Frugal Living Challenge 2011 - part 1

never_too_old

enjoyfinancialchallenges
QUOTE
Somebody earlier was saying they keep all bits of left over food, freeze it and share out later. When I had a husband and my four children at home I used to serve up an extra plate full of food, cover it and freeze then if somebody was in a rush and needed to eat straight away they microwaved a plate and off they went. Sometimes on a busy night or when I didn't feel like cooking I took the correct number of plates out of the freezer and we all had something different.

What a brilliant idea, i think i will do this.

lynzpower

thinking of you minnie xxxxx

SF i havent seen other threads but I hope you are OK

Enjoyfinancial challenges, you have made my day with the frozen pastry ends, especially with butter and flour the prices they are a great tip so thank you for sharing! butter is about 1.20 a packet here inthe capital- value is 1.10! I had stew ( from the freezer) instead of making the pie last night as I didnt want to go out and spend that on butter. Have not seen any whoopsided cream either to make my own (dying to do this!) Now ill have to create some space in my freezer for the new tupperware

I have small tupperwares for shreds of cooked chicken, chopped onion, and grated cheese. one day ill make a quesadilla with this. We also froze some roti dough and spicy lentil filling. I am going to turn the bit of lentil filling into a spicy soup- when I have space to refreeeze the soup that I make!

Still have thousands of parsnips adn think im going to make a parsnip gratin type affiara for sunday dinner with them! I have no room to freeze any more!

minnie2

l.m.hart wrote: »

Thinking of you,
x

cw18 wrote: »

((hugs))
hope it went as well as it possibly could

SandraScarlett wrote: »

Minnie - thinking of you.

xx

thank you everyone! been very very hard! he wasnt my son but i cared for him as if he was my own! for 7yrs

NualaBuala

grandma247 wrote: »

NB you could make meals such as chicken and veg casserole by just putting all the ingredients in a bag and freezing it as is so you can just pop it in a dish and cook. I used to do this a lot when I had all the kids at home and I worked.

Thank you, fab idea!

Minnie - hugs to you, you're in my thoughts xxx

Thanks to everyone who sent me good wishes, am sorry I forget who and I somehow lost my multiquote replies!

Jolaaled

enjoyfinancialchallenges wrote: »

Have wanted to tell you all this for ages but I keep on forgetting. I wrap all my odd bits of pastry up and freeze them no matter how small. Then when I want to put a pastry topping on something I take the pastry out of the freezer and grate it on a large size grater straight on top of the fruit or whatever. As long as its fairly even thats all thats needed. Cook as usual, it turns out crispy but not too much. Don't thaw, grate from frozen, if you leave it to defrost its impossible to grate it so take it out of the freezer and grate immediatly. You can use any sort of pastry, short crust, flakey, or rough puff and even mix whatever you have nobody notices.

Absolutely BRILLIANT idea, efc.

MSE O/S-ers are the most creative, imaginative, resilient and ingenious group EVERRRRR

midwinter

Hugs on their way to Minnie2

Thanks for the tip re frozen pastry offcuts/using it up Will have to try that.

Trying to plan next weeks meals and the rest of this weeks...... but people seem to be very fluid about whether they will or will not be here/with or without extra people in tow!

And a working weekend for me, so roast dinner tomorrow instead (some whoopsied beef from December) and I'll try and make it go for as many days/people as I can!

Food shopping tomorrow, hopefully lot of bargains that I can make use of

miss_empty_piggy

Minnie2 - my heart really goes out to you at this devastating time. I lost my nephew when he was just a year old and it is just heartbreaking. One of things for me was people crossing the street because they "didn't know what to say". I understood but it didn't help, However, True friends will be there for you, and even in times like these when there isn't anything anyone can say, just knowing they are there can help. Thinking of you. Take care.

midwinter

Found this site with food saving tips....

so sharing

http://www.lovefoodhatewaste.com/

SandraScarlett

:j

l.m.hart wrote: »

enjoyfinancialchallenges
QUOTE
Somebody earlier was saying they keep all bits of left over food, freeze it and share out later. When I had a husband and my four children at home I used to serve up an extra plate full of food, cover it and freeze then if somebody was in a rush and needed to eat straight away they microwaved a plate and off they went. Sometimes on a busy night or when I didn't feel like cooking I took the correct number of plates out of the freezer and we all had something different.

