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

Siebrie

Nelliegrace said:

We have apples! An afternoon spent foraging by the canal and lanes with the telescopic apple picker and we have four carrier bags of them. We left plenty for the birds. They will store in mushroom trays in the cold, well insulated garage. They will need checking through very regularly. They are not pretty, misshapen and blemished, some quite small, there will be grubs, but every day we will have a sliced apple each, bircher muesli, cinnamon and apple in porridge, stewed apple from the best bits, or apple crumble if the oven is on. The dog likes a bit of apple, and the hens will get the cores, peel and grubs. It saves on the grocery bill month after month. The unusable bits will go in the compost. 
Blessings on people who throw apple cores where they might grow. 

When I harvested apples and pears I asked the supermarket for the shaped soft-ish cardboard inners from their fruit department to store the apples and pears at home. Sometimes they would give me the hard cardboard box as well, and everything would stack easily.

sammy_kaye18

Siebrie said:

When I harvested apples and pears I asked the supermarket for the shaped soft-ish cardboard inners from their fruit department to store the apples and pears at home. Sometimes they would give me the hard cardboard box as well, and everything would stack easily.

Thats such a good idea, I know those cardboard inners come with some of the fruit in the coop as well if you have one near you too. 

I will try and bring my chilli plants indoors. Im trying to figure out which room would be the best to put them. My kitchen is a kitchen diner (although when I say diner read that as mountain bike storage) so I may be able to commandeer the windowsill in that end fo the kitchen which gets sunshine all day. Failing that, I may move my spider plant from the bathroom to another windowsill and put a chilli plant in there. 

Currently deciding what to make for tea tonight - I brought a big box of chicken breasts and have a 12.5kg bag of spuds coming today so may be something chicken/potato based. Im hoping to spend some time tomorrow chopping and blanching some potatoes though to store in the freezer as an easier meal and then smaller ones I will chit and chuck into some tubs to see if I can grow some for christmas

mumtoomany

Hi all, @sammy_kaye18, sorry to hear about your father in law, and your OH, @thriftwizard. 

Made my first ever sourdough loaf today, the best I've ever made, but only because it's the only one. Turned out ok. Could have done with cooking a little longer, I don't think my oven is as hot as it should be. Will definitely try again. the wraps turned out well, other than not being as round as shop ones. Much cheaper than shop ones, unless I can pick up the ones from the cash and carry at 20 for 10p. The enchiladas went down well with all the grandchildren, although DGD1 said she wasn't going to eat any! Three empty plates. We all had Manchester tart for dessert. 

Lunch today, dadtoomany had the last of the enchiladas, I had the last of the Bolognese. Most of the remaining Bolognese has been made into lasagne. We will have half of this tomorrow, and freeze the other half. We also both had sourdough bread. For tonight I have got out some pork and apple burgers, reduced at the cash and carry. We'll have them with potatoes and vegetables. 

I've been thinking about the peppers. I have planks of wood hung in the tunnel, at just the right height to bang your head on, and, somewhere, a piece of spare plastic from when the tunnel was covered. I may try to rig up a second tunnel, inside the first, over the plants. Easier than trying to bring them in. I'll let you all know how I go on.

Still not spent any more money on food. Long may it last, hugs to all, mumtoomany.xxx

Floss

That "double tunnel" sounds like it might work well.

thriftwizard

Liking the double-tunnel idea here too. I've been contemplating adding a bubblewrap layer to my little greenhouse on the allotment to see what I can keep going over winter up there. However I suspect I need to make it rather more waterproof first! It seems to have been made from someone's old porch or very old conservatory; it's not at all standard greenhouse size (panes are 14" wide) & is attached to/half of a corrugated tin shed. One of the roof panes has broken - currently covered with a layer of acrylic from an old poster frame - and  water's been getting in for several years. I'm hoping to find some polycarb roofing panels, perhaps from a demolished conservatory, to replace the whole roof, which should keep most of the water out. It's close enough to visit every day, which should mean I can keep moulds & mildew at bay, and I'll move a couple of potato buckets & all the chillis in once the frosts bite & take it from there!

boultdj

@thriftwizard I got polycarb window sheets off the big river site when the glass panels broke, would they work for the roof?

