Make do, Mend and Minimise in 2015

cheerfulness4

I've been eating some lentils in my soups that went OOD in 2010 and they're still lovely. So far I've not needed to cook longer than normal, which I know is usually the problem with older ones, and the taste is just as good.

Those exotic scones sound delicious and I do have a weakness for scones.

The market trip was a real joy as the sun shone on us even if it was really chilly. Got 2x huge cauliflowers @ £1.50 the pair which will partly be used to make a yummy cauli cheese. I could have bought everything from the stall but I shall pace myself and hopefully be able to go back next week and restock once I've thought what we really need now I've got the lay of the land with that particular stall.
Its so hard to get close to it as its so cheap and its crowded. I have to use a wheelchair for longer shopping trips now and getting access to the stall is not easy as people step over me to get in and DH is always worried about their ankles if he tries to move forward.
This is really justice for me as when I was younger, pre- children days, I used to hate getting stuck behind a pushchair and would be silently moaning in my head. Little did I know....

Got to get off in a minute to mum's but just time to get out the seeds and begin making my choices. :j:j Must find the rocket and get it sown. It has its only little tiny raised bed box specially made for it by DH from leftover fencing planks. It survived 3 years now and is perfectly good. We thought it would do one year as not made for that purpose.
I love Rocket and won't pay 99p a bag for it as you can't beat fresh off the plant.

Hard_Up_Hester

This is my favourite way of using lentils
Large cup of lentils, cover with water, bring to the boil , turn down heat & simmer until soft then drain.
Add some breadcrumbs, about 2 slices worth or add a couple of weetabix crumbled up, stir to mix.
Add a beaten egg, a spoonful of marmite & a handful of grated cheese, mix together.
Place in a greased pyrex dish, cook on a medium heat until set.
Serve with roast potatoes, veg & gravy.
Hester

oldtractor

must try this recipe HH

silvasava

Just popping in to say semi-skimmed milk freezes fine! Busy day again have managed to get some Primulas (50p a pot in Mr M's) planted out the front to fill the gap until the daffs start to bloom. Robin singing his heart out - more little signs of spring everyday and the nights are getting lighter - yipee!

[Deleted User]

Great 'sorting it all out day' in my store cupboards .Found stuff I had forgotten about :) eldest DD dropped in for a quick coffee after school and she brought me the 'We'll Eat Again ' cookery book I was after . Really interesting to read, glad rationing is all finished though as I can remember everything seemed to be cooked with marg, or lard, and not the soft easy stuff of today:):)
Just put a couple of leek flavoured sausages on to cook for dinner with some new potato's and mixed veg they will be nice and tasty.I have the last of the grapes and a bit of banana for pudding so thats me sorted for a quick and easy meal tonight. If I'm peckish later I have some left over apricot sponge cake to use up with a cuppa.
Bit nippy here at the moment so I've just put the heating on for an hour to warm up a bit,then it will be my 'blankey ' over my knees, and a bit of catch-up t.v.
Cheers chums hope you all have had a successful and frugal day
JackieO xxx

Prinzessilein

That lentil bake sounds very tasty!...I'm going to try that one!


Went to the dentist today...I needed a filling....Mum 'cheered me up' by recounting tales of her father who took Make-do-mend-and-minimise to a whole new level...he performed his own DIY dentistry!....of particular gruesomeness were the descriptions of his attempts at extraction!.....it did NOT make me feel better about having my tooth filled! (One small thing to be thankful for...I get free NHS treatment...dental work can be worryingly expensive!)

vhalla1478

Good Evening, Everyone,

I hope you all had a good day. I went into the garden this morning with visions of doing a little gentle tidying up and instead ended up with my arm down a blocked drain; hopefully I've cleared it. And because of the sunshine I tackled some of the window cleaning with my steam cleaner. That led onto a myriad of other things including taking my very long and heavy interlined curtains down in the living room and giving them a good shake, which then led to my vacuuming all the detritus which went over my desk and so I eventually ended up spring cleaning! I then sat far too long at my rug and flaked out at last round about 7pm.

Prinzessilein, your dental story reminded me of when I was a child and we always pulled our loose baby teeth out by tying one end of a piece of thread round the offending tooth and the other round a door handle. We then stood the appropriate distance away and someone slammed the door and hey presto, your tooth was out!

In between all the mad cleaning I managed to find my extremely tatty copy of the recipe I mentioned earlier - it was from an extraordinary book which explained how housewives managed with the meagre WW2 rations (when of course we were all so much healthier and obesity wasn't a word that was often heard). Hester, I'm most definitely going to try your lentil recipe with Weetabix - it sounds scrummy!

