Really down and want to give up

ms_london

deliciosa wrote:

Thank you guys for the wonderful support!!!!

I have started my diary, please check it out!!!

x x x x x x x x

to ms_london: pamper package? aw that sounds amazing, whats in it? I willl ppm you once I figure out how... thanks for your encouraging words, i cant believe how nice you people are ehre...

pleasee check out my diary!!

Hey hun, hows it going? Are things looking up? Hope so.

I just thought I would send you a little something from oz, something so that you can have your night in of pampering but not worrying it will affect your debt free date, a bit like a care package I guess. Only if you want it of course..

If you look to the top right hand side of your screen where it says "Welcome, deliciosa", click on the part that says "Private Messages" - thats where you can "PM" people, just type in the persons username and away you go...

Look forward to reading an update.

xx

lynzpower

hope things are looking up for you too hun

I have ZERO time at the mo, but if theres ANYTHING I can do, do let me know.

Eating is the most important thing in the whole world as far as Im concerned LOL.

Lynz
x

deliciosa

Dancingfairy: thanks for your post! Yes it was a really good idea that I eat at the cantine, I already do so but its not THAT cheap and I always tried to eat the cheapest version.. oh well.. 

Lookingahead: - thank you, I am much better now, I am taking the rest of the week off and gather my strength together. I will check out the old style boards for food tips!! What you said about baguettes is probably true, I was shocked when I found myself eating the third baguette and ENJOYING it tremendeously.. it’s a good idea to check tesco, thanks – I will go and see if they have reduced bread today before they close. I would LOVE to eat lentils but I don’t know how to cook them… if you want to give me some ideas I would be very grateful!

So, I want to spend the maximum of £20 on food per week, but that, unfortunately, includes Saturday lunch when I am not at home (out all day) and we usually eat out. What happens is that we go to a nice place usually and since I cant spend much, I always only have a salad (which is ridiculous £3.50 but I have to eat something,,,,) On workdays its not a huge problem to cut back.

Well I never tried using thermos but I think we have one at home – I will check!!!! It would be great if we had a microwave at work but we don’t.

To ms_london: I sent you a message, did you get it?

Thanks again to everyone – and if you havent done yet please check out my diary which explains how I got into debt…

LookingAhead

Hi there. I know you have the other thread/diary thing going now but just posting these recipes on here as miggy was interested and also it is more topical for this thread. Also - you don't need to pre cook red lentils they are SO easy, you just bung them in and they cook in 15/20 minutes.

Please do check out the OLD STYLE board though for more recipes as I only have a few I can type on here.

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?p=4098606#post4098606


Spicy Red Lentil Soup

Soften one chopped onion, one stick of celery & one carrot in 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil for 5 minutes.

Then add one teaspoon of cumin, one teaspoon of coriander and 150grams of red lentils along with 1 litre of vegetable stock (I use Kallo).

Simmer for 20 minutes and then use a stick blender to whizz it up in the saucepan.

This serves 4 people or 2 people if used a s main dinner, with some bread. For one person you can freeze a batch.


Red Lentil & Tomato Soup

You need: a heaped cup full of red lentils, one onion, a clove of garlic, a splash of vegetable oil, 1 big carrot, a large potato, squirt of tomato purée and one tin of chopped tomatoes. Finally you also need 500ml of vegetable stock.

Chop up the onion and cook in the vegetable oil for a few minutes.

Roughly chop up the potatoes & carrots into small pieces (leave skin on - just scrub them clean) and add to the pan. Then add the stock, tinned tomatoes, squirt of purée, the garlic clove and season with salt & pepper.

After simmering for 10 minutes add the red lentils.

Then simmer for another 15 - 20 minutes.

Blend with the hand blender and serve.

This feeds my BF & I with some bread as a main evening meal, it is very filling - and healthy!


Chick Pea Curry

Oh my favourite! I gave Moozie this recipe, I think she likes it too

You need:

2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
1 chopped onion
2 or 3 cloves of garlic - peeled and chopped
1 apple (an old one will do as long as it is not too wrinkly or going mouldy!)
1 green pepper - chopped
A handful of mushrooms - chopped
One potato (scrubbed and in it's skin then roughly chopped into small pieces)
1 tin of chick peas drained (and rinsed if in salt water)
1 can of chopped tomatoes
2 - 3 teaspoons of curry powder (or more if you like it!)
A cupful of frozen peas - optional

What you do is:

Par boil the potatoes so that they are half cooked then set them aside.

Then fry the chopped onion, garlic, pepper and apple in the vegetable oil for a few minutes.

Then add the curry powder and the chopped up mushrooms and stir for a minute or two.

Then add the tinned tomatoes and simmer for 5/10 minutes.

Then add the potatoes and the chick peas, stirring them in gently.

Shortly before the end of the cooking time (check the potatoes are not crunchy!) add in the peas if you are using them. Do not add them too soon or they will go too mushy.

Serve on rice (brown is better but white basmati will do).

If you like *sweet* curry then there is the option of adding in a handful of raisins and 2 tablespoons of dessicated coconut at the time of addign the tinned tomatoes but I do not do this personally as I prefer it a little spicier and not sweet but up to you.

This serves 2 adults but if just one you can freeze a batch - I have done this many times.



Good luck I hope these help! You can buy dried chick peas a whole lot cheaper but they take more preparation i.e. soak over night and boil them to death for two hours or whatever it is before using them but you may be able to live with that so - up to you.

You can also make very cheap and healthy meals out of various tinned beans i.e. cannellini, pinto, kidney beans.

Dried Soya pieces which take one minute to rehydrate are brilliant for bulking out a vegetable chilli with kidney beans and this is fairly cheap to buy and you get a lot.

I got my chick pea curry from this site but I have modified it a bit for my own tastes. Anyway this site gives some cheap ideas for food.

http://www.frugal.org.uk/recipes.html

deliciosa

ohh thank you!!! as I said I saved these already in a recipe folder and will try them out (once i run out of yesterday's chicken and tortilla and ohh i still have houmous too, wow!!!!)