New Thrifty Gifty - Organised for Christmas and all ocassions 2010- Santas Challenges

fedupandskint

Just noticed your weightloss mum2one - well done on your fantastic achievement!

Thanks for the reminder about jam making. I've concentrated on chutneys this year due to a ever diminishing amount of jars. Now I have a load from yesterday I will see if the strawberries are worth buying in the local greegrocer I saw yesterday to use for jam. I've already got the sugar to use up so free up some space from using sugar and lose some space for jars!

Left to make
Hearty Ale Chutney
Marmalade
Strawberry Jam
Nigella's Christmas Chutney

Made and maturing
Plum and Pear Chutney
Delia's Christmas Chutney
Apricot and Date Chtuney
Tomato Chutney
Picalilli
Beetroot Relish
Pickled Onions

Should keep me and family and friends going for the year ahead!

brand8

mum2one thankyou for the recipe for christmas cake my sister is going to make today

junior_j

Morning girls and guys if any?

I am hoping to pop round the cheaper shops and look for Christmas ideas also hoping if a good/easy enough recipe for jam comes up might give that a bash , where is the best place to get glass jars?X

fedupandskint

Strawberry jam made - not sure if it will set as had to boil it for 20mins longer than the recipe suggested and it stayed at the same setting point.

Potted up 5x 8oz jars and 2 larger jars (hoping the smell of cucumber relish disappears from these 2 lids!)

64p per jar from a total cost of

£3.75 for 1.2kg strawberries
£0.78 450g jam sugar
£0.49 500g sugar
total of £4.52

Just off to rescue my banana loaf now out of the oven using up to very very manky bananas

mummyslittleboy

Finished another sock monkey last night so just another 2 to do, hopefully get them started tonight. Just need to go get some buttons for the eyes I did order some from ebay but I have bought the wrong size:o

4 More books turned up today from Amazon for DD2 for christmas just waiting on a couple more for her now.

I notice that in the co-op they still have the big boxes of thorntons for £5.00 so might pop up there later and grab a couple of boxes just to have as stand by presents as there is bound to be some one I have forgotton and if not then we can have them


junior_j Have you tried feecycle for jars?
fedupandskint Wow you have done loads your family will love all your chutneys and jams

fedupandskint

mummyslittleboy wrote: »

I notice that in the co-op they still have the big boxes of thorntons for £5.00 so might pop up there later and grab a couple of boxes just to have as stand by presents as there is bound to be some one I have forgotton and if not then we can have them

fedupandskint Wow you have done loads your family will love all your chutneys and jams

Thanks! Loving the preserving time of year. Very easy and comforting to do. Doing this over the last 2 yrs has made me move away from buying pickles and made me aware of how much they cost to make and how much they are priced up for. Plus they don't have the same artificial taste or super sweetness or additional ingredients. I never noticed this when I ate the shop bought pickles. Now I do and much prefer making them myself. Plus they last for a very very long time maturing as they go

All you need is a reliable recipe you like the sound of, be patient about the chopping up into small bits and then don't open for at least 8 weeks.

I've made some this year I've never tried before so we'll see how these go down with everyone

BTW -I bought some of the Thorntons boxes from Mr T's this week to use as present and even thought they cost £6 I think they were worth it for the price and come in handy for gifts and if not I'll eat one or 2 boxes Good idea to get them now because I think the closer it gets to Christmas the less chocolate offers will be on apart from the tins of roses etc

foxy219

Love reading what everyone is busy making - wish I could get involved, but got to rest my ankle - it is really painful today!
I am getting lots of lovely ideas tho and will definitely get the Christmas cake and chutney ingredients ready for when I am mobile again!!!

cdsmiler

Hello everyone!

Not had a chance to catch up with psts yet, but wanted to ask you all for your help on behalf of a friend. She's finding it really difficult to chose what to buy her daughter this year as she's at that age where she's too young for grown up gifts, and too old for dolls and girls pressies. Here's my friend's email:

"Finding it really frustrating this year. She is too old for toys and too young for grown up stuff. Her likes are.

Horses
Modeling
Math’s
She is in year 6

You can see by that list that it is difficult. I did buy her main present today. She is getting a makeover in Cardiff hair, nails, make up and a professional photo shoot followed by dinner out with me and Mike. She chose that one herself."

I'm thinking of suggesting a pamper hamper type thing. Any other thoughts?

Clare x

SugarSpun

What about a 3D jigsaw cdsmiler? Adopt a horse? An annual pass to a local zoo?

abdonz

this is the recipe i followed for my jam
500g strawberrys
500g cooking apples
1kg jam sugar
juice of 1 lemon

peel,chop and core all fruit
put all fruit and lemon juice in pan with 100 ml water
place on med heat and simmer gently 10-15 mins until tender and reduced
add sugar keep stirring until dissolved
bring to boil for 5 mins
take off heat
saucer test(at begining place a saucer in freezer, put i little bit of jam on cold saucer if it wrinkles after 1 min it is ready)
place jam in sterelised jars
i put my jars in oven for 15 mins gas mark 1.

hope everyone is ok today i didnt managed to get to town to finish off my hampers so wil have to be next weekend now cos kids are off school next week and its a nightmare trying to drag these 3 round shops.
do u think it will be ok to ice my cake this week? will it keep ok?
going to start wrapping a few pressies tonight i think will try and DH involved or send him to pub lol.