Weezl and friends Phase 2 -giving it a whirl for Shirl! Testing meal plan for a month

kezlou

hi peeps,
welcome to all lurker/delurkers/newcomers etc

I'm back again, my hands slowly getting back to normal. I still feel wretched but that's because of all the pain killers too.

Just did a kind of tester for the new site weezl and nothing came up. Hmmm i wonder why?
Typed in cheap family recipes and main sites to come up were goodtoknow and netmums. Not sure if you wanted to know this but thought i' post it up.
Oh and em i acidentally posted on the grocery challenge that i was testing for bob and shirls meal plan, is that okay?
Weezl: -the site looks so much better, brighter , just plain amazing :T:T:T

I am slowly reading through the posts, my eyes keep going funny, sof ar i'm on page 114.

Back in a bit x

Sallygirl

On the subject of GYO, how about adding in indoor things like growing peashoots to add to salads (from Alys Fowler - Edible Garden series that was on BBC2 recently). Packet of dried peas as for risi e bisi. 1 tablespoon of peas grows a LOT of peashoots and it is absolutely foolproof. Grown on kitchen windowledge so no issues with having/not having a garden. Even my ultra fussy husband likes them in a mixed salad.

I've only been gone another 24 hours and you've all been working overtime again. Allegra - what was that about a coconut loaf please? Off topic, I know, but - recipe or link to recipe please? Thanks hopefully.

weezl74

I think it's one that shaz posted on the 50p thread, but allegra will have to verify!

Why no linkie to your blog from your MSE profile?

shanks77

Thats everything i can find so far xx


1)Weezl, I can dig out my little ledger of garden produce I kept last year if you want ? As it was my first time of growing anything other than herbs, I weighed all the stuff I grew and worked out how much it would have cost me at current prices in the supermarket, then took off the costs (seeds, feed, etc.) to see how much growing my own saved me.


2)I must say, though, herbs were by far the best value, as was foraged stuff (blackberries, herries, chestnuts). From what I can recall off the top of my head, my conclusion was that if the only reason for groing your own was to save money, then you'd best stick to herbs, chillies and salad leaves, with perhaps a couple of runner bean plants, a courgette plant and a couple of cucumber plants thrown in if you have the space. The rest, for me (small garden) just about broke even.

3)I've always said/thought this. It's not difficult, and shouldn't be. I live in a small flat on 22nd floor of a south london tower block, and I currently have growing (from seed): 2 types of cherry tomatoes (chosen specifically for their total plant height), salad leaves, spinach and purple carrots. Total cost: £5 - and that's with 100s more seeds left to trade, or grow next year, or grow and sell as small plants...

4)chillies are very productive and pretty easy to grow, and freeze so you can have them permanently. Coriander - that freezes (for cooking) as well.

Rhubarb. Couldn't be much easier if you have the room. Just bung it in, chuck manure on it in the winter, don't pick the life out of it and you'll have a forest in no time. Great for crumbles, compote, ice cream, as the base of a bakewell tart etc etc

did weezl say chives?

raspberries if you have the room, cost a fortune to buy and you should get a significant amount from half a dozen canes

you get MILLIONS of runner beans from 20 plants, we eat them ad nauseum. I don't preserve any as I think home frozen ones are disgusting and I haven't found any other method I like. So I give away kilos and kilos of them over the season, along with rhubarb as my contribution to the friendship thingy

rocket grows pretty easily and even survived the last atrocious winter and is now sprouting everywhere

5)As I read the above post, I remembered a book I gave to my brother for Xmas. He's not 'poor' (or well-off! lol), and is on the edges of growing-your-own...the book I gave him was:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Collins-Gem-...4821867&sr=8-2

AND SO....how about a "recommended reading" list? Books on growing, foraging, thrift? Perhaps books that the plan developers and testers would say are invaluable to them (again, this is teaching Shirley how to fish, the next step from her 1 month plan)...? Could include books such as (can't remember the titles!) Martin Lewis' book, the Benefit cookbook (live on £5 a day?), beginners guide to growing your own, make do and mend, foraging, jam/chutmey making, gift making...etc? (get yourself some affiliate links and earn some money from each book ordered!)

6)On the subject of GYO, how about adding in indoor things like growing peashoots to add to salads (from Alys Fowler - Edible Garden series that was on BBC2 recently). Packet of dried peas as for risi e bisi. 1 tablespoon of peas grows a LOT of peashoots and it is absolutely foolproof. Grown on kitchen windowledge so no issues with having/not having a garden. Even my ultra fussy husband likes them in a mixed salad.

weezl74

shanks77 wrote: »

Thats everything i can find so far xx

FAB!

OK so can anyone remember anything else we said shirl might need in learning to fish for life?

Any other mini articles we talked about writing?

weezl74

rainbow: Do you fancy putting together a reading list for shirl?

weezl74

Lesley

My dad notes you've changed carrot cake to 'meat' but my version has no lard, so I'm wondering if we are working of different spreadsheets, and I'm sorry cos that's my version control error

Do you think that might explain discrepancies?

weezl74

I don't think 'growing your own' sits comfortably under a heading of 'cooking advice'.

Where might people like to see it situated on the site?

SusanC_2

kezlou wrote: »

Just did a kind of tester for the new site weezl and nothing came up. Hmmm i wonder why?
Typed in cheap family recipes and main sites to come up were goodtoknow and netmums. Not sure if you wanted to know this but thought i' post it up.

It comes near the bottom of page two. It takes a while to get to the top of the SERPS unless you choose a really obscure keyword.

weezl74

update for Morag: Think we've made some headway on the outward links front, so will probably be able to give you the go ahead quite soon