From Frugal Foundations to Fortified Family Future

KajiKita

So glad you had such a lovely day and well done you for all the planning! 😊

KK

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning MFW'rs

I must admit, my planning is not flawless, as yesterday I packed so much water with our picnic, I had to use different bags and promptly forgot to remember to pack the backpack, so that we could transport 'elevenses' with us at the site 🙄  I mean, I did 'own' my mistake and I walked back to the car to grab it all when we were ready for lunch, but a backpack would have helped.  But DH has been ensuring there is sufficient fuel in the big car for trips and I make sure there is fuel in the little car, and we were both agreed on the route yesterday (not always possible I guess, if there are roadworks), which helps to reduce stress a little.  

DH did say his favourite bit of the day - the beauty and grandeur of the site, apart - was sitting down, outside but in the shade (we were blessed with sun, and enough breeze to deter wasps), to eat our picnic.  It was very relaxing, and it was interesting to see so many families and groups doing the same.  

Today won't be as 'exciting' we've no trips planned.  I had hoped to book on a tour of a historic site today, a chum put me onto it, but today's tour must have been full, as 2 future dates were the only ones showing on the booking site.  They are back in term time (but on the weekend), so I have booked us on the September tour.  It's free, operated by enthusiastic volunteers and is a site that isn't currently open to the public (although there are hopes for it to be in the future), so we've that to look forward to next month.  Today I've a wash to peg out.  DH's workwear got pegged out before we left yesterday and was bone dry when I brought it in.  I will never tire of being grateful for days like that - they are so, so helpful financially and practically.  

I forgot to say, LG and I did set to and made cakes with the remaining eggs on Friday.  They were 'on' their supposed expiry date, so each egg was cracked individually and the sniff test administered.  We made; Lemon and Blueberry cake, double chocolate cake and  chocolate chip and orange, chocolate buns.  We've cake for adventurizing again! 😁Most of the cake is now in the freezer, but we did take a slice each of the lemon and blueberry cake for our lunch yesterday.  The two cakes were sliced up into 12 slices each (I always make rectangular cakes these days), and 14 buns in cake cases were made from the mix.  All the eggs were utilised.

DH and I did have burger baps and chips last night for tea, which used up; the last 3 plant-based burgers in the box, the last chunk of cheddar cheese and the remaining 2 baps left out after lunch prep.  We had a MrS fakey magnummy for pud.  

Right, I best go and peg the washing out.  Ta for popping in, it's always appreciated.  Thank you.

Greying X

Cheery_Daff

Ooh, I'm very impressed with your cake baking! Very frugal, and very tasty! 

There were lots of people sat eating lunch at the EH place i went to the other day too. I even took a picnic myself which is quite unusual these days. It was good! 

badmemory

I haven't trusted my nose since I had flu back in the 80s so I always use the float test now.  But I am right not to trust my nose because I once accused someone in stores (below my office) of smoking a cigar when it was a colleague wearing amarige.

KajiKita

That is a serious cake making session! 👏😊

I’m starting to strategise and think about the Cmas word and eating better this year (I think one of the reasons I was ill for so long at the beginning of this year was because I’d eaten so much junk compared tomususla over Christmas last year). I’m not normally a sweet treats person but they seem to be easier to make than the equivalent of crisps, so I’ve started a list in the front of my recipes folder. Found an interesting Italian-like chocolate hazelnut cake that looks good 😊

KK

rtandon27

@Greying_Pilgrim - your adventurising sounds fabulous & even better that you have a stash of cake available!  🎂  What a lovely positive few days family Greying has had!

Greying_Pilgrim

rtandon27 said:

@Greying_Pilgrim - your adventurising sounds fabulous & even better that you have a stash of cake available!  🎂  What a lovely positive few days family Greying has had!

Yes, we have, and it's important to remember that we have fun together - it doesn't have to cost much money, sometimes it's just about a bit of a plan, time and a fab 'open' mindset.

I suppose my thoughts on the cake was that initially I had bought 'extra' eggs to do baking, but had intended to make 'one cake at a time'.  But that didn't come about, and Friday's baking session wasn't the best timing, as we'd been out, time was ticking on and I had decided to make pizza for tea as well, but then I'd thought it was an activity that LG would like to join in with, so decided to press on, as the eggs needed using.  But we do have alot of cake as a result........  Good job it freezes well, as it would be far too tempting otherwise! 🤣 At least with HM cake - especially where you have made 'utility' recipes, based on a sponge mix without pretty decoration, you can make the portion size what ever you like.  And whilst i erred on the side of 'slightly stingy' for these cakes, they do provide 3 or 4 bites of a 'sweet treat' - which is Ok for a picnic lunch I think.  