ScarletRibbons

Hi Sammy_Kaye18, tell me more about your 'dump bags' please - sounds like a good idea.

purpleivy

ScarletRibbons said:

Hi Sammy_Kaye18, tell me more about your 'dump bags' please - sounds like a good idea.

Dump bags...check out 'meal prep' on Youtube,  There's one in particular, think she's called 'The Batch Lady'.  All ingredients go in a Ziplok bag or similar, to be 'dumped' in slow cooker when you want to use them.   Apart from the ease of preparation, it means you do several meals at once and only one clear up.

I don't do meals as such, but I do use the technique for soups, using leftover veg, cheaply bought veg or excess from the garden.  So everything in the bag, sometimes even stock cube and seasonings when really organised.  Or leave that out and add a box of frozen stock or just water when I put it in the Instant Pot, which is my weapon of choice, just like the slow cooker but faster.   I could slow cook in the IP but I don't like it! 

It's great for a busy morning. Put in IP and do what I have to do and lunch is ready!  Favourite is leek and potato.  buy double stuff and make a batch to use and a batch to freeze.It doesn't take as much space as in made up soup form as no liquid in it.  Only one lot of clean up!  One walk to the compost heap, one lot of equipment to wash.  Win Win. 

What are your favourite dump meals @Sammy_Kaye18?  Inspired @scarletribbons? 

sammy_kaye18

purpleivy said:

ScarletRibbons said:

Hi Sammy_Kaye18, tell me more about your 'dump bags' please - sounds like a good idea.

Dump bags...check out 'meal prep' on Youtube,  There's one in particular, think she's called 'The Batch Lady'.  All ingredients go in a Ziplok bag or similar, to be 'dumped' in slow cooker when you want to use them.   Apart from the ease of preparation, it means you do several meals at once and only one clear up.

What are your favourite dump meals @Sammy_Kaye18?  Inspired @scarletribbons? 

Thats exactly what it is @p@purpleivy
I have only been making them recently but with a 14yo DD, 20yo DS and husband - they all get hungry and usually at different times. DD is home from school about 3.15 and usually starving whereas DH does get in until 6.30 if he doesnt go to visit his dad and DS is either home with DH or he is out at Ju Jitsu a few times a week so having a meal on low in the slow cooker and then keeping warm is ideal for us. 

So far I have found they are saving so much money - like Ivy said - you can shop once, prep once and get various meals done. Freeze them and then the day before you plan to cook them take them out to defrost in the fridge overnight. I have found I am not wasting as much food because things are forgotten in the freezer and it gives me multiple options on hand for us to have. 

Funny enough I prepped a few today with some chicken breasts I had in the fridge, so I did chicken fajitas ready and Im trying a new one which is hawaiian chicken. Both are relatively simple and took all of about 5 minutes to make.
Fajita one is sliced chicken, red pepper, orange pepper, onion, fajita spice mix into a bag and given a good shake. I will add a little water when it comes time to cook it. 
Hawaiian chicken is cubed chicken, a tin of pineapple chunks in juice, garlic or garlic granules, soy sauce, 1/2 cup of vinegar and 1/2 cup of sugar. 

Also waiting on some foil trays so I can start making bits in them as well. Things like broccoli and cauliflower cheese etc to cook as a side for meals.
Im also planning to do some cooking ahead of christmas for our christmas dinner but I wont start them until the beginning of December - things like roast potatoes. 

mumtoomany

Hi all, cold and wet here today. 

Picked the last of the blueberries this morning, seem to get more on the bush each year. Good job really, as the grandchildren know where it is and eat more each year straight from the bush. Also lots of raspberries, so many that some actually made it into the house, until today I've just been eating them as I pick them. Also picked more tomatoes and more runner beans. The carrot seeds I put in a few weeks ago have started sprouting, hope they grow before the frosts come.

Breakfast was porridge. Lunch sandwiches and toast. Tea was lasagne, with jacket potatoes and salad. Birthday cake for afters, DGS1's birthday today. 

Hugs to all mumtoomany.xxx