Make do, Mend and Minimise in 2015

HOWMUCH

Well I've had a batch cooking day today 500g of minced beef has been turned into lasagna and cottage pie. A tin of corned beef has now become 4 thin slices for sarnies and corn beef hash(carrots,swede,onion, potato, and 3 oxo cubes covered with boiled water and simmered for 2hrs) so that's 14 meals. I need Morrison s to do the 12.5kg sacks of half price potatoes again cos I'm down to about 2kg.
When I go tomorrow I will check the dates on the carnt believe and see what it is and buy more if it's moved on from 2 weeks ago.
I used my bus pass and went to aldi and got the fruit and veg for this week and got some of the double gloucester cheese with onion and chive our little treat to have with some crackers. I will give the aldi crackers a try after these are finished as I managed to get some hovis ones @39p and nairn oat cakes @49p.
Thanks Viv for the recipes and Cheerful your waitcoat is looking good, it's been sunny so managed to get some jobs done in the garden. Read and speak with you all tomorrow.

ginnyknit

Ripped the inside out of 2 baby nappies today, covered the resulting mush with water, added vermiculite and seed compost - 12 litres of water holding seed compost for about £1 The stuff out of the nappies holds the moisture in longer and then you dont have to water as much which disturbs the seeds. Sorted herb seeds out ready to plant tomorrow and have to re-pot a couple of plants . Should be enough to fill 3 milk cartons for my vertical garden so they are ready to plant in when the weather warms up.

Pickled the onions which have been hnging around since October

Tomorrow after the planting session will be sewing pillowcases.

princesskitty29

Hi all, just popping out of lurkdom again to say thank you so much for all of your advice about the sewing machine, I really appreciate it. Unfortunately for various reasons I didn't get the machine from freecycle, however I have found one on ebay that I like.

I'm so glad you've all been talking about OOD seeds, i'm now horrified to think of all of the seeds I've thrown away over the years as they were OOD and I just naively assumed they wouldn't grow. I think I actually have some in a cupboard downstairs that are OOD but i'm going to give them a try now, I'd really like to start growing my own things. Just need to find some containers to grow them in.

I also wanted to say thank you for all of your wonderful posts, i'm really enjoying reading this thread and i'm learning so much from you all. I have already noticed a difference in my money since starting to be thrifty, long may it continue!

ziggy2407

savingqueen wrote: »

My food processer gave up the ghost a while back and I have been managing without it. Only used it for a few random things anyway. I couldn't make fine breadcrumbs and so have started using the smoothie maker which was gathering dust. Works a treat and just the right size for a slice of bread.


What do you all think - is it worth getting another food processor when we can afford one? I have a handheld electric whisk -which rarely gets used either as I use my ordinary 'hand powered' one but no other food processing gadgets. Maybe a handheld blender? I want to have another go at making soups again (not very successful before) so guess I will need a blender.

I use my smoothie maker for blending soups (don't have any other gadgets):o

ziggy2407

djjunk wrote: »

Hello everyone,

Thanks for starting this thread and thanks for all your interesting contributions.

Here are some that I have been making, the past few weeks:
- Do not throw your old t-shirts, the ones you like with a nice funky design:
(no sewing involved)
http://www.mommypotamus.com/no-sew-t-shirt-tote-bag-tutorial/

the one I made I sew by hand and it took very little time:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnRjkdLfxEQ

- Reusing milk bottles as storage:
http://ecogreenlove.com/2013/09/19/reusing-big-plastic-watermilk-bottles-jugs/

- Finally, my favourite. I am a keen cyclist and this will interest anyone who cycles. It is really easy to make:

http://heartymagazine.com/features/fashion-spread/bicycle-seat-cover-diy-hearty

Have a lovely Sunday.

Thanks so much for sharing, love the milk bottle article and have my eye on a few makes now

vhalla1478

Hi Everyone,

Here's a quick 'store cupboard' recipe, originally Gordon Ramsay's I think, but very tasty in spite of the tomatoes in it.

