It's getting tough out there. Feeling the pinch?

Spendless

My positive start to the day has had mixed results so far. Electrician quoted DH for a job at the price he was expecting and I wasn't. I wasn't keen that hubby had asked for a quote in the first place, yes the job needs doing, so do others. It's not the right financial time for us to go ahead at the minute.

But I also spotted where meal times are going wrong. DH said he was going to get a lunch of sausage and beans on toast. I said wouldn't that make him too full for the curry I'd already planned for tea, with veg needing using up and the chicken taken out to defrost. He did agree and changed his meal to something else. Meanwhile I made HM lentil soup for me, with red lentils, 1 small onion, a small amount of bell pepper and a veg stock pot, adding garlic (granules all I have in) and a few tropical peppercorns (from DS school cookery days, he's now 22 they're still going strong!) salt and black pepper. It made a lovely thick creamy soup. I had a portion and I'd say there's 1.5 - 2 portions left.

This is what I need to do concentrate on what is perishable but long life (eg onions) compared to short life perishables (eg salad leaves) and plan accordingly. Next payday we will top up the shopping taking this into account.

I went to Aldi to buy some of the bits not picked up yesterday, still no multi packed beans. I also noticed lard (39p) was missing. We do have a small amount in but I can't use it if it's far something DD is sharing with us as she's vegetarian. Also missing was was the block marg that said 'ideal for baking' So I'm guessing people are going for the cheapest options and turning to making their own. That fetches me to my next request, would you mind putting up our recipe for melting moments @London_1
I know you have before but want to jot down this time. I'm getting requests for goodies and they sound like they'd be ideal for lunchboxes, especially since DD isn't fond of cake, so makes thinking of things I can make that will keep a bit more difficult.

euronorris

We've had a busy weekend absolutely blitzing the house, ready for my parents arrival on Friday. This has involved a lot of tidying, washing blankets from the sofa, hoovering, cleaning, decluttering, mopping, mowing the lawn etc etc. It needed doing, but am shattered now!

In doing so, we found a bottle of bubbles (wasn't champagne or prosecco though), so promptly put that in the fridge yesterday morning so it was ready for the evening. And we have also created a pile of stuff to sell on, and another of stuff to pass on.

I also popped to supermarket to get some bits in for my mum, who has special dietary needs. There were so many big gaps in the store. I did also get some gammon on a 3 for £10 deal, as I find we can usually get a good meal out of one, with several rounds of sandwiches too (I do it in the slow cooker). It's certainly considerably cheaper than buying pre sliced ham! 

Oh, and found a yellow sticker pack of jelly bean doughnuts reduced from £2 to 20p, so that was cool.

ladyholly

There was no lard I tes** last Tuesday so perhaps that is the latest shortage. I will look again this week.

annieb64

Our Aldi didn't have lard either. Managed to get some from the Coop but it cost more than 39p!There was an article in the Telegraph last week saying that more people were cooking with lard and dripping.

Spendless

Quite happy at present (gosh, I'm up and down at the minute!). On my hob is a chicken (1 large breast) and various veg in a curry sauce and rice on another ring.

In the oven is 2 veggie sausages for DD, some roast potatoes (using old old potato), Indian snacks. To go in is a Naan bread (bought reduced and frozen weeks ago) and  a Yorkshire pudding (ready made shop bought). Some frozen veg is to be pinged in the microwave later and gravy using veggie granules made. Already done is an onion and cucumber salad and a raita with yoghurt that needed using plus adding mint sauce.

DH is fetching DD back from her job. She messaged at lunchtime to say she wasn't feeling great, but when I suggested she told her boss who could let the lunch cover stay longer, she refused to do so, probably thinking of her wages! However she did ask DH to get her after work, so am waiting for their arrival before dishing up.  

Rosa_Damascena

@Spendless from what I can see you have cooked 3 times today. It's been a hot day, was the work and fuel involved really necessary?

I have just looked through my fruit bowl for stuff that's getting ripe and made a small fruit salad, which is just right for me.

elsien

I’d be starving if a fruit salad was a meal in itself.  Each to their own and all that, but I’d happily go over to Spendless to be fed.
If you’re using up things, and making enough that it’ll do another day as well it’s not a waste of time/fuel.
This evening I’ll be having a cooked dinner, but boiling extra potatoes for a potato salad for tomorrow plus making a soup which will freeze for another time. If the oven is on then cooking several meals/portions make sense and saves time later in the week when I’ll be busier. 

Rosa_Damascena

elsien said:

I’d be starving if a fruit salad was a meal in itself.  Each to their own and all that, but I’d happily go over to Spendless to be fed.

I had a bit of a shock last week when I found that nothing fit comfortably and then got on the scales to find I was heavier than I've ever been! I put this down not to large meals but the amounts of junk (sugar) I graze on when stressed which seems to be 100% of the time during the 50+ hrs pw at work. Mindful of this I have cut back on the chocolate, made at least an hour a day to walk and waistlines feel less tight in a matter of days

I have still a way to go to get back down to normal though so it's going to be fruit and salad for the foreseeable.

elsien

Yes, I’ve got a bit of that going on as well. Only in my case it’s getting to Asda when they’re reducing the cake and cookies to 10p and I have no willpower at all.
Still need carbs or protein though or I go lightheaded. 

in_my_wellies

euronorris said:

I also popped to supermarket to get some bits in for my mum, who has special dietary needs. There were so many big gaps in the store. I did also get some gammon on a 3 for £10 deal, as I find we can usually get a good meal out of one, with several rounds of sandwiches too (I do it in the slow cooker). It's certainly considerably cheaper than buying pre sliced ham! 

I use my pressure cooker for gammon but would like to try the slow cooker. How long does it take  please?