What it's worth being frugal about?

Shropshirelass

May I just suggest to Rosemary and anyone else who hates throwing pumpkin away as it is food, that you make pumpkin fritters.

It can be steamed or simmered, roasted in oven with or without skin.

Take about a cupfull of cooked pumpkin. when cold, add about quarter to half a cup of plain flour, one egg and about one flat teaspoon of baking powder. Mix well, if very sloppy add more flour. Place spoonfuls, large or small, on a greased frying pan or griddle, and cook gently until baked through. Can also be finished off in the oven once browned slightly in pan. Serve sprinkled with cinnamon sugar. Nice hot, can also be used for packed lunch or snack. This recipe can also be used with butternut.

A favourite in our house since kids were small.

Rosemary7391

Shropshirelass wrote: »

May I just suggest to Rosemary and anyone else who hates throwing pumpkin away as it is food, that you make pumpkin fritters.

It can be steamed or simmered, roasted in oven with or without skin.

Take about a cupfull of cooked pumpkin. when cold, add about quarter to half a cup of plain flour, one egg and about one flat teaspoon of baking powder. Mix well, if very sloppy add more flour. Place spoonfuls, large or small, on a greased frying pan or griddle, and cook gently until baked through. Can also be finished off in the oven once browned slightly in pan. Serve sprinkled with cinnamon sugar. Nice hot, can also be used for packed lunch or snack. This recipe can also be used with butternut.

A favourite in our house since kids were small.

Thanks! That sounds very tasty indeed, I shall add it to my pumpkin recipes. I should say, pumpkin never goes to waste in my house, far too good to waste. I'm always amazed that people carve it but don't eat it.

Towser

I have just taught my 11year old son who loves cakes how to bake a chocolate victoria sponge as he wants to treat his mates at Roll n Rock and it had to be home made. It took a long time as he was exploring/just enjoying the chemistry involved in cooking.He was a joy to watch and to bond with. The time was invested in future when he no longer needs instruction/supervision. When I totted up the price of the cake I was amazed that it was worth being frugal over baking. All you old stylers probably know that already.I have just realized this. It has made me think maybe I should do a course and invest in time to be frugal but produce delicious home made cooking.

Lynplatinum

Evening all

Home baking saved my budget when I had two teenage boys + their mates hanging around my house!!Now it comes in handy when I am asked to go to a pot luck meal or to participate in some charity event - such as the recent 'Book and Bake' to save the church spire (I am not religious but I love the old building which also serves as a community centre in many ways)

One of the most useful things you can learn to make is foccachia - the Antonio Carrolucci recipe works every single time! You chuck all the ingredients into a bowl - give it a quick mix - potter off to work all day. Shape it when you get home - add flavours such as stick garlic slivers and rosemary or spread with tomato puree spinkled with a bit of cheese, salt, pepper and sugar - rise for another hour - bakes for 10 mins - wrap in tea towel and take to venue while still warm - impresses the socks off folk.

This also acts as a pizza base - I have never bought one - ever.
Roast pumpkin soup is great. Several recipes on internet - go for a spicy one tho (sorry not at home at mo and recipe is there!)

I tough both my boys to cook - not only has it been great for keeping their budgets low - it has also been very useful to attract girls!! One of my sons now runs his own successful vegan cafe using some of his childhood recipes!!

So in short cooking is well worth being frugal about!

moneyistooshorttomention

That focaccia recipe sounds interesting. I was getting a bit confused when trying to google though - as different variants came up and none of them seemed to be "just mix and leave all day to rise".

Any chance of the specific recipe please?:)

determined_new_ms

I'm pretty frugal in all areas of my life. I think it's worth doing for both money issues and environmental issues and I get a kick from it. Lunch is a great example I have made a batch of curried lentil, parsnip (A1d1 super6) & apple (free from allotment) soup. Cost 11p a portion, with hm roll (not sure how much but pence), fruit and yogurt. My lunch at work less than 50p! Lots of my colleagues go out and spend £3 on lunch over the month that's quite a saving!

I just think doing it yourself is much better than paying someone else - particularly big companies. Means I can choose to buy local independent and pay a bit more in other areas

Lynplatinum

Hiya folks

moneyistooshorttomention - am not at home for a few days as am dog and house sitting for my friend cos she is on holiday but will type it up on here ASAP but probably not for a week and I would hate to half remember it and give you a wrong steer!!

MS - I will have to get back into HM soups and other breads soon as it is getting to be Autumn weather now. I love interesting soups and haven't found any commercial ones as good!

Being thrifty today I went shopping for the first time this week and the friend I visited yesterday gave me some of the left over roast beef so I have main protein for the next couple of days - very yummy!! Have been quite thrifty but have also treated myself to those frozen 'pouches' for veg as I didnt want to buy a and stuff that I like was all in bigger packets. However, even replacing stuff of my friend's I have eaten still only came to £12 for the rest of the week!!
Nite all

Towser

I get a kick from it

Yes me too being frugal is all the go.

So recently I have stopped buying in chazzer shops because we have everything we need. Not because I wanted to, just because I couldn't buy anything. The problem is I like to buy ahead for a rainy day and usually have to think of something to hunt down. Recently it hit me why don't I just buy the best "thing" in the chazzer store. This has made buying much easier today. It was a toss up between an embellished insect hairclip and pair of boys jeans. Could't decide so bought both fabulously easy!

[Deleted User]

As I am eating down my freezer so I can defrost it I discovered several packs of veg yesterday which will be turned into soup for this weeks lunches. So no shopping for me as yet and at the moment I have worked out that fingers crossed my food shopping this week will really be minimal as I only need some eggs and a cucumber and a carton of basic plain yogurt, with luck should come to around £3.50 odd and thats all I have on my shopping list.My new month starts on Tuesday so I shall shop then. Have a nice little chunk of cash left over from this month to go into the holiday fund.I'm just starting to see a bit of wriggle room in my freezer at last Bit more once the veg is out and soupified
Have a good and frugal week chums

JackieO xx

Towser

I splurge in the scrimping shops. My favourite are Aldi and the charity shops. I wish there were more categories, not just Food and Clothing. The key to a good splurge is quality and the key to a good scrimp is price.