June 2012 Grocery Challenge

Suffolk_lass

jumblejack wrote: »

Yay!!!!

I have just learned that cornflowers are also edible:j

I have LOADS of these in my garden. They self seed every year and I love the prettiness of them. They are also blooming at the moment so I will have to experiment with these as well.

Who'd have thought it!

The prettiest free ingredients around!

JJ - I expect you also know that blue cornflower petals made into a poultice (with hot water, left to stand then dabbed on the eyes with cotton wool) or a steam bath (in a bowl of boiling water with blue petals then stick a towel over your head and the bowl) is good for puffy eyes and dark rings under the eyes.

Free beauty products too!

SL

Bitsy_Beans

Reporting a £53 spend in Aldi today, which included a lovely new cool bag which will be great for picnics over the half term and summer holidays.

However am having a total disaster in the kitchen tonight :eek:
I use whole tinned toms so any Tom sauce needs blitzing with hand blender. No only have I managed to knock over one blitzed tin of toms and creme fraiche I have done it again with its replacement :mad::mad: I am afraid the second lot I scooped up and put back in jug for sauce :o should have just ordered a curry and be done with it <sigh>

jumblejack

Florenceem wrote: »

Can't guess soup ingredient. Nosy Florenceem - asks - did you have two pieces of JJ's herby cheese bread with the soup? I can only manage one - very filling.

I was going to but I didn't need the second one. It is now sitting in the fridge ready to mop up the leftover soup tomorrow

Ps, I am well impressed by your watch strap. Very make do and mend!:T
I wish I had needlework skills like that. I love sewing by hand on crafty things and general repairs but am lacking in practical application
(Mum gave me a darning mushroom a few weeks ago that belonged to my maternal grandmother. I have yet to use it but I love it nonetheless!)

jumblejack

Suffolk_lass wrote: »

JJ - I expect you also know that blue cornflower petals made into a poultice (with hot water, left to stand then dabbed on the eyes with cotton wool) or a steam bath (in a bowl of boiling water with blue petals then stick a towel over your head and the bowl) is good for puffy eyes and dark rings under the eyes.

Free beauty products too!

SL

I didn't know that. I just thought cornflowers were beautiful things that benefitted the insects . I am learning all the time and proud of it
Cheers:beer:

Florenceem

jumblejack wrote: »

I was going to but I didn't need the second one. It is now sitting in the fridge ready to mop up the leftover soup tomorrow

Ps, I am well impressed by your watch strap. Very make do and mend!:T
I wish I had needlework skills like that. I love sewing by hand on crafty things and general repairs but am lacking in practical application
(Mum gave me a darning mushroom a few weeks ago that belonged to my maternal grandmother. I have yet to use it but I love it nonetheless!)

I love using a wooden mushroom to darn Mr F's socks. He wears cotton - loose top fitting socks so not to cheapest to buy - quite hard to find in fact. I always check his socks before putting clean ones away from the airing cupboard - don't know how he makes so many holes! :eek:

jumblejack

Mrs_Cookie wrote: »

It was the parsley that threw me, looked frilly round the edge like nettle! Nooo don't get rid of the dandelions! You can make soup, salad, a coffee substitute, eat the petals, make honey with them, syrup and even cookies!!! Your recipe for dandelion soup sounds a bit like one I make, very tasty. Make sure you use young leaves, old ones will taste VERY bitter, young ones are sweeter. Harvesting the roots to dry for coffee making? Then harvest in the autumn when they're full of natural sugars which will make the coffee have a sweeter aroma and taste less bitter! Will PM re wild garlic seeds

I have yet to use herbs to the degree you have reached but it is a lovely and exciting journey. Simple things give you so much pleasure (well, they do for me!).
I am definitely keeping the dandelions now! I have even changed perspective on how I view my neighbours neglected garden!:rotfl: if it wasn't open to foxes, etc, I could forage a few of those leaves!!!

I would love to try and make elderflower champagne this year as the blossoms are already beginning to open on my elder tree. I have made an elderberry cordial before which was sublime but took an awful lot of work. I have yet to utilise the flowers.

The uses you have mentioned for dandelions just makes me think that with a little imagination and a sense of adventure, loads of new ways to use herbs will open up. I can't wait!

Tomorrow I am doing woodwork lessons with the kids. I bought a load of decking planks this afternoon to turn into a posh raised bed for the patio area. Well, as the kids are making it, doing the sawing and fixing it together, even with supervision, it might not have the finished look that I have in my head :rotfl:
This is going to have my lavenders replanted in there as they aren't doing as well in the pots. The chives are also going to go in there.
(When I say raised bed, it will actually fill the 3.5 metres gap which is currently just a gravel border with a few tatty plastic pots.)
I have been wanting to spruce it up for ages. I will then have a bit more space for extra plants!:j

metherer

Hi

Can I ask how much people think I should set aside for feeding the animals? We have 1 dog, 2 cats, 3 kittens around 9 months.

Thanks

rising_from_the_ashes

metherer wrote: »

Can I ask how much people think I should set aside for feeding the animals? We have 1 dog, 2 cats, 3 kittens around 9 months.

I have my pets budgets separated out from groceries - the first budget I ever did (and stuck too) and started when I was in debt and was paranoid that I'd not have money to get things they needed.:o

It allows me to bulk buy their food which, especially for the cats, makes HUGE savings (food is £8.50/kg for a 2kg bag but can get it down to £4.00/kg by buying 10kg ones etc).

It started at £50 / month for the cats (2) - but includes everything apart from their insurance (food, litter, treats, toys, scratching posts, annual boosters, vet trips etc) but I'm pretty sure I'm going to be able to drop it to £40 as due to the bulk buying savings, I now have a comfortable "buffer" for vets trips etc:D

Dog is £40 / month (1) - again incl everything apart from insurance.

HTH with some idea of figures - obviously will be less if you're just incl food & litter

happy_chick_3

I've just about completed my first month of saving receipts and for one person my bill comes to £203.92. I was very disciplined about collecting receipts and checked my bank accounts last night for any I had forgotten so I know this is accurate and I'm a bit shocked! I know it was high but not that high!

Is it too ambitious to try and shave off a quarter this month making it £150? I work 50 hours a week as a teacher so time is limited and while I would love to make everything from scratch my lifestyle doesn't permit it. Is it better to cut down by a smaller amount over a few months?

Florenceem

happy_chick wrote: »

I've just about completed my first month of saving receipts and for one person my bill comes to £203.92. I was very disciplined about collecting receipts and checked my bank accounts last night for any I had forgotten so I know this is accurate and I'm a bit shocked! I know it was high but not that high!

Is it too ambitious to try and shave off a quarter this month making it £150? I work 50 hours a week as a teacher so time is limited and while I would love to make everything from scratch my lifestyle doesn't permit it. Is it better to cut down by a smaller amount over a few months?

3 of my 6 children are teachers + 1 is a Doctor - all work full time and cook from scratch.