Make do, Mend and Minimise in 2015

kittym

I think fate is conspiring against me as yet again it is gale force winds, only this time with added rain. I'm on major catch up in the garden now.

Hi Mrssnow, you will get a super warm welcome from the lovely peeps on this forum. They have lots of chuckles, great tips and tasty recipes that truly are frugal. I never thought that you could eat so well and healthy living frugal but you can, and my DD says the best thing is all the different meals she gets to try rather than the same old same old.

Still unpicking blanket, slow process as all the colours make my eyes go fuzzy after awhile.
Enjoy the rest of your day what ever your up to. xx

vhalla1478

Good afternoon, Everyone,

What a thoroughly miserable day as far as the weather is concerned; Windy and cold this morning, and add lashings of rain for the afternoon.

The only bright spot was my HUGE delivery of fruit and vegetables, which I've started to conserve by cooking a few things (and sampling others - the oranges are so sweet). My only criticism was that there was no broccoli or lemons; I'll cost it out over the next few days when I have a moment and see how it compares with supermarket buys.

I do eat quite a lot of vegetarian food and this is the most delicious and quick ratatouille recipe that I have come across; one of Gordon Ramsay's. Great on its own or equally good with fish.

Rustic Ratatouille- serves 4

2 beef tomatoes (I use whatever tomatoes I have), half a red pepper, deseeded, half a yellow pepper deseeded, tbsp. olive oil, 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped, a red onion finely chopped (but any will do), 2 courgettes, chopped, an aubergine, chopped, handful of basil leaves, roughly chopped, dash of balsamic vinegar.

Halve and deseed the tomatoes, then finely chop the flesh. cut the peppers into 1cm dice. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan and cook the garlic and onion gently for 2 minutes to soften. Add the courgettes, aubergine and tomatoes, stir and cook for about 5 minutes to soften. Add the basil, balsamic vinegar and seasoning to taste.

Not only tasty, but it also saves on fuel as it's so quick to make.

I've not done any sewing today. I tried to start sorting the shed but the weather drove me indoors. I was optimistic the other day when it was sunny that I might be able to turn some of my heating off soon; it would seem I'm somewhat premature!

Viv xx

silvasava

Cat Would you be able to cut off the holey leg (if she's only holed one leg) and do the same with another & wear two pants pieces with a leg each? Not explaining myself very well but I used to do the same with my tights to get some extra wear

cheerfulness4

Sorry for that typo! I had no idea. I am useless at typing on a tablet.

I'll be back after tea on my lappy to post the super spaghetti recipe and to read properly through all your posts as I hate skimming, you always miss the best bits.
I'll also 'post' my spends but first we are pushing the boat out and having a treat of a chinese takeaway. For once I am allowing it and it feels such a luxury, which of course it is. How we've come to appreciate things we took for granted before.

Catcha later.

mrssnowy_2

cat4772 wrote: »

I bought 3 packs of blue school tights (9 pairs in total) for my 5yo daughter has - she has put knees through 5 of them. a couple that my husband threw out before I got home from work and one that had so many various sized holes from falling onto gravel that we threw out. But the pair she holed on Friday, I washed and repaired. Would be perfect if I'd used navy cotton instead of grey but they'll be ok to wear for the remainder of term.

Hi cat
Try colouring the grey thread with a navy felt tip pen-will disguise it nicely
mrss

cheerfulness4

jinny wrote: »

Hi cheerfulness
Ive done a super spaggetti sauce for years using tin tomato, bacon and onion. I'm interested in the creamy cheese sauce version. Do you bake it like lasagne? Could you post the recipe please.
Thanks in advance.

Jinny and Viv I use this recipe with a couple of alterations.
http://www.netmums.com/recipes/super-spaghetti

I don't add peppers as they don't like them and I add my cheese (usually a cheddar or mozzarella) once I've taken it off the heat as the pan is SO much of a pain to clean if I cook it on low as suggested. And I have excellent non stick pans, too.

Also they don't chop their bacon up but we always do.
I don't think you could get simpler, fry off bacon, garlic, onions and then add tinned tomatoes, a tiny bit of sugar (although a sweet balsamic I have works beautifully instead) and tsp herbs.
When all the ingredients have concentrated down a little take off the heat and add grated cheese to taste and stir in. Then run through spaghetti. Delish!


mrssnowy - I hope this year is more cheerful for you and you enjoy MMM with us all. You seem to love all the things the rest of us do. Home crafts are so relaxing, aren't they?
(don't read back to my first attempts at circular needles, though. I was paddying like a two year old. )

Would anyone have any ideas about how to cover a scuff on non leather boots. I have scraped them and they are quite new. I thought of the trick with felt pen, as mentioned above by Mrssnowy regarding the tights, but not sure if that would work. They're black.
I'm very cross with myself as I know I wear my shoes on the top by flipping the foot rests on my wheelchair up. I must be the only one that wears my shoes out on the top but the bottoms are practically like new.

