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

FrankieM

Completely agree with Allegra too!

ariarnia

Weezl.

Sorry if this offends, but you're being tired and pregnant and silly.

Sit down with a cup of tea, a piece of cake if you want, and a cry if you want, but understand that we all think that you're brilliant.

You are doing amazingly well. You have planner 1 practially nailed, planner 2 and 3 are well on way.

AND you still have what, a week? before you're even thinking about being due. then give it a month on the other side for you starting to go stir crazy - if that, my mum was fed up of me after a week!

We'll wait for you, nothings going to go wrong, and even if it does, you've started a great thing here and are lovely.

domesticgoddess789

Weezl, noone is expecting you to get things right first time or be a nutritional genius. I think this journey you've been on is all the more inspirational because you don't have all the answers and that it has taken time and lots of hard work along the way. You're doing an amazing job and have helped so many people with your ideas and recipes already that you should be proud of what you've instigated and achieved so far.
:T

weezl74

ariarnia wrote: »

Sit down with a cup of tea, a piece of cake if you want, and a cry if you want, but understand that we all think that you're brilliant.

Thanks for being supportive.

xxx

aless02

weezl, I think you far underestimate yourself. You have rallied a magnificent, interesting and worthwhile project. I kept meaning to post this, but I instantly thought of you when watching BBC's Famous, Rich & Jobless program on Tuesday night. One of the dudes was talking to an older woman living off benefits who hasn;t had a job for eons. Anyway, he asked how she could afford to eat on her measley money and she replied something to the effect of she eats a lot of toast, as that's pretty much all she can afford and might have an egg once a week, but most of the time she just goes hungry. And then she started crying.

Weezl, this scene hit so hard with me because it's exactly what you are trying to fight. This woman was not equipped (educationally nor literally) to make her meager budget to stretch to healthy, sustaining foods because no one had ever a) told her it was possible; b) (most important) taught her how.

So take heart - there are Shirleys, Bobs and even Mildreds out there who, if given that little piece of rope, can valuably use the things we're doing here to start climbing out of that hole. You don't have to be sad you haven't done it a month!! I'd much rather it take a little longer and be done 100% rather than mad-dash and be something which no one can use.

:T :T :T :T

ariarnia

and the HM pizza was lovely. As is the delia tart given I just gave OH a quarter as his lunch (he just got in from work) and I stole a crafty bite myself.

I never would have tried them if it wasn't for you.

Yategirl

I'm here at the end of thread....... what a mountain! :rotfl:

Weezl - you have done a fab job :T 152 pages of useful information, recipes, facts and figures. Ignore the comments made by people who haven't read everything you have written - some people just like to critise without actually basing their comments on fact! So well done to you and to everyone else!!!! :T:T

I am really keen to give this ago as soon as! Being totally honest, we are in a tight position - dh was made redundant, he is now working for himself but things are tighter than we could ever have imagined. We already cook from scratch, have removed lots but I can see having read through this thread now from start to current finish that there is a long way we can go and I am willing to give it a go. I will be working on Mr YG later (have done the first delia tart for tea already!)

Right,,, tell me what can I do?

Yategirl

aless02 wrote: »

weezl, I think you far underestimate yourself. You have rallied a magnificent, interesting and worthwhile project. I kept meaning to post this, but I instantly thought of you when watching BBC's Famous, Rich & Jobless program on Tuesday night. One of the dudes was talking to an older woman living off benefits who hasn;t had a job for eons. Anyway, he asked how she could afford to eat on her measley money and she replied something to the effect of she eats a lot of toast, as that's pretty much all she can afford and might have an egg once a week, but most of the time she just goes hungry. And then she started crying.

Weezl, this scene hit so hard with me because it's exactly what you are trying to fight. This woman was not equipped (educationally nor literally) to make her meager budget to stretch to healthy, sustaining foods because no one had ever a) told her it was possible; b) (most important) taught her how.

So take heart - there are Shirleys, Bobs and even Mildreds out there who, if given that little piece of rope, can valuably use the things we're doing here to start climbing out of that hole. You don't have to be sad you haven't done it a month!! I'd much rather it take a little longer and be done 100% rather than mad-dash and be something which no one can use.

