From Frugal Foundations to Fortified Family Future

Greying_Pilgrim

Ha ha - Watty - indeed, just "will no-one think of the therapists and counsellors???"  #touchesfaceclutchespearls 😉 

Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Afternoon MFW'rs

Shopping done.  

Annoyingly, c0fused!dotcoms rewards site was down, so I was not able to access my MrS shopping voucher today grrrr!  I know it says "sorry for any inconvenience caused", but what it you'd made a special trip - to do your chrimbo shopping or something?  I'm lucky, I was shopping locally, and just pivoted and spent my n*ctar points instead, but what a fandango!  

No boxes in MrS nor MrL today.  Very little YS'd anywhere - except hB, but that wasn't on anything I wanted/needed.  

I have amended my siggie figgies, as I finally got round to sorting out yesterday's expenditure.  Most of the FF spend went in the 'bulk' category, as I will use the beans etc over the course of a few months, but I did put the olive oil against this month's grocery budget, as it was on my list anyway.  I've put one box of sausages against this months budget (we used them last night), and the other boxes have gone as bulk spend.  

I primarily used my n*ctar points to buy a bottle of cointreau.  I want to have a go at that christmas pud recipe I found.  I also bought an orange for the recipe too.  I forgot to say, from FF yesterday, I bought a bag of dried figs.  They were 99p, and I thought they might be nice in the pud.  I was considering prunes too, but on seeing the price of them in MrL today, i've gone for raisins instead.  

So expenditure today was;  £20 n*ctar points, £27.85 cash grocery budget and £3.28 non-food budget.  In theory - if c0nfused! stop being muddled, and restore my MrS voucher - I shall have approx £25 for next week's food shopping.  Doable I think, as we've pretty full stores.  

I did spot - in MrS - the tiniest wee Christmas cake.  It was about 2.5 inches square, iced and a little sugar star on top.  It was £3, but if you only wanted a 'taste' of the season, or not everyone liked cake, it would be just right.  

I did two washes this morning.  LG's uniform and general clothes and some of DH's workwear.  We've the most gorgeous sunshine today - sadly not in our garden, so it doesn't reach the clothes - but a reasonable breeze was forecast, so I'm trying to make hay whilst I can.  We've sunshine forecast again tomorrow - but with virtually no breeze, so I think I would struggle to get washing dry in those circumstances.  The washing will need to be brought in earlier, as the temperature falling will undo any good work the breeze might have achieved.  But I know I'm privileged to be here to put washing out,  and bring it in during the day.  

Ta for stopping by.  Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Afternoon MFW'rs

Not alot has been going on.  I must admit to being a bit niggly with the weather forecast today.  We've had virtually no rain, and there has been a decent breeze.  We could definitely have got some washing 'a good part dry', but the blessed beebeecee said there was a 60%+ chance of us having showers for most of the daylight hours today 😡

I walked into Greying Town this morning as LG had expressed an interest in a book that they are reading as a class book - but the teacher is reading too slowly 🤣.  We checked whether it was in our library system - it was, but there is only one copy and it's in a market town library at the other end of the county.  I knew that i'd seen a copy of it in the oxfordfamine bookshop a few weeks ago, so I went for a look today.  They've had a posh new refit .... to look like a warehouse 🙄 and the book wasn't there.  I had a look in other chazzers, although it was a long-shot, and I didn't find a copy.  As I was the right side of town, I thought to go in the market 'all, which is all vintage, chi-chi and bougee these days, but I recalled there was a bookstall, and as luck would have it, one copy of the desired book was on their shelves - £2 well spent 😁

As I was wandering around the town, I did pop into a couple of very bougee homewares and lifestyles shops looking specifically for a tractor shaped christmas tree ornament - as I'd like us to try and get to one of the county's illuminated charity runs this year and thought it would make a nice addition to the tree.  M&$ do do these ornaments, but they seemed a bit big and not terribly well decorated.  Anyway, I eventually found one in a very very chi-chi shop (they do Christmas very well), and although I was a bit disappointed it was 99p more than M&$, it was a far better size, quality and a nice colour too - it was the G1sela GraHam brand, and I noticed that the prices have risen quite substantially.  I hope we do get to the tractor run - I'm aiming to go to somewhere on the route from the market town across the way where I go for haircuts (and ill-fitting xmas jumpers!), as it's quite a well organised/popular run and they are collecting money for charity.  A chum tracked down the route online for me, and we'll give some thought where to stand.  

We had black olive pizza and wedges for tea last night.  I soaked the wedges before cooking, which worked well.  There were 3 slices of pizza to put in the freezer for another day.  

