What small DFW things will you do w/c 22nd April?

determined_new_ms

I made this soup today:

https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/barley-and-lentil-soup-with-swiss-chard-231578

It's one of my favourites (I've probably posted it before!) I didn't have any lentils so I put in a can of kidney beans, and added 1/2 a courgette. Really recommend. Makes LOADS and as I grew the chard (well actually I used perpetual spinach, but I can't tell the difference between them!) which is really easy to grow, it's a really cheap dish. Works out about 20p a portion

Highly recommend!

determined_new_ms

trailingspouse wrote: »

This is the first time I've had chance to sit down and post on here since last Thursday!! Between working and then staying for a couple of days with my parents, it's been busy busy.


Managed a total spend on food of £4.38 - and £2.50 of that was an ice cream at the end of a gloriously hot and sunny Easter Sunday at work!



Sadly what I've saved on food I've spent on petrol travelling to the parents'. Swings and roundabouts.


I've had to start watering the garden (although not in the last couple of days!!). And this got me thinking, about the amount of water I use, and more particularly the amount of water I waste. Whenever I have a shower or a bath, the water runs for quite a while before the hot water comes through. And I'm having to pay for that water. So tonight, after the gym, I put a bucket under the shower just to see how much was running away down the drain. I was seriously shocked - it pretty much filled the bucket. Will keep it, and use it for flushing the loo. For very many reasons (quite apart from the cost), I just don't like the idea of wasting that much water.

carrielovesfanta is really good at this! I think she even saves her grey water (am I imagining this carrie?) I'm starting to do it too as the growing season is on us and it won't be long before my water is in desperate need!

PurpleFairy26

determined_new_ms wrote: »

I made this soup today:

https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/barley-and-lentil-soup-with-swiss-chard-231578

It's one of my favourites (I've probably posted it before!) I didn't have any lentils so I put in a can of kidney beans, and added 1/2 a courgette. Really recommend. Makes LOADS and as I grew the chard (well actually I used perpetual spinach, but I can't tell the difference between them!) which is really easy to grow, it's a really cheap dish. Works out about 20p a portion

Highly recommend!

Determined thanks for this, will add it to my to make list. Your recipe recommendations are always awesome so I have high hopes

PurpleFairy26

Morning all :hello: thankfully I slept much better last night :T but I'm still tired so won't be aiming for too much today, list feels a bit uninspiring.

Ziggy and determined hope you any any others feel better. Sending virtual hugs. Ally et al that aren't posting at the moment, hope you're ok. [waves]

Something from freezer for tea
Check homework for smalls and get it done out of the way
Vacuum through
Write and post a couple of cards
Was hoping to get out and see some bluebells but will have to see what the weather is doing and maybe defer until tomorrow
Watch a film tonight as a family, with some popcorn from stores
Smalls to prepaid activity
Maybe an afternoon nap :rotfl:
Trip to steam room to see if it'll help shift my cough

determined_new_ms

Morning purps glad to oblige! It is a good one, when you find some ys spinach or grow some I'd highly recommend!

Hope you feel less tired after your next coffee!

oh has taken madam swimming and I'm sat here procrastinating with the intention of tidying up in a minute, then getting ready to go to the allotment. Have been really encouraged and spurred on by my recent progress there! Should't be too much longer before I have whipped it in to shape! Will do some more digging and some sowing

I want to make some raised beds frames this weekend using odds and sods of wood we have in the garage. May need to enlist oh's help with this!

all meals from stores - need to make spag as haven't done it for several days now....

have hung washing on the line. It's blowing away as I type

Have paid ph £147 for something he purchased last month

madam has a party to go to this afternoon. Might go for a walk while she is there.

do some sewing - either more practising with my serger, finish off cardigan or cut out pattern for skirt

Will go for a walk with oh while madam is at the party if he's up for it or a wander around a garden centre & have a coffee if not. They have a cs in the GC and a furniture project just around the corner, so should help me while away a couple of hours! Will set myself a spending budget!

Have got pork joint out for dinner tomorrow

Have portioned up and frozen some of the soup. I ended up getting 10 portions from that recipe so cost is actually 17p a portion :

Deni_debt-free_dreamer

Morning everyone
Just catching up on everyone's news. Sending hugs to those struggling with poor health at the moment.
RL too busy at moment - my boss is off so i'm nominally in charge but nothing formal agreed and no mention of extra pay - not happy!! Also have some self employment I need to get on with over the weekend...
Been a spendy few days as DD2 home from uni for the night - lovely to see her but she was home so could go to hospital for pre op assessment for a minor op she needs in summer. Driving her to hospital then uni and home meant approx. 250 miles done; plus the obligatory shop at Mr T to replenish her uni supplies and the Costalot drive through that's her post hospital treat...
Went for a meal last night which was lovely - great company and much needed treat after a long week but very un-MSE !
Today I am cracking on with self employment task and cleaning. Should manage all meals from stores. Had toast for breakfast using leftover bread from work that I brought home rather than it going in the bin.
Allowed DD1 to put heating on for a short while yesterday as very cold here.
Agree with awareness of water consumption - i'm not on a water metre but I think I will save running water to use for watering tubs etc.

Hope everyone has a good and frugal day
Deni
xx

Deni_debt-free_dreamer

Me again! I have been doing surveys and just got my first SB £10 gift card for M£S!! Only joined a few weeks ago so delighted with that Dx

DiscountDuck

I managed a second no spend day in a row yesterday. Today I crashed a bit with depression as my kids are at their dad’s which is always hard because they don’t really want to go and I don’t like that they’re too young to decide for themselves. I wish he’d engage more with them so they wanted to be there.

To try to cheer up I’ve been seeing how many jobs I can get done for free round the house. So far I’ve finished digging out and laying a path to the greenhouse with sharp gravel to hopefully keep the slugs away, and planted lots of the penstemon I’ve grown from cuttings into the front border.

My next job is to use edging stones given to me by my dad when he remodelled their garden, to edge a border next to the pond. Then I’m going to plant veg seeds because growing our own food and the anticipation of making a nice veg patch always lifts my soul.

If it starts raining, I may try to bake from pantry ingredients.

Have a great day everybody.

DawnW

determined_new_ms wrote: »

Morning purps glad to oblige! It is a good one, when you find some ys spinach or grow some I'd highly recommend!

Spinach (the perpetual kind) and chard are the easiest things to grow, and so productive! I have just taken out 3 spinach plants that lasted from about this time last year till today when I took them out as they are going to seed, and I have cut huge numbers of leaves from them over that time! 'Ordinary' spinach (ie not the perpetual kind)is lovely too, but doesn't last so long and goes to seed quickly. I use spinach and chard interchangeably too DNMS, they are so similar.

Feeling lazy today, maybe due to the weather, which is horrible Really high winds which have done quite a lot of damage to trees etc locally - supposed to ease off later this afternoon, hope it does!!
Can't put the washing out atm as there is no way it wouldn't end up in the neighbours' gardens :eek:
Had leftover frittata for lunch, and will have jacket potatoes with salad for dinner. Got a couple of half price legs of lamb, obvs left over from Easter, from Mr S yesterday. Froze one, but kept the other one out for dinner tomorrow, and leftovers later in the week.
It is so cold I put the heating on earlier this morning I will turn it off later and light the stove instead.
Other than that, I have cleared up the kitchen a bit and listed a couple of things on ebay, and that is about it Must find some motivation from somewhere! No spending though!

La_escocesa

Hi everyone :wave:

Yip, miserable weather here too. Not stopped raining and really high winds. I need to go out to get a meter reading and take out recycling but even that seems like too much effort :rotfl:

Here's me:
- YNAB - need to get banking reconciled ASAP
- Slow cook whole chicken - will get that on in a bit
- Online food shop - coming tomorrow - definitely saves me/better than going to the supermarket.
- Got a free ebook from Prime
- Sorted out energy supplier but need to set up online account etc and reply to email from old supplier
- Try to go into labour :rotfl:

That's the main plan - I'll let you know how it goes :rotfl: