces, milk powder, flour, oats and butter/margarine. These are, for me, the basis for most things domestic. I also like to have plenty of tins, pasta, lentils and rice in stock. My downfall is a lack of choice when vegetarian friends visit for holidays or meals - I still get stuck on them, so am going to batch cook tomatoe based sauce.

glodh1973

hi all,
bought some reduced cooked southern fried chicken from asda today and was wondering if it can be frozen as it says do not reheat.

also made a big pan of chicken and sweetcorn soup was just wondering how long that will last in fridge or wether i will need too get it used tonight im new too this frugal living lol

would love too join the challenge but going too get used too frugaling first

glo