Talking about pizzas - I got given a promo leaflet in h3r0n f00ds the other day, profiling their christmas food ranges and it had some moc's in the back.  There were some little circular cheese and tomato pizzas - like you'd have for a party buffet I suppose.  I was pondering to myself, if you were making those from scratch, at home.  Would it be better to roll out all the circles of dough (or roll out a square and use a cutter for the circles), and then top each one, or would it be more wasteful - but easier - to make a regular size pizza and use a cutter to cut mini pizzas from it? 🤔  I suppose the first way would be the MSE/less wasteful way.  I was just reading an opinion piece about UPF foods - and how the author's mother had been right all along to send them with home prepped stuff for their pack-up lunch all through their school years - despite them getting horrendous teasing for having 'different' stuff in their lunchbox.  No wonder it's seen as easier to just go in a shop and lift a box of pre-prepared stuff out of the freezer.  We don't claim to be entirely UPF free, but it still amazes me how much less of it LG eats than their peers - even at lunch, in term time.  

LG was tidying some things away earlier, and they had stopped.  I asked what they were doing..... "reading my diary from the summer, mum".... came the reply.  I thought of you guys 😉🥰

My mentioning of portion-control in relation to the yoghurt has worked wonders.  We're all still having yoghurt, but it's not disappearing out of the fridge at a rate of knots - I think (🤞) we've sufficient to last until the end of the month.  

I'm pretty sure it was Fortune who mentioned on her thread about Christmas meals, and ease of getting things on the table, to avoid spending all the time in the kitchen.  It's reminded me to have a think about what we'll eat on Solstice, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day and NYD.  We'll be at home for all meals, but I don't really want to be stuck in the kitchen the whole time, and although I'm lucky that I don't have to provide "traditional" foodstuffs, I will still need to think about whether I'm doing something in the PrC, the SC or whether it's a buffet, etc etc.  Again, I'm lucky as I'm only catering for 3, and not a crowd.  I've got several ideas, so it's just a case of refinement - checking I've got the right stuff in/can get it and then listing out anything that needs preparation/cooking in advance etc.  I'm pretty sure I'll go for the qu0rn bake thing that we had last Christmas day, and I served that with rice.  If I do the same this year, then I'll cook and freeze some rice in advance.  I've tried several brands of microwave rice, and although some have been OK, none of them really match home cooked rice - even if you then freeze it.   NYD I like to make Hoppin' John.   As I have the Black-eye beans that I got from FF the other day, I must set aside some time to cook them and have them in the freezer. so that prep/cooking on the day itself is minimal.  At the moment, I'm thinking along the lines of Nut or lentil roast and all the trimmings/ratatouille pasta bake/qu0rn bake with rice/buffet and Hoppin' John for the respective days.  I hope to make use of soups or sandwiches for other meals on those days.  My preference is to have the bigger meal on Christmas Day at 'teatime', but that's just me - and if DH or LG wanted to change that, then it would certainly be considered.  I'm not wedded to any traditions when it comes to food and food timings.  We're lucky to have stuff to put on the table.

Right, can't think of anything else in an MSE vein, so I'll push orf.  Ta for popping in.  

Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

First mix done for the Christmas pudding and the Christmas cake.  Mixing all the dried fruits together to steep in c01ntreau overnight. I used one of the cooking apples from our holiday in the mix - there are only 2 (whole) apples left now 😢 but at least we still have some left in the freezer, ready prepped.  I did see some heritage apples in the market today.  Whilst they looked attractive - like apples in an advert or something, I didn't even look at the price per kilo, as they were on a stall where everything was in wicker baskets, surrounded by parsley, and only 'designer' F&V need to apply 🙄 I haven't put any mixed peel in either of my mixes, but I did put glace cherries in the cake mix and chopped figs into both.  LG wandered off before I got everything out of the cupboard to do the weighing, but they did amble back into the kitchen, so have given each steeping bowl a mix or two to imbue them with love and luck.  🤞 they will be more inspired to join in the making on 'stir-up Sunday', tomorrow.

I forgot to add in my earlier post that I did see a Robin in a pear tree today.  Clearly times are hard and the partridges are not getting out of bed for anything less that a bushel of grain these days 🙄  But it was pretty to see - it was clearly miffed about something, as it was doing that single 'chuck' sound that they do, and bouncing about.  

Greying X

greenbee

The partridges all have some horrible disease this year GP. At least round here. So no partridge shoots, and certainly none in pear trees. And if they don't have that (can't remember what it is, wasn't that interested TBH), they may have bird flu. 

Greying_Pilgrim

Oooh, I've discovered something new - you can't say 'thanks' for a post and mark it 'interesting'.  Dearest greenbee - thank you for your interesting post.  I didn't know partridges were affected by disease.  I have seen partridges in Greying Town - although the two times I have, they were in, or in the vicinity of, allotment sites.  I haven't seen any for quite some time.

