Make do, Mend and Minimise in 2015

Lynplatinum

Hi all

Welcome to Siebrie and Athome glad you are joining us!!! Its a friendly and informative gang on here!

Well today as promised purse is well and truely SHUT! not a penny spent today! However found a bit of a bargain this week in printer paper for anyone with a B&M store nearby - they do really good quality 80gsm + nice finish paper for £2.99.

Friend comin for lunch tomorrow and was thinking 'oh I must go out and buy some protien for lunch - salmon or chicken or beef (she hates pork or mince!) then I thought 'No MM&M!' - i have some lentils that need using up - there is a yum recipe I have for lentil patties - some carrot and cabbage (coleslaw) and some potatoes! there's lunch!!

Now need to get all MM&M re pudding ( we are both watching our weight or it would have to be JackieO's cookies!)

I ll let you know what i decide!

[Deleted User]

LynP those patties sound good any chance of the recipe as I too have a lentil stash I am MM&M this week ,although I do have an essential small shop to do first thing this morning.Hopefully under a tenner,and its my first shop of July :):) so I am pleased with that
Onwards and upwards chums
JackieO xxx

[Deleted User]

Freezer dipping for main meals this week as I went in yesterday and discovered lots of nice things towards the bottom of the protein pile that could do with being used. Made us a pasta salad for lunch today with some bits and pieces from the fridge and some cold sausages I cooked yesterday. Found some walnut oil in the cupboard that I'd forgotten I had and made a walnut oil and balsamic vinaigrette to dress it with too! MMM rules OK!

fuddle

Hello I have been super busy what with having the in laws down but back to normality now.

I will still be super busy getting back that the pre visit normality but wanted to say hi and tell you that on todays to do list is making 5 min artisan bread mix and head to the allotment after school to pick raspberries to make rasp. muffins for packed lunches tomorrow. Lyn DH told me that I must make you aware that your rasp. canes in the garden are fruiting in abundance. We leave those for the girls to help themselves when they are ripe, so much so I never get a look in! Thank you

misstara

Afternoon MMMers and hello to new people

This morning I worked a short shift for 2nd job, just 3 and a half hours but it's all extra pennies towards getting rid of my debt. I took some leftover fruit salad from last night as a wee snack. I'm working tonight for my usual job so am taking up leftovers to have for tea.

I cut off the top of my shower gel to eke it out for a few more days. It was the last shower gel from my Christmas stash so I think that's pretty good going . I've still got a few body lotions left though which will last me a few more months.

It's a friend's birthday today but I won't see her until next weekend so have plenty of time to make a card and source a cheap present.

Hope everyone is having a good day

nursemaggie

Thanks for reminding me to pack some birthday cards misstara. Going to Malta this afternoon. Will take all their cards as I can't send them to Saudi Arabia post gets stolen. DD & SIL have a flat in Malta.

See you all next week, have a good week MM&Ming.

[Deleted User]

I've just put another half a pound of loganberries, 2 lbs of french beans and 3 lbs of podded broad beans into the freezer and He Who Knows has been given new potatoes from another allotmenteer and picked more courgettes too, we have half a dozen good cabbages ready to go in the polytunnel and the tomatoes in the greenhouse are beginning to ripen. It must be the weather........

Rose_Wood

Afternoon All,

I've been making do today by altering a dress that I had originally put in the charity shop pile. I then wondered if I could alter it to wear for a forties themed weekend we are having soon and once I'd started ended up altering it so I can wear it for everyday.

It was a calf length pull on dress - straight down with triangular panels inserted lower down to make a swirly bottom if that makes sense. It also had a frill round the neck and a droopy flower at the bottom of the V. I've shortened it by taking a four inch piece out at the waist and re-attaching the bottom so it now falls just below the knees. I used the piece I cut off to make small draped cap sleeves and cut off the frill and droopy flower to give a plain V- neckline. I couldn't be bothered to get the sewing machine out so have been catching up on recorded programmes and hand sewing. It was a charity shop buy but was originally from Per Una and is a sandy- cream cotton with pink flowers. I am at work at 5pm today so think I might wear it with a short sleeved biscuity coloured jacket - also a charity shop buy.

Other making do and mending today - DH glued one of my sandals that I want to wear for a wedding back together and, whilst he had the glue out, the veneer back on my dressing table drawers. He also cleaned out the fish tank, gave the plants he'd weeded out to the hens and used the water he changed to water the vegetables. My Mother also called round with an overripe banana that I have cut up and popped into the freezer for DGD to use to make smoothies or banana icecream next time she visits.

I also picked a handful of blackcurrants off the bush and popped them in the microwave for a minute and ate with Greek yoghurt for lunch. They were very nice.

Rose

greentiger

Rose - I sent a dress exactly like that to CS some months ago. I loved it, sort of lineny. I never thought to try to alter it! I wonder if it's the same one - that'd be weird!

Lynplatinum

Hiya all

Misstra - I too am using up little bottles of stuff such as shower gels and moisturisers. When I had good job I was sent all over the country staying in places that had them little sachets etc. I used to take the lot - after all work had paid for them! LOL. I have used all the shower gels and soaps but seem still to have herds of moisturiser left!
Rose - I do so envy you your ability to dressmake ! Awesome!

Jackie O - yep the recipe dates from my schooldays and was a veggie alternative given to us by our fierce Scottish cookery teacher - a Miss Blair. I actually loved the woman - she had a heart of gold but very high standards - and would sit very firmly on the 'popular' girls who used to bully fat, frumpy, bespectacled me! anyhoooo ere tis:

Chilladas
4oz green lentils (or puy) - cook these in plenty of UNsalted water (salt makes the outsides go hard) with a boquet garni (found a stash of them - a gift- that I m using up) or thyme and bay leaf.

When cooked (time varies depending how old they are - at least an hour). Smoosh them up into a paste with a potato masher. Leave it a bit chunky tho.

Mix in: 1 large grated carrot; 1/2 teaspoon chilli powder (or equivalent); 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg or mace; a desertspoon mixed herbs; a desertspoon tomato puree; salt and pepper.

Shape into 8 patties (they will be small but are v filling) by pressing together firmly with damp hands - dust with wholemeal flour. Gently fry in shallow pan - turn over gently (they are inclined to break up)

Good hot or cold - HM tomato sauce or coleslaw goes especially well with them as they are a bit 'dry' otherwise.

I also made a Mango Swirl for desert!
Can of mango pulp (yep - it was @ back of cupboard and needed using up - you can get it in Asian or Indian or Chineese grocery stores or some big supermarkets)

Per Person
3 desertspoons Plain yogurt
One desertspoon mango pulp
1 teaspoon honey
2 digestive biscuits - smashed up

Into a bowl put the first 3 ingredients - swirl prettily together.
Sprinkle crushed digestives (or any other textured biscuits) round the edges! Enjoy

(kinda a fruit corner but at much less cost - obviously you can vary the fruit according to what you have/is on offer!)

So also MM&M today - finished sewing other curtain while my friend was here downloading and chatting (lots wrong in her life! Very 1st world problems tho!) will put up new curtain pole and remove old tracked curtain tomorrow. also filed my own nails into good shape ready for varnishing tomorrow - why am I putting this down you may ask?? Most of you frugal folk probably file their own. Well I ve always done my own and not thought owt about it BUT my friend is going to a wedding soon and reckons its gonna cost her at least £20 :eek: to get her nails professionally done for the event. 'Who do you go to?' she asked me!! 'Your nails always look good!' Nice compliment but she was v disappointed when I told her I did them myself! :rotfl:
I think frugality is ingrained but I have to say I am still learning loads more on here!! Frugle on folks :A