A new 'tougher' thread... and so it continues

Tiree

Slipping out of lurkdom to say thanks for the heads up on oat cakes at approved foods. Just ordered enough to stock a small shop!

OH thinks I'm mad but he'll happily eat all the oatcakes when they arrive. All I've got to do now is work out where on earth I'm going to put them all.

jpscloud

Good luck with your appointment smileyt, hope all goes well.

I'm back in and trying to resist having a disco nap. Having some coffee now, then will tackle the washing up and a quick clean in the kitchen.

It keeps pouring down and then going sunny alternately here. It's quite warm now, which is something! I wish I could get the washing out on the line though.

Saw a great birthday card today - it said "It's no fun having nothing to do. The fun is having lots to do and not doing it" :rotfl:

Cheapskate

Afternoon all

It's been rather cold and wet here, too, we even had our heating on for a couple of hours twice this week - what happened to flaming June? :eek: One load of washing went out, which is now soaking wet, the second lot (kids' bedding) had to go straight in the drier so it can go back on the beds.

I also have pantry envy! We live in a 1930s semi with a little walk-in pantry, but there are 2 steps down into it, which makes it a bit cellar-like (think very cold, damp/condensation, 8-legged abominations, slaters...etc, etc! :eek:) and I hate it as it's cramped and has the gas/electricity meters right at the back and at the bottom, which reduces usable space. I'd like to get them re-sited, maybe on the outside wall, then line the pantry so it's dry. My extra stocks tend to live in large plastic boxes all over the house and garage, which is a pain.

I start a new job next week and although I don't think we'll be any better off financially, when it gets to winter we might save a bit by no-one at all being at home during the day twice a week. Got to do some batch cooking and baking before then, and get some SC recipes sorted for those days.

It's our wedding anniversary tomorrow - got to make card for DH while he's at work tomorrow! - got a yummy pud reduced (and DS staff discount for said SM!) for after tea.

We have a mortgaged house (should be ours outright in a few years), but we've been married 26 years and bought carefully - although I wouldn't have minded renting (most of my family have and some still do) if we hadn't been lucky enough to buy cheaply at the start. Your home is your home, whoever actually owns it, and most of the folk I know who rent lavish as much care and attention on their homes as owners - I think you have to look after what you've got.

A xo

kidcat

Thanks for the pork recipe I will definitely be trying that this week.

Changed my mind about cinema with kids today, after a few busy days I felt DS would be better off having a day to chill and so far its worked. I took OH sicknote into work and have come home feeling cold, achy and tired just hope am not coming down with some bug.

Am also feeling rather grouchy, OH being here all the time is really making me feel claustrophobic and its driving me mad.
Does anyone else have the problem that OH always manages to scupper meal plans? Yesterday he used the cheese I had earmarked for dinner, today I discover he finished the bag of frozen chips off which I planned on using for three youngest dinner. Last week it was the bacon. Its driving me to distraction and he is going nuts that he should be able to eat without asking "permission". I cannot get through to him that we have very limited fridge and freezer space so cannot keep lots of anything in, there is usually meal ingredients and very little else and then the fridge is full.
What is bugging me is that we had good larder size fridge and freezer when we moved here, but as there was an integrated fridge freezer there wasnt the space. At the time I suggested ripping the integrated one out, and moving the cabinet next door along a space thus freeing space for ours but OH wouldnt hear of it - he liked the whole matching integrated thing.

fuddle

I've tried out approved food. I only put an order in of £20 to try it out. There's pastas, spag, cous cous, oat cakes, popping corn, tins. £60 RRP with 80 things bought. I can only try it out.

My store will definitely be a working store. By that I mean I'll use it and refresh when something is gone. I already work from a monthly menu plan for evening meals but I want to tweak that to incorporate many more stables, reducing the need for added ingredient shops. I'm looking forward to being much more organised and hope to see some savings as well as my confidence in cooking increase.

kidcat

Fuddle I use AP once every few months or so, especially if there is a free delivery offer or similar. I stick to items that we use regularly anyway and avoid the stuff that we wouldnt ordinarily buy. I usually spend about £30 but the contents last ages. last time I spent a little more as the delivery was half price so I went a little mad and bought loads - we are still working our way through, at one point we had 100 tins of tomatoes, but thats now down to 60 I believe.

katep23

Memory_Girl wrote: »

ETA have you tried the spelt cooked, cooled and then made into lamb koftas with some minced lamb? - it keeps them lovely and moist and is a change from bulghar wheat. And like with the kids, if you hide it inside stuff then hubby might not mind so much.

Ooh, that sounds lovely, thank you for the suggestion. I have some whoopsied lamb mince in the freezer so will definitely try that.

And your comment about it being like kids - sooo true :rotfl:

fuddle

Does anyone buy their flour in bulk? If so where from?

Is it a cost effective way of buying in flour? I don't make my daily loaf (although seriously thinking about it) but I have incorporated HM crusty breads, puddings/crumbles, pizza's, garlic breads and scones in my monthly menu.

I'm just wondering whether to cart 3 lots of 1kg every month or so or get a load in the cupboard?

greenbee

All this talk of AF orders has lured me into buying... Oatcakes, wraps, pasta, popping corn, lime cordial, tonic water etc... Including the Thai red curry paste at 1p! I saved £89 this time... Last time I bulk purchased ricola cough sweets (92 packs) and not only did I save £99 on the order as a whole, but my cough cleared up the day they arrived!

Fuddle - I think you'll find MG bulk buys flour, and I think B&T got the same AF 10kg chapatti flour. I know a few people who buy the bacheldre watermill stuff in bulk via amazon, and others who buy from their local mills. You just need to be able to keep the creepy crawlies out (and kill any that may already be lurking). 48 hours in the freezer, then storing in plastic seems to be the preferred option.

mardatha

I'm going to try that watermill multigrain flour from amazon, it looks nice. Kidcat my RV can disrupt anything! - I sit for hours and work out an online shop to the last 2p, find some good bargains and cover all meals. Then he'll jump up and say (at 8pm ) "Oh come on then I'll take you to sainsbugs and we'll just get everything, save paying for delivery"... we go up there and the shelves looks like an army of soldier ants hit them and I get maybe a quarter of the stuff I wanted, then he moans all week that I'm never organised and have no food in.
His other party trick is to wait till I'm all ready with my wee list and my shoes on - then suddenly announce he has to go somewhere and do something and can't I just get asda online like everybody else?
If I get my hair cut short he says "oh its awfy short, I dont like that"..and wqhen I tell the hairdresser not to go too short he says "oh it doesny even look like yuv had it cut, is that worth the money?" :rotfl::rotfl: