The Matrix - Re-Evolution!!

Memory_Girl

tenmah wrote: »

Re packed lunches: I would soooo love someone to do a nutrional packed lunch for me! For some reason it is a chore I dislike and end up getting bored of sandwiches so feel myself drawn to the burger bar that is parked right outside our office :eek:

So MG if you were near me, I would most certainly pay you to provide lovely lunches if you were to set up such as business!

Well I can't cook for the entire Matrix - but why don' I use this as the first "challenge" on the MFi3 blog?

Costed and easy to prep packed lunches - because DS1 and I have got 6 lunch menus that we rotate through according to the seasons.

Mostly stuff is prepped at the beginning of a rotation ( balls of pita bread dough, portions of dal etc_ and frozen to be nuked either at work (ok home for me or in to food flasks for DS1)

What do you think?

MG

dirtyepic

Kittikins wrote: »

I take my shredding to work, saves my 'leccy, my work bag is often full to the gunnels with old receipts I was thinking of buying one of those paper log makers and using my fireplace a bit more this winter to get rid of some of the rubbish that somes through the letterbox, there's so much of it!

Hi Kittikins

I thought of exactly the same when I produced 3 binliners of shredded old paperwork a couple of weeks ago.

Since then I have make about 60 smaller, rounder 'briquettes'. I used an old potato ricer which allowed me to squeeze the water out quite effectively and made ice hockey puck shaped briquettes - my paper pucks!

They do take quite a while to dry out and the first batch are still drying out on a windowsill. The second batch were made yesterday and are put outside to dry at every sunny moment on either the draining board or a wire tray.

I also added a few drops of the fragrant oils that I sometimes use in my oil burner, especially the Christmas oils to see if they would maybe smell a bit better!

Unfortunately I am unable to tell you how successful they were but will do so when it gets a bit colder and we start to use the lovely fire.

Fingers crossed!

dirtepic

Dorastar

Dustykitten wrote: »

DS3 has loads of doubles; I could create a list later and pm you it. I'd be happy to send you any you haven't got.

That would be fab - I mentioned my first ebay win to friends on facebook as well and everyone is collecting them now so hopefully dd's set will be completed soon - dh wants to change his ebay log-in now cos I used it and he seriously thinks I am going to go mad and buy the world:p

Housework, gardening, B&Q for beanbag & curtains in sale to complete dd's new look room and then some shredding and then........SCHOOL WORK OR I WILL LOSE MY JOB - won't really but I am a lazy moo at times and it has a habit of biting me on the bum!

Need Matrixey help next week please - I will be allowing myself 2 visits to Matrix land (on here not the other side) per day from now on as I need a kick up the btm to get started on the mountain of school faff which is currently residing in the utility room. Target is to get everything back into my classroom by Friday 2nd September as we are going to need space for dd's birthday guinea pig/s at end of September. If you see me on here too often boot me out

MrsMoo2U

Memory_Girl wrote: »

Funny enough FW does refer to me as the "White Witch"

MG

:j:jand me :j:j Although I am amazed how we all seem to be on the same wavelength a lot of the time. But then there is that suggestion that a group of women synchronise when a they are together a lot. Wonder if that works virtually too.

Memory_Girl wrote: »

Well I can't cook for the entire Matrix - but why don' I use this as the first "challenge" on the MFi3 blog?

Costed and easy to prep packed lunches - because DS1 and I have got 6 lunch menus that we rotate through according to the seasons.

Mostly stuff is prepped at the beginning of a rotation ( balls of pita bread dough, portions of dal etc_ and frozen to be nuked either at work (ok home for me or in to food flasks for DS1)

What do you think?

MG

And how will that make you money? Or is the blog challenge for people to set challenges to make the money in different ways? Must take a look over so I understand what it is you are doing here. If it is for you to be mortgage free then I stick with my making little recipe cards idea - you could sell them via the blog.

hex2

The packed lunch debate is interesting. £1.95 here for hot dinners, £2.25 for secondary school ones. Mine insist on having fish and chip Friday at school and I do resent the cost. 8 yo DS1 is a foodie and will try anything but every so often gets upset and feels the need to conform because someone has commented. His favourite lunch involves mixed beans, salad bits, feta and balsamic syrup. 7 yo DS2 has a set packed lunch, and he won't eat something different if the packet colour changes even. He does take fruit juice, carrots, cucumber, raisins and peppers every do so repetitive rather than unhealthy. Utterly infuriating, but at nursery he ate whatever they put in front of him. I do wonder what the dinner ladies think of the contrast between the two .

Fudge turns into Tablet if you overcook it! More granular but very nice indeed.

Busy day today, I realised last night that the victoria plums are ripe and I need to do something with them, plus DH has roped me into tidying out the work shop so he has room to start building my kitchen once the boys go back to school :j.

The dog chewed the power cable off the shredder so I just keep the confidential waste and use it as firelighters. I am tempted by one of those paper log maker things, the boys would enjoy it and I could dry them out in the garage.

Last year I frittered some money on chemical impregnated pine cones that make the fire burn pretty colours, I wonder if you could do something similar with the wet logs like the essential oils idea.

groatie_queen

Sounds a great idea, MG

After two days on liquidised food, I can now open my mouth far enough (and feel hungry enough) for something tasty, so as an extra special treat I'm going out for breakfast :j- the idea of bacon and eggs cooked by someone else is sooo appealing! I can't remember ever going out for breakfast before, so this will be hugely enjoyable.

I had a lovely surprise yesterday, a parcel from my older daughter. She's sent from NZ an Icebreaker 100% merino zip-up jacket in a gorgeous purple colour, and a rather snazzy beanie! And it's not my birthday! Wearing them already - it's not that warm here!!

Today's the day I tackle the shredding too.

Have a great day everyone.

greenbee

As the sun seems to have gone AWOL today I will get on with the paperwork challenge! I need to make my study accessible as I hope to work in there some of the time next week (although I've been told I still need to try to keep my legs raised) and I also have a number of bills to pay.

I'm hoping that my logs will be delivered today, and I also want to make a strt on the baking for my nephew's birthday.

I suppose I should get up then

Firewalker

tenmah wrote: »

Re packed lunches: I would soooo love someone to do a nutrional packed lunch for me! For some reason it is a chore I dislike and end up getting bored of sandwiches so feel myself drawn to the burger bar that is parked right outside our office :eek:

So MG if you were near me, I would most certainly pay you to provide lovely lunches if you were to set up such as business!

What I have been doing for over a year now (and I am someone who dsilikes sandwiches in all their forms) is freezing small portions of stews and soups. Great packed lunch - healthy and tasty. I am th envy of academia.

FW

thriftyscotslass

Am intrigued to see how your mfi3 blog is going to develop MG. Is September still going to be finance challenge month? Although we are not cutting back any further, I want to make sure we are not "wasting" any funds and our precious pennies are being used to maximum effect, so your health packed lunches would definitely tie in with that :T

SunFlower

I need some lunchtime inspiration, so help, please!