I'll pop my spends in another post.

HOWMUCH

Evening all and welcome to our new member's. We've had 2 roast dinners each off the beef joint so far and 1 lot of sarnies, tomorrow we will have beef and chips with pickles. I've frozen some for a roast dinner for this Sunday and the rest will do sarnies for the rest of the week hopefully. I also froze half of the remaining gravy and the rest will be used on Wednesday with 2 of my YS pies and chips with mushy peas.
The dungaree's are almost finished just need the top stitching doing and buttonholes, I think I will do 2 on each strap so that we can lengthen, I did longer straps so we could do this and get extra wear. i have also lined the bottom 4inches so that they can we turned up and then let down again for extra length.
The aran sweater is coming along too, the back is finished and I'm well on the way with the front. I shall do both sleeves together now I've got the pattern into my head it's going faster.
It's been wet here too but not too bad and no wind glad we got all the washing done at the weekend and the nights are drawing out. I so hate going to work and coming home in the dark but this winter hasn't been too bad.
Speak again soon.

vhalla1478

Hello again,

Cheerfulness, is it a mark or have you worn down the fabric on your boots? If it's a mark, try Vanish Gold. I stained a pair of very pale suede brogues and thought I'd ruined them, but VG worked a treat and didn't bleach them at all.

Viv x

HOWMUCH

cheerfulness4 wrote: »

Would anyone have any ideas about how to cover a scuff on non leather boots. I have scraped them and they are quite new. I thought of the trick with felt pen, as mentioned above by Mrssnowy regarding the tights, but not sure if that would work. They're black.
I'm very cross with myself as I know I wear my shoes on the top by flipping the foot rests on my wheelchair up. I must be the only one that wears my shoes out on the top but the bottoms are practically like new.
.

What about using a permanent black marker pen, I've use it before and had good results.

cheerfulness4

Right, all receipts sorted and spends listed. Look away if this part bores you but it helps me keep on the straight and narrow.

SAT 7 MAR

DAY 7

Money Spent Today - £2.67 Vouchers Spent - £1.80
Money Spent in Total - £19.96 Vouchers Spent in Total - £0
Money left in purse - £1.04 - Float left- £1.98/£15
Jan non-foods left- £10.30/£15

Spends today were just 1 x milk @ 88p and Box 'Readybrek' @ £1.79.

SUN 8 MAR

DAY 8

Money Spent Today - £1.98 Vouchers Spent - £1.80
Money Spent in Total - £21.94 Vouchers Spent in Total - £0
Money left in purse - £2.06 - Float left- £1.98/£15
Jan non-foods left- £10.30/£15

I bought today a huge bag of YS leeks @ 49p (at least 12 medium sized ones) and YS Liver @ 49p. Also 5x Lrg pks of reduced Pretzel sticks @ 20p each went in the trolley. No YS on them but just reduced price on the shelf edge label in Morrisons. We love these so was a lovely little find for us. Ours had loads of them in the crisps aisle.

MON 9 MAR

DAY 9

Money Spent Today - £4.61 Vouchers Spent - £1.80
Money Spent in Total - £26.55 Vouchers Spent in Total - £0
Money left in purse - £0.45 - Float left- £1.98/£15
Jan non-foods left- £10.30/£15

Our shopping today was 2 x 2ltr pop @ 90p the pair, milk @ 88p, box Crackerbread @ £1.09, 1 x Salmon and dill Phili cheese @ 87p and 1 x plain Philli cheese @ 87p.

I've now got my liver so I can go back and make that recipe that was listing earlier on the thread.
I'll update the first post with more of the recipes in the morning.

Katherine - when I first came on this site I was baffled by all the abreviations and the only 'whoopsies' that I'd heard of before were the ones that Frank Spencer's cat did on the carpet. (some may be too young to remember Some Mother Do Have Them)

Chinese eaten and thoroughly enjoyed but now back to basics again. Cheese is now being taken out of the freezer for Cauli Cheese tomorrow after DH given sound warning to tell me when he scoffs all the cheese in future or get some more out to defrost when he knows I needed some to make dinner. Bad boy! :mad: