The Simple Bare Necessities feat. Gratitude & Recipes

Greying_Pilgrim

MatyMoo wrote: »

Frittata has become the picnic/snack of choice here recently, it is so easy and you can add virtually anything to the basic mix of cheese, eggs, potato, onion - current favourite is broccoli and cherry tomatoes but also like asparagus, peppers, mushroom, courgette or just plain!

Absolutely MatyMoo - I used what I had (which wasn't alot ) and did the potatoes 'bravas' style to jazz things up a bit

beanielou wrote: »

I do like a wee frittata

I did have to read that twice beanie........ :) But you're right, a wee frittata all to yourself is a bit of a luxury. I was lucky when woolies closed down, I got a (german made) child's baking set which included 6 really good quality non-stick pans that make perfect size individual yorkies, frittatas or pies


Greying X

teapot2

Another frittata fan here :wave: I quite often take a slab into work for lunch.

Glad you had a lovely picnic day and agreed re not sitting in the sun, madness in this heat, am all for skulking in the shade.

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning :hello:


Am so glad don't live in Londinium nor have to visit that town....... Is the mercury still rising for y'all there?


Ay ay ay.



It does seem a bit, just a tadge, a smidgen cooler round the Towers this morn. How long that will last, I'm unsure as the sun is already up and shining. I'm grateful to see it for another day, just not too sure I want to experience it's intensity too much....... However, I do need to try to venture out today - get a bit of movement and exercise and just see a different set of walls.


Tea last night was a definite hodge-podge. A bit of leftovers, a bit of what we had in and a heckingtons wellingtons lot of improvisation! :rotfl: So we had a 'sort of' marinated green lentil salad - which incorporated the leftover feta. We had a 'sort of' kidney bean salad that was OK, but sorely missed the addition of 'fresh' (frozen) coriander, coz I ain't gort none And the last of the brown rice. I boiled up all the rice, and there is a portion left over in the freezer - good for a future meal - frittata, or a portion of rice, or a rice salad etc etc. All topped off with a grilled courgette. I have one left - which I think will appear in a curry. So I think there was protein, dairy, fibre, 3 of 5 a day in there etc, but it did look a bit........ 'brown' as a bowl of food........ :rotfl:


I think I will do curry for tea tonight - simply because it is still too hot to willingly put on the oven of an afternoon I think it might (?) go a little cooler over the weekend?? so shall keep pizza and wedges in my arsenal for then. I may well try JM's Red lentil & mandarin curry tonight - teamed with something else that will incorporate the remaining (free) courgette and do some steamed rice.



At this moment, that is the plan, anyhoo


Can't think of anything else spiffingly :money:that I have achieved - although I guess I got a proper nsd yesterday :j Just as well really. Pity I wasn't achieving 30/31 nsd's................



Ta for popping in. Appreciated. Greatly. By me.


Greying X

Suffolk_lass

We had courgette salad last night - it was pretty much the main event but could easily have been an accompaniment this recipe but I used onion seeds instead of poppy seeds (as I had none) and added some fresh chopped mint leaves - we had it with hard-boiled eggs as neither of us could be a***d to cook properly - it was lovely

beanielou

Happy Friday:D

Silver_Queen

It was horrendously hot all yesterday down here in London, Greying - was 30 degrees by 9am when I got to work, 37 degrees for most of the afternoon and 26 degrees when I was trying to sleep at around midnight!

It's cooled down a bit now but predicted to rain until Monday! This morning I got treated to an absolute torrential downpour on my walk to the station...

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Evening :hello:


Silver Queen - I got all hot & bothered just reading your post.......


Thanks beanie and thanks for the recipe Suffolk lass


I got out and about today :j It was bearable - the cloud helped so that it wasn't el scorchio - plus I got ma tail-shifting and did all me doings well before midday


BG decided to forego their napette today...... this afternoon has been loooonnnnngggggggggg...................................:o But in amongst the slight naughtiness, there have been some gems of behaviour and kindness and imagination, so I'm not complaining. I did let out a huge sigh of relief as DH stepped in the door though - just those extra pair of hands to take over for a few minutes to let me finish off tea...................................


I didn't pick up any extraordinary bargains today - just bits and pieces needed. The food budget is now running on fumes And we've still at least 3 days of milk and bread to buy........ ho hum.


