Get a grip woman!

Suffolk_lass

We've raided the meat in the freezer and done a loose food plan for this week.

Then I just could not resist two mackerel in the SM with a yellow sticker - less than £2. I just had to gut them, which I had not spotted. Ugh! I suppose they thought they were too small to prepare and pack singly. We had them for supper baked in foil with olive oil, butter, S&P then opened the packets for the last ten minutes under the grill for a crisp skin, while the veg steamed. They were excellent! I even kept them in the foil as I know it is the smell of the house that DH hates so everything wrapped up and separately disposed of.

It just means I have the extra food now that is out of the freezer. I think I will add some mince and make a large chilli that I can freeze cooked portions from.

The other benefit of this approach is the grocery bill stayed reasonable £45.04 plus £17 for store cupboard and £5.28 on toiletries for a charity.

Suffolk_lass

Large Chilli in the big slow-cooker. Might plug the little one in and cook the pork-ribs so they are ready this evening - it seems to run much hotter than the big one. Then we can carry on outside for a bit longer....

redofromstart

That mackerel sounds lovely, although I am with your DH on the smell thing.

Congrats on the impending retirement, yours is one of the diaries that keeps me focused on that long term plan for us too.

Suffolk_lass

redofromstart wrote: »

That mackerel sounds lovely, although I am with your DH on the smell thing.

Congrats on the impending retirement, yours is one of the diaries that keeps me focused on that long term plan for us too.

Thanks redofromstart, I wish I'd known then what I know now. I am pushing on for the last few months until my wage stops, then I might use some of my OP TFLS to pay a big lump off that mortgage, just to reduce our outgoings. I recommend laser-focus, for the very few periods where I have had this. It never lasts for me. My complacency/smug filter gets in the way! I suppose that bit of self-awareness helps

Suffolk_lass

Oh yes, diet. I suggested to DH that he try the 8-week low blood-sugar diet and offered to do it with him. So we are. Both lost 5lb in the first week. Sadly I think it is more indicative of how fat we are, rather than how dedicated and diligent we are! 7 weeks to go.

Suffolk_lass

I am off today, instead of Friday this week, so many chores on my list. In frugal-planning terms, today should be good. I have a box of gifted Bramley Apples to process, and two large punnets of Sloes, that we picked on Sunday. I am going to make Apple and Sloe Jelly, and put them in nice jars for Christmas presents. It is very good as an accompaniment to red meat or added to sauces and casseroles.

To start with:

• Buy organic whole oats from Waitress, using vouchers
• Iron Bed-linen (3 lots) - crucial
• Deliver apples to my neighbour (sharing the bounty and the other neighbour's generosity)
• Drop off some food and toiletries at the Church for the Harvest Festival
• Make Boiler Service Appointment
• Phone the Oil man to ask for another 1000l for an additional Villager
• Email the Oil syndicate organiser to add the last-minute man to the syndicate
• Process the Sloes and Apples, ready for the jelly.

Suffolk_lass

Just starting on my list when UK Power Networks knocked on the door and explained the power was about to go off for most of the day (a goose flew into our cables last year, shortly before Christmas and when they fixed that they evidently identified an urgent issue that needed fixing, properly). Turned out they replaced all the poles and cables today :eek::eek:

Stuffed up my list though!

• [STRIKE]Buy organic whole oats from Waitress, using vouchers[/STRIKE] bought from local Health Food Shop as I could not get out of the drive until 4pm
• Iron Bed-linen (3 lots) - crucial - no electricity all day
• [STRIKE]Deliver apples to my neighbour (sharing the bounty and the other neighbour's generosity)[/STRIKE]
• Drop off some food and toiletries at the Church for the Harvest Festival - Church door already locked when I went round
• Make Boiler Service Appointment - no phone all day because no electricity
• [STRIKE]Phone the Oil man to ask for another 1000l for an additional Villager
• Email the Oil syndicate organiser to add the last-minute man to the syndicate[/STRIKE]
• [STRIKE]Process the Sloes and Apples, ready for the jelly.[/STRIKE]

Early supper then over to a meeting from 8pm.

trix-a-belle

SL does your village not have a group set up on https://www.oil-club.co.uk/ ? i've found them to be very good price wise & i don't think someone in the village gets stuck with the admin for it but is done centrally (might be wrong though)

Congrats on the retirement plans

Suffolk_lass

trix-a-belle wrote: »

SL does your village not have a group set up on https://www.oil-club.co.uk/ ? i've found them to be very good price wise & i don't think someone in the village gets stuck with the admin for it but is done centrally (might be wrong though)

Congrats on the retirement plans

Ooh, thanks trix, I hadn't heard of them. The new coordinators have only just taken over and may be open to looking. I will pass it on.

trix-a-belle

Suffolk_lass wrote: »

Ooh, thanks trix, I hadn't heard of them. The new coordinators have only just taken over and may be open to looking. I will pass it on.

Ah cool, no worries it may put them out of a job baring assisting older residents. I wish i'd found them when I moved rather than once I had a bit of time to look about, as it immediately saved the 'calling round beating suppliers up with each others prices' time.