Put away your purse & become debt-averse

foxgloves

Oh you are a funny lot. Love the suggested title. My suggestion is 'Sticking it to the system with mince & lentils'. Each episode could feature a Very Useful Item in the Foxgloves debt-avoidance arsenal.
Like this is EVER going to happen! I quite like the idea of a podcast, but I expect it would be extremely time consuming to do. And what would I do in the summer in my baking hot balaclava? That's what I want to know! Perhaps I could swap it for a hot weather disguise of a sheet mask, then I can pontificate & beautify at the same time. This has gone a bit fantasy football now.
Anyway, I'd better get today's post on, as I've been proper frugal today, no f*rting about on the internet or watching an episode of the lovely Mr Poldark in his sexy trousers for me this morning, oh no! I've been Mrs Jobs.........better get on & tell you about all the kitchen action.

foxgloves

It's that time of year when the veggie garden efforts are really starting to pay off. I picked a big colander full of tomatoes, chillies & courgettes yesterday, then went down with a basket first thing & picked more french beans & a huge bundle of basil, before deciding to go back for rhubarb as it was still looking good despite this being the end of its season.
So pinny on........what to do with it all!
A bit limited on the baking front by there being only one egg left & I really didn't want to trundle my bike out to the shop again today. No matter, it was still sufficient to bake 10 of the rhubarb muffins we like. I ate a very slightly wonky one which wouldn't have got past Paul Hollywood with my morning coffee, have popped a few in the cake tin for BH weekend & frozen the rest. Still lots of rhubarb left, as there was over a kilo, so I've made the rest into compote & frozen it for my autumn porridge, etc. That made 4 pots & some left for my lunch tomorrow.
Then onto the basil, which I made into another batch of pesto, enough to freeze 5 pots. I used 1.5k of the tomatoes for a batch of Carluccio's basic tomato pasta sauce recipe. It's very simple, very tomatoey & freezes really well, so that made another 3 containers for the freezer. The jalapenos have been frozen, as I like things with a Mexican vibe & we'll use them over the next year. You need to keep picking them when they are big enough so that the plants keep producing, so I'll add to the bag as I cut them over the next few weeks.
I was just about to blanch the beans ready for freezing when mr f texted & said he wouldn't mind some to go with tonight's meal (his cooking night) so that saved a job & they'll be lovely & fresh.
That just left another yoghurt pot full of blackberries, which have been added to the freezer bag. I have mentioned that we need to go blackberrying soon as I don't have enough for both blackberry & pear gin and jam. I'm happy to go on my own but Mr F thinks I attract weirdoes & knows I will venture off across pastures without a heed to things like phone signals, so he says he's coming with me. The obvious bonus to this is that he's taller & stronger than me, has arms like a gibbon for reaching the impossible berries & because he is so competitive, he'll pick plenty too!
So, that plus baking a sourdough loaf too & cleaning all of downstairs AND having to deal with a spectacular drama queen cat puking incident, I'm thinking it jolly well ought to be time to go out into the garden with a drink & my book.
Oh, & I've emailed the solicitor too, as there seems to have been progress on our parents' estate, but there is an inheritance tax issue my sis & I thought we understood & now wonder if we didn't. Have requested further clarification anyway. This time last year, we still thought Mum was slowly going to get over her life-saving surgery, but it wasn't to be. I can't believe that a year has passed since we we started making all those hospital visits. Ah well, time to crank up the coffee machine.
Hope you're all getting some of this lovely sunshine. I've been watching the dragonflies darting hither & thither & the cutest little bald baby dunnock.
F x
(And I am a bit of a weirdo magnet, actually, to be fair)

wishingthemortgaheaway

Can you bottle your productivity and send it to me please? Alternatively - I can provide cake if you'd like to be the productivity my house and life needs.

Blackcats

A weirdo magnet eh? What are you saying? Not referring to your loyal followers are you?!,,

Deni_debt-free_dreamer

Evening foxgloves and followers

I've been reading along for a while but thought i'd pop in and say hello

My neighbour has let me pick some tomatoes from his greenhouse today and I've spotted loads of blackberries down by the river to pick over the weekend. Those efforts are miniscule compared to your green fingers but maybe I can be inspired next summer; i'd love to be able to grow some of my own food.

I've been trying hard to tackle my debt which was around £10k last November - finding all the support and inspiration on the forum is really helpful.

wishing everyone a lovely Bank Holiday
Deni xx

HairyHandofDartmoor

Sorry I've been awol from your diary Foxgloves but travelling plays havoc with my MSE schedule. I've caught up now and have been chuckling at many of your posts and even reading bits aloud to DH and DS1 who have also been chuckling, especially Mr F and the cat puke episode :rotfl:.

I do love your debtisodes, your budgeting, decluttering and your garden tales. Your diary is cosy, comforting, informative and hilarious, all at the same time .

Honeysucklelou2

Thanks to your posts about decluttering, you have inspired me to have a good sort out at home. I haven't quite done the 1 item on the first, 2 on the second route but have had a good go at sorting through cupboards and getting rid of things that are just gathering dust and of no practical value. It's surprising how many things have gone. Thanks for the inspirations!

crazy_cat_lady

Weirdo here :wave: And very proud of it indeed.

foxgloves

Lol - company on here exempt, of course. I was referring to being a weirdo magnet in real life x

foxgloves

Welcome Deni & thanks for dropping in everyone. Glad the decluttering challenge has been inspiring. I'm still finding things. I gave my Grandma's set of 1930s green glass plates to my sis last week as I never use them & they were an odd shape to store, but they're still in the family, so that's nice.
HHoD - Gosh, your poor family, being subjected to bits of my diary, esp the cat puke bits!