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

taka

weezl74 wrote: »

Hi lesley, I've been mulling on your excellent project manager thoughts overnight.

I agree we need a restatement of the vision.

I think it has to be the teaching to fish and feeding for life part which totally wins, followed by preserving the health of the family. I know I differ from some posters in this, but for me the health benefits of being debt free will be huge (remember the 75-100 cigarettes daily!) and so there are some health benefits I struggle to introduce at the expense of the budget.

It must also be practical, or it will not be followed.

My current thinking is that there are some recipes which are always going to be relatively frugal they won't be based on a whimsical BOGOF which will be gone next month. They may fluctuate a little, but so will the prices of the more expensive goods, and ours will still be relatively cheaper.

So what I'm wondering is, is this then what we are offering to Shirley:

• A meal plan for at least a month to ensure everything gets used up
• The knowledge that it meets basic health targets plus has enough variety and interest to keep the family on board
• A set of recipes to make that happen
• A price comparison point at one moment in time (April 2010 for example) showing that at that point this could be done for £100.

:T:T:T:T:T:T:T:T I love it! :j

I bought a lot of skimmed milk powder to meet calcium requirements, knowing I could fortify a lot of the recipes with it, but have not experimented at all with how to do that, other than one attempt at the onion tart. I'd like it to go in the bread, the carrot cake, cream of tomato soup, pancakes....

I usually only have skimmed milk powder in. I only very, very rarely have fresh milk. My breadmaker bread (if I include milk at all), cakes, pancakes, soup (eg leek and potato) etc all have powdered milk in with no obvious problems... pretty much if it says in a recipe add milk I use powdered instead.

I do wonder how the onion tart'd be though as the origional delia one was cream wasn't it. Skimmed powder may be not creamy enough?

Lesley_Gaye

weezl74 wrote: »

I agree we need a restatement of the vision.

I think it has to be the teaching to fish and feeding for life part which totally wins, followed by preserving the health of the family.
It must also be practical, or it will not be followed.


So what I'm wondering is, is this then what we are offering to Shirley:

• A meal plan for at least a month to ensure everything gets used up
• The knowledge that it meets basic health targets plus has enough variety and interest to keep the family on board
• A set of recipes to make that happen
• A price comparison point at one moment in time (April 2010 for example) showing that at that point this could be done for £100.

That sounds like a realistic plan that can be achieved. I have been pondering about the teaching to fish part. I think we want Shirley and Bob to be able to not only follow a meal plan but to get into the mindset of being able to draw up their own one. That is a much bigger target and not really in the remit at the moment.

But maybe a reason to have, say, three months worth of meal plans. And when they (or the first one) are ready to be published to the outside world, eventually, explanations of how they were arrived at, pence per meal targets and a guide to how to draw one up yourself if you wanted to

What do you think?

Oh and btw well done for the scrummy sounding meal planner - can't wait for the detail. Very Exciting:T:T:T

Kaz2904

Weezl, you have, very nicely summed up what we in our immediate family think about the state of the country. It's not just our immediate family either. I have noticed grumblings of change in a lot of areas over the recent months.
I think that as a nation we are realising that this level of debt is unsustainable. Why is it that the government can't see this? Perhaps because they still have access to easy credit? When that runs out, perhaps we will see a post on the DFW board......... Help £100gazillion in debt and no access to credit, please help.
I wonder if the chancellor would actually listen to the advice posted on there?

I think that we are going towards the original idea of the meal planner and that's where we need to be. Once the family are used to it, they will be able to research further and make other choices.

aless02

weezl, can we pretty please have the ASDA shopping list for this latest meal plan?

wyebird

weezl74 wrote: »

Wyebird, I'm intrigued about yours, you said after having read all this you might change your non-negotiable, but you didn't say what to! Do you mind me asking a little more about that? Thanks

Sorry, I wasn't being rude and not answering, haven't been on here for a couple of days.
I think what I mean is that all things must be negotiable if circumstances mean that they must be. I think when I thought about the original poll, I considered it from the circumstances I am in, not from where Shirley is, and watching the thread develop has changed my outlook. This doesn't mean you have to lose your principles though, if you can't tolerate non free range eggs then you have less or non if you can't afford them.
Cooked a meal for friends last night, 3 omnis, 2 veggies and a vegan. Normally I would have faffed making dishes to suit everyone (Oh can't imagine Thai meal without chicken curry!) and spent loads, but thinking about this thread thought no, I will make something everyone can eat, much cheaper, much more inclusive and a bit of a challenge to assumptions about what consitutes dinner!
Commonly on O/S people make reference to baby steps, and I think that will ultimately be the case for Bobs and Shirleys. Depending upon where they start from in all sorts of ways.

Anyway, am waffling sorry .

