'supporting each other through really tough times'

greenbee

SDG - I have the same problem. Freezers are full, cupboards are full, but I really don't seem to be able to work my way through it. But I'm (hopefully) moving soon, so I HAVE to do something about it. I need to save as much as possible, and I also don't want to have to pay to move the food.

Rather than trying to do a detailed meal plan, I came up with some things like:

1. I have enough thai curry sauce and coconut milk to cook four thai curries for four. So that's four weeks plus freezing leftovers when there are only two of us here to eat on busy weeks. So thai curry once a week until it is gone
2. I have enough canned crab (horrible stuff) for 8 weeks. So we are experimenting with spicy (to cover the taste) crabcake recipes once a week until it is gone. Leftovers are frozen to use for lunches... probably after the eight weeks are up!
3. I have enough tins of tuna for lunches for 3 weeks. So that's tuna, bean and pasta salad once a week for three weeks.
4. I have mountains of pulses. So one meal each day includes either lentils, beans or chickpeas (e.g. lentil and fennel soup; lentil, feta, couscous and olive salad; bean curry etc)
5 I have a mountain of dried carbs. So each week I plan one meal with each of couscous, pasta, quinoa, bulghar, rice, spelt, wheat grain. We also have wraps, oatcakes, crackers and bread flour... but those will hopefully gradually work their way in
6. I have lots of dried and frozen fruit. This is being used with porridge/yogurt for breakfasts as well as any baking that comes up.

Slowly but surely I am seeing empty spaces. And only spending about £10/week on fresh salad and veg to go with it.

Hope this helps!

[Deleted User]

MRS CHIP is a wise lady and has her head firmly in reality, thank you!!!

.................................................................................................

The line is drawn, so now onwards and upwards everyone, and have a really good, happy and productive day. Just you lot behave yourselves while I'm away. Just to set a more serious tone on the thread though here is a message for MAR

I've just heard that they are bringing out some new flavours for JELLY BABIES, they are spinach, spring green, courgette,slug and lettuce and best of all KALE!!!!! Ducks and runs, bye, SORRY Lyn xxx

alfsmum

Welcome Sweetpea :T

Enjoy the allotment and your rescue dog. Hope he/she has a lovely time with you in your new way of life.

Welcome to the virtual doorstep

alfsmum

MrsLurcherwalker wrote: »

MRS CHIP is a wise lady and has her head firmly in reality, thank you!!!

.................................................................................................

The line is drawn, so now onwards and upwards everyone, and have a really good, happy and productive day. Just you lot behave yourselves while I'm away. Just to set a more serious tone on the thread though here is a message for MAR

I've just heard that they are bringing out some new flavours for JELLY BABIES, they are spinach, spring green, courgette,slug and lettuce and best of all KALE!!!!! Ducks and runs, bye, SORRY Lyn xxx

Very norti Lyn, kale jelly babies indeed. Where can we get some :rotfl:

Kelp jelly babies might just be a hit though :T

VJsmum

SDG31000 wrote: »

VJsmum As an alternative to tins, have you considered the proper food that supermarkets have in foil packs now. They cost more, but weigh much less. These are the posh ones that Tesco has, but I think they are producing their own versions as well now. http://www.tesco.com/groceries/Product/Search/Default.aspx?searchBox=Look+What+We+Found&newSort=true
They are with the tinned ready meals in my supermarket.

ooh thanks. I think they have some in Sains. I might go back and look as there is more chance of DS eating a chicken tikka than a packet of pasta n sauce. He could have it with a couple of pittas.

Enjoy B'Ham Uni - it is in a beautiful setting. My niece had 3 happy years there and would recommend the Selly Sausage for a reasonably priced greasy spoon type meal!

Possession

Welcome Sweet Pea. : )
I'm still having problems posting and lost another long post, MSE hates me.
Will try to remember all. VJ'sMum I'm so jealous of your Glastonbury trip, hope you have a fab time! I'd like to be there in spirit but I don't do camping and I can't stand a lot or sit on the floor any more so I don't think I'm the ideal Glasto candidate.
SDG nice to see you, and I hope the black dog is leaving you alone a bit more.
I'm sure there was more I wanted to mention but it's all gone out of my head now!
Yesterday was my birthday and the PILs very kindly offered to take us out to the local delicious Thai, but we ended up having to cancel as the bunnies had to go back to the vets, they weren't eating or drinking. Me attempting to wrap them in towels and force feed them recovery mix was a sight to be seen I can tell you. The ceiling, walls and my clothes now have lots of very fetching brown splotches I expect will start a new interior design fashion. They perked up a bit after getting more pain relief, and they have eaten some greenery this morning but still not drunk any water at all, for a good 24 hrs now. Samantha has visibly lost weight and she was skinny to start with. So I shall phone the vet again shortly to see what she wants me to do. It's a good job my work is flexible, as I've spent most of this week sorting out rabbits. On the plus side we have discovered a huge weeping willow, which is their absolute favourite food after the slugs ate all my basil. (GQ I might need your services.) The other seeds the children planted (well, dropped might be a more accurate description) appear to be doing something and the beet leaves are getting much bigger. It's vaguely possible something in my garden might actually survive.

