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Free range or even barn chickens are unquestionably tastier than the bog-standard factory farmed ones. We switched over originally due to the ethical considerations, but would have likely continued buying the higher welfare ones on taste alone. Same often applies to eggs too. (Obviously acknowledging that we are fortunate to have the financial privilege to shop with animal welfare/ethical considerations in mind)
🎉 MORTGAGE FREE (First time!) 30/09/2016 🎉 And now we go again…New mortgage taken 01/09/23 🏡
Balance as at 01/09/23 = £115,000.00 Balance as at 31/12/23 = £112,000.00
Balance as at 31/08/24 = £105,400.00 Balance as at 31/12/24 = £102,500.00
£100k barrier broken 1/4/25
Balance as at 31/08/25 = £ 95,450.00. Balance as at 31/12/25 = £ 91,100.00
SOA CALCULATOR (for DFW newbies): SOA Calculatorshe/her3 -
@EssexHebridean - I think the chicken they sent us was fed gold rather than the silver we are accustomed to. It may also have been used to the luxury of air-conditioning rather than the great outdoors! 😅🤣Needless to say it wasn't the standard high welfare chicken but the luxury pampered version so more per kilo!
4 YEARS 10 MONTHS DEBT FREE!!! (24 OCT 2016)(With heartfelt thanks to those who have gone before us & their indubitable generosity.)...and now I have a mortgage! (23 AUG 2021)Original End Date - Sept 2041 New projection - Dec 2039 (reduced by 21 months)3 -
The King of the chickens - quite right for the RT Household!
The EH household is currently smelling deliciously fragrant as I have a pot of daal just made - yellow split peas and probably roughly a bag if the 5p shallots from Christmas, simmered in a can of coconut milk plus another of water with garlic, mustard seeds, cumin and coriander, it hadnywuite finished cooking by the time 4pm hit and the electric prices went up, but I’ve turned the heat off and left it well wrapped in tea towels and I’m hoping it will finish off from there. I can always get the tattle masher on it if needed! 😁
Freezer audit was done last night - I did the writing and MrEH got the cold hands - so we know where we are there.
Tea tonight is going to be halloumi with katsu sauce, some of the daal, and some rice - and I need to work out which of the various single portions of things I am getting out for my lunch tomorrow - the stew from the other week, or a random portion of chicken orzo bake are currently top of the possibilities list!
🎉 MORTGAGE FREE (First time!) 30/09/2016 🎉 And now we go again…New mortgage taken 01/09/23 🏡
Balance as at 01/09/23 = £115,000.00 Balance as at 31/12/23 = £112,000.00
Balance as at 31/08/24 = £105,400.00 Balance as at 31/12/24 = £102,500.00
£100k barrier broken 1/4/25
Balance as at 31/08/25 = £ 95,450.00. Balance as at 31/12/25 = £ 91,100.00
SOA CALCULATOR (for DFW newbies): SOA Calculatorshe/her4 -
@rtandon27 where did you get that tasty chicken and which one was it? Please and thanks. We haven’t had a whole chicken in a while o it would be nice to get a good one.
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Over here, the rubber girl will be used up tonight in a stir fry. The last of the stock went in the soup last evening.
The sausage casserole at the community lunch was great, with just the donated lump of monster squash, along with carrots, onions and a tasty sauce (good butcher's pork spicy sausages too), served with mash and cabbage. Best of all, I only cooked the cabbage. My fellow volunteer did the main part. Then my plum crumble, with blackberry sauce and/or custard. When I popped over for a quick drink, two separate people said how much they had enjoyed the lunch. Great. They both had seconds too! Sloppy, filling, tasty food, served on a miserable day, it was just what we all needed (along with my nap afterwards on the sofa, once home!)
I have got what looks like a bag of 4 chump/loin/shoulder chops out to defrost for tomorrow. I am undecided what to do with them yet. They have made a sizeable hole in that freezer drawer though!
