I'm back! Trying to spend less on food!

boultdj

Safe travels @mumtoomany and blessings for a happy home to DD2.

sammy_kaye18

Safe travels and hope your DD loves and settles into her new home. x 

RedRose61

Hope everything went well with your DD’s move. I’ve been lurking around your posts and read them all. I don’t usually post but decided to post to keep this thread going hopefully. My husband and I took early retirement from the Midlands to Wales after I became really “burnt out” working in healthcare during the Pandemic. We now have a simpler life and are so much happier if not as well off! I found your posts inspiring, especially when I’m needing some motivation to continue tightening my belt! Thank you for keeping us all going! X

mumtoomany

Thank you, @boultdj and @sammy_kaye18. Hi, @RedRose61 welcome onboard, I'm from the Midlands originally, but only lived there till I was eight. Where about in Wales are you?

Well that was a fun few days. Rebuilt DD2's kitchen. Drawers without handles, some without drawers. Replaced and refitted. Doors rehung. Two children's bedrooms decorated. Front and back gardens cleared. Two car loads to the tip. We will be going back in another couple of weeks to move them, they have the builder going in first to replace the kitchen roof. Got to spend time with sister in law, sister, two children, two grandchildren, three nieces and nephews, and five Great nieces and nephews. 

Strange being back in the city. Traffic lights, pavements, speed cameras, milk floats, ice cream vans, motorways, traffic congestion and crowds. Never see any of those normally. 

Called at the market before we came home. I bought a huge bag of steak, we don't have cows here. Also picked up some sandwich bags, a loaf, strawberries and nectarines. Spent £63.50! 

The polytunnel has produced another six marrows while we were away, and stacks of runner beans. Collected those and loads of raspberries. Will collect tomatoes tomorrow. 

Tea will be steak, home grown onions, home grown potatoes, home grown cabbage and another veg. 

Hugs to all, mumtoomany,xxx

mumtoomany

A couple of kilos of tomatoes picked. More runner beans, all the ones that were hiding yesterday. Could of heads of broccoli, some beetroot and more raspberries. I ate the raspberries and many tomatoes, make carrying everything easier. 

I've taken the chicken and bacon pie out, that I froze a couple of weeks ago. I'll serve it for tea with veg, probably broccoli and maybe sprouts, we have a few big enough to pull off. The potatoes left from yesterday can be mashed, with the other piece of the onion I used and the last bit of Savoy cabbage left in the pan. Bubble and squeak. 

Off to carry on watering now, everything is dry after five days away. Hugs, mumtoomany.xxx

beckstar1975

Ooh I love sprouts - am trying to hold off as a) they don't entirely agree with me, and b) we'll have enough dark months where we eat tons of them - but we have a new air fryer and I can't wait to try roasting them in there 

Impressed you've managed to get tomatoes though, at an allotment open day here on sat (SE London/Surrey) and barely a blush to all of them, and many plants still just leaves no fruit. And conversely looks like the cold nights had got to the leaves on more than one squash plant too last week

mumtoomany

Hi all. @beckstar1975, the tomatoes are in the polytunnel. I think that's why they are ripening. Apparently, they turn red in the presence of ethene, released from other ripe fruits. I think, though I'm no expert, that once a few have turned colour the others start. The ethene escapes slowly from the tunnel, it being enclosed, but would blow away more quickly outside. I've not had luck with outside tomatoes in previous years. So just grow under cover now. I only grow blight free varieties as that has always been a problem here.

I put in the last of the, very, late pea plants yesterday in the tunnel. Don't know if they'll produce anything, but worth a try. The late french beans I put in a couple of weeks ago are now climbing away. Watch this space. Everything has now been watered. The pepper plants are slowly producing fruits, around two inches across and still green.

The nectarines and strawberries I bought were not very good, I must remember to put on my glasses when shopping. I made a fruit salad with the strawberries, the worst of the nectarines, some grapes I'd forgotten were in the fridge when we went away, raspberries and a few blackberries. I added the juice from a dented tin of pears and served with cream. There is enough for tonight. Then I will need to use the pears without juice. We also had birthday cake after tea. Two of the grandchildren, here, have birthdays in September, so always lots of cake this month.

Had yogurt and raspberries for breakfast, OH had toast and egg. Lunch will be left over bubble and squeak. Tea the rest of the chicken and bacon pie, with chips, baked beans and fried tomatoes.

Hugs to all, mumtoomany.xxx

realthing16

I wonder if thsi is the right place to air this problem? I have a horrible, brown kitchen. 20 years old. Can I do anything with it at all? Neither of us are at all handy unfortunately. We were quoted 6 k for new doors, some years ago. Its not that big. 6k? Ridiculous!!!

cornishchick

realthing16 said:

I wonder if thsi is the right place to air this problem? I have a horrible, brown kitchen. 20 years old. Can I do anything with it at all? Neither of us are at all handy unfortunately. We were quoted 6 k for new doors, some years ago. Its not that big. 6k? Ridiculous!!!

 The only thing I can suggest is to degrease the cupboards thoroughly, and try some cupboard paint. they are specialist type paints, 
the DIY forum will know more , 

mumtoomany

Hi, @realthing16. You could try replacing the doors your selves. Not difficult, only normally need a screwdriver. I'm sure someone will have put up a video on YouTube about it. Good luck with it.

Been to town to do the weekly shop. £5 in the greengrocer, and £2.01 in Aldi. Bought mushrooms, lettuce, peppers, garlic, grapes, bananas, and sweets for dadtoomany in veg shop. Milk and baked beans in Aldi. Won't need any more till next week. We will eat our way through this food mountain.

Hugs to all, mumtoomany.xx