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

weezl74

Good morning all

I'm hoping people aren't scared off our recipe testing, I do so appreciate anyone's help.

I wonder if I have given out too many tasks and people are struggling.

Do please say, and I'm sorry if I put any pressure on.

Perhaps lets take it steady.

I fear I have lost us some of our best soldiers by running too fast. (because I know I need to pause soon) where others are rightly having a more moderate pace

others I feel I have lost by having some controversial views.

If these apply to anyone reading, please understand that I am only asking for recipe testing and frugalisation help! No-one has to think like me! (be better if you didn't )

Very much love from Weezl xxx

weezl74

and if anyone is still interested in tests/frugalisation of the recipes::T:T:T

volunteers for the following would be most warmly welcomed (meat eaters list):

• Chicken and sweetcorn pie (this will need to be made from the rest of a whole chicken(small) after the breast meat has all been used)
• Cottage pie
• Chilli mince with rice and peas
• Pasta carbonara
• spanish omelette
• tomato pasta bake

vegetarian list:

• cauliflower cheese, HM potato salad a la allegra's DD
• frugalised tarte tatin
• Lesley's chick pea crumble

ceridwen

weezl74 wrote: »

I'm gobsmacked! I think people haven't read it properly. They'd live off porridge and baked beans forever and get all of their family to, and have powdered milk in tea forever just to not eat a battery egg.

I'm absolutely flabbergasted!

Maybe they didnt read it properly (quite possible...) or maybe there's many more nice/self-sacrificing people around than I thought (faith in Human Nature rising a bit:D).

weezl74

with the vegetarian planner (egg free so the FR fans are happy) do people think it is more of a priority to try to bring back a couple of cups of tea with fresh milk, rather than introducing any other things?

weezl74

Potty and Ioiwe, :A I'm sure you guys are a bit fed up with recipecal and surveys, I'm sure you are after all your sterling efforts. Would anyone be willing to post a couple of surveys or calculate some recipes? I'm just concerned that those are quite big jobs and a bit thankless

And even more of a big ask:

Anyone who is good at detail, unphased by spreadsheets and is skilled at finishing a job jotting each i and crossing each t.

I would massively appreciate being able to share the current meal planner/stock taking spreadsheet with you, for discussion and feedback, and checking out where my logic/maths/optimism are letting me down. I estimate this would take a while, so please only say yes if you feel able to/and interested enough to enjoy doing that!

I notice that googledocs lets you instant message each other whilst looking at the same spreadsheet, perhaps someone would like to do that and we could chat about the spreadsheet as we iron out it's hiccups

ceridwen

weezl74 wrote: »

and if anyone is still interested in tests/frugalisation of the recipes::T:T:T

volunteers for the following would be most warmly welcomed (meat eaters list):

• Chicken and sweetcorn pie (this will need to be made from the rest of a whole chicken(small) after the breast meat has all been used)
• Cottage pie
• Chilli mince with rice and peas
• Pasta carbonara
• spanish omelette
• tomato pasta bake

vegetarian list:

• cauliflower cheese, HM potato salad a la allegra's DD
• frugalised tarte tatin
• Lesley's chick pea crumble

All being well - I'm planning anyway on the chickpea crumble for dinner tonight.

Further on the "non-negotiables" thoughts.....people will vary and there will be some who if their "backs were up against the wall" would throw everything into the ring and say "everything is up for grabs - there are NO non-negotiables". Some would back down a bit and put some things up as non-negotiables. Some would just refuse pointblank to put anything at all up for grabs as negotiable and carry right on spending whatever has to be spent regardless. It depends on the person.

I've already long ago decided that meat and fish are negotiable - and negotiated them right off the table, as the ones I find acceptable are out of reach of my budget. Coffee - well - I'd ration myself to one at breakfast only if desperate. Milk - I figure that I do the O.S. thing of buying full-fat milk and watering it down anyway - and should think that my milk costs no more that way than buying it dried (apart from that organic price premium I pay personally). I'd be worried about my health if I swopped from dairy products being basically organic - but might grit my teeth and do that for a strictly limited period only.

Battery eggs - back in even broke-r days than now - I tried to force myself to eat battery ones for a while. But I didnt like/approve of myself very much - and I prefer to like/approve of myself - so ultimately I couldnt stick with it and had to start buying freerange ones.