What a brilliant idea, i think i will do this.

Well, so will I!!!

lynzpower wrote: »

thinking of you minnie xxxxx

SF i havent seen other threads but I hope you are OK

Enjoyfinancial challenges, you have made my day with the frozen pastry ends, especially with butter and flour the prices they are a great tip so thank you for sharing! butter is about 1.20 a packet here inthe capital- value is 1.10! I had stew ( from the freezer) instead of making the pie last night as I didnt want to go out and spend that on butter. Have not seen any whoopsided cream either to make my own (dying to do this!) Now ill have to create some space in my freezer for the new tupperware

I have small tupperwares for shreds of cooked chicken, chopped onion, and grated cheese. one day ill make a quesadilla with this. We also froze some roti dough and spicy lentil filling. I am going to turn the bit of lentil filling into a spicy soup- when I have space to refreeeze the soup that I make!

Still have thousands of parsnips adn think im going to make a parsnip gratin type affiara for sunday dinner with them! I have no room to freeze any more!

Parsnip Gratin Affiara sounds so exotic! I can work out the gratin is cheese, but what is affiara please?

enjoyfinancialchallenges wrote: »

Oh dear, minnie2 sounds like today is not a good one, thinking of you. Pleased you had a surprise at T**** and help with the petrol, take care of yourself. XX

Have wanted to tell you all this for ages but I keep on forgetting. I wrap all my odd bits of pastry up and freeze them no matter how small. Then when I want to put a pastry topping on something I take the pastry out of the freezer and grate it on a large size grater straight on top of the fruit or whatever. As long as its fairly even thats all thats needed. Cook as usual, it turns out crispy but not too much. Don't thaw, grate from frozen, if you leave it to defrost its impossible to grate it so take it out of the freezer and grate immediatly. You can use any sort of pastry, short crust, flakey, or rough puff and even mix whatever you have nobody notices.

.

What an absolutely fantastic idea! None of us are past learning. Someone said, yonks ago (probably Monday ), that they were knitting dishcloths. What do you use as yarn please?

Went into Boots for my prescription and a lady was buying No7 foundation, but, when asked, hadn't a £5 off voucher. So I piped up "I've got a spare one" and gave it to the lady, who was really pleased.

Then, I withdrew some dosh from the bank, and when I got home I had a devil of a job trying to reconcile what I thought I had in my current account, and what Mr Barclays said I had. I checked my figures again, and found I had made a deduction from a figure
I thought was £315, but the "1" was on a line, and was actually £375 - so I've £60 more than I thought! :j :j

Had a great social week so far, ears syringed by the nurse on Monday, blood test at one hospital today, and physio tomorrow morning at another, plus 2 visits to Boots! Tomorrow lunchtime will be nice though, I'm being taken out by an ex student - I taught her nearly 30 years ago!

xx

enjoyfinancialchallenges

I'm pleased that so many have found my cooking tips handy, I think I shall have to share them all with you as I remember them but I don't want to overdo it and bore you ....BUT.... if you have any veg's left over or even cook a bit extra for a couple of days for this dish, carrots, parsnips, cabbage, a few potatoes, leeks, sprouts or whatever you have. I must admit Ive never used mashed pots but I see no reason why they can't be placed at the bottom of the pie dish or put on top like a cottage pie and then covered with a mixture of grated cheese and breadcrumbs. Anyway to continue, cut the veg's into bite sized pieces, mix or layer them in a pie dish or similar, then pour over them a cheese sauce. Sprinkle breadcrumbs...made from left over crusts, nobbys etc, of course and put into a moderate oven until the food is hot and brown, very yummy. Oh! and don't forget to put a big pinch of mustard into the mixture when you make
the cheese sauce.
I forgot to say when I wrote about the left over pasty bits roll them into a ball as you finish as you want something to hold onto. Not so easy if you have lots of bits say from making jam tarts! xx