Weezl's phase 1- recipe testing and frugalisation- come one, come all!

HowlinWolf

My adventures in Weezl frugaldom today.

I have just tested a weetabix fruit loaf with 100g of sugar instead of the 125g I normally use. It's good. In fact dp thinks it's better than the 125g version. So this would effectively save 90g of sugar per loaf which Shirley could use in her pancakes (or her cups of tea). However, I will add a small note of caution, with the reduction in sugar it does need the teaspoon of spice in the cake mix and a teaspoon of sugar sprinkled on the top before cooking which would be an extra 5 grams (I am sure that Shirley could get away with the garam masala but I use mixed spice).

On a second frugal note, when desperate whit*orths dried onions (bought for Mrs M's bagels) make an acceptable substitute for fresh in risotto if it's the end of the month and you've run out of onions.

Sian_the_Green

Any chance of slotting some figs in somewhere? Maybe instead of some raisins...

"Dried figs contain an impressive 250mg of calcium per 100g, compared to whole milk with only 118mg."

Also good for fibre. On special at home bargains but don't seem as much of a bargain at Asda

weezl74

Lesley_Gaye wrote: »

you can't use banana as a substitute when making a quiche!

Drat! Folied again :rotfl:

artybear wrote: »

Hi Weezl and co.

I think you all must secretly have maths and nutritional degrees-I am in awe but have learnt alot!

Anywhoo... either tomorrow or wednesday I plan to make the homemade pizzas as
1) Im eager to be part of the testing 'gang'
and
2) this looks really foolproof and yummy!

However I am wondering why in the recipie (see below) the sauce needs 5 cans of chopped tomato's and as there are two of us shall I half everything.

Any help appreciated

Thank youXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ingredients

For the dough
1 sachet dried yeast 5p
1 tsp salt
pinch sugar
1500g bread flour 61p
drizzle oil, plus extra for greasing 5p
1 litre lukewarm water
For the tomato sauce
320g onions, sliced into rings 13p
garlic paste lots! 15p
5 cans chopped tomatoes £1.65
freshly ground black pepper
140g cheese to sprinkle

Hi artybear, I'd been hoping you'd be back

That quantity made 8x 9-10 inch thick crust pizzas, so less than a can of toms reduced down per pizza, it sounds like loads, but if you quarter it to make just 2 pizzas one for you and one for your OH then it's only one and a quarter cans so shouldn't feel too enormous!

THE ONLY THING YOU CAN'T REDUCE IS THE YEAST!

I made this mistake once, but there is a minimum amount of yeast required for bread dough to rise throughout a mixture, and quartering the sachet won't do it sadly

weezl74

OK chaps, time for a slight rethink.

The issue:

Bob's sunday dinner.

We can publish a healthy meal planner for a family of 4 for £100 a month, no sweat.

Will there be roast meat and trimmings on a sunday?

Nope!

What can Bob do? He can follow the meal planner as it mostly is, lose some fruit and veg so it's only 5 a day, buy a bumper pack of cod liver oil capsules and a multi vitamin and mineral pill off the internet, at less than a penny a person per day, and buy a roast chicken dinner once a week.

Or go with this plan and lose the dinner.

Really, really can't see another way round it. Have chopped out everything else I can, and we're a tenner above budget...

Still It's only been 4 days since calcium and omega 3 gate, so maybe hope will come from another source in time...

Love from Weezl xxx

canidothis

weezl74 wrote: »

OK chaps, time for a slight rethink.

The issue:

Bob's sunday dinner.

We can publish a healthy meal planner for a family of 4 for £100 a month, no sweat.

Will there be roast meat and trimmings on a sunday?

Nope!

What can Bob do? He can follow the meal planner as it mostly is, lose some fruit and veg so it's only 5 a day, buy a bumper pack of cod liver oil capsules and a multi vitamin and mineral pill off the internet, at less than a penny a person per day, and buy a roast chicken dinner once a week.

Or go with this plan and lose the dinner.

Really, really can't see another way round it. Have chopped out everything else I can, and we're a tenner above budget...

Still It's only been 4 days since calcium and omega 3 gate, so maybe hope will come from another source in time...

