From Frugal Foundations to Fortified Family Future

kayannie

Although I have got a springform tin ideal for making a large cheesecake, it is too big if I want to make a smaller one. In this case, I use a loose bottomed cake tin. As I use a butter & crushed biscuit base, there is no need to grease the tin. When I want to take the cheesecake out of the tin, I stand it on top of an object smaller in diameter than the tin, and press gently down - I use the jar that I keep my teabags in. The cheesecake comes out easily.
KA x

Greying_Pilgrim

Morning kayannie!  I have a 7" cake tin like that.  I think my 23cm springform went rusty, I don't think it even got moved to the rental.  Naturally, JO with his 'bish bash bosh' approach, didn't have a biscuit base on this cheesecake, and so poured the mixture straight into his springform pan.  I bet my 7" tin would leak, especially as he cooked the cheesecake in a bain-maire.  Although there's nothing stopping you wrapping foil around the outside, I guess, at least the water wouldn't leak in.  He was flogging his range of cookwear I think - it was a pale blue springform pan, although I was surprised he used a palette knife to free the edges.  Perhaps these pans are a 'one-time use' gig on telly.  The rest of us have to nurture the non stick/enamel, eh?  But yes, I have done the same as you to extract a (biscuit base) dessert out of a tin.  Actually, to be fair, I think the cheesecake would slide off a cake tin base (if you wanted to put it on a cake stand a la JO), far easier than a springform base, which I seem to remember had a 'lip'.  My cake tin is just a disc of metal.  

I'm quite sure JO has done an awful lot of good to promote cooking and 'doing' amongst the younger generation, and his son is probably carrying on the baton.  But I think he's taken it a bit too far into the 'theatre' realm, and you can tell he never has to use pans twice - nor do the washing up.  He was using a metal palette knife on the springform yesterday, and then he advocated dropping flavoured butter 'through' the steaming pans tower, to flavour all the veg 🙄 But he is a messy cook, by his own admission, so that's something, I guess.  I do love most of his cooking 'sets' though - his brick pizza oven in the garden 🥰

We've a strong chance of rain forecast today, so no washing will be done - pity, as the breeze is supposed to be at 'quite useful' level.  When I went to bed last night, everything was frosted over, but that obviously went off during the night, so everything is damp now.  DH is back to early starts again, he had a stint at another of the company's bases, so was able to leave a little later, but commuting eats up more time.  Pluses and minuses to the bases/work to be done there, unfortunately - otherwise it'd be good for him to be at base 'b' full time, but it's not all a bed of roses, so better stick with the devil y'know, I guess.  Mind, what chance do we have of winning the lottery, if goodly folks are going round winning it twice, eh? 🤣  But, they're one step ahead, they actually purchased tickets, so... 🤔

Lots of itty bitty things to do today.  I need to do bits and bobs all over the place, and was weighing up the merits of walking into Greying Town, visiting the market town across the way, or doing the 'tins and packets' supermercado shop today to get it out of the way, but the weather will probably rule out walking into Greying town, or around the market town.  Decisions, decisions 🤔

Best get and make a plan, and do the snap.  Time is ticking.  

Greying X

Sunshine_girl2

I'm trying Mr S today with my nectar points and nectar prices on the app. Just buying a few treats for over the Christmas period . 

beanielou

Sunshine_girl2 said:

I'm trying Mr S today with my nectar points and nectar prices on the app. Just buying a few treats for over the Christmas period . 

Remember to unlock your points if they are locked. 

Greying_Pilgrim

Good reminder - thanks beanie 😁 I love how helpful to one another we are on here 🥰

i went for a quick whizz around MrAl, and MrL.  MrAl was a last minute decision.  I like their curly fries, as they are not all about the CHILLI, and whilst seasoned, it's not an endurance task to eat them - unlike other brands.  I had it in my mind that with our Boxing Day fish finger sandwiches we could have curly fries. for something a little different.  I must admit, since I have bought some chips - that would do perfectly adequately, so really, there was no 'need' to get these curly fries, but MrAl had them in stock.  I also got some smoked tofu and easy peelers from there.  It was pleasantly busy in MrAl, but with the exception of one shopper who was clearly on a mission to get THEIR shopping, and how very dare anyone else be doing such a thing at this time in the morning; it was calm, everyone was pleasant and I was in and out in a short time.  

