Its tough, it will get better and guess what its freezing brrrrr!

NualaBuala

Gailey, ... yeah, I forgot about the free cheese. I find it hilarious! Our next batch of austerity measures are looming but it'll all be fine as we can have cheese on little sticks. I remember they used to give butter vouchers with the dole years ago. Not fair on vegans, I guess they get nothing.

beingfrugal

NualaBuala thank you so much for the heads up on the Frugal Living Challenge. I've just had a quick look and seems to be a wealth of knowledge on there. I've subscribed to read in depth when my little ones go to bed. Thank you so much

gailey_2

NualaBuala wrote: »

Gailey, ... yeah, I forgot about the free cheese. I find it hilarious! Our next batch of austerity measures are looming but it'll all be fine as we can have cheese on little sticks. I remember they used to give butter vouchers with the dole years ago. Not fair on vegans, I guess they get nothing.

Do the irish really love cheese or is it expensive over there as thourght most of it produced there anyway.
How much cheese ill you get? is it a one off thing or cheese for life?

I admit I sometimes cook 2different meals only because we fancy something different to kids are having as like spicier foods.
If hubbys been working all day hes usally very hungry takes sandwiches mostly for luch so likes big cooked dinner whereas the girls graze and eat mostly lighter meals.

With the girls I keep it very simple they have normally on weekdays

breckafast
morning snacks
lunch is light normally

sandwiches with crips and fruit and veg ie grapes, cherry tomatoes,raw carrots, breadsticks and phili cheese or dips.
Eldest loves baby bells. they then have fromage frais and fruit for afters.

Dinner is smallish cooked meal pastas alwasys a winner.
once a week they have fish fingers and chips or nuggets depends whats in freezer.
They normally have a roast dinner once a week usally on weekend.
pizza maybe once a fortnight try to make my own but sometimes buy mini value ones from sainsburys with wedges.
jacket potatoes easy win too.
fish pie or cauli cheese.
Rissoto great once a month
Mild curry with rice,

It helps also on time if I have batchcooked and freezed a few meals so hubby can just blast in micro not cooking from scratch every night.

Well babys in bed one child to go!

I try to limit our takeaway treat to once a month normally its kebab for hubby I hate them or dominos pizza when buy one get one free we only get india or chinese maybe once/twice a year.
We do have italian takeway keep meaning to try got huge cravings for macaroni cheese latly.
I think the marks dine for 10quid equally a good treat as takeawy and cheaper as normally includes wine too!

Will be trying those potatos boats.

I too love chicken drumsticks as cheap but do a spicey cajun dressing instead.

CRANKY40

DS is a fussy eater in that giving him anything that is the wrong texture makes him vomit. There is only so much of this that one person can take, believe me. Luckily, he is not fussy as in "will only eat chips" or anything like that. He loves mashed potato, but doesn't like the texture of veg, so I puree that and just stick it in. He hates ordinary mince, but quorn mince is acceptable. One of his favorite meals is chicken, mash and carrot and turnip. He's not keen on cake or sweets and never has puddings.

As there is only the two of us now, I do tend to discuss our evening meal with him. I would rather move the menu plan around a bit and make something that we both fancy than have him leave his dinner (there are no second chances in this house - one dinner has been discussed and decided on, you eat that or do without).

As for cooking whatever and whenever, no chance. I'm teaching mine to cook - by the time he's older, I'm hoping we'll be taking turns to make dinner.

bluebag

NualaBuala wrote: »

Gailey, ... yeah, I forgot about the free cheese. I find it hilarious! Our next batch of austerity measures are looming but it'll all be fine as we can have cheese on little sticks. I remember they used to give butter vouchers with the dole years ago. Not fair on vegans, I guess they get nothing.

Strewth, if it wasn't so desperate it would be funny, cheese FGS!

kezlou

I admit i'm a bad mum, we all eat the same food at the same time.
I refuse to cook two different meals.

In our house it breakfast, lunch (pack lunches for all), snacks at 3ish for the boys. Then evening meal about 6ish when OH comes in from work. Puddings a rarity but do have yoghurts and home made cakes in for pack lunches.

Its even colder tonight, were forecast rain, my feet are freezing from walking round the boot sale. We went looking for a table top fridge anda pc but no such luck.

oops just checked the time better get tea on.

gailey_2

bluebag wrote: »

Strewth, if it wasn't so desperate it would be funny, cheese FGS!

Its is sad but found weird way to soften the blow.

Think we should write to local mps saying show me the chedder!:rotfl:

I would settle for free choc or maybe booze even.

I expect we wont get any weird freebie in uk.

gailey

Rosanna79

Jeditheacher, Puddleglum and Gailey.
Great for this retired H/V to hear such brilliant commonsense about kids being told what's to eat or go without and such commonsensense suggestions Gailey!! In my years of practice I never met a child who'd starve itself but I sure met a lot who had their parents running in rings around them!! Parents really are getting good down to earth support on this thread... from other parents who've been there.

Think we all get times of blind panic about finances and the future. I sometimes find myself bothered by what I call the 'Black Dog' of depression ... newly retired, all my immediate family dead except my husband and start worrying about how long before he gets something really bad wrong with him.. but then I force myself to do some exercise, make things, cook or just play my flute or whistle.
I also remind myself of my friends near and far, how the world is smaller because of the internet. Also this thread is especially supportive. It's so important to live in the now I think. Once you've made all reasonable provision for the future little is achieved by fretting other than to make yourself ill.

Looked at some of the discussion threads and was surprised at just how caustic some people can be to others.. Has anyone else found this to be the case?

Nuala
What's all this about free cheese? My sister in law (who's English like me) lives in Galway and we stay in regular contact so I am aware of a lot of the austerity measures happening over there. She hasn't mentioned free cheese , however. It does seem a lot tougher for you guys so far though from what she tells me?

Hope all who are low at present find the strength they need and that tomorrow is a better day for you.

kidcat

Re- seperate meals - I always insisted everyone ate what they got or starved and stuck with it for years, however with both boys having such problems at school etc, I relaxed my rules, there were enough battles to get through every day without turning meal times into the battle ground it had become. TBh it takes loads of time and planning and drives me crazy but the battling, tears, etc took so much more out of me that for me its now worth it. But if the boys didnt have their difficulties/needs then i would be one meal all the way.

NualaBuala

beingfrugal wrote: »

NualaBuala thank you so much for the heads up on the Frugal Living Challenge. I've just had a quick look and seems to be a wealth of knowledge on there. I've subscribed to read in depth when my little ones go to bed. Thank you so much

Oh you're welcome! I love it .. but I find it weird that it was moved to that section of the board cos it seems so Old Style to me.

gailey wrote: »

Do the irish really love cheese or is it expensive over there as thourght most of it produced there anyway.
How much cheese ill you get? is it a one off thing or cheese for life?

:rotfl:
Well I'm sure we like it well enough but I think we're more known for our love of Guinness and maybe potatoes at a push. But as far as I know there are no EU Intervention stores of either of those so dairy is what we're being given. I think it's been done through charities rather than been handed lumps of cheese individually. Still, times are tough enough that a lot of folks are going to be glad of it .. apparently there are a lot of charities, soup-kitchens etc that cannot keep up with demand - there are previously well-off people queuing for food parcels. Very sad but I guess we'll come through it eventually.

ETA .. .no, cheese isn't particularly dear or anything. I think it is just to do with EU stores.