Love from Weezl xxx

Morning Weezl, are the shopping lists and menu plans up to date? Which post will I find them on?
Ive got my fine tooth comb out and fancy having a wee lookie to see if we can cut back £10

ceridwen

weezl74 wrote: »

OK chaps, time for a slight rethink.

The issue:

Bob's sunday dinner.

We can publish a healthy meal planner for a family of 4 for £100 a month, no sweat.

Will there be roast meat and trimmings on a sunday?

Nope!

What can Bob do? He can follow the meal planner as it mostly is, lose some fruit and veg so it's only 5 a day, buy a bumper pack of cod liver oil capsules and a multi vitamin and mineral pill off the internet, at less than a penny a person per day, and buy a roast chicken dinner once a week.

Or go with this plan and lose the dinner.

Really, really can't see another way round it. Have chopped out everything else I can, and we're a tenner above budget...

Still It's only been 4 days since calcium and omega 3 gate, so maybe hope will come from another source in time...

Love from Weezl xxx

A vote for dropping the Sunday roasts. I thought it was a trifle optimistic to try including them personally.

Bob has to have his fruit and veg - and from natural sources (not supplements). We could start investigating how good supplements are - but thats a whole different issue and would lengthen the workings-out of the plan drastically.

I'm no expert - but when I even started dipping my toe into which food supplements "do what they say on the tin" some whiles back - it was only pretty darn expensive ones (ie ones I find expensive - never mind Bob and Shirley...) that seem to be pretty effective.

weezl74

canidothis wrote: »

Morning Weezl, are the shopping lists and menu plans up to date? Which post will I find them on?
Ive got my fine tooth comb out and fancy having a wee lookie to see if we can cut back £10

morning cani

well I've hacked away at it a lot so it's pretty different. Managed to lose the first £10 but the second is harder

Breakfast is now porridge, oats and 15g dried milk powder monday to friday, eggless pancakes at weekend

lunch is a bean pate/fish pate sandwich

dinners are:

sweetcorn fritters + HM chutney pasta carbonara chana mutter masala + rice pasta con limone I aioli roast chicken , stuffing, veg, roasties and gravy chicken risotto bean curry cauliflower cheese with green bean and beetroot salad HM pizza, Spicey fish cakes with wedges and chutney risi e bisi roast chicken , stuffing, veg, roasties and gravy chicken curry Delia's Thick onion tart cauliflower cheese with green bean and beetroot salad risotto pescatore cauliflower cheese with green bean and beetroot salad Spicey fish cakes with wedges and chutney roast chicken , stuffing, veg, roasties and gravy chicken and sweetcorn pie bean curry sweetcorn fritters bean curry HM pizza, Delia's Thick onion tart roast chicken , stuffing, veg, roasties and gravy chicken curry pasta con limone I aioli pasta carbonara cauliflower cheese with green bean and beetroot salad risotto pescatore
snacks still cereal bars carrot cake and biscuits

shopping list wise, mysupermarket is down for maintenance, but will post as soon as it's back

If we go raw oil in place of 2 cans pilchards and lose the chickens it'll be fine, but the omega, calcium and 5 a day prevent Bob's roast, unless I've missed something enormous!

weezl74

ceridwen wrote: »

Bob has to have his fruit and veg - and from natural sources (not supplements). We could start investigating how good supplements are - but thats a whole different issue and would lengthen the workings-out of the plan drastically.

we could include just 5 a day though, no?

weezl74

Fruit & Vegetables Guide price in £


1 x Leo Dried Peas with Steeping Tablet (250g) 0.28
2 x ASDA Smartprice Beetroot (500g) 1.08
1 x Whitworths Dried Marrowfat Peas (1Kg) 1.15
2 x ASDA Smartprice Oranges (6) 1.36
2 x ASDA Smartprice Lemons (7) 1.76
2.9Kg ASDA Carrots by Weight (100g) 2.03
2 x ASDA Braeburn Apples (8) 2.94
7 x ASDA Smartprice British Small Potatoes (1Kg) 3.50
8 x ASDA Smartprice Raisins (500g) 5.20
7 x ASDA Smartprice Brown Onions (2Kg) 5.46

