2021 Frugal Living Challenge

CraftyLittleLisa

I was really pleased yesterday as I had a go at making my own fresh pasta.  My Mum had some out of date pasta flour which she was given ages ago as a substitute in her delivery for ordinary flour when there was a shortage.  She decided that as it was out of date and she hadn't used it yet she was unlikely to try and use it so I said I would take it and give it a go.  I found a recipe and did it yesterday and although it didn't look pretty it tasted like and had the texture of ordinary pasta.  It was hard work rolling it out though so it was quite chunky.  I will definitely give it another go as sometimes I would like tagliatelle but I don't want to buy so many different types of pasta to keep in the cupboard as I don't have a huge amount of space.  This might be a solution.

willow_loulou

@MazzieD I have a similar lap issue with the dogs. One is tiny and if he lays down it’s fine. The other is twice the size and seems to get his feet between muscle and bone every time! 

My Morrison’s veg box arrived at 8:15 this morning. The veg is brilliant quality and it had a wool cool pad protection wrapped around the leeks and broccoli. I’m not sure what to do with the wool now though! I will certainly get more boxes though - it will encourage me to use more veg and save supermarket trips. 

roblou27

CraftyLittleLisa said:

I was really pleased yesterday as I had a go at making my own fresh pasta.  My Mum had some out of date pasta flour which she was given ages ago as a substitute in her delivery for ordinary flour when there was a shortage.  She decided that as it was out of date and she hadn't used it yet she was unlikely to try and use it so I said I would take it and give it a go.  I found a recipe and did it yesterday and although it didn't look pretty it tasted like and had the texture of ordinary pasta.  It was hard work rolling it out though so it was quite chunky.  I will definitely give it another go as sometimes I would like tagliatelle but I don't want to buy so many different types of pasta to keep in the cupboard as I don't have a huge amount of space.  This might be a solution.

That’s interesting Lisa, I have always wanted to try making pasta. I think you can do it with ordinary flour to. The thing that has put me off is that I have very little rolling out space...small amount of worktop area in a small kitchen. I like the idea though.

willow_loulou said:

@MazzieD I have a similar lap issue with the dogs. One is tiny and if he lays down it’s fine. The other is twice the size and seems to get his feet between muscle and bone every time! 

My Morrison’s veg box arrived at 8:15 this morning. The veg is brilliant quality and it had a wool cool pad protection wrapped around the leeks and broccoli. I’m not sure what to do with the wool now though! I will certainly get more boxes though - it will encourage me to use more veg and save supermarket trips. 

Willow was it the £15 box? I was looking at those the other day of the website and thought that it sounded a good mix. Food for thought.

willow_loulou

@roblou27 yes the £15 box. I know it would be cheaper buying it separately but I would likely buy more than the veg and never the variety I have now.  I genuinely haven’t had a cauliflower in about 10 years here! I’m not looking forward to getting the swede chopped but I’ve a good peeler and patience. 

Living_proof

@Willow do you have a compost heap as wool does break down well and high in Nitrogen I understand?
The weekend was quite a good one for frugality. My live-out OH is a great cook and produced two cracking meals for very little. I also got a few Olio items and a Lidl £1.50 box so quite pleased with all that. Sent OH home with a reasonable food parcel! I am in the Amber alert part of the country so unlikely to get out much over the next few days, so all my vast quantities of stored food will come in useful. I really need to do an inventory of my freezers but worry that the items won't go back in as they came out!
I won £10 on the postcode lottery today but then had an updated fuel bill which means my direct debit will have to increase by £12 a month, and this is on top of an extra £5 a month water and £10/month council tax. Heavens, I will have to give up red wine soon! The heating is on all day at the moment and s*d the expense - it's what the £200 fuel allowance is for, after all.

CRANKY40

@willow_loulou if you have a microwave look up singing swede on t'internet. It's easier than chopping...

willow_loulou

Singing swede! Brilliant thank you! @CRANKY40
@Living_proof I’ve used it as a draft excluder for now, heck of a draft coming through my front door with this wind. I’ve covered the door in cardboard and put the wool Mat across the bottom. Brilliant! I may keep it for next winter, but I’ll definitely compost if I get several boxes, thanks.

StrawberrySuze

@DawnW Thank you, I'm going to try spinach, I eat loads of that and possibly broccoli and peas, I think rhubarb will be OK too and I love rhubarb crumble, I had that on Christmas Day 🤣

Shopaholic_no_more

I’ve just seen the singing swede on YT ....brilliant! 

fionaandphil

StrawberrySuze said:

@DawnW Thank you, I'm going to try spinach, I eat loads of that and possibly broccoli and peas, I think rhubarb will be OK too and I love rhubarb crumble, I had that on Christmas Day 🤣

I find spinach quite often bolts but I have tried chard instead and this keeps going most of the year and self seeds. Purple sprouting broccoli is also good as it's ready from November to March and fills a nice gap in the year