FairyPrincessk

Welcome sweat pea! One of my favourite flowers! I'm a bit envious of your allotment. It sounds lovely. Glad to hear you're moving forward.

Mrs LW, have a wonderful time. As for behaving, well I think that might be too much to ask this lot! Someone is bound to turn up at the SM wearing a damp sheet and asking to by beer and spearmint tea!

SDG--tins of beans and lentils can be used in salads. I've used this one with orzo, or cous cous or brown rice.
http://www.canyoustayfordinner.com/2012/06/07/minted-orzo-salad-with-chickpeas-and-feta/

You could also try a cajun recipe called Red Beans and Rice (this recipe is reasonably authentic--you can use any sort of sausage you like, one with garlic is nice), which uses kidney beans. Just skip the dry beans cooking step.
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/authentic-louisiana-red-beans-and-rice/

This soup uses both lentils and chickpeas. We love it here.
http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/333614/red-lentil-chickpea-and-chilli-soup

For Graham flour, there is something in the US called a graham cracker that I keep meaning to make. They were invented as a health food back in the 1800s, although I'm not sure how healthy they are by today's standards. I would describe them as somewhere between a hob nob and a rich tea biscuit. They are what are used to make s'mores (sandwiches made of roasted marshmallow, bit of chocolate and the crackers--campfire classic) and are nice with peanut butter, nutella etc. smeared on. Since you can't get them in the UK, this is the recipe I use:
http://www.bakingandboys.com/2009/02/homemade-graham-crackers.html

The measurements are U.S. measurements, so let me know if you need help converting. Also, all purpose flour is the same as plain flour, and I use treacle in place of mollasses. It is a bit of work---but it is the only thing I know of for your bag of g. flour.

Meal planning can really be a struggle sometimes. I do it every week before the shop, so that helps. I also keep meal plans in a diary. It has a monthly planner on each page, so if I'm really stuck I just look at the previous month or even the same month the previous year. It takes awhile to get it built up, but in the long run it really did help me.

PRINCESSX87

Possession wrote: »

Welcome Sweet Pea. : )
I'm still having problems posting and lost another long post, MSE hates me.
Will try to remember all. VJ'sMum I'm so jealous of your Glastonbury trip, hope you have a fab time! I'd like to be there in spirit but I don't do camping and I can't stand a lot or sit on the floor any more so I don't think I'm the ideal Glasto candidate.
SDG nice to see you, and I hope the black dog is leaving you alone a bit more.
I'm sure there was more I wanted to mention but it's all gone out of my head now!
Yesterday was my birthday and the PILs very kindly offered to take us out to the local delicious Thai, but we ended up having to cancel as the bunnies had to go back to the vets, they weren't eating or drinking. Me attempting to wrap them in towels and force feed them recovery mix was a sight to be seen I can tell you. The ceiling, walls and my clothes now have lots of very fetching brown splotches I expect will start a new interior design fashion. They perked up a bit after getting more pain relief, and they have eaten some greenery this morning but still not drunk any water at all, for a good 24 hrs now. Samantha has visibly lost weight and she was skinny to start with. So I shall phone the vet again shortly to see what she wants me to do. It's a good job my work is flexible, as I've spent most of this week sorting out rabbits. On the plus side we have discovered a huge weeping willow, which is their absolute favourite food after the slugs ate all my basil. (GQ I might need your services.) The other seeds the children planted (well, dropped might be a more accurate description) appear to be doing something and the beet leaves are getting much bigger. It's vaguely possible something in my garden might actually survive.

Oh no hopefully the bunnies will pick up shortly!!
Animals seem to have a way of giving us a good fright every now & then, Like today one of my kitties have been "missing" for 24 hours,
already i want to throw a search party together, But knowing her she's a kip in someone's garage, So will leave it another few hours!

Pets, Ay, Who'd have em!

FairyPrincessk

Forgot to say, most exciting news of all. I've just been out at lunch time and noticed one of the strawberries must have been telling an embarrassing story as she has gone pink 'round the edges! I shall get my nets up post haste. I didn't grow these, as the plants were here when we moved it, but apart from salad in the window box, it will be one of the first things i've ever eaten out of my own garden (parents had one when I was younger but don't remember it). I'm bursting with excitement.

PRINCESSX87

Sweet_Pea_Cottage wrote: »

I have been reading the OS threads on and off for several years but have never actually registered as a poster...until today.

I was recently made redundant and my life as changed quite a bit over the last few months. I got an allotment in April after being on the waiting list for 5 years (it's literally behind the fence at the bottom of my garden:j), and I also got a rescue dog so I am walking more. I am looking to lead a less stressful and more OS way of life.:)

I have suffered from anxiety and depression since I was a child and it is an on-going battle to keep it from rearing its ugly head so I can empathise with others on here who are struggling with this.

Welcome Sweetpea!

Hopefully you'll enjoy the thread as much as the rest of us, Looking forward to hearing more from you xx