Dairy


1 x I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Spread (500g) 1.14 any 2 FOR £1.50 - valid until: 30/03/10 5 x ASDA Evaporated Semi Skimmed Milk (410g) 2.50
1 x ASDA Cooks Value Medium Eggs (30) 2.98
1 x ASDA Smartprice Mature White Cheddar (Approx 1Kg) 4.98
7 x Pluspints Dried Skimmed Milk Powder (283g) 6.79 was £1.08 6 x ASDA Semi Skimmed Welsh Milk 6 Pints (3.41L) 12.00 any 2 FOR £4.00 - valid until: 02/03/10
Meat, Fish & Poultry


2 x ASDA Smartprice Smoked Cooking Bacon Pieces (500g) 2.26
4 x ASDA Smartprice Whole Medium Chicken (Approx 1Kg) 7.92

Frozen


2 x ASDA Smartprice Cauliflower Florets (907g) 1.58
2 x ASDA Smartprice Sweetcorn (907g) 1.72
3 x ASDA Smartprice Peas (907g) 2.61
3 x ASDA Fine Whole Green Beans (1Kg) 3.00 any 4 FOR £3.00 - valid until: 16/03/10
Tins, Jars & Cooking


1 x ASDA Smartprice Black Pepper Ground (25g) 0.18
1 x ASDA Smartprice Dried Mixed Herbs (18g) 0.19
1 x ASDA Distilled Malt Vinegar (568ml) 0.36 was 45p 1 x ASDA Smartprice English Mustard (200g) 0.40 was 44p 1 x Rajah Garam Masala (100g) 0.56
1 x Gia Garlic Puree in Vegetable Oil (90g) 0.59
1 x ASDA Smartprice South American Clear Honey (425g) 0.85
1 x ASDA Cooking Salt (3Kg) 0.92
1 x ASDA Pure Sunflower Oil (3L) 2.68 was £2.92 6 x Glenryck South Atlantic Pilchards in Tomato Sauce (425g) 3.90
14 x ASDA Smartprice Baked Beans in Tomato Sauce (420g) 4.06
14 x ASDA Smartprice Peeled Plum Tomatoes in Tomato Juice (400g) 4.34

Packets & Cereals


1 x SuperCook Bicarbonate of Soda (200g) 0.56
2 x ASDA Smartprice Self Raising Flour (1.5Kg) 0.86
2 x ASDA Smartprice Plain White Flour (1.5Kg) 0.86
2 x Thomas Allinson Dried Active Yeast (125g) 0.92
1 x Silver Spoon Granulated Sugar (1Kg) 0.98 2 FOR £1.50 - valid until: 23/03/10 1 x ASDA Wheat Bisks (24x18g) 1.00
4 x ASDA Smartprice Pasta Shapes (500g) 1.28
2 x ASDA Smartprice Long Grain Rice (1Kg) 1.46
7 x ASDA Smartprice Porridge Oats (1Kg) 4.06
9 x ASDA Strong White Bread Flour (1.5Kg) 5.49

Drinks


2 x ASDA Smartprice Tea Bags (80 per pack - 250g) 0.56

ceridwen

weezl74 wrote: »

we could include just 5 a day though, no?

but then - as we know - 5 a day is a very minimal amount indeed.

I'd feel more concerned with the fact that families may well - may very well in fact - end up on the Subsistence Diet for months at a time. I would be dubious about the rest of the family having to do without a better amount of fruit/veg to satisfy one member of the family (ie Bob) being selfish and expecting his Sunday Roast regardless.

Since - in actual fact some families WILL be doing this Plan for months on end - I think its all the more important Bob curbs his selfishness and accepts that everyone (including him:)) gets the higher amount of fruit/veg.

(admitted I DO find it very difficult to place myself in Shirleys shoes envisaging dealing with a selfish husband/father - having got one myself that always placed his family before himself...)

***************************

If there's going to be any "squeezing" and "sneaking bits in on the side" by grabbing a few £s from some other family budget by Bob and Shirley for a bit of "indulgence" - then I would rather that the "indulgence" was sneaking in a top-up of an occasional roast dinner for Bob, rather than Shirley ending up in a position where she was trying to sneak that few £ from some other budget for adequate fruit/veg for all of them.