I will use up a joint of beef topside next weekend as DS&P will come over (their long weekend). That should also do a couple of extra meals afterwards. I do just need eggs and some nicer bowl fruit needed (the oranges I bought just are not what I thought I bought - thick skins, small contents and not looking or tasting like navelinas or navels, they are not the juicy treat I hoped would be in the bags)
Save £12k in 2026 #2 I have banked £2870.61 so far, against a £10k target The 2026 Save £12k in 2026 thread is here
OS Grocery Challenge in 2026 I am sticking with a £3000 annual budget for 2026 - currently £568.34 and most of my March purchasing made
I also Reverse Meal Plan on that thread and grow much of our own premium price fruit and veg, joining in on the grow your own in 2026 discussion thread
My keep within our budget diary is here4 -
@jingsmybucket - we usually buy an 0cad0 organic but only when it's on sale (40% off which tbh is available every other week in the flash sales when checking out) - the tasty one they sent us this week was the marksandspencive oakham gold whole bird - available in three different sizes - they sent us a medium even though we always buy a large chicken - so who knows what the rational was there - maybe price point? it was a heavy bird for a medium.
4 YEARS 10 MONTHS DEBT FREE!!! (24 OCT 2016)(With heartfelt thanks to those who have gone before us & their indubitable generosity.)...and now I have a mortgage! (23 AUG 2021)Original End Date - Sept 2041 New projection - Dec 2039 (reduced by 21 months)6 -
Building blocks for more reverse planning achieved here - with the addition to the freezers yesterday of:
- 4 tubs curried parsnip soup
- 5 tubs cooked lentils
- 4 assorted sourdough style loaves from Olio - one part used for breakfast this morning
In the process of a day filled with kitchen activity I also extracted the last pack of venison mince from freezer 1 - that’s been turned into two cotttage - or perhaps stalkers as suggested elsewhere - pie bases absolutely packed with veg which are just awaiting their mash. One will be eaten tomorrow and the other will go into the freezer assuming that there is still space - failing that I’ll rejig the meal plan to see us eating it on Wednesday instead.
The slow cooker has been cooking chickpeas overnight too - I’m going to leave them sitting in the hot water to cool down as they aren’t quite so cooked as an would prefer - with luck that cooling process will finish them off suitably. I need to find space for those in the freezer as well - eek! Freezsr 2 is already packed to bursting but there is still SOME space in Fr 1… the Olio loaves will sort sandwiches for lunches this week anyway - saving MrEH the need to make rolls.
🎉 MORTGAGE FREE (First time!) 30/09/2016 🎉 And now we go again…New mortgage taken 01/09/23 🏡
Balance as at 01/09/23 = £115,000.00 Balance as at 31/12/23 = £112,000.00
Balance as at 31/08/24 = £105,400.00 Balance as at 31/12/24 = £102,500.00
£100k barrier broken 1/4/25
Balance as at 31/08/25 = £ 95,450.00. Balance as at 31/12/25 = £ 91,100.00
SOA CALCULATOR (for DFW newbies): SOA Calculatorshe/her5 -
@rtandon27 thanks. I’m going to M and S today so I’ll look at their chickens. I’ve been tempted lately to get their £15 rotisserie chicken dine in deal as well. It consists of a chicken and three sides for £15.
The salt and pepper chicken at 2.4kg looks to be the best value.
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We are doing a use it up omlette for brunch this morning - some salad we didn't eat during the week, roasted mushrooms from the mid-week roast, a red onion from the stores, the last of the christmas posh cheddar - a veg heavy frittata more than an omlette! Also the last two crumpets toasted and buttered to go alongside.
4 YEARS 10 MONTHS DEBT FREE!!! (24 OCT 2016)(With heartfelt thanks to those who have gone before us & their indubitable generosity.)...and now I have a mortgage! (23 AUG 2021)Original End Date - Sept 2041 New projection - Dec 2039 (reduced by 21 months)4 -
Mr Sl cooked the chops and served us 2 each! They turned out to be a flank cut (I think) that should have been cooked long and slow. He did not recognise that, declared they had too much bone and we needed 2 each (we did not!) and they were not pleasant. I know I shall struggle to eat the one I left on the plate. I have quietly got a small pack of chipolatas out to have with a bit of salad tonight
Save £12k in 2026 #2 I have banked £2870.61 so far, against a £10k target The 2026 Save £12k in 2026 thread is here
OS Grocery Challenge in 2026 I am sticking with a £3000 annual budget for 2026 - currently £568.34 and most of my March purchasing made
I also Reverse Meal Plan on that thread and grow much of our own premium price fruit and veg, joining in on the grow your own in 2026 discussion thread
My keep within our budget diary is here2
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