One of LG's 'Aunties' has invited us out for the day next week.  The plan is to visit somewhere of their choosing (we've never seen this site, so it will be an adventure for us 😁), and for us to take a picnic, but Aunty has suggested a sweet treat or ice cream, on them at the venue.  That's a frugal compromise that I'm willing to engage in - other costs will only be a nominal car park charge and fuel for the car - we'd probably be spending that anyway.  This way we get all that, and a hook-up with someone who adores the very bones of LG.  Win-win.

I've just made a vat of HM tommie veg sauce.  I had run out of sauce for pizza topping, plus I am going to make a sort of bolognese in the SC this afternoon.  I've bought some plant-based mince from MrS, and I'll put that in the slow cooker with some tommie sauce.  Then I'm doing a recipe idea I saw JO do - I'm not sure if it was a current series, or whether it was an old one on F00d n3tw0rk - possibly the latter.  Anyway, he was cooking with one of his sons, and he used fresh lasagne sheets  that he cut in half and then cut slits into.  He cooked the sheets, and then mixed them with a ragu style sauce - deconstructed lasagne if you will, without the cheese (he probably used parmesan over the top, but I have none).  Anyhoo, it looked a bit different, and LG loves pasta, so I thought I would give it a go.  I'm doing the 'bolognese' in the SC to try to give it a slight depth of flavour vibe?  Don't know if it will work.  I made the tommie sauce in the PrC.  

Greying X

Humdinger1

Yes @Greying_Pilgrim having fun is all about the mindset! DH and I took picnic and dogs (one borrowed) out today for our 12th wedding anniversary treat. The only spend was on ice-cream as the parking barrier was up when we left.  We walked round hills, sat in the shade for lunch,  then walked again.  We discussed taking lunch out more but it is lovely to sit in the garden and eat there. As we were also at an outside lunch party yesterday, we're feeling in need of plain, home-cooked nose-bags for the foreseeable future.  We hardly ever have ready-made anything and so-called treats are making us feel slightly bilious. It's going to be salad galore tonight followed by further walks with dogs.  I do think what you're doing is insulating LG against social media pressure.   I took a similar somewhat contrarian path with DH.  She went to a senior school with some children whose parents were into conspicuous consumption.   If she was ever teased about my beaten-up car, I always advised her to say that as a voluntary debt coaching, I couldn't go roaring round in a Porsche to people in trouble.   It would be rude.  That helped and now at 21, she's aware that outer appearances can mask enormous debt.  Keep going, you're fab.  Love Humdinger xx 

Greying_Pilgrim

Thank you Humdinger - your continued support is so appreciated.  

Hopefully we will navigate LG's childhood without stuffing it up for them.  There is much conspicuous consumption in Greying Town, it always has been very much 'keep up with the Jones's' even if you can't afford knickers under your fur coat 😉  But that hasn't become any easier to explain to a child, even in modern 'everyone knows everything because of the internet' times.  Daft thing is, LG is able to mix with all different types of folk, and the prevailing attitude is that LG is 'ok' - and 'strangers' have seen LG as the sort to want to play with in various playgrounds and leisure settings.  There has been no overall design to keep LG locked up, and away from SM and computers as such this holiday, but they've been kept entertained and engaged with 'analogue' activities.  Not analogue activities for the sheer heck of it, but plenty of real life sights, sounds and smells.  

Well, tea has been munched.  The bolognese/ragu was nice.  I used half of the bag of the veggie mince and put a small container of cooked lentils in too.  I prepped the lasagne sheets as JO had shown on TV, and cooked them in boiling water on the stove.  I then mixed them with the bolognese sauce, dished up and popped a bit of grated cheddar cheese on the top.  I don't think I would bother doing it again.  I absolutely get that JO is trying to make food - especially for younger people - interesting and 'different', but I think this wasn't really worth the effort.  I am not sure how much dried pappardelle, or even tagliatelle would be, but the lasagne sheets were £1.90 for 6 and I used them all up for the 3 of us.  Next time I would just go ahead and use the dried pasta.  I was catching up on Stanley Tucci's 'Italy' series last night (I know, I'm miles behind), and it was interesting to see Stanley and his assorted guests eating flat pasta - of varying types - and they didn't bother with niceties, just enjoyed the food, slurping with enjoyment.  

The pasta has been used, but there is some ragu left for another day.  Consensus of opinion was that it was YUM (exact words), so I'm glad I gave it a try - even if I won't repeat it.  

The washing has dried well today, so that's a bonus.  

No money spent today, so that's another plus.  

Ta for popping in.  Greying X

Sunshine_girl2

Sounds like lovely days days out are being had by the Greying family . 

GP have you ever made , Pasta e Fagioli ? Think it would fit with your family diet . My dad makes this and it tastes amazing .