Mrs McB's countdown to adventures with chooks (and Rock Gods)

Pippilongstocking

I'm making jarmy's brownies which are fab and quite cheap and have used the last of my eggs. Used up some rank chocolate milk shake mix instead of proper cocoa but as the lady (Nigella) says if you've not got it think about what you DO have and don't go out just for one ingredient, that's plain mad. #improviseifyoucan

Now here's a phrase I don't like much, last of my eggs, can't wait until I have them on tap. Must forage for some local eggs tomorrow.

Oh a brigher//deficit note - I went to the supermarket late as collected DD from cinema.

Netted

3x chook breasts - finest/Scottish/the bee's knees - £1.23- 1.34 each down from £6.50-6.66 a pack
25p 1/2 litre cream - will whip and freeze if I don't use it up this week
1 x tuna steaks 1.25 reduced from £5.99
1 x cubed lamb leg meat - 1.09 reduced from £5.49
1 x rump steak - 60p reduced from £3
1 x bag cabbage/leek 25p
3 x grapefruits for 8p each - I hate Mr RG loves so we're sorted for his brekkies when he arrives keeping his heart nice and healthy.
1 x 2ltrs milk 9p
1 x salmon 4 steaks 90p

Ok so I've blown next months budget already but that's teas until after xmas sorted if I'm canny. We're only at home for 18 days in December anyway.

So we start December in minus grocery money
We have rather dodgy brownies cooking
And, no eggs but plenty reduced grub.

Them's the breaks. You got to grab them when you can.

And nope, I didn't feel bad as there were plenty bits there although it was 9.30pm most of the stuff has a date of tomorrow so its buy it and save it from the bin. There were plenty bits I didn't grab as I don't really eat them, I hope someone rehomes it all. And they had oodles of satsumas' but we've already got loads.

5 mins til brownies out.

Pippilongstocking

Brownies worked despite the dodgy flour/milk shake mix.



I'm happy surprised.

rtandon27

Pippilongstocking wrote: »

Netted...

:jhooray for bargains:j
those are some pretty amazing deals you bagged!

...wondering how long the reduced milk lasts & if you freeze or cook with it? - that's the one thing i've never bought reduced as OH is the main consumer and forgets to tell me when it's just gone sour (and can still be used for baking!) so it usually goes down the drain in big globs! We've taken to only using UHT milk as we can always keep a litre in the cupboard for emergencies! It also seems to last longer in the fridge. Any and all tips on using up reduced-price milk much appreciated!

OH wants me to report his bargains from last night!;) He says he's learning!:p
OH nipped over to the store just before THE DR special to purchase some wine. That luxury was not on sale but he came back with some red-stickered pork chops and the lady at the deli counter "made him" buy a fresh ready roasted whole chicken for 1.99!!!!! Wouldn't let him leave without it!;) Chops are in freezer for another day & chicken was demolished by both of us with already purchased spinach & potatoes on the side - bones from said chicken are about to go into the slow cooker for some stock for risotto! & there are some scraps left for chicken salad sandwiches today or a lunch during the week!

Pippilongstocking

Hi there RT some crazy bargains with you too - well done guys!! I love it when the bargains land.

Reduced milk - well I'm like you I don't use much in the way of milk so we only buy it for DD or Mr RG when he's here. If I get reduced milk over 1 pint I try and freeze it in a few different bottles as whilst it lasts it won't last as long as it should, if it were really new, if you see what I mean.

So I've usually a couple of plastic milk bottles kicking around.

We use to use so much more but it was (like you said) one of the things that we were constantly making scones/glooping down the sink.

We're the same with bread now, not glooping it down the sink, but DS was the main consumer, so now we can hardly get through a loaf so I'm having to split one up into 4 and freeze it into bags. Otherwise it ends up on the bird table. :S

You live and learn eh.

Pippilongstocking

Well made it out of the house (eventually) after a lazy start! No wood chopped must do some early this week or we'll be cold - took the opportunity of a walk with DD and a look round the local xmas shops at xmasy stuff which she loves and window shopping is free after all.

Nice walk on beach and home made sweet and sour pork for tea

Turned out OK.

Wii fit finally loaded and I've set some goals for before we get away at xmas - I need to work on my knee which I mangled last year to make sure its a strong as it can be.

I did a meal plan with a few more unusual things on it as we're so guilty of eating the same things all the time.

And I need to fathom in lunches too to make sure its not cupasoup central (I do love a good cupasoup) and now that I'm trying to portion properly we've not so much leftovers.