Cheese and Lentil Pie Serves 4

8 ounces lentils, half a tbsp. onion, leek or chives, 2 oxo cubes (that was in the original recipe - beef stock cubes of any description will do), half a pint of water, 6 ounces strong cheese, grated, a pound mashed potatoes, a little dripping.

Soak lentils overnight in cold water. Next day put into a pan with onion, leek or chives, oxo and the half pint of water -or, the best one I made was with homemade stock. Cover the pan and cook until the lentils are fairly dry. Season and mix with the cheese. Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees/gas mark 6. Spoon the lentil mixture into a 2 pint greased dish. Top with mashed potatoes, add dripping in small pieces and bake for 20 minutes.

A really homely dish, but real comfort food on a cold day.

I've just found out today that my DB is away for at least another week, and then might have to immediately go offshore - such is life, I'll just have to keep busy; it's not forever.

Have a good evening, All, I'm going to take a good book to bed.

Viv xx

Lynplatinum

Hiya folks

I ve not been on here for a couple of days because I have had two free nights out! A friend of mine runs a 'Club' which is free and every couple of months puts on a series of performances - song; dance; music; poetry from as many different ethnicities as possible - he and his wife are very passionate about the idea that if we all share our cultures we will understand each other better. It makes for an excellent night out and some truly interesting conversations with people that one would not ordinarily meet.

Then Tuesday I went to a writer's group that I have been invited to join - different people get chosen every week and your work is critiqued. I received some very helpful comments delivered in a kind way and encouragement to continue with my efforts which was very nice.

But also on Tuesday I found it!!! My local L!dil is wonderful but its reduced section is very small and contains stuff that I would not usually eat - I am happy to try new stuff but why buy a 'Cheese and Mushroom slice' for 40p when I know I could make about 4 of them for that price??? I have been reading about all of your YS bargains with some envy. There is an AS!A near here but not an Ald! or a Mr M. (My son lives near a Mr M and swears by their YS stuff! He first started to use it on a student grant and still does so some 4 years later LOL) Well I travel to teach children each night and realised that I finished near a co-Op - I had not had time to pack anything for my evening meal (to be eaten on-the-go before my Writing Group) and so went there to get a 'meal deal' for £3. Well, I hit it at bargain time!! There were other folks there who clearly knew this was the time of day when bakery; chilled and veg went on offer!! SO I got:Huge chunk of Wensleydale cheese £1.79; a massive 'bake your own garlic and corriander nann bread 39p; bakery crusty white loaf 25p ; biggest cost was my unplanned for tea - a ready made chicken and pasta 'bowl' @ £2.40. All of which =£4.83 out of my £10 per week. Really chufffed! :j Isnt it coool how we can get such a buzz out of a bargain!!! Every time I cut in to the classy loaf (for sanis for lunch 'on the go' today) I smile and think - you only cost 25p!!! :rotfl:

Suffice it to say that I shall be back there next week!! I start my 'new week' on a Friday so that still leaves me £5.17 to spend @ Lid!l when I get there this week - which looking at tomorrow will not be until Friday anyway!!
Thanks for the inspiration folks!!

[Deleted User]

Good Morning all,up with the birds this morning and just about to have some warming porridge for breakfast I prefer it made as my old Mum made it with water and a dash of salt on top and a slosh of milk around the edges when cooked and in the bowl.I think I'd rather eat my own liver than put sugar or syrup on porridge,but each to their own:)
Today is 'big' shop day at Aldi's and I have made out my list for bits I need and will take it along with me and a paper pad to make sure I don't go over £40.00 so I can get my £5 off voucher used :):) fingers crossed.Then back home to pack it all away. Just coming to the end of veg and fruit and only have one orange and three bananas left plus four spuds so good job I can stock up today.Although I shall buy my oranges in my little local g'grocers as he has some beautys in at the moment.
Have a good day chums its almost the weekend again :):)
JackieO xx

vhalla1478

Good Morning. All,

I'm a little late today as the best laid plans etc... I was going to have an early night with a book yesterday, but DB rang me and was on the phone for a good two and a half hours - lovely in one respect that he's missing me as much as I am him, but it meant I got up rather later than I intended this morning.

Still, I'm here to report that I've managed to quilt my oven glove and apart from the hand sewing on the bias binding edging, I'm almost done. I had to unpick a couple of times; whereas before I would have left it, now I imagine Patrick (I wish!) and May from the Sewing Bee leaning over my shoulder so I have to get it right. I'm quite pleased with it as it co-ordinates with the little bits I've managed to put together to cheer up the kitchen.


Onwards and upwards, have a good day, recipes later.

Viv xx