From Frugal Foundations to Fortified Family Future

Blackcats

I wonder if making a microwave cake in a mug might be easier for LG to make without the need for the oven to be switched on?   There's a bee bee C good food recipe on line.  I made it with a granddaughter and the first time it overflowed all over the microwave so I'd say a microwave cake in a bowl might be safer. 

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning MFW'rs

tmv - I agree soaking does make a difference whatever the 'age' or brand of the pea/bean.  I do natural release too.

Blackcats - certainly something worth trying.  We're gathering up ideas for holiday activities, so it can go on the list 😁  Thank you

LG was actually enthusiastic about taking mum's homemade bread for packed lunch, so that's them allocated and no extra space required in the freezer 😁  I regret I didn't get around to grating some cheese, so we've less of that than I'd have liked for a Monday.  But, mea culpa, and I will do it today.

Activity tonight, so I've the money assembled for that.

Tea will be slow cooker Mediterranean plant balls with rice.  

Chat over on ed's thread has got me musing about how we provide for LG.  I'm finding it very difficult to tread the fine line between giving them everything, and being too "save for your future".  I don't want to create a spoilt child, just because circumstances are such that we only have one child.  It's also difficult that they were such a late addition to the 'grandchildren clutch', that they have been woefully let down in the gifting and caring stakes.  I know it shouldn't matter, but it does.  There is a smaller pool of relatives as time moves on, and of those, we have several who can't even be bothered to remember important dates or stretch to a supermarket b'day card.  There was a long time when we couldn't afford to 'make up' the difference for LG - and I suppose part of me is glad that we didn't start.  Money isn't everything.  But I do get hung up on 'unfairness'.

From comments on ed's thread, it appears that favouritism is present in many families.  At least DH and I have been able to keep afloat by our own devices. We've factored in no windfalls, and are unlikely to be disappointed 🫤  

The grind to the end of term continues.  It was interesting to see peers in LG's class back with their friends walking to school this morning.  There has been some falling out, and LG was sought out as a "new bestest eva friend" last week.  As DH and I are as old as the hills, we've seen and experienced all this before, we advised LG to bide their time, and see if these extended hands were actually offering chumship, or whether the offers would be withdrawn after about 24hrs of sulking.  It's one thing if your new friendship is built on sand and disappears when others decide to reclaim their chums, but it then becomes necessary for everyone to 'pile on' the temporary friend, and bully them back into their place as an 'outsider'.  That bit  I can't understand - even though it's not necessarily new.  I don't suppose LG will avoid that part totally, but at least they've not lost any time or effort cultivating friendships built on shifting sands, and - regrettably - they may just begin to see how these situations blow up in the first place, and then play out ☹️ Life lessons - they suck.

Right, off to get the tommie sauce out of the freezer.  Ta for popping in.

Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning MFW'rs

Well, I've been extremely lucky and managed to get one of the e-vouchers for free NT entry from the newspaper.  That helps with school holiday 'options' a little 😁 And for that I'm grateful 😁

LG did reasonably well at activity last night, and consolidated their training in an end of phase test.  We've one more session, before that chapter closes and we move on to something/nothing else.  

I added frozen mixed veg to last night's plant balls in tommie sauce and served over steamed rice.  Yoghurt was for pud - DH let LG be in charge of it, which is fine, building confidence and responsibility, but I noticed this morning that some tinned fruit that should have been used up wasn't.  I'm pretty sure it's still OK (smells OK), but we will need to use that up tonight - nothing lasts forever.  DH and LG could do with some more training in budgeting (of money or 'stuff') and portion control.  I know these are "boring" skills to MSE outsiders, but left to their own devices, they'd whip through a shopping haul in about 2 seconds flat, and bust the monthly grocery budget inside a week.........  I don't expect/want them to be as boring about costs as me, but some improvement is required, just in case I'm not around (and no, I've no plans to go anywhere, but just thinking aloud in "general" terms).  

Tea tonight will either be wraps (crowd pleaser) or something lentilly/feta/salady.  

I should go shopping today, as we're very, very low on milk, but I had wanted to stretch shopping out until tomorrow.  

Right, can't think of anything MSE appropriate, so I'll push orf.  

Greying X

themadvix

Lack of portion control/checking for things needing using up is a problem with Mr MV too. So I feel your pain!

Greying_Pilgrim

themadvix said:

Lack of portion control/checking for things needing using up is a problem with Mr MV too. So I feel your pain!

👍🤣  Greying X

rtandon27

@Greying_Pilgrim & @themadvix - my OH also has the portion control issue, in particular when it comes to ham and cheese!  Never seems to be an issue with veg though.🤭  Seems he has selected expensive products to be addicted too!  He is now on weekly rations for these so when it's over, it's over - too bad, so sad.  I don't eat much of either so gladly leave both to him!  My portion control issues come down to anything crispy and salty or related to a gummy sweet - luckily crispy things come in miniature size portions and we just don't buy the sweet stuff so control by absence is my strategy!

themadvix

Actually, I could take that further. If Mr MV had his way (which he wouldn't as he's very eco/food waste-conscious in reality), he only eat freshly baked bread, the most perfect bananas and all sorts of things that were 'just right' (hmm.... is he Goldilocks in disguise??!). So I frequently find myself having the 'less perfect' items so that he gets his wish... not that he won't eat it or will complain (and he has got a lot better about this too), but it's just one of those things that's been mentioned.... In fairness though, he'll pretty much always eat what he's given (even if it's not great due to my cooking!). 

Greying_Pilgrim

Ha ha - with you on the 'just right' banana business!  LG refuses to eat 'too squishy' bananas 🙄  which is most bananas, most of the time in this weather!  And if there is so much as a vague dark mark on the flesh 🙄

DH learnt a long time since, that I'm my own worst critic, so if something is rank - because of my cooking mistake - it's best to say nowt, because I KNOW it's bad, and I'm giving myself a hard time as it is - further criticism, constructive or otherwise, will not help matters one jot..... 🤣  And I know I occasionally grouse about LG being a touch faddy, but in the grand scheme of things, they're not too bad, and will mostly eat stuff, albeit it sometimes with a slight moan or face pull.  

I think I'll organise a retreat for "Flabbergasted Fodder Providers", we've have our pick of the MrL boxes, YS hauls and cook up a feast 😁🤣

Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

Ha! Speaking of MrL boxes, there were some in store today, but I declined to look closely.  The store was heaving, there were only a couple of till lines open, someone let me go in front of them as it was, and I'm afraid, dear reader, I just couldn't be ar$ed to look.  The box that I could see, reasonably well, was stuffed to the gills with winter veg.  As I paid and walked away, several of the other boxes looked like they might of had some useful items in, but I had full hands, needed to return to the car and was parked at the end of the car park as it was.

Feel free to remind me of my cavalier approach when I moan that I'm 'all out of everything' at the month end 🙄🤭

£4.48 spent on food.  Will add to siggie.

Greying X

rtandon27

@Greying_Pilgrim - my dear - we all have days when the bargain is just not worth the effort!  Clearly today is one of those!