MrL was marginally busier, but mucho, mucho quieter.  Folks were not only quiet, but calm too.  It was so nice to be able to look at things and make your selection.  I was sorely tempted by their PoTW caulis, as they were lovely quality, and some were quite big for 99p.  But in the end, I couldn't think of how I would do them justice before the weekend, so I didn't purchase one.  There were no produce boxes, but I did get a 'family' box of mushrooms for 50% off, which was well worth it to me.  I am now 'arguing' with myself as to what to use them for, as there are so many options! 🤣 wot am I like??

In total, across both shops I spent £19.97 on food and one bottle of wine.  I did buy some additional wine, but as that is for the festive season, I haven't counted it in my grocery budget - that's tight enough already, without trying to shoe-horn drink into it, and whilst we don't attend "the office Christmas party" or any other event (so don't need a budget for that aspect of socialising), we do raise a glass and celebrate.  

Off to amend my siggie figgie and sort out the mushrooms; pizza? bourginon? stroganoff? nut roast?....... 

Greying X

themadvix

It sounds like you should have bought more than one box! 😂

Greying_Pilgrim

themadvix said:

It sounds like you should have bought more than one box! 😂

Too true sweetie 😁 but I have now got the (nice) issue of where to store things like that, as the freezers are definitely groaning 🫤 Instead, I can be all virtuous and "claim" I was leaving bargains for others 😉😇🤣

Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Evening MFW'rs

So this arvo didn't quite turn out as planned, but that's how life goes sometimes.  I pulled a pot of Caribbean stew out of the freezer, and defrosted it.  And I used the PrC to cook some brown basmati.  I put 200g of brown rice in the PrC and added 10floz/half a pint of water and some salt.  I then cooked it on high pressure for 22 minutes and let it NPR.  I was surprised that it didn't stick, and it didn't burn (I thought it might, as there seemed to be more rice than water).  I also microwaved some green beans.  Clean plates all round and everyone liked it.  I would use this system again, as I'm convinced it saves energy, even though the time saving is less obvious.  

Thanks again to tmv for providing the link to that website - PrC rice will be my goto for bulk cooking or when I'm doing brown rice.  Anything that makes cooking brown rice easier is a godsend, as it will encourage us to eat more of it - all year round, not just for salads in the summer.  

LG had a good day today and enjoyed a class trip - so I'm glad we were able to budget the CHB to make it happen.  

I can't think of anything else MSE-wise to report.  Ta for popping by, and ta for all your suggestions, you know I will listen and consider if I can make things work for us - the PrC "hack" is just the latest thing I've learnt from MSE.  Thank you.

Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning MFW'rs

Shopping done.  MrS was busy, but mostly good natured, so I just got the job done.  I bought my Christmas veg from there - now, don't come at me, I fully realise that MrS is probably the most expensive, BUT they have a selection that I like, and I would spend the extra money travelling to MrL/MrAl/MrM/MrT, so in effect, I've got my veg for something like the same price.  

Although the veg was cheap(ish), I did notice that milk is now £1.85 for 4 pints, and cucumbers are now 99p ea 🙄 swings and roundabouts.  

I did buy some extra bits and pieces, so, naturally I have gone over my budget 🫤  It could have been much, much worse, and it isn't like we'll starve.  In between Christmas and NY, we should only really need bread for pack-up (DH is working), and milk.  Otherwise, we're pretty much done.  Oh, and I think that I might - if I happen to pass a supermercado, pop in to get some smoked cheese for the cracker plate.  But believe me, we ain't gonna starve if I do not enter a shop betwixt now and 2026.  Oh, I didn't manage to get yoghurt in hB today, but again, it's most certainly not the end of the world, we have some - not enough to last until the end of the month, but we have some.  

In total I spent £29.84.  That did include some r1bena, as LG sometimes likes a glass of squash - plus r1bena is nice hot, so that (to me) was a worthy splurge.  I did spot a little something in hB that I got for LG's stocking. I've excluded it from the grocery budget, as it wasn't food related, but if I hadn't have gone in there, I wouldn't have spotted it, so I'm quite pleased about that, and LG now has - I think - everything that we're going to purchase for them with a 'christmas' label on it.  New clothing, footwear, coats, socks....... etc etc will doubtless continue apace in the NY.  

Right, I'm away to update my siggie figgie.  

Greying X

edinburgher

While experiences vary, it is also worth keeping in mind that the relative freshness/how produce is stored quality varies greatly between shops. I have nothing but bad luck with Mr L, to the extent that I expect soft fruit to last a couple of days (max) and even things like potatoes turn much quicker than the alternatives. Similar fruit bought from Mr S (or Mr M) will often last 5 days or so, and I regularly buy reduced potatoes from Mr S because I often get a fortnight out of even their YS taters before they turn. While avoiding waste avoids additional cost, it also makes me feel better about myself