From Frugal Foundations to Fortified Family Future

Watty1

Isn't it lovely that it is the simple traditions that mean the most?  i was looking for ideas for my advent list and found that the web was full of expensive to dos or places to go that cost or shopping or foods

Whereas really the best stuff is often the simple ones - I love the sound of the advent book @Cheery_Daff.   I'm going to include films on my list, Its a Wonderful Life and Miracle on 34th being musts along with The Holiday of course so that is 3 evenings sorted plus Gavin and Stacey, the local church event and the Christmas Lights switch on plus coffee at the local really posh hotel because the Christmas Decs are fabulous and the coffee just £3 a cup whilst the local castle Christmas trees are not as good and way more expensive!

@Greying_Pilgrim thank you and sorry for the hi-jack but really helpful

teapot2

Hey @Greying_Pilgrim, I quite often make Caponata as its a very adaptable recipe in terms of herbs and spices - there seems to be lots of versions out there.  Also the flavour definitely develops and deepens the following day.  I quite like it cold but this is definitely not the weather for that!!  Hope you stay toasty and enjoy advent calendar deliberations.  x

LotsOfTea

Hello! I thought I'd better say hello since I've been lurking reading this thread for ages. 

Thank you @Greying_Pilgrim for the link to the swede curry recipe. Not only is it right up my street but the website it's on has lots of lovely-looking and achievable-looking recipes. I'd never come across it before.

I also do a reusable advent calendar for my child (although I'm not clever enough to have made it myself). The last few years I've filled it by buying a tub of whatever festive sweets are on the best offer in the supermarkets and once I've put one in each of the pockets there's still loads left for festive treats. I like the idea of hot chocolate though. I might add a token for hot chocolate with marshmallows for one or two of the weekend days. We already have some mini marshmallows in the cupboard that were bought for some kind of cake ages ago.

Greying_Pilgrim

Watty - ain't no hijack.  You carry on.  In RL, I don't seem to have a gaggle of folk locally to mingle with who would be delighted by the same simplicity, so to be able to have these convos here, really is such a boost for me - and possibly for others.  

I put a quick wash on, as although the morning started out extremely wintery, there is now weak sunshine and a stiff (albeit cold) breeze.  I don't think the items will be bone dry, but I think they will get to a certain point that will make it easier on the dehu, if you see what I mean.  There wouldn't be a need to wash anything if the school hadn't decided to conduct outdoor activities in indoor clothing, yesterday........

I've submitted meter readings and although our useage is (naturally) higher this month, it's still not too bad and we remain in credit.  Although I continue to find it frustrating that something like 1/3rd of the cost of each energy source is down to the daily charge 😕 No incentive to streamline use whatsoever.  

I did leave the heating on auto overnight and it did kick in several times.  

Right, a load of boring household chores to get done.  I am going to try to stay close to the homestead today.  I have no real need to go out - and the school run is probably all I want to get out and about for today, as the pavements and roads are now icy with us 😕

Ta for popping by. Appreciated.  Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

Sorry!  I took so long over my post, I missed teapot2's and LotsOfTea's post.

teapot2 I agree about flavours melding - plus about putting 'anything' in a caponata! 🤭 But I did want to try to keep it more on the meditteranean veg side of things.  But then of course - isn't it a dish that originated in Sicily?  So the spicing is quite interesting.  I'm sure it's the JO version that uses whole coriander seeds - which works beautifully - if not counterintuitively.  

LotsOfTea - i sense a theme here.......  🤣  That website is lovely, and yes indeed, i have already made several dishes from it.  Whilst his standpoint is local produce, carbon reduction and food miles, I like his flavour profiles and his twists on using 'less attractive' fruit and veg types.  Well worth a trawl through his recipe lists 😁  I have to say though, I suspect that folks have been getting into the swede vibe, as when I was in MrL yesterday, there were hardly any left - there are normally boxes upon boxes of them!  

Ugh.  Chores calling.

Greying X

rtandon27

@Greying_Pilgrim - echoing the thanks above for the recipe!  I've not ever been into curries as such as they are consumed in the UK but I do love love love interesting flavouring & spicing as well as a creative use of ingredients!  So this is one that I will definitely add to the list of 'give it a go' recipes.  OH is quite the lover of thai curry flavouring and anything coconut related so he might just agree to making this one for us.

