Frugal Living Challenge 2011 - part 1

itsallinthemind

I'm an air head/waffler-sorry! This BBC Recipie for granola is the BEST. All others pale beside it. Obviously you can play with it, omit honey, coconut etc for dietry issues/preferences. Use cheaper dried fruits for budget(although ocean spray dried cranberries make it heaven in a bowl). Replace the 125g maple syrup for about 100g golden syrup if you have none in/or up the honey content if you will use it etc. It really does keep for a month, so whilst it is not the cheapest it is great for a Saturday treat and so much cheaper than the supermarket versions, plus of course you know it has no preservatives/strange additives and you can make it to your taste. Whilst it is high in calories you will not feel like snacking so there is that aspect. You can also add a bit of linseed or flax for health(does not change taste). I love this, may make some tomorrow

oldestgnome

23rdspiral - maybe soften some finely chopped onions/peppers in a frying pan, mix the sausage meat stuffing and roll into meat balls which can then be fried (no oil needed) in the same pan, in the meantime boil some pasta and make a quick tomato sauce with onion, basic tinned tomatoes, whatever veggies you want to through in garlic, herbs of your choice, sprinkle with some cheese if you like and much away! I tend to batch cook tomato sauce and freeze in portions for pizza topping/pasta sauce/soup base/casserole flavouring etc, etc!!

Itsallinthemind - 5/6 NSD well done you! Your table and chairs look great for what you want them for:money: And your cereal bar recipes sound yummy :T

Lily – my current phone has been in the washing up bowl and down the loo – its still going! I took it the battery out and the back off and left it in the airing cupboard for a couple of days and it was ok - sounds like the others have also suggested a variety of ideas– good luck!

Midwinter, thanks for the link! Craft sites are dangerous to my ability to remain frugal, it makes me want to try all sorts of exciting new things but they often need things I haven't got!

I've been spending - but it has been considered spending on dining chair seat pads - (on offer in argos) a charity shop side table and a big plant (on offer in Mr L) for a rather bare room just a mirror to find but will have to wait till the boot sale or charity shop comes up good with that

Friday tomorrow! Night all

itsallinthemind

oldestgnome wrote: »

Itsallinthemind - 5/6 NSD well done you! Your table and chairs look great for what you want them for:money: !

I've been spending - but it has been considered spending on dining chair seat pads - (on offer in argos) a charity shop side table and a big plant (on offer in Mr L) for a rather bare room just a mirror to find but will have to wait till the boot sale or charity shop comes up good with that

Friday tomorrow! Night all

Yes the 1 day was an epic spend though!

I think that is it though, considered spending! If you find a bargain mirror in a normal shop please share, I'm tring to replace my broken(ouchie) full length mirror in oak or silver as frankly I can't handle trying to see if I look ok in a bathroom mirror. Loving my table though, children can do what they want at it without me worrying Charity shops locally are more expensive than the sales :eek:

Pads look fab http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/1220133/Trail/searchtext%3ESEAT+PADS.htm and http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/1220126/Trail/searchtext%3ESEAT+PADS.htm I will think about the cream ones as I was really after black, but what a great price, they were good to start with

dizzy_lizzie

iaitm (itsallinthemind) Thanks for the granola recipe, haven't made before but I know it would be so much healthier. Oh would you mind if I shortened you to iaitm
All this talk of food has got me putting a pan of pasta on. To be fair I haven't had my tea yet!
Will have it with a bit of vitalite stirred through and mixed herbs.
And midwinter that is a fabulous site thanks. Can't believe the amount of times I've googled crochet and craft sites and never come across that one. I've signed up Already got my eye on some lovely crochet flowers. A bit different to how I do them.
Luvz Dizzy x

NualaBuala

dizzy_lizzie wrote: »

I think that would be wonderful too. Something like The Findhorn Community sounds like a wonderful place to reassess and recharge your batteries
http://www.findhorn.org/2010/10/living-a-life-less-ordinary-2/

If you click on the home page it also gives you an angel card reading for the day for anyone that's interested in things like that.
Luvz Dizzy x

Thanks for the link Dizzy, will check it out. I had heard of Findhorn before, would love to live there.

Am bookmarking all the lovely recipes ... and drooling slightly over them! Will be trying all the tips on drying out my keyboard at this rate!:rotfl:

itsallinthemind

dizzy_lizzie wrote: »

iaitm (itsallinthemind) Thanks for the granola recipe, haven't made before but I know it would be so much healthier. Oh would you mind if I shortened you to iaitm
All this talk of food has got me putting a pan of pasta on. To be fair I haven't had my tea yet!
Will have it with a bit of vitalite stirred through and mixed herbs.

Whatever is fine with me, bit of a pain to type. It is great, you just have to stop yourself stealing sneaky handfuls

Oh don't I could murder a bowl of pasta! But instead I'm going to try be good and get some sleep, 5am starts due to school and sitting with the laptop do not mix

dizzy_lizzie

Note to self. Never put a pan of pasta on when hungry. DD said it was too much so I've got to eat it now.
Share it with you iaitm
Just remembered you're off to bed...will have to eat it all myself


Luvz Dizzy x

rubytuesday

apple_mint wrote: »

.

We have one or two things to do in town, so I'll be taking a note pad with me to note our spends so that I can keep track of them.

I find a cheap or free diary is the best thing for keeping track. Got an M and S one for a pound.

enjoyfinancialchallenges

23rdspiral wrote: »

well i've had a happy NSD - i spent lunchtime catching up on this thread! :T

??? i got a whoopsied big patty of sausage meat stuffing for 50p the other day - i whacked it in the freezer.... any ideas what i can do with it ?? (other than the obvious!)


I used to make a sausage and onion pie for my family they loved it. Line a shallow-ish pyrex apple pie type dish with preferably short crust pastry then a thick layer of sliced onions on it, add a thickish layer of sausage meat in smallish pieces not packed in together about the size of half an egg on top of that then another layer of onion and so on until you pie is about double or more the size of dish in height top with onions for the last layer. Top of with another layer of pastry well sealed and make a hole in the top, pour in a well seasoned beaten up egg, brush the top as well if you like and I always add leaves around the hole. Bake in a mod oven of about 350 or 180 for about an hour to hour and a half. Look in the oven from time to time and use something to gently keep the hole open otherwise it will burst its seams. The pastry will look well cooked but the fat will have come out of the sausage meat and flavour it and it will smell delish believe me. Its wonderful eaten hot with vegetables or cold next day and goes a long way. Unfortunatley I no longer eat meat and I'm on WW so I dont think this will do to well with vegetarian saus or WW. I think I will make one and take it with me to cook when I next visit my daughters, she used to love it.

As you can see this is very much an ish pie.

rubytuesday

itsallinthemind wrote: »

I'm an air head/waffler-sorry! This BBC Recipie for granola is the BEST. All others pale beside it. Obviously you can play with it, omit honey, coconut etc for dietry issues/preferences. Use cheaper dried fruits for budget(although ocean spray dried cranberries make it heaven in a bowl). Replace the 125g maple syrup for about 100g golden syrup if you have none in/or up the honey content if you will use it etc. It really does keep for a month, so whilst it is not the cheapest it is great for a Saturday treat and so much cheaper than the supermarket versions, plus of course you know it has no preservatives/strange additives and you can make it to your taste. Whilst it is high in calories you will not feel like snacking so there is that aspect. You can also add a bit of linseed or flax for health(does not change taste). I love this, may make some tomorrow

Great recipes thank you. I am definitely going to try out the Granola!