So - I think all round that there IS a group of people who will keep a reasonable-size list of non-negotiables on the table no matter what the state of their finances. I would say that I know - as I am one of them. The question is as to what proportion of people are refuseniks like myself (I suspect not that many....).

You are going to get different results between those in large debt on the one hand and those who have little or no debt on the other hand. If someone has got to a stage where they have no mortgage/no debt and have generally organised their finances well:D (but are still on low income) - then they have "set" their baselevel of negotiables as low as they would ever be prepared to go no matter what.

Those who are younger/still struggling with heavy debt havent yet established a Lifetime Baselevel perhaps - and are more open to "negotiating" foods away.

weezl74

ceridwen wrote: »

Maybe they didnt read it properly (quite possible...) or maybe there's many more nice/self-sacrificing people around than I thought (faith in Human Nature rising a bit:D).

I'm glad of the self-sacrificing part C.

I'm a little troubled about the kids.

*unpopular view coming up*

If things were this tight for me and OH, I think I would prioritise other things over the battery issue.

Gulp, sticks neck out: (pictures 9 years in the future)

'ha ha fergus you never have cake in your lunch box, just your weird houmous sandwich, it's titchy! What's up with your bread!?'

'My mum makes it, and we don't have cake because we're kind to chickens!'

'well remind me never to come to your house for tea!'

I was bullied at school for eating 'different food' from my peers.

It was heartbreaking and it took me a long time to realise that I am a worthwhile, interesting creative person with a lot to offer.

If given a choice between knowing that some chickens get bullied and some children get bullied. I'm really sorry, but I'd make cake for fergus out of battery farmed eggs and I'd put them in his lunchbox. And no I wouldn't feel great about myself. But that's what I'd do.

weezl74

ceridwen wrote: »

I've already long ago decided that meat and fish are negotiable - and negotiated them right off the table, as the ones I find acceptable are out of reach of my budget. Coffee - well - I'd ration myself to one at breakfast only if desperate. Milk - I figure that I do the O.S. thing of buying full-fat milk and watering it down anyway - and should think that my milk costs no more that way than buying it dried (apart from that organic price premium I pay personally). I'd be worried about my health if I swopped from dairy products being basically organic - but might grit my teeth and do that for a strictly limited period only.

so it would be very low calorie and fruit and veg would go from the diet for you C if the worst came to the worst? What about when you reached quite a low body weight (not that I think you have any to lose) and had to add stuff back in? Would the coffee with milk go, or the organic, or the FR eggs?

Sorry I'm being dense this morning and can't picture how your 80p in a day would get spent, but I'm really interested, because I think it is very creative to be a refusenik!

ceridwen

Further on the non-negotiables front - maybe a factor that is coming into peoples considerations is "WHO is it that is keeping me so short of money for food?" IYSWIM.

If it is the person themselves that has got themselves into this position - ie by doing lots of consumer spending = lots of debt = PROBLEM
then they might be prepared to negotiate absolutely everything off the table.

Someone who has been forced into debt through no fault of their own - ie because of an unexpected paycut might think very differently and only negotiate away a few things.

Not sure if I am explaining myself very clearly here - but if the problem comes from employer/Government putting them in a situation where their income has dropped from say £25,000 pa to half that figure - then they will probably "dig their heels in" and refuse to negotiate away any foods important to them.

If the fault lies with them personally - because they got themselves into a lot of debt from consumer spending - then they will think "fair enough" and start negotiating away foods.

If they've had a large cut in income - but it was their OWN choice - as they decided to swop jobs to a more "ethical" one - then again they will probably be up for "negotiating" foods away.

So - I think there could be a major difference of opinion between people who put themselves in this position and those who were forced into it. This could be where we are likely to have discrepancies/faults in any polls.

weezl74

ceridwen wrote: »

.

Someone who has been forced into debt through no fault of their own - ie because of an unexpected paycut might think very differently and only negotiate away a few things.

A very interesting point. That's a real tragedy:( and I wonder if there's anything we can do?

Probably not, it's a menu not a course of psychotherapy.:rotfl::o

But it's so sad then that that leads to a double helplessness.

'I got myself into this so I'll get myself out', great :T:T:T:T

'I didn't get myself into this so I darned well won't overhaul my diet to get out of this!' Understandable, but very sad, because this Bob will be in debt much longer than the other chap who actually got himself into it in the first place

Not that I ever believe it is Bob and Shirley's fault.

No-one taught them to fish (live within means)