From Frugal Foundations to Fortified Family Future

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Evening MFW'rs

Well, that was a good marshalled NSD - haven't had one of those in a while.  

I made chocolate chip buns, never fail fruit cake and a pear crumble.  The crumble used half the pears I had frozen after coming across a load of YS'd packs (think they were 20p) in M&$ back in..... October?  We had the crumble for tea with a scoop of ice-cream and there is a portion left over.  LG and I 'taste-tested' the buns after school.  They'll do.  

Tea was omlette, mash (swede and tattie) and baked beans.  

The washing did well and everything dried well.  The resident wrens have been dipping in and out of the garden today - mostly bobbing about on the grass, although at one point there was a 'picture postcard' moment when the wren was bouncing about on the wheelbarrow wheel.  

LG had a good day at school - important to acknowledge those I think, and long may it continue 😁

Right, can't think of anything more MSE to add, so I shall push off.  Ta for popping by.

Greying X

Watty1

just caught up. I think you are doing an awesome job parenting, I'm sure LG knows it too.  And you both have a lot of admirers here.  
I don't live in my forever house, there are a lot of things wrong it isn't a desirable neighbourhood, we only moved here because it was affordable and PPH thought we could manage and I would enjoy my then horse living with us.  It was all of those things.  It still is for the money I have.  Sometimes I amuse myself with a look on RM at what I could buy elsewhere but, in my serious moments, i doubt i would start again somewhere.
We make the best of where we are and you are doing a wonderful job.
Cheerleading for you Watty x

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning MFW'rs

Great to see you Watty - I'm not convinced that LG thinks we're good parents - don't 'good' parents buy you all the computer games and let you stay up 'til midnight on a school night? 🤣  Actually, that is unfair, LG very kindly says they love DH & I and that they love being part of Team Greying, with astonishing regularity.  I never remember saying anything remotely like that to my parents, and Fam. Greying are certainly more cohesive by 'will and consent' than DH's family ever were.  

Right, snap is packed and uniform set out - but I've yet to check shoes.  It's muddy in these here parts at the moment.  Homework has been done - although whether any progress is being made......

I am planning on going to MrAl and hB today to get the 'lunch box' type stuff.  Everything else 'should' last out until tomorrow 🤞Depending on what stock levels there are, I shall aim to get enough until half-term.  I would shop more at MrAl, if their till operatives were less robotic/bossy, and their tills were orientated differently (like MrL).  I suspect it is just our local branch that has gathered together a certain type of employee - our local MrM is very, very similar in that regard.  Going through the self-serve is marginally less sucky than going through the conventional tills, but only just.  

Tea tonight will be some sort of curry.  I'm weighing up whether to cook up summat 'new' or take a 'ready' meal out of the freezer.  I shall aim to concoct something new - possibly probably featuring swede I feel......... 🤣

I'm mindful that we're approaching 'Six Nations' time of the year, so I want to get ready for that (in terms of prepped meals).  I think I'm right in saying that England's first match is against Ireland - and if so, I will need to get the ingredients gathered for a veggie version of Irish Stew - and ensure it is cooked in advance.  I've still time yet, but sourcing the stout 'may' be more difficult this year, isn't there 'supposed' to be a shortage 😉  Or has that been sorted, now that other stout makers have make it clear that they have plentiful supplies to bridge any droughts 😉I also think I'm going to have a go at making a veggie version of haggis for Burns night this year.  I used to make it - well before LG was a twinkle - and haven't for a while as I didn't think they would like it, but now they are getting more sophisticated in what they 'will' eat, I think I'll give it a whirl.  I realise you can purchase a veggie version from a very famous Scottish based manufacturer, but iirc they tend to err on the pricey side.  

Right, best shift a tail-feather.  I'm determined to only buy what we need today, and not go mad because my purse is open. 

Ta for popping in.  Appreciated as always.  Greying X

themadvix

There’s plenty of alternative stouts around GP, but if it has to be that one, I made a passable veggie Irish stew with the 0% variety the other day, which I don’t think has shortages.

