Living on next to nought - is that the key?

supersaver1000

Thanks Greying. [/]I know what we're aving forus tea tomorrow night. ''Twas beans on toast tonight with a leftover fruit from work.

I've got lots of rice at moment so I think we'll have some too.

Hopefuljoy you are doing brilliantly. I (and many other MSEers have been there). It isn't worth being miserable and making yourself ill. Well done for coming so far.

Best of wishes to all.

SS1k

Hopefuljoy

Hurrah! What a lovely update Greying and dinner looks amazing! :rotfl:Buoyed up by all your good wishes people I went into school today! Twenty hot flushes later I am home and happy that I went in. My year ten class said they missed me which is real progress and I was able to wish a pupil good luck who has a major op this weekend. :T

One more day and it's the weekend for all of us! Due to the illness I also shed five pounds this week. This time last year I was 37 pounds heavier, I am so glad that the fat I burned off has stayed off.:rotfl: My health has improved and I feel better about myself. My counsellor and I were discussing the prospect of maybe, perhaps, ultimately in the future, sometime me being ready to possibly contemplate a RELATIONSHIP with a MAN of the manly persuasion. :TThese are exciting times people! I'm not quite at the dating stage yet but I'm at least open to the idea. This is progress. You never know, in a decade I might go for a coffee with someone and hold their hand!! :rotfl:

As you can tell I am feeling good and I hope all of you are too! The flatbread look awesome. :DI'm going to make them this weekend for me and DD. Nighty night all and see you tomorrow.:):T:j

Pippilongstocking

That soup and those flatbreads look yummy. Might instigate a 'soupanda' in our house too. (we both have honeymoon bellies)

And, I'll stand down the home guard, glad the meal plans done and the last of the 'staff' have vamoosed. You can enjoy some you time now.



Happy Friday folks. Waves to all on Greying's lovely thread

I'm slowly catching up. Gets a comfy spot and waits for the review later.

Note to self review sept myself

Karmacat

Things sound good now, Greying - excellent! And hopefuljoy, what a lovely post - thats an awful lot of progress this last year, in all sorts of ways. And Pipster! I'll watch for your review, y'know

liltdiddylilt

Ahhhh Greying I hope I didn't make you feel sad for more to come!! You sounded so positive at getting rid of all the trades I felt for sure the back of the work had been broken!! Hope it all goes smoothly until it is all done!

Glad DP has got over his grumps. We don't like men with grumps. It isn't on! :rotfl:

Hopefuljoy Wow to the weight loss!!! Well done you that is incredible going!

Take care all. I am off to submit reports to the FCA... :eek: only half a days work to go!!!

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning :hello:

Well, checking in a little later than anticipated, but you'll be glad to hear that I've not been idle this morn Plus, I've already saved money :money: and found 5p *roadkill* :j How fab is that?

supersaver1000 wrote: »

Thanks Greying. [/]I know what we're aving forus tea tomorrow night. ''Twas beans on toast tonight with a leftover fruit from work.

Superdave - is I rubbing orf on you?? Or are you replying by phone??:rotfl: Thanks for popping in - lovely to *see* ya

Hopefuljoy wrote: »

My year ten class said they missed me which is real progress and I was able to wish a pupil good luck who has a major op this weekend. :T

Hopefuljoy - I hope you are coasting gently into the weekend and that the pupils are behaving well Glad that the Yr10's missed ya - that's some feat, they're usually 'not boffered' about anything And lovely, we're here to cheer you on and hold your hand for as long as you need us, or until some dashing chap comes and whisks you away from all this.......

Pippilongstocking wrote: »

I'm slowly catching up. Gets a comfy spot and waits for the review later.

Ay up lovely - have you the kettle on and the biscuits opened yet? I'm with Karma - I shall be awaiting your review Mind, on the 20th (well, perhaps just after...) you could do an annual review - what a change eh?