Tea was indeed Jack's red lentil and mandarin orange curry, with courgette sabzi and basmati rice. I would definitely make the lentil & mandarin curry again. It was 'different' enough and it's key point (obviously) is that you are 'likely' to have the ingredients in your store cupboard. I certainly think that having a tin of mandarins at hand is no bad thing, and to make this savoury item, as well as an impromptu dessert, makes it a store cupboard staple I would have thought. The only thing I would do differently - and please don't read this as crticism, because it is NOT. I would add in more spices - perhaps a curry powder blend, or a few additional powdered spices. Now a) I usually have alot of spices in my cupboards - it's the backbone of my cooking style - this recipe is intended for people who may not - for whatever reason - have such a range of spices/seasonings to choose from; and b) it's about personal choice/preference - as I don't like really 'spicy' curries - I personally don't rely on adding more chilli to a dish - i'm not a fan. But I do like 'depth' of flavour, and to know I'm eating curry. I tried the curry having used just the ingredients listed in Jack's recipe, and found it everso slightly bland (for.me). So I chose to add in Garam Masala (actually usually quite cheap to pick up in 'generic' spice jars from the discounters as well as the supermercados). But I'd like to experiment a bit more. For example, cinnamon or fennel would enhance the oranges....... BUT taking the recipe for what it is - it was good, and a keeper for me


The courgette sabzi was a recipe of Romy Gill's found on the internet - I chose sabzi because it needed few ingredients - and I had them all. I chose Romy's particular recipe because it included fresh mint too, which I had As it's a newspaper recipe - it's all locked into preferences and cookie acceptance. Should you require a simple 'relatively dry' courgette curry - then goggle using the 'hints' given


All in all, a simple, straighforward tea that didn't break the bank due to free courgettes and storecupboard staples And without breaks for toddler taming, was relatively quick to prepare.......... :rotfl:


Today I am grateful for these 3 things;


BG - who is just being wee and exploring things and their place in the world. They truly are a delight, and I am so glad that they came into our lives :smileyhea

Finding (and keeping) new, frugal recipes - never a bad thing, whatever the state of the universe

for getting out and about and moving - without getting burnt to a crisp :j



Ta for popping by. Appreciated.


Greying X

Smurphington

I think I will have a go at both of those recipes. I have lots of mint growing and have only really made pea and mint soup with it, so if you have any ideas I'm all ears. My lo starts school in September and I'm already wishing time had stood still for a while in those first couple of years

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Afternoon :hello:


I know Smurphington - I know you are right about the time whizzing. I loathe it when I get frazzled by BG, simply because I know it won't be for always, and pretty soon - when they are off with their mates, and don't want ma & pa around, ruining their street-cred, I shall be missing them like crazy It was just the heat..... and a bit too much sitting around......and a bit too much youthful exhuberance........... all in a small space



Anyhoo, today is another day. And it's cooler But raining :rotfl: BG is napping....... :rotfl: Despite falling asleep the moment their head hit the pillow last night :think: Funny that :rotfl:


DH is getting groceries today. The observant amongst you will note that July has not yet ended. And yes, August grocery money is being used and yes, some of it will be 'stores' used in August, but some will be used before Thursday And August is practically a 5 week month and we've a small adventure planned and we're dipping into the budget already


Fiddlestix.................. :(


So, WHAT am I going to do about it? I hear you ask (c'mon, humour me.......)


Well, I'm going back to basics - for the umpteenth time. We like eating simply. Not everything has to have 407 ingredients. It's nice to have lush salads and 3 different colours of tomatoes, and eat your own body weight in avocados. But........... we can't. Not this month.


I seem to recall in one of my previous diaries, I did a month (probably July or August knowing me!!) of using JM and Leanne Brown recipes with the odd 'frugal from another source' recipe thrown in. I'm going to do that again. I'm also going to make some 'ready meals' that cannot be touched until the last week of the month. I am FED UP of getting to the end of the month with nowt in the cupboards. I want to know that we can eat 'summat' for the last 7 days of August. Doesn't have to be posh, doesn't have to be glamourous. It just has to exist. I'm going to reverse engineer, to make it so! Cap'n



Simple meals might be scrambled egg on toast with baked beans. Or a soup, or a one main ingredient (apart from spices) curry etc.



There will be NO cardboard box fish and oven chips. There may be an opportunity later in the month to have a fish supper - cooked by someone else (:j:rotfl:) as a treat. Whilst it will [STRIKE]possibly [/STRIKE] probably cost more than 5 x cardboard box fishes, 5 bags of factory chippies and 5 tins o'mushy peas, I've got to try to make the finances work. So home-cooked, batch-cooked, frugal-fare. For at least... 28/31 days in August. I'm aiming high!



Bring it on.



I think.


Maybe.


Sorta.



*Gulp*


I'm away to lie-down in a dark room, before I hit my recipe card index........... :rotfl:


Ta for popping in.


Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

Just putting a linkie here so I know where to find it;


https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5044283/cheap-recipes-free-downloadable-books&highlight=leanne+brown


Thanks to Upsidedown Bear, and the late Rosieben :A for pegging it to the forum


Greying X