2021 Frugal Living Challenge

Frugaldom

@joedenise I've just made the oat muffins with the addition of some sultanas and have shared the results on my FB page.

sashacat

Been missing for a while but still being frugal. 
My neighbour brought round 10 eggs as they had lots so I made 2 large egg custard tarts. Any one know if I can freeze one of them. 
Another neighbour brought me 2 jars of homemade raspberry jam from last year as she had too many. 
Still eating soup everyday from home grown veggies, mainly from the freezer. 
I am almost self sufficient in veggies and fruit but I do buy tins of tuna, sardines, tomatoes (in case I run out of my own preserved ones), chickpeas for hummus and baked beans for the occasional beans on toast.
I batch cook from the garden or from what I have frozen. 
Today was cold, wet and windy so I had a day in the kitchen. I made 2 custard tarts, 3 different crumbles from frozen fruit from the garden, and a cheese pie from a recipe on this thread ( I think) a while ago. 
So, sad because of my partner dying, but still frugal. I’ve decided I’m frugal by nature. 

joedenise

@sashacat - can definitely freeze egg custard tarts before cooking but not sure about after cooking.  When I first did a "using and cooking for your freezer" course back in 1971 it was one of the first recipe we were given!  Make a pastry tart and blind bake it; once cooled fill with the egg custard mix and then freeze it.  Cook from frozen.  Apparently it stops the custard oozing through the pastry and causing a soggy bottom!

@Frugaldom - were the oat muffins with sultanas OK?  Not something I've ever done.  I don't do Facebook!

StrawberrySuze

Not a tin but I keep red pesto from Lidls in, 55p a jar!

MazzieD

What a windy night, still really strong winds this morning. 

Council Tax Bill arrived yesterday, £5 increase per month and no doubt there will be other bills going up as well.   Think it's going to be a lot of juggling with budgets for most of us.

@Frugaldom A*da are supposed to be the cheapest supermarket after the discounters for essentials but prices are definitely increasing depending on what you normally buy.  

@sashacat Good to read your post, be kind to yourself it will take a while to adjust.

Frugaldom

@joedenise yes, the muffins are fine with sultanas, although a bit heavier than I'd have liked. That could be down to my lack of baking skills, though, as I am very much a mix it up, throw it in and rescue it when I smell it type of cook. 😆

willow_loulou

Feeling rough this morning (temp head and tum), I think I’ll see if I have enough oats to make the muffins. Can you freeze them ? 

Siebrie

Supermarket prices have gone up in Belgium; a full trolley used to be around €60 at A1d1's, now it's €85. I do buy slightly more crisps and cookies, but not €25 worth! Fruit and veg is not as good quality as it was, it is often slightly blemished and/or goes off quickly.

The lockdown is wearing us down, so I am trying to cook more diversely to add interest to our lives. I have a feeling that normally 'life' brings enough diversity and we can eat rather routinely, but with everything else on very basic routine, we need something to add interest. Still, the more interesting cooking does not add up to €25/week!

joedenise

willow_loulou said:

Feeling rough this morning (temp head and tum), I think I’ll see if I have enough oats to make the muffins. Can you freeze them ? 

Sorry I've got no idea as never tried.  I use them as part of my Slimming World healthy eating plan and 40g of oats in a Healthy Extra (for fibre) so I eat all 3 from my half of the mixture I make.  I have 2 for breakfast with some yoghurt and fruit and then the 3rd mid morning with a cuppa.

If you do freeze them can you let me know if it works please?  If it does then I may well make a batch to freeze so I can just get them out of the freezer and reheat in the microwave rather than having to wait 3/4 hour for my breakfast!

Tightpants24

Frugaldom said:

Tightpants24 said:

If you want some free sunflower seeds go on the Nestle website and enter the code BEES for a free pack.  I don't know how many are in the pack but it is FREE! 🥳

I tried this but it wouldn't let me proceed without uploading a proof of purchase.

I don't know why it is doing this.  It didn't need a purchase when I did it.  I got an email confirming I will receive the seeds within 28 days.  I will update if / when they come.