Well, it has been a funny old morn. We went to see MrT for a few bits and pieces, and found that on one item, M&$ were cheaper.... 19p cheaper :eek: However, I did get a 3kg bag of All1nson bread flour for £1.50, which makes it exactly the same price as mrL's bread flour. The checkout operative commented on the price, and when I said it was the same as mrL's, they said how heartily sick they were of hearing how cheaper mrAl or mrL's was. I have some sympathy, but then some mrT staff have a pretty poor customer facing attitude in my experience, and people have found a way to 'get back' at them I suppose..... I then went to mrAl's but the staff there were playing silly b's and hadn't opened the shop on time. They were stood, in plain sight, laughing at the queuing customers...... I walked away, I don't do games. Went to mrL, open, well-stocked and the till assistant couldn't have been more pleasant if they had been incentivised. Really nice. I then wandered over to 1celand - the shop, not the country, and as I was a minute or so early, I waited just a bit back from the door. Anyway, the gal opening up the shop opened up the door, greeted me with a cheery, 'Good Morning' and went off to pack a home shop order with a colleague. As I approached the till with my purchase (frozen green beans 900g pack, 89p), she hollered to a colleague to find out which till he was on, and directed me to it and made sure I was served. He was all smiles and hello's and politeness. So nice

Very contrasting.

Anyhoo, how did September go? Well, on the whole, it went very well I think. I had a WHOPPING £18 of my total £180 budget leftover, which was in part due to not needing to spend money on something we normally have to, but I think approximately £10 of it can be ascribed to spending less on food, because I used Leanne Brown's cookbooks, Good and Cheap and From Scratch , a couple of Ms Monroe's recipes and a couple of internet recipes. In total, I tried 21 of Leanne's recipes, from the 2 books, and I think that 15 were 'good enough' and of those 15, there are 12 recipes that will make it into my recipe file as 'keepers'. That's a fairly high percentage don't you think? I think what Leanne has achieved is absolutely stunning, and it's not just that she has put these resources out, available for anyone to download. She has also, through crowd sourcing, raised a shedload of cash to get the 'Good and Cheap' cookbook published so that she could send out copies freely or at a reduced rate to groups working with folk in receipt of foodstamps and other vulnerable groups. If you have a couple of minutes, take a peek at the Fac3book page for this, and have a scroll down. A group of 20 'strangers' got together to help Leanne mail out a whole swathe of the books, and people have been posting pics of themselves with the books - the group that posted on the 27th September look so happy, and they even incorporated a 'Thank you' to Leanne, which I think is brill.

I loved using Leanne's books, and I'm so glad that I do these 'silly' challenges with myself each month, as it takes me to some interesting 'places' and leads to some interesting discoveries

'Workers Wednesdays' - only a bit of fun, but kept the tempo up I loved the roll that the 'Cemitas' used. A bugg3r to make (too sticky) but tasted great and toasted beautifully (to top the onion soup). The banh mi sandwich was the 'star' of that challenge

NSD's I nabbed 16 in the end. But I'm amazed we only had chips for 1 night in September - and that was even before anywork started!! :rotfl:

I seem to have been quite lucky with YS'd things in September. Not absolute bargains, but making things 'affordable' IYSWIM. I can't however, see it lasting, I think the supermercados will adjust and just lower stock levels in reality

So, what've planned for Ocotber? 'We don't bl00dy care, Greying!' goes up the enthusiastic cry......... :rotfl: well, i'm gonna [STRIKE]bore[/STRIKE] tell ya anyhoo........ :rotfl:

I'm going for 15 NSD's again. Seems to be about right to allow for 'bargain spots' but mitigate against 'frittering'

I'm going to do 5 'Soupsand...' for the Thursdays of October. This is an amalgam of 'Soup' and 'Sandwich', however, these are times of austerity here at Greying Towers, so by corrupting it to 'Soupsand...' I can get away with making soup and accompanying it with a flatbread or a scone, rather than running to the expense of a sanger.......... with filling......... :rotfl:

My other 'challenge' to myself, is just a bit of fun, but I've had a good time 'researching' it already, so I hope that you will see the light-heartedness in it You will know that in the vernacular of a certain geographical part of Londinium town, a curry is referred to as a 'Ruby Murray'...... (You're ahead of me aren't you?) Well, as Judi Murray has put herself into the spotlight, on SCD, I thought that for Saturday Night's I would make the connection between, Judi Murray, Glasgow being the 'Curry Capital' (in addition to it being in close proximity to Judi's hometown of Dunblane) and curry being a traditional Saturday night 'takeaway' treat. So, hopefully, the dear girl can keep in the competition for the whole of October, as I've 4 curry meals planned! SCD isn't a programme I watch, so if you could all cheer* JM on so that she at least stays in the comp, I'd be grateful - rather mucks up my challenge if she's voted out early......