Will carry on catching up!

grandma247

Allegra I haven't quite caught up yet but saw your question. I was actually thinking that 2-3 oz smoked bacon and maybe 2 oz strong cheese would probably be enough.
I used far more none smoked bacon than that because I had to use up what I had in the fridge. I also used a couple of individual serve cheddar with marmite tubs that I got whoopsied so about 2 oz but even that did not give it sufficient flavour. I wondered if I had fried the bacon a bit first it might have had more taste?
I have been busy the last couple of days so only had time for a quick read. I want to bake sometime today. I am also going to try a recipe I found in an old email for couscous cake.

weezl74

aless02 wrote: »

weezl, can we pretty please have the ASDA shopping list for this latest meal plan?

with trepidation, and just for you ;)

Fruit & Vegetables Guide price in £


2 x ASDA Smartprice Salted Peanuts (200g) 0.54
2 x Leo Dried Peas with Steeping Tablet (250g) 0.56
1 x Whitworths Dried Marrowfat Peas (1Kg) 1.15
2 x ASDA Smartprice Oranges (6) 1.36
1.5Kg ASDA Bramley Cooking Apples by Weight (100g) 2.25
3.3Kg ASDA Carrots by Weight (100g) 2.31
5 x ASDA Smartprice Brown Onions (2Kg) 3.90
9 x ASDA Smartprice Raisins (500g) 5.85
13 x ASDA Smartprice British Small Potatoes (1Kg) 6.50

Dairy


1 x ASDA Cooks Value Medium Eggs (30) 2.98
1 x ASDA Smartprice Mature White Cheddar (Approx 1Kg) 4.98
18 x Pluspints Dried Skimmed Milk Powder (283g) 17.46 was £1.08
Meat, Fish & Poultry


1 x ASDA Smartprice Smoked Cooking Bacon Pieces (500g) 1.13
1 x ASDA Smartprice Whole Medium Chicken (Approx 1Kg) 1.98
3 x ASDA Smartprice British Beef Mince (400g) 2.91

Frozen


2 x ASDA Smartprice Cauliflower Florets (907g) 1.58
2 x ASDA Smartprice Sweetcorn (907g) 1.72
3 x ASDA Fine Whole Green Beans (1Kg) 3.00
4 x ASDA Smartprice Peas (907g) 3.48

Tins, Jars & Cooking


1 x ASDA Smartprice South American Clear Honey (425g) 0.85
1 x ASDA Vegetable Oil (3L) 2.52
10 x ASDA Smartprice Baked Beans in Tomato Sauce (420g) 2.90
6 x Glenryck South Atlantic Pilchards in Tomato Sauce (425g) 3.90
17 x ASDA Smartprice Peeled Plum Tomatoes in Tomato Juice (400g) 5.27

Packets & Cereals


2 x KTC Lemon Juice (250ml) 0.88
2 x Thomas Allinson Dried Active Yeast (125g) 0.92
4 x ASDA Smartprice Pasta Shapes (500g) 1.28
2 x Silver Spoon Granulated Sugar (1Kg) 1.50
5 x ASDA Smartprice Self Raising Flour (1.5Kg) 2.15
6 x ASDA Smartprice Porridge Oats (1Kg) 3.48
5 x ASDA Smartprice Long Grain Rice (1Kg) 3.65
9 x ASDA Strong White Bread Flour (1.5Kg) 5.49

Drinks


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

weezl74

grandma247 wrote: »

Allegra I haven't quite caught up yet but saw your question. I was actually thinking that 2-3 oz smoked bacon and maybe 2 oz strong cheese would probably be enough.
I used far more none smoked bacon than that because I had to use up what I had in the fridge. I also used a couple of individual serve cheddar with marmite tubs that I got whoopsied so about 2 oz but even that did not give it sufficient flavour. I wondered if I had fried the bacon a bit first it might have had more taste?
I have been busy the last couple of days so only had time for a quick read. I want to bake sometime today. I am also going to try a recipe I found in an old email for couscous cake.

Eeeek, not sure if I have allowed enough cheese for this one! mines a scant 20g of grana padano and 20g strong cheddar. Will see if any of the other ingredients can be tweaked down...:)

weezl74

nopot2pin wrote: »

Thanks Weezl.... the links are all up to date so far.
I haven't really had a chance over the past week to create any more, as life has been happening

hey potty welcome back! no rush on the surveys you've done and are doing a sterling job

weezl74

Kaz2904 wrote: »

When that runs out, perhaps we will see a post on the DFW board......... Help £100gazillion in debt and no access to credit, please help.
I wonder if the chancellor would actually listen to the advice posted on there?

I would love to see that thread! Someone needs to register as Darling and post an SOA! :rotfl: