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

Nelliegrace

Christmas is very much like a Sunday here. Some years we do a small beef joint, or a roast chicken. How much extra food does that take? We make a cake in advance, DH weighs everything and I put in in the mixer. We put a few carols on. I make a mincemeat slice for the week.
A vase of greenery from the garden, brought in on Christmas Eve, and a flowering plant, are so much easier than a Christmas tree and all the decorations, put up much too early so everyone is bored of it by the 25th and takes it down on Boxing Day instead of 12th Night.  The Christmas cards are sent early and ours go on the strings along the wall as the arrive. 
Really, the less fuss the more we enjoy it. If there is a nice film we watch it, but not television all day. 

We appreciate the nice biscuits, and foody treats from the neighbours because they are treats, and we enjoy them one at a time well into January. DH can go a little mad in the sales, but most things keep well or freeze, and January and February can be bleak months when a few treats are welcome. 

Our treat is to take DD and family out for a nice relaxed lunch a few days after Christmas, to fit in with their busy schedule, when a lot of the excitement has died down. A carvery or Chinese buffet suits the children.  It was postponed this year because of illness, we just enjoyed it later. A meal out is a rare treat, though various groups like WI put on a lunch so December can be busy. 

The children get enough toys and games, from other relatives, we discuss what they need and like, and get them the boring stuff, pyjamas, socks, hoodies, and any book DD suggests. Their great Nan gave DD shoe money for them. 
We just wanted to be sure they all had warm clothes this year in case there were power cuts as well as high bills. 

Florenceem

Longwalker - same here - Mr F was born middle class - his father was an army Major and mother from a high ranking Hungarian family. I am working class and proud of it.

Pollycat

Longwalker said:

Florenceem said:

I made 10 ozs of short crust pastry yesterday using lard & marge. I lined 2 pie dishes with pastry and filled with - a mix of 4 sausages which I skinned + 3 fried onions + a made up packet of sage & onion stuffing + black pepper/Worcestershire sauce & garlic seasoning - layered it with a hot spicy chutney/sliced hard boiled eggs + tomatoes  and then put on pastry lid. Made 10 portions - only two of us here. I will freeze some (although hard boiled egg is not so good after freezing) - we eat out on a Wednesday at SA but having pie yesterday/today and tomorrow.  Having pie with dough balls & garlic dip + dressed rocket tonight. Tomorrow - pie + some hm chips & baked beans. 

That sounds so good, my type of food tbh. I love a sausage pie/plat. I really like corned beef pie as well ( hairy bikers have a cracking recipe which is real proper . My trouble is Mr L only likes chicken/turkey pies. I sometimes in the summer get away with a quiche but he moans 

Corned beef fan here too.
I found this recipe for Corned beef Lancashire Hotpot by the Hairy Bikers, it sounds good:
Corned beef Lancashire hotpot recipe from The Hairy Bikers - Saga

Siebrie

@Longwalker " I kid you not I just last week threw out last years Easter egg"

If that egg was made from proper chocolate, you could have melted it and used as a dip or as chocolate chips, or as a chocolate sauce. Chocolate takes a very long time to go off.

YoungBlueEyes

Gawd I’d find meself single if I binned any variety of chocolate, even if it was my own and was a decade out of date 😆

Floss

Pollycat said: 

Corned beef fan here too.
I found this recipe for Corned beef Lancashire Hotpot by the Hairy Bikers, it sounds good:
Corned beef Lancashire hotpot recipe from The Hairy Bikers - Saga

That's how my mum made hotpot, I've know that version since the late 1960s.

Longwalker

I really like the hairy bikers recipes. they are proper food

Bargains found today

We have a chicken processing factory in the next town, they produced for all the big names - not tesco or Asda for some reason, but waitrose and Marks are on their list. Well today I was gob smacked to find Duchy Of Cornwall Organic chicken thighs, which sell at a whopping £24 a kilo. I got four packs for £5 - average retail pack price was £11

Also picked up two packs of Waitrose organic  chicken tikka ( raw ) sells 2 packs for £8 retail - lifted 2 for £5

I hadn't been there for a while as I heard they were no longer processing for the supermarkets , but nope they have changed their lines to the organic market, so whilst not the huge range of stuff I once used to get, I was more then happy with my haul 3kg of organic chicken off the bone for £10

Its a hit and miss place. You would never make the journey esp but if passing that way it can pay off to pop in 

Frugalista

My sister has just dropped off a bag of vegetables from her local community pantry (unfortunately there is nothing like that around here), 

It contains a small aubergine, celeriac, pak choi, red cabbage, carrots, 4 chillis, spring onions, 2 small bags of baby spinach (on the turn), a bag of chopped kale, mint and a single parsnip!

Has anyone got any ideas - especially for the aubergine and celeriac - as I've never cooked them.  Preferably something spicy.  I have got loads of spices, onions, etc.

HELP!!

Frugalista

Meant to add  - there are also 2 packs of salted herring fillets in oil and a pack of five bacon medallions.  I'm really hoping to get at least a couple of dinners out of that lot.

Floss

Frugalista said:

My sister has just dropped off a bag of vegetables from her local community pantry (unfortunately there is nothing like that around here), 

It contains a small aubergine, celeriac, pak choi, red cabbage, carrots, 4 chillis, spring onions, 2 small bags of baby spinach (on the turn), a bag of chopped kale, mint and a single parsnip!

Has anyone got any ideas - especially for the aubergine and celeriac - as I've never cooked them.  Preferably something spicy.  I have got loads of spices, onions, etc.

HELP!!

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/collection/aubergine-recipes