Apparently, Glasgow hasn't entered the Curry Capital competition this year, as y'all were too busy making the Commonwealth Games a roaring success and showing off the city to the world :j But last year, 4 curry houses represented Glasgow. So I have had a look at their menus on-line, and each week I have chosen a dish 'inspired' by the type of curries on offer at each establishment - all my curries will be veggie.

So, Saturday's R Strictly Curry Murray! And I'm even having a bash at making paneer one week....... wishus and NoOneAround you inspired me!

* Please note, I am not advocating that you vote for any particular contestant in the competition. Cheering on is free, no phone-call needed :money::D

Right, I'd best go and do a bit more I suppose. There's plenty of sorting and tidying to keep me busy

See y'all later.

Greying

liltdiddylilt

Wowza. Good for you on not going to Mr A's. As for Mr T staff member, perhaps, working in such an establishment, they ought not to comment on pricing of produce to customers, if they don't want to discuss pricing anywhere else?!?!

Silly people. Glad the smaller places were helpful and on time!

P.S I am loving the curry idea! We usually have a curry-ish dish once a week anyway so I might follow your lead!

And soups have been made for the last week and the next 2 weeks favours are ready to rumble. Chorizo and butter bean, & spicy butternut and sweet potato. Nom!!

Go Team Greying!

Greying_Pilgrim

liltdiddylilt wrote: »

Ahhhh Greying I hope I didn't make you feel sad for more to come!! You sounded so positive at getting rid of all the trades I felt for sure the back of the work had been broken!! Hope it all goes smoothly until it is all done!

Hey Lilty! Ta for popping in Nah, don't worry, the next job needing to be done is a 'biggy' in disruption terms, but at least it is discrete to one area of the house. So more manageable. Plus, we will need quotes etc, so it's not automatic that I'd have the same people in - although the chaps were, on the whole, a nice bunch

The mrT employee is someone we...... mmm, not 'know' as such, they are just someone that we choose to got to their till if they are on, iyswim. They call a spade a ****ing shovel at the best of times. They were actually noticing what a good price - for a branded item - the flour was. They think that folk should shop where they like, just don't moan to them about how cr*p mrT is - I'm not entirely sure they've ever won 'dedicated' employee of the month, if you get my drift......:D But they usually have us in stitches with their plain-speaking........

I'm so pleased you don't think I'm too silly with the curry idea. I find that having a 'hook' creates a little bit of fun and I'm more likely to make the dish Anyway, let's see how Judes can do

Greying

starnac

:hello: Greying.

I don't normally post here but I do read often. I just wanted to say that I will be watching your curry Murray with interest. I'm sad to say we had to send DD to school yesterday with some money for school dinners as we didn't have anything to go in her packed lunch due to me working some agency shifts this week. Anyway... She came home yesterday and said that school dinners are "awesome!" Turns out they have curry on a thursday and she loved it. She said the curry was a yellowy-green colour (Korma possibly??) and she really liked it. Curry is something that we have very rarely as I dispise making two different teas so DH and I usually end up eating what the kids have. I'm excited to try putting curry back on the menu planner here. I will be looking forward to seeing your curries

Greying_Pilgrim

Ay up starnac - does DD's school put their menu online? You could perhaps check up to see what it was - but yes, it could have been Korma, a good one for children as not too spicy, but nicely sweet from the coconut. My best memory of curry in the Principality is definitely the creation of 'half & half' - fantastic idea Don't know if you want chips or rice with your curry? Have some of each - 'half & half' :j

Well, I'm looking forward to Curry Murray, as there are several things that I have not tried before, so it'll be a learning curve for me - and I hope that I'll be able to produce something edible!

Lovely to *see* you - thanks for popping in

Greying