Live on £4,000 for a year - 2009, Part 3

shaz_mum_of__2

SL just for you and free on a red day

I fried 2 sliced onions and a sliced red pepper and a green one with some garlic until soft

Seasoned with 1 tablespoon italian herbs and a teaspoon smoked paprika,a teaspoon chilli flakes ,salt and pepper then cooled and stirred into a pound of turkey mince along with a beaten egg

Put half the mix in a 2lb loaf tin add 4 hard boiled eggs along the midle and covered with the remaining mixture

arrange some sliced tomatoes on the top and bake at gas 5 until cooked (there was some juice but i tipped it out at the end ) i cooled this and had it cold with salad it was yummy

also

fat free curry sauce

6garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 tsp cardamom seeds, crushed(use seeds only)
1 tsp ground turmeric
2 tbsp ground coriander
2 tsp each ground ginger and cumin
1 tsp chilli powder
2 level tbsp tomato puree
2 onion, peeled and grated(i blend everthing in the blender)
500ml water

200g very low fat natural fromage frais
2 tbsp freshly chopped coriander
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Basically cook all but the last 3 ingredients together until the onion is cooked

Add the veg/meat etc and cook to liking then at the last minute stir in the remainig 3 ingredients

Very nice and frugal if you already have the spices( i think you could substitute with curry powder)

makes enough sauce for 3-4 people we like fish in it or potato and chick peas



Shaz

Frugaldom

Good morning

Shaz, I may need to try that there recipe myself one day, it looks really good in the piccie.

SL, hope the Morecambe trip goes well.

Kittikins, you are hereby designated 'no longer a lurker' and are officially out of lurkdom.

Frugaldom deeds for today include picking more peas, tidying the square foot garden, sweeping and raking the garden, going into town to pick up a few groceries - I've run out of coffee, sugar, fruit, rice and whatever else I have scrolled across messageboard, and putting up more fencing in the garden. Like grocery shopping, fencing is never ending here. :rolleyes:

sophiesmum_2

Nyk - will be going c&c tomorrow for sugar and rice so just get mimimum.
shaz - love the turkey meat loaf pic and pntry looks great too

bails

Morning all, busy here - applying for visas today at £75 each :eek: and we'll have to get more while we're away! Also applying for a job back here and about a zillion other jobs I've forgotten already - good job I have a (long) list. I pulled a muscle in my shoulder/neck this morning and it's gone into spasm so could be a tricky day - going to ask OH to massage it at lunchtime as it was his fault
Love the pantry Shaz, can't remember if I said yesterday Food looks great too, shame I'm veggie.
Right, best get on or we'll be running for the plane in a disorganised shambles :rotfl:

shaz_mum_of__2

Bails

Your excitment is so infectious ...............i know you have a zillion things to do but it sounds like you are enjoying every minute

Oh and i found a free veg rack for the pantry :T......................well i found 3 blue plastic mushroom baskets(stackable ones) in the bin at the back of the chinese takeaway and hubby has found some tiny cators that fit the bottom so its officially a veg trolley..:rotfl:

Just need a push light the battery operated kind ....the only item we will have bought and i think our £land has them if i ever get my car back i will fetch one .........................we go away on sunday and that car is the towcar for our caravan so fingers crossed everyone


Shaz

Kittikins

Thank you NYK, I shall re-assume the mantle of £4k a year-er with pride I like the sound of camping in Scotland next year too - even have an as yet unused Mr T y/s tent we can bring (it's probably about the size of a pocket handkerchief!)

Am definitely planning a picnic day with DD on Sunday, we're busy with end of preschool activities, a friend coming for a sleepover and whatnot on Friday and Saturday so I think a mummy-daughter day on Sunday is in order, just the 2 of us doing what we do best, having lots of fun as cheaply as possible

We often to go W*kehurst as I can get in for free using my work staff pass, so it'll be nice to have a change of scene, even if I do have to pay to get in. Shame I can't take my own icecream!

Frugaldom

Just reading Martin's updates and see that BT have extended their offer of free line installation. SM (and anyone else in need of a line) this could be handy. I used similar deal last year for here.

Link - http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/deals/free-BT-line-installation

cw18

Time for me to shop around for car insurance !!!

Got my renewal notice this morning (due on 1st Aug). Last years premium was £259.99 before my cashback (£45), so I allowed £270 in my budget - which equated to an increase of 5.77%

Renewal is £304.24 -- an increase of 17.02% :eek:

sophiesmum_2

nykmedia wrote: »

Just reading Martin's updates and see that BT have extended their offer of free line installation. SM (and anyone else in need of a line) this could be handy. I used similar deal last year for here.

Link - http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/deals/free-BT-line-installation

The deed is done OH has signed up for the free installation phone line,line rental free weekend calls ....and a broadband package so that's me sorted:D

bails

Thanks Shaz, people keep telling us that we have inane grins on our faces It is so exciting after years of dreaming of this trip through my illness and now it's really happening - I still keep pinching myself :j

On the subject of LETS, I'm interested in how the food exchange works? As far as I understand it with our local one, everyone's time is equal so whatever you do for an hour is equivalent. Does this apply to baking too or is food a straight swop agreed between the 2 parties?

Just paid in the car boot money (plus a whole lot of shrapnel for me ); I told OH I was doing it and he didn't mention where I should put it...so it's in the Dream Pot for now If I play my cards right, we should also have some Grocery budget money left over so that'll top it up even more, WOOP WOOP!

When we get back I'll be looking to save for more home improvements here. I don't know how that'll happen yet til I know both our work situations but I really want to find a way without touching the DP. I keep getting overexcited about how much I'd earn if I was able to go back full-time...down Bails down!

And on that note I'd best get off and finish my application for the school round the corner (where I'd get SEN points too :j)