:T :T :T :T

I knew someone like this - early 20's, single mum on benefits trying her hardest to give her child the best upbringing she could. It was very hard for her - she had very little equipment - just basic pan/knife/chopping board and she had no cooking skills at all. Food was from the expensive corner shop - pasties/crisps/sweets etc and she often went with out. She asked for help and I helped teach her some basics and we discussed budgetting etc but a resource like this would have been a great thing to give her - something she could refer back to time and time again.

Lesley_Gaye

aless02 wrote: »

weezl, I think you far underestimate yourself. You have rallied a magnificent, interesting and worthwhile project. I kept meaning to post this, but I instantly thought of you when watching BBC's Famous, Rich & Jobless program on Tuesday night. One of the dudes was talking to an older woman living off benefits who hasn;t had a job for eons. Anyway, he asked how she could afford to eat on her measley money and she replied something to the effect of she eats a lot of toast, as that's pretty much all she can afford and might have an egg once a week, but most of the time she just goes hungry. And then she started crying.

Weezl, this scene hit so hard with me because it's exactly what you are trying to fight. This woman was not equipped (educationally nor literally) to make her meager budget to stretch to healthy, sustaining foods because no one had ever a) told her it was possible; b) (most important) taught her how.

So take heart - there are Shirleys, Bobs and even Mildreds out there who, if given that little piece of rope, can valuably use the things we're doing here to start climbing out of that hole. You don't have to be sad you haven't done it a month!! I'd much rather it take a little longer and be done 100% rather than mad-dash and be something which no one can use.

:T :T :T :T

completely agree with all the supportive comments.

there is no way you will be able to please everyone Weezl, it just isn't going to happen. And what's more, we all know from less friendly boards than OS, that sometimes people seem to make a point and to take delight in trying to put others in the wrong. Not that I'm saying that that is what is going on, it just does sometimes. People have valid points and less valid points, but you Weezl are the decision maker. If you decide something is valid, it is, and that's that. The buck stops here, or there, you know what I mean.

With my pm hat on, I would say, refocus on the objectives of the project - and as this is your project, they are your objectives. Meal planner one is not far off. To me that is very exciting. Something has been created from nothing that has the ability to change their lives - ooh sequed into Masterchef then.

I too watched the unemployment program and I wanted to scoop that poor woman up and talk softly to her saying, don't worry lovely, we can help, look. You can feed yourself for less than £7 a week on healthy, tasty, proper food, and not a slice of toast in sight.

If you are a person who likes to please others Weezl, remember to look after yourself too, first even.

weezl74

Yategirl wrote: »

I'm here at the end of thread....... what a mountain! :rotfl:


Right,,, tell me what can I do?

I think you're already doing it yategirl

We'll look forward to your verdict on the tart later

Is there anything you'd like to do other than testing recipes?

The main things I think we have need of:

researchers: those whose fingers love to google, Lots of you about, artybear(and mr artybear), taka, ariarnia, susan, murrell...

Project managers: who keep me on the straight and narrow and stop me running in too many directions!

recipe testers: the backbone of this stage of the thread, grandma, poohbear, frankie, the artybears shanks... you know who you all are, and I think actually everyone on here is having their best go at testing

writers and collaters of information: potty with her surveys, IOIWE and Aless with recipecal, howlin who is collecting a step by step guide to key cooking terms and skills, ceridwen with the amazing kit list... there are quite a few more mini articles we could do with someone to compile

innovators of new recipes, like frankie, allegra and lesley

The additional skill I'm really needing at the moment is probably quite a quiet behind the scenes sort of task.:o I have a fabulous spreadsheet designed by lesley following my dodgy initial attempts :rotfl:, which needs quite a bit of info putting in it still and checking with the latest versions of the recipes. Calories added etc.

If anyone feels they can give a bit of time to that it would be great. Lesley and I were joking the other night that I am not really a completer-finisher and I'd hate the project to fizzle because I can't dot the 'i's and cross the 't's of the project

Love to you all and apologies for being self indulgent this afternoon.

I'm desperately tired and I had a sore back. I think it came out in my feelings about the project and I'm sorry for that, thanks for bearing with my womanly roller-coaster :rotfl: