Make do, Mend and Minimise in 2015

jinny

How to Make a Quick and Easy 8 Page Mini-Book From One Piece of Paper: http://youtu.be/21qi9ZcQVto

I dont know if this would be helpful to anyone
its a tut on how to make an 8 page booklet from a single piece of paper. Ive tried it with different size paper and it still works.

I use each page to jot down a flexible blueprint weekly menu
using a eraser top pencil for change of plans
the 8th page i use for a shopping list
then keep it in my purse for bargains.

cheerfulness4

What a clever little video jinny and a useful way you've chosen to help with your menus. I love papercrafts too so I'd enjoy making those.

vhalla1478

Wow! It's wonderful, for the first time this year I've had washing on the line and it's almost all dried; I hope this is a sign of things to come.

A quick recipe for now - one of Gordon Ramsay's which he advocates for breakfast, but which I think also makes a quick and easy dessert.

Blueberries with honey, almonds and yoghurt - serves 4

4 tbsp. flaked almonds, 150ml Greek yoghurt, 2 tbsp. runny honey, 250grams blueberries.

Toss the flaked almonds in a small, dry frying pan over a medium-high heat until fragrant and golden brown (don't leave them unattended as they catch and burn easily). Tip into a bowl and leave to cool. Mix the yoghurt and honey together in a bowl and fold in the blueberries. Divide among small bowls and chill until ready to serve. Scatter the toasted almonds over the dessert and drizzle with a little more honey if you like, to serve.

I sympathise with everyone whose electrical appliances have gone caput recently. Both my microwave and my hairdryer went at almost the same time a few weeks ago; bad enough but not as bad as the week when my washer decided to do the highland fling round the kitchen, the iron went up in flames and a hairdryer committed suicide. C'est la vie!

Another recipe later when I've wielded the vacuum cleaner and brought the washing in - I think the ironing can wait until tomorrow.

Viv x

good_advice

Happy pancake day everyone :wave:

Still have not decided whether to make pancakes later or not.
I am thinking maybe a light tea, such as soup and then pancakes?

Today, I have minimized the shopping bill.
Tesco shop. I only grocery shop once a week and always with a list. Any coupons I have.

I was a bit nosy and got caught! Was looking at the lady using the opposite till. Our shopping was so diffrent.
Mine = piles of fresh fruit, veg, spuds. wholemeal bread and fresh meat. Reduced items...
The other shopper had chosen lots of boxes and packets.(being kind here :0/)
I asked how long the shopping was for and she said till Friday :eek:

I bought a lot of fresh meat this week.
3 for £10 = Pork chops, sausages and diced beef.(chops now in freezer)
I went MAD with a big pork joint as it is on offer. Paid £8.78.
The pork joint , I will cut into x3 and freeze x2. So (get the calculator out) £2.92 for a roast dinner for two people and cold with jacket spud the next day.
= 73p per person per meal

I set the man on the deli a challenge :rotfl:got the idea from the TV. I asked if he could beat the prices I would pay for the nice sliced ham and mature cheddar cheese pre packed and Tesco own brand.
Well, He weighed the cheapest sliced ham and it was a fail

Next, he looked at the cheese and even went to look at the rival packet on the chilled shelf. Said he had some for the same price but lacked the flavour of the prepacked one on offer. Fail.

I was quite surprised. I saw on the TV customers saying the deli is better cost.

Remembered to buy bananas loose. Paid 76p for 8.
Just looked online and Tesco small bananas 6 pack are £1
I buy lots of fresh fruit.Apples pear, melon, grapes, pineapple...
This week I have decided to make my own fruit pots. Put in the fridge for grab and go quick snack.

This weeks food bill is £64.08 for x3 people.
=2 meat eaters and x1 vegetarian.
Used x1 coupon = 50p.

Happy, thrifty shopping everyone :rotfl:

cheerfulness4

I've also got a line of washing nearly dry out in the garden and the remaining washing is basking in the sun on my airer by the window.

DH gone to bed in readiness for the nightshift so I'm going to sow a few tomatoes and then get stuck into some knitting while I'm listening to some music.

Feel very pleased with myself that dinner is all done for the day as we had Carbonara at lunchtime with salad. I have to buff the kitchen up then all my jobs are done. Yippee.

Scratching around in the freezer for meals has yielded some nice cod fillets which I'll make some savoury breadcrumbs with cheese, lemon zest and thyme to coat and have tomorrow for dinner.

Shall post my spends now as I am not venturing out again today, as lovely as it is.

DAY 17

Money Spent Today - £5.05 Vouchers Spent - £0
Money Spent in Total - £50.46 Vouchers Spent in Total - £0
Money left in purse - £0.54 - Float left- £0.10/£15
Jan non-foods left- £1.85/£15

We spent £5.08 in Aldi today from the Grocery budget for needed (and not so needed) supplies. We got 450g Turkey Mince @ £1.79, Pasta n Sauce @ 39p, pk 20 Cocktail Sausage Rolls @ 49p (xmas reduction), 15 med eggs @ £1, 12 Mini Chocolate Eclairs @ 49p (xmas reduction) and 4pts milk @ 89p.

From the Extras budget spent £1.98 on Bar of Rum, Raisin & nut Chocolate @ £1.19 and Pk Cheese n Onion Crisps @ 79p.

I need to make a nice big batch of Bolognaise Sauce for the freezer for when DS is eating alone. I think I'll bulk it out with some oven roasted veg as I've plenty of peppers and onions on hand.


I have two or three packs of cooking bacon pieces in the freezer so I shall incorporate those into some meals as they are so economical. We love omelettes and quiches and Super Spaghetti from Mumsnet is a firm favourite and very cheap to make.


I have such a fancy for a cucumber sandwich with salt and vinegar. Always had these when a kid and love them, as do my sons. Maybe that's what I should have for tea.


I've given a lot more thought to how to store my foods of late after reading about this matter on a blog. Just that bit of extra care is meaning hardly a thing if anything at all is getting wasted. No more soggy cucumber of dried bread rolls.
My fresh veg is lasting a very long time.
One little tip I picked up was to pop a piece of kitchen roll in the original bag of salad items or leeks, carrots etc and then reseal. It works beautifully. I don't use much kitchen paper as a rule but this is worth buying it for alone!

silvasava

Haha Vhalla - be sure your sins will find you out!! Glad you had a good time though - I have two gay friends whom we call 'the maiden aunts' & what is so nice is that they get along so well with DH too (who definitely doesn't have a 'feminine' side!).
Productive day today. DH had to take his car for a check up & the garage could only fit him in at 9am (its LPG) so he was away from home by 8.
I set to and cut out ALL my covers in spite of the cat 'helping' me. When I took one of the old covers off the fabric tore so I feel my new purchase was justified. I think I was trying to take the 'make do' a bit too far I then joined DH down at the boat for some more bottom scraping - think we're about 1/3 to 1/2 way now. Had a cuppa with DS1 on the way home then when I got in I planted up some dwarf Dahlia tubers in pots in the greenhouse.
I did say to DH that its amazing what you can achieve when you get up early. He said more like when you get you arris in gear - so my arris is now in neutral!
Home made chicken curry tonight so no prep to do - I'm not making pancakes unless I'm forced

Have a good evening all x

vhalla1478

Well, I'm pleased someone knows what a maiden aunt is, silvasava. I used the expression on my daughter-in-law the other week and she didn't know what I meant. I call my two gay friends the old married couple; they've certainly been together longer than a lot of my friends and acquaintances.

Good advice, I look at other peoples' trolleys as well and marvel that some of them don't have a heart attack on the spot! I'm exactly the same as you and buy loads of fruit and vegetables. Thank you for the tip Cheerfulness re the kitchen roll; I always feel guilty about using it, but that's a really good cause.

Just have to check the food in the oven, my friend is ill in bed with a bad migraine, worrying as she's never ill, but her daughter who is Down's syndrome,( an absolute darling who used to babysit my son and is loved by all my grandchildren) is coming to tea.

Viv xx

HOWMUCH

Hello everyone, aran coming great I'm onto the last sleeve and this weekend the sewing machine is coming out to start making some dungaree's out of some old seersucker fabric from grandpa's old shirts for DGS.
Loving all the tips and hints on the thread, are we all from a certain era, I'm 60 this year and hoping to semi retire in September. I have been living a frugal life style since the miner's strike back in the early 80's. I've really stepped it up a notch over the last 2 years so that my plans for the semi retirement can be put in place.

good_advice

Cheerfulness - do you do lots of little grocery shops all week?

I to! use kitchen towel, I line the veg drawer with 4 sheets. Def. helps with the freshness.

Decided to make pancakes to stop family saying "Oh! we did not have any ;0(".

Hard_Up_Hester

Evening all
I've just finished another costume for the school play, made from CS clothing and altered.
I've bought a big bag of mending home from DD's she could do it herself but with 3 foster children plus her own 10 month old twins she's a bit short on time, I'll get the sewing machine out & make a start.
Hester