Tea has been munched.  I made potato, chickpea and spinach curry, lentil dhal and boiled rice.  There was plenty - we all had plates full, and there was a punnet of rice, 2 punnets of lentil dhal and 1.5 punnets of curry, to put in the freezer.  

Can't think of anything else MSE to add.  Ta for popping in.

Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning MFW'rs

So the weather forecast is for showers, but the %ages are low, so I've taken a punt and put washes on.  The rest of DH's workwear wash has been done, and pegged out.  LG's uniform/general clothes and a few of my t-shirts is in now, and then I have to do the whites.  We do have glorious sunshine at the mo, and a most useful breeze, so 🤞I get something like dryish clothes in by this arvo.

DH has decided to buy some screenwash - despite me pointing out the very same stuff, that was on offer in MrT several weeks ago 🙄 It is no longer on offer 🙄but MrT still remains slightly cheaper than scr3wf1x. If our local shops have it of course.  I saw it when I went to the huge MrT in the metropolitan town along the way when DH was at his hozzie appt. 🙄  Apparently there were all sorts of reasons for DH to not purchase it at that moment (despite the fact I bought screen wash from bee&em), and I have now been told to 'overrule' him in future and buy it anyway - what's the betting that won't be right when the time comes???🙄

Anyhoo, when he does go out he's got instructions to pick up a couple of items for me too.  So can't grumble too much.  

Although we're enjoying the sun, it is cold here, so I think it's 'soup for lunch' weather.  

I'm hoping we can do our 'stir up' activities this afternoon - although I don't know if LG is going to show anymore enthusiasm to get involved🤔If they show a similar lack of enthusiasm to eating these products then they (the puddings/cake) will be struck off the Christmas list for future years!  I'll buy a packet Jamaica Ginger cake instead! 😉

Can't think of anything else to add at the mo on an MSE vibe, so I'll shuffle orf.

Ta for popping in.  Greying X

rtandon27

My vote is for Jamaican Ginger cake!  A lot less fuss & effort and goes down in exactly the same way!  I"m all for keeping it simple 😚

Greying_Pilgrim

rtandon27 said:

My vote is for Jamaican Ginger cake!  A lot less fuss & effort and goes down in exactly the same way!  I"m all for keeping it simple 😚

Ha ha - I hear ya rt!  Although having said that, I just gave the macerating fruits a stir in their respective bowls, and the cake fruit (inc glace cherries), is definitely shouting 'Christmas' loud and clear - even DH agreed, and he's no cook (but an eater, Grade A! 🤣).

Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

Potato soup made for lunch.  It had an onion, celery and garlic base with haricot beans and stock cooked up together in the PrC.  This was then blitzed smooth and chopped tatties added and cooked again until the tatties were cooked.  Parsley, a squizz of white wine vinegar (finished bottle), salt and pepper added, and then finished with a blob of greek yoghurt (stirred through the soup), and some grated cheese added to the top of each bowl.  I think in the US, tater soup is often referred to as 'loaded' when it resembles how you'd serve a baked tattie with toppings.  Considering they don't like them, I was impressed when LG commented that the grated cheese tasted like it does when it's started to melt on top of a baked potato...... 

We did have one short shower of 'bloppy' rain, it lasted about 5 minutes (grrr!), but I think we'll have about an hour more, then the washing will have to come in, irrespective of how dry it is/isn't.  We have had a lovely breeze though, so it was worth taking a gamble.  

LG and DH managed to bag some dark chocolate chips for baking whilst out.  They went to MrAl and found them - which I'm pleased about, as MrT is 31p dearer for the same product.  MrL were out of the dark chocolate chips the other day.  

Apparently both MrAl and MrT were heaving, and folks were intent on driving their trolleys through other customers in store 🙄  Even DH mentioned it was slightly frenzied, and why? as we've still got a month to go before Christmas.  I'm not even sure Christmas is the reason, I just think we're all stressed and somehow forget ourselves.  

Thinking about KajiKita's 'Winter' post on her thread, I'm most content (ideally with Fam. Greying close by), when in nature.  Walking into Greying Town over the past couple of days, whilst it's been in 'gardened' green areas - rather than in the middle of a field or moor - I've made myself mentally 'stop' and listen, and I'm so glad I did, as despite being in populated areas, and on main and side roads, I have been able to hear virtual silence and stillness.  Sometimes punctuated by bird sounds and song, but for several moments - probably nanoseconds each time - I could actually hear 'nothing', which is actually quite calming and grounding.  I for sure will be seeking out more opportunities like that over the next couple of months - and probably, approximately zero of the 'WAHEY, it's Chrrriiiiiiiiissssstmmmmmaaaaasssss' type opportunities.  Even if that does paint me as bah-humbug - Sorry Mr Holder.

Greying X