 Don’t think I mentioned here (you might have missed it on my diary) - I made the swede curry you recommended the other day and it was very nice! Another four portions in the freezer too. Thanks again for sharing the recipe - it’ll become a regular post-Christmas job as we always get a swede in our veg box and don’t eat it at Christmas.

peb

Mr L sell an own brand stout, I'm a bit vague as I acquired it in lockdown (shopping for three households) but it had the word purple in it and was apparently excellent 

I don't do beer but for a casserole 

Greying_Pilgrim

tmv - I read that you'd made the recipe.  Well done you - and I'm so glad you regard it as a keeper.  There are several recipes on his site worth making, and I like that angle that he's coming at things from, even if I can't replicate it.  Ooooh, bravo you working with the 0% stout - I have to say, I am surprised it worked, but thanks for letting me know, very useful info!  As certainly for drinking, we like the 0% version (actually more than the alcohol version, but ssshh 🤫don't tell anyone 🤣).  

peb - Thank you.  Always happy to receive recommendations for products - and taste test them thoroughly 😉I do like including alcohol in dishes (only where it burns off or dissipates, not for added inebriation purposes!), so like to put stout/brown beer or red/white wine in - mostly in casseroles, but occasionally in a pasta sauce.  I must admit, the white wine in the Quorn fricasse over Christmas made it a little more 'luxurious' and a little less 'pie filling'.  

Right, need to shift a tail feather, I've things to do, places to go.  

Ta for joining in the convo - I so appreciate it.

Greying X

kayannie

peb said:

Mr L sell an own brand stout, I'm a bit vague as I acquired it in lockdown (shopping for three households) but it had the word purple in it and was apparently excellent 

I don't do beer but for a casserole 

Could it be Purple Moose? I know there's a brewery of that name.
KA

Greying_Pilgrim

kayannie said:

Could it be Purple Moose? I know there's a brewery of that name.
KA

There is KA - Wales' produce at it's finest 😁🤪👍

So 'Quick' trip to the shops turned into a marathon.  The temporary traffic lights that were up before Christmas for roadworks that lasted an eternity, are back, and they weren't working properly = chaos.  But to be fair, in MrAl, there were 2 very nice operatives on the tills today, so I went through a staffed till.  Got what i needed plus a couple of extra things, including a couple of extra celery stalks as they looked good and were in the S6 for 49p.  Then popped to hB, which doesn't seem to have restocked since Christmas, but I did get some of what I went in for.  I did also buy a set of highlighter pens.  Our have worn out and they are useful on the family calendar.  Will just have to hide them away from LG who likes using them to 'colour' things in 🙄

I spent a total of £15.87 on food in the 2 shops and £3.67 on 'non-food'.  I did get a couple of YS'd things in the bread aisle in hB, but one of them went through full price.  Luckily I queried it, and was told I was wrong, "computer says", but when I got the receipt, I could see it had scanned at full price.  Not the till operative's fault, but I do increasingly wonder if stores don't much like YSing stuff and don't really make the effort to discount effectively.  I suspect it's easier to box it all up and ship it out en masse for the food waste diversion programmes and wiggle the shop accounts that way.

At least there is nice (weak) sunshine now and it is dry.  No breeze, but we have sun, so I'm grateful for that.  

Right, off to amend siggie with spends, and crack on and get a coffee.

Greying X

badmemory

I was in my local HB yesterday & they seemed to be very busy emptying & moving & filling up shelves so hopefully yours won't be far behind.  But so far no Easter eggs thankfully, but it is quite late this year.

Greying_Pilgrim

badmemory said:

I was in my local HB yesterday & they seemed to be very busy emptying & moving & filling up shelves so hopefully yours won't be far behind.  But so far no Easter eggs thankfully, but it is quite late this year.

Hilariously that is one thing this branch DID stock! They had filled up the 'seasonal aisle' with Easter paraphenalia last time I was in - including chocolate, and this morning, on the 'promo' shelves as you walked in, next to the dregs of 'special offer' Christmas chocolate/biscuits and shortbread, were.... bags of mini easter eggs - the ones that look like hard shelled eggs in pastel colours with chocolate centres 🙄  Their fruit and veg aisle was decimated (again).  Not too sure if they're just not restocking, or whether we're "ALL" on a health kick and buying as fast as they're putting the stuff out.  Given the state of all the food shelves, I think they're slow to re-stock, myself.

Greying X