2012 Frugal Living Challenge (Part 1)

slowlyfading

Happy - I'd second the idea of going over to the Old Style board - there's lots and lots of ideas on healthy, cheap meals and their variations!

Personally, for me, it's going to be a really filling veg soup, with HM bread if you can you can use whatever veg you have handy or that needs using up, bendy carrots are fine here! nothing better on a cold evening than a mug of soup and bread for dipping! Yum

HappyTorty

slowlyfading wrote: »

Happy - I'd second the idea of going over to the Old Style board - there's lots and lots of ideas on healthy, cheap meals and their variations!

Personally, for me, it's going to be a really filling veg soup, with HM bread if you can you can use whatever veg you have handy or that needs using up, bendy carrots are fine here! nothing better on a cold evening than a mug of soup and bread for dipping! Yum

I do make some lovely soup - even if I do say so myself! And lasagne (made with quorn mince tho). He's a pesco-vegetarian for health reasons only (proper fitness freak :rotfl:) so is happy eating fish.
Anyways thanks guys and I'll have a look for the other forums you mentioned. meals for 50p? Gotta have a gander at that!

HappyTorty

Found an old thread for meals under £1.00

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/870901

mcculloch29

Books... Still in print is the fantastic The Pauper's Cookbook (the Onion, Bacon & Potato Hotpot came from there). Look out for Frugal Food as well, and also any of Shirley Goode's cookbooks from the Eighties. They are great, it would be lovely if they could be reprinted.

HappyTorty

mcculloch29 wrote: »

Books... Still in print is the fantastic The Pauper's Cookbook (the Onion, Bacon & Potato Hotpot came from there). Look out for Frugal Food as well, and also any of Shirley Goode's cookbooks from the Eighties. They are great, it would be lovely if they could be reprinted.

thank you! I love you lot with all your wisdom and cleverness

they have some on amazon i don't mind if they are the same age as me... As long as the recipes are good! (well..if I'm cooking then thats a different kettle of fish altogether!) :rotfl: (sorry i'm a bit hyper today!)

found this too http://shirleygoode.blogspot.co.uk/

dizzy_lizzie

HappyTorty wrote: »

I do make some lovely soup - even if I do say so myself! And lasagne (made with quorn mince tho). He's a pesco-vegetarian for health reasons only (proper fitness freak :rotfl:) so is happy eating fish.
Anyways thanks guys and I'll have a look for the other forums you mentioned. meals for 50p? Gotta have a gander at that!

Here's a great site for budget meals HappyTorty, lots of dietary needs catered for including vegetarian. The founder of the thread is also an mse member
Here it is http://www.cheap-family-recipes.org.uk/
x

HappyTorty

dizzy_lizzie wrote: »

Here's a great site for budget meals HappyTorty, lots of dietary needs catered for including vegetarian. The founder of the thread is also an mse member
Here it is http://www.cheap-family-recipes.org.uk/
x

:T:T xxx

I think over the next few days i'll print out loads and put em in a binder. I want to have proper meal plans and be all organised and such like, but I will be living with my boyf and his cousin(male cousin pah!) and they aren't as bothered as I am :mad:!

rising_from_the_ashes

Hi all ... loads to catch up on and have been suffering MSE withdrawal as .... I've had NO internet since Monday :eek:

Long story but the deal that was supposed to save me money is out the window BUT my original ISP has now offered me a brilliant deal to "come back" (advance line rental matching the other offer, double usage that I had & 1/2 price for 12 months:j) so all is not lost.:)

However, it will take a couple of weeks for refunds etc to hit my account so cash-flow severely restricted just now!:o

Have also bought a new printer - had 2 as one printed (sometimes!) but wouldn't scan and the other scanned but wouldn't print :huh: - and decided to use some of the coin money to replace them - so I can now print lovely pics.

It will save money too as I can now do my own cards again & print them:j

Hopefully, I'll still manage to get the shed by the autumn! (stuff OK in the garage until then as don't use it for the car at this time of year).

Hope all are well & will try to catch up!

twiglet98

HappyTorty wrote: »

I do make some lovely soup - even if I do say so myself!

OS is a brilliant board!

I have NEVER made a soup that is remotely edible. I've tried slow-cooking chicken carcasses, but it ends up full of tiny bones and lots of grease. I think I must overcook veg soup, and get the seasoning all wrong, so it just tastes cabbagey, even if there's no cabbage in it.

My son makes a fab potato and leek soup, my brother makes a chicken and veg soup which is divine, either left chunky (my favourite) or blended smooth (my mother's preference). I'm on the slippery slope now, mid 50s and still rubbish at cooking, the only thing I can make with confidence is shepherds pie, which happens to be my favourite dish. DD's partner is a chef-lecturer and they are both wonderful cooks of zingy sauces, stir-fries, Asian-inspired food, which does nothing for my confidence, as I prefer casseroles, potatoes, stuff they call 'stodge' and I call 'nursery food', and they don't eat puddings, so my crumbles, rice puddings and steamed sponges just contribute to my ever-expanding middle-aged-spread!

Foolproof soup recipes very welcome please, I throw out SO much food and DD/partner are suspicious of whoopsie stickers anyway.

Any links to foolproof bread recipes welcome too!

Mistibee

This recipie is from my grandma who is 90 next month and its cheap and easy!!
Bring to the boil chicken carcass and skin in large pan half filled with cold water(or so it nearly covers the top of the chicken if that makes sense).When water is boiling, turn heat down and simmer for 20 mins.
Take out bones and put liquid thru a seive if needed to get rid of all the bits.
Chop 1 or 2 onions( preference?}, about 5 large potatoes into chunks, about 6 carrots into round slices, and I put 2 parsnips in but thats my own preference. rinse the chopped veg and onion and put it into the stock and simmer for about 20 mins(depending on size of veg). When cooked, add 1 chicken oxo,and stir in 1 can of campbells condensed chicken soup, and this should start to thicken the liquid. Add any uncooked chicken from the carcass( or bung in a few ripped up cooked chicken breasts,} and heat through. The soup is best kept as it is and not blitzed. Hope this helps, enjoy everyone!!