It was getting tough in 2006 and the workhouse still threatens us in 2011

blackandwhitebunny

We always BBQ on boxing day even if it snows.:D I can highly recommend it.

grandma247

SD what do you cook? perhaps we could all come up with ideas to cut the costs.

shelley_crow

blackandwhitebunny wrote: »

We always BBQ on boxing day even if it snows.:D I can highly recommend it.

That's not a bad idea. OH always does the BBQs, he like making fire and cooking meat, caveman manly instinct doesn't extend to cooking on the boring hob :rotfl::rotfl:Maybe I could con him into cooking christmas dinner too....

Gigervamp

We're going to someone's 40th birthday party today. He's having a bbq. I'm currently watching the rain run down the window! And it's that horrible fine rain that soaks into everything, yuk.

flowertotmum

Hi Sd...welcome to my little war mongering mums army..lol.
Hmmm..thats a lot of folks to feed...when all my girls their chaps and grandchildren come for a meal ...i always ask if they could bring a little something with them...my girls bring cakes or cookies...sometimes just the juice for tots to drink...sometimes if they have been whoopsie shopping they will bring them and i cook that or we do a buffet with it all...
How about a huge veggie curry with rice..thats cheap enough to do...or thick soups with crusty bread...
Its nice to have family and friends around for meals and good times but hard on your pocket.
Love the wallace and grommit tea-cosy..lol..
love ftm
xx

3v3

SDG31000 wrote: »

...

I wish I could get my grocery bills down, but cooking for 14 people once a fortnight adds £60-80 to my monthly bill. Our friends, their kids and grandson come for dinner and it's like feeding a swarm of locust. I wouldn't stop doing it any time soon however. My friend's life makes Eastenders look tame at the moment and she needs the break. It puts my worries into perspective if nothing else.

Could you take an American "pot luck" supper approach - everyone brings one dish for the table and everyone tucks in? It's not just about your cost of feeding people, its reciprocal - particularly in the case of your friend (could make her feel that, despite her circumstances, she is making a contribution to an occasion which is less stressful). Also makes for a great talking point/recipe swap Who care's if all 14 of you end up with several dishes of cake and only one of salad ... adds to the fun and suspense When I was at my poorest, that's how we organised things. Had one person turn up with two jars of HM pickled onions as a contribution - not quite a table dish, but, a worthwhile contribution nonetheless. Never had pickled onions so good since!

greenbee

unixgirluk wrote: »

do you have any recipes you can share please?

Make ganache as normal (boil cream and add chocolate, not the other way round. I get my callets in 2nd boxes from montezuma.it's not cheap but it is good quality).

Many of these are a great way if using up all those odds and ends of 'interesting' alcohols...

I'm across I don't do quantities as I just add stuff till it's right

Coffee - either cooled espresso or coffee liqueur and enough ground coffee to give some texture
Almond - amaretto and ground almonds (these are good asps rolled truffles as it can be q bit stiff to pipe into shells
Chestnut - tinned creme de marron in white or mik shells. NOT dark!
Raspberry - creme de framboise and freeze-dried or tinned raspberries
Sloe - cut the flesh of aloes removed from your gin. Come to think of it, you can use any fruit left over from making flavoured booze. If there is a lot of liquid, mix with ganache for filled chocs or rolled truffles. If it's pretty dry, add to tempered chocolate for bars or other solid chocs.
Orange - orange zest and Cointreau/grand marnier/orange curaçao/triple sec
Cherry - chopped tinned cherries and kirsch
Apricot - dried apricots and some random apricot liqueur i found
Fig - finely chopped dried fig. The texture is amazing

Pretty much any dried or tinned fruit that goes with chocolate works, with a little complementary alcohol or juice (alcohol tends to have a stronger flavour, so less liquid is needed). I want to try dried cranberries this year but haven't worked out what with... Actually... I have fresh cranberries in the freezer... I could make cranberry vodka

I CBA to make anything with a liquid centre, and people seem to like ganache fillings.

If you're making lots, I thoroughly recommend getting polycarbonate moulds rather than silicone as it speeds things up and you break fewer. Chocolate making is best done on a cold day (turning the heating of the week before last christmas worked well :cool:)

bonnie_bumpkins

gailey wrote: »

its what the manufacturers of the machines think people do a average wash of 4loads a week god knows where they got that figure.

Is it really what the manufacturers are saying, or what he is telling you they are saying, to save him money?? If you don't mind I'm going to do a bit of research on this - I know how to live :rotfl: - as I honestly can't see that this is right

gailey wrote: »

need to start trying to save for new machone as its essential as launderette miles away

Have you tried freecycle or YMCA shop. These links may help:

http://www.yelp.co.uk/biz/bedminster-ymca-shop-bristol

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FreecycleBristol/

Not sure exactly where you or how remote, but freecycle people are everywhere I think!! I got a washing machine a few years back; it only lasted just over 4 months but it was a godsend while I saved for a new one. I've also got curtain poles, a huge throw which is used as 'carpet' for my daughter's room, old paving slabs, loads of books, knobs for changing the look of bedside tables and other furniture with drawers, a storage chest etc etc and I've given away a pine kitchen table & chairs, bunkbeds which my kids had grown out off, mattresses, bedding, kids books, toys and lots of other small stuff. And it's all free!!

I mention the YMCA shops as I happened to pass one yesterday and saw they were selling 2nd hand white goods and furniture, gadgets, crockery etc at very good prices.

Hope this helps. And when you said in an earlier post you are looking at each month as it comes I think this is very sensible and should keep you sane - ish

BBx

ginnyknit

Ok so we can mention Christmas can we :rotfl: I usually get told off for mentioning first but everyone seems to be ticking things of lists as we get more and more organised each year. I got the Nella Last book from the library the other day and cannot put it down - its inspiring! I also got Economy gastronomy which is interesting and probably helpful for people new to O/S but I think our recipes here are better _ they don't even mention Twinks hobknobs :eek:

Recovered Dd's dining chairs yesterday with a pair of curtains Mum gave me. For some reason DD thought it her duty to accept Ds's offer of his huge glass dining table when he moved into his apartment - its horrible and scares me with Dgs wandering about. Anyway Ds has suggested she sell it and split the cash and she is having my Mums smaller folding dining table and chairs. I think it will make a big difference to her as the dining room will have space in it to manoeuvre. Trouble is the chairs look really good now I have recovered them:p

Right off to clean up quickly so I can do some more sewing....Oh and its raining here.....

lizzyb1812

I've had a bit of a surf re washing machines and I think that the chap in the shop doesn't know what he's talking about. Life expectancy of a machine is quoted in several places at about 11-14 years at an average 400 loads per year, ie about 8 loads per week. I'm sure manufacturers realise machines get used that often and build them accordingly.