Sausage and Beans

Fry 4 good quality sausages with 2 tbsp. olive oil, 2 finely sliced cloves of garlic and a few thyme sprigs. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally until the sausages are golden brown. Tip in a can of drained, mixed beans (or whatever tinned beans you have - borlotti/flageolet/butter/kidney etc) and then a can of chopped tomatoes (I whizz mine to a mush because I'm not a tomato fan). Bring to a simmer, partially cover and stew for 10 minutes. Season and add a pinch of sugar if the tomato sauce is a bit sharp. Serve in bowls with crusty bread.

Right, I must steam clean the bathroom and then I'm on 'sewing teaching duty' for an hour or so. Keep up the good work everyone. I forgot to say, I consulted my bank account this morning and it's looking healthier than it has for quite some time; not where I want to be but slowly improving!

Have a good day!

Viv xx

silvasava

Cheerful - Well done on deciding to unpick the mistake. I know how irritating it is but if you hadn't when you'd finished the waistcoat you would always be aware that the mistake was there & that's even more irritating!!
Bought some joints of beef & lamb in Aldee last week & cooked the lamb yesterday. Very impressed - sweet,tender & juicy with enough leftovers for some more today & a shephers pie for the freezer.
I'm doing somthing similar to you today Viv - with the lady I've 'met' on Streetlife!
Have a good day everyone

cheerfulness4

I would have, Silva, you are right. Besides there's no rush, I want to enjoy my knitting. I always seem to rush at things before but this year I intend to slow the pace of things and get some pleasure from life.

I agree with you ziggy about that brilliant link to the bottles reuse. Amazing ideas and DH and I creased up giggling at the Storm Trooper helmet. Some child would have hours of fun with that! Maybe some adults, too. :rotfl:

Just off to Aldis and then out come all the seeds for a massive planning session. So excited.:j:j

littleowl

vhalla1478 wrote: »

A busy day today, Folks, I went across to my son's for coffee this morning and stayed on to help my daughter-in-law cut out her first paper pattern to make a dress for herself; I wasn't aware before that sewing is not necessarily part of the school curriculum - anyway, I'm surrogate teacher now and it went quite well, although she was amazed how long it took to measure, pin, cut. The Sewing Bee is certainly inspiring a lot of young women, and young men too, I hope.

I rushed home early this afternoon and made a large mushroom risotto with garlic, thyme and parsley (using up the cauliflower water from yesterday)before my mushrooms expired entirely; does anyone know whether you can freeze risotto - otherwise I shall be eating it for the next couple of days and I've still got some of my son's beautiful quiche left - he won't give me the recipe, I suspect he ad libs as he goes along. I went outside to pick some thyme for my risotto and my clematis which is on a trellis near my tiny patio has buds on it!I must get a gardening book - any suggestions, anyone? I'm determined to get a proper grip on it this year. Apparently I have to have flowers etc that rabbits hate as we have quite a few, although I think the stoat population has culled them somewhat, so would be grateful for any of you gardeners' thoughts and suggestions.

I then spent the rest of the afternoon doing my rug quota and crying over a film (based on a true story) about some Amish girls who were gunned down at school. Dreadfully sad but also uplifting.

Here's another soup recipe - you're supposed to eat it cold but it's beautiful warm, especially this time of the year.

Cucumber Vichysoisse

One pound of potatoes, a cucumber, an onion, 1tbsp. butter, pint of stock, salt, pepper, cream if liked.

Peel and dice the potatoes, peel cucumber and cut into chunks, chop onion. Heat butter in pan, add vegetables, turning them frequently until well impregnated with butter. Add the stock and cook gently until tender - about 45 minutes. Whizz or pass through a sieve, add salt and pepper and cream if liked.

Have a nice evening, Everyone.

Viv x

Hi - you certainly can freeze risotto - do it all the time!

silvasava

Aargh - got the zip in to cushion 2 - put the foam in and the cover is too big. I didn't allow for the shaping against the hull so top is slightly larger than the bottom where the boat curves so unpicking to redo tomorrow - bum!
Never mind - leftover lamb tonight so minimum prep