I bought a couple of thank you cards today for few chums and aside that a LSD no food bought etc.

Busy week ahead but I'm not feeling great to be honest.

Fruit pad at the menders lets see if its good news this week, if not I can live without it.



Another week with mr rg away - which is normal although it feels a bit odd. He's been out on his bike lots so that's great for him.



Rock and roll people, rock and roll. (But free rock and roll in the whole)

So some wii and some telly for me tonight - hope you all have fun!

troglodyte

Sounds like a most bargainaceous weekend at Stripey towers!

On the MSE front here, have almost finished making a pair of bedsocks requested by DD, knitted from a lovely soft ball of yarn given to me in a batch of odds and ends by someone on Freegle. DD has also been busy knitting outfits for her cuddly toys from the same source, so a cosy afternoon has been had by the fire (free wood of course) being creative together. Also made some luscious lemon curd from a couple of lemons that were on the point of going mouldy. And (finally!) finished off the rhubarb and lentil curry!

Karmacat

All sounds good Pippi (and Trog - great knitting news there! I'd be doing some if I didn't want to collapse in front of the tv when I'm home at night

This rhubarb and lentil business sounds amazing - must get more veggies into me, I'm a bit carb-laden at the mo.

Hope today goes well, Pipster

EssexHebridean

Finger-crossing occurring for fruit-pad, and :rotfl: at you being glad the dogs don't have FB accounts - I'm glad too, never quite *get* the thing of people making FB accounts for their pets I'm afraid!

Lovely bargain-hunting going on all over your thread too - I can chip in with some good stuff from the market on Saturday - packs of tortilla wraps for 20p a pack, Sh@rwoods "Hoi Sin Dinner Wrap Kits" 50p each, and Ainsley Harriot Sun dried tomato couscous 6 for £1 so our cupboards are well stocked again. I need to alter the meal plan for this week to take account of what's in the freezers too.

Loving your Wii-fit planning too - good idea to work on that knee before whizzing down hills on sticks too - and the slightest twinge from it and stop where you are and go to the bar instead! Safety first!

Pippilongstocking

EH I think those bargains sound most lovely and I'll be shouting for a vin chaude should my pesky legs (and twigs they'll be balancing on) let me down again.

Pesky hounds indeed.

DD is making tea - Ok so its a leftover recipe for tuna casserole and (Most) of the ingredients are cooked/or only require opening. But there's a cheese sauce to be made and I'm feart for the life of the A%%e of my pot. (I'm sure she'll be fine)

KC a lovely recipe here too from a workshop we did - second recipe down is the 'spiced or curry one' the others are great too.


The only thing I can knit I'm afraid Trog is myself into knots generally great sounding day at your pad too - I'm all for free wood.



So tea is a cooking, fires on, mutts are sleeping.

Off to update the spreadsheets and see if I can make a payment!

Pippilongstocking

And, of course I ended up with a cupasoup and fruit/oatcakes for lunch - Monday mornings arrive quickly.............

Teaching followed by meetings so my day has been both productive and petrols also been expensed.

NSD aside the petrol required to fuel the car.

Dogs walked but only done 1 mile today as work was busy - no real excuse aside a lack of hours in the day.

OH messaged me from his PC so communication has been free today too

I remembered my store cupboard lunch and a brownie for break not very exciting but free grub.

Running low on wood might chop more tonight but also have PC to sort out for returning to work so we'll see.

Decluttered the bookshelf yesterday of random no longer required books and have a box to take to charity shops and a bag to pass on to a chum

HM meals tonight and I've devised a meal plan which isn't the normal nonsense for the week.

Hey its a start.

Having done more indepth research into my 'spends' and where the money has gone on the cc/banks, I have come to the following conclusions.

My children rob me blind.
My daughter costs 3-5 times more a month than I previously thought or budgeted for I need to adjust that as I pay for buses etc which I don't even account for and that's over £15/week for just those.

However these pale into insignificance when I really see where the money has gone -
My travel budget is unrealistic - in the extreme, I've £1200 a year allocated for travel (4x trips to the mainland) and over the past six months I've done more than double that - I need to be realistic about firstly what I can afford to do and actually also allocate ENOUGH money for travel as I have no family here aside DD going away is a fact of life OR I need to staple myself to the island for a while and not go off anywhere.

PS Also I have a dvd/cook book/charity shop addiction which requires a budget or a good slap.