I've also just g00gled caponata - looks like a dish I'd love as eggplant is one of my favourite veggies - may have to make that one just for me though, as tomatoes, eggplant and black olives in one dish would not go over well with him of the delicate palate! 😂😂😂

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning MFW'rs

Just in from shopping.  Only went to 2 shops today, given I went to MrL the other day (and have updated my total).  

I spent £37.39 on food in MrS and hB, and £10.25 in those two same shops on non-food items.  

Before I forget, hB had wh1tw0rths granulated sugar for 89p a bag.  I think that is about the cheapest I have seen for a while.  

I snagged some YS'd bread in hB - 50p a loaf.  Not a huge saving, but it all helps.  

I have chosen to put a wash on today and after double-spinning have put it in front of the dehu for 2 hrs.  I will then see where we're at with it.  I may have a bit of a chance with washing tomorrow too - better breeze forecast, but DH's workwear can't be allowed to build up, as some corner office dweller has put their nose into a  'corporate image' workshop, and is now demanding that company uniform is worn at all times and is kept in pristine nick........  Imagine if we started demanding surgeons got no speck of blood on their scrubs, a farmer no mud on a wellie, a painter no emulsion on their dungarees.......... 🙄

Right, I am off to change my siggie on here, and do a bit more.  LG has club tonight, which should be running as scheduled, as the roads are clear etc.  I haven't thought about tea yet - I was veering towards soup with the YS'd bread rolls I got in MrL the other day, but I'll have a think and see if I can whip up something - as at the mo we've no 'substantial' pudding..... although I've just had an idea, so maybe......

Ta for popping by.  Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

Right, I decided to go to MrT to snag the last of the 'santy claws' type gifts needed for small personages of this dwelling.  They had the best price online or bricks & mortar that I have found and the added bonus was that it was local.  I also bought some beer which is on offer (always on offer somewhere), at the same price cc as it was with n*ctar at MrS last week, and some potatoes (variety: saxon) and a bag of the wibbly wobbly carrots that they sell for 79p/1.5kg - to match MrAl.  I wouldn't have gone for the one gift, but a combination shop made it worthwhile, and as it was busy today, I wouldn't really have wanted to leave it any closer to chrimbo.  I'm not a fan of that particular branch of MrT at the best of times, but when it's busy 😕  Although it must be said, the young lass on the till was wonderfully cheery and polite.  So nice.  

I did try to look in the 'world foods' aisle to see if there were any bargains on red lentils/pulses etc, but first of all the whole shop decided aisle **whateveritis** was just the place they.needed.to.be.right.now.  and then when I went back later, several members of staff were having a chitter chatter across the aisle with their customers online orders and egg carton trolleys blocking the aisle.  So, please, if anyone sees any good offers on; red lentils, pulses and maybe (after Christmas) basmati rice, can you let me know?  Red lentils are the most pressing, I am down to my last 3kg 😬 La1la brand....... I actually don't think our MrT had anything on offer, from any of the usual brands; EE, nattyco, La1la etc - it's pretty useless on those type of foods - particularly the larger packets.  But I don't want to go to (for example) the humungous MrT across the way on spec.  I don't mind going when I've a list of things, the trip pays for itself and provides an 'outing' (good job I'm easily pleased 🤭).

At the moment, i think I have (more or less) finished/paused my shopping for chrimbo.  I need several items for stockings, although they are at the stage that if we got snowed in from now until 1/1/25, there would still be 'something' to open, eat and amuse.  I'll take that, any day of the week!

Off to up my grocery totals and race round and do a bit more before it's time for the school run.  The washing hasn't done too badly with the dehu.  I did pop one thing out on the line, as the breeze picked up.  I was just about to bring it back in, but the afternoon sunlight has moved around to the point where part of the garden (in autumn/winter) gets a final blast of light for about 20 minutes/half an hour, and it's currently in that space - so I'll leave it a tadge longer.  The wind is cold, but the sun is warm.  

Greying X

EssexHebridean

If you happen to go in to HB at any stage I have found they are worth looking at for bargains on pulses and similar - they don't do a large range, but sometimes have decent deals on 2kg bags on an aisle-end in our store. 

badmemory

I usually look at supermarket watch whilst I write my shopping list.  It gives me a price to aim for even if those shops I'm go to are not on it.  I get my sugar from HB at the moment as 20p cheaper than anywhere else (round here anyway).