From Frugal Foundations to Fortified Family Future

edinburgher

I've also found myself adopting Greying's italics, much more fun than using quotes. I think they'll become the Tilly Tidy of their age

thriftmonster

Coming back late to this. But yes GP the inner pot is stainless steel so very easy to sauté in. It also has a non stick basket for the air fryer function. I don't use this a lot but occasionally useful. I'm with whoever it was (so sorry I can't see who you were on my phone) -this is a piece of kit I use multiple times each week and would replace.

There's only me so the bake and roast functions are really handy for one person rather than putting on the oven. If I was back with 3-4 of us I'm not sure it would be big enough. For 1-2 definitely a saving

thriftmonster

And i love the PC

Jellytotts

My IP doesn’t have air fryer functions - who knew such a thing existed!?!   I used mine last night for vegetable stew and once cooked I added dumplings and just brought it back to pressure to cook them….its like magic watching them go in as doughy balls and voila…..fluffy dumplings! 

Greying_Pilgrim

Jellytotts - would you mind sharing your dumplings recipe?  The one i have is notionally veggie (no suet - I know there is veggie suet, but this one relies on oil), but isn't consistent with performance.  

Greying X

themadvix

Ooh a second vote for knowledge of IP dumplings! (I do use veggie suet, but definitely open to alternatives)

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning MFW'rs

Slow start with us today - I've just realised it's after 10am 😱

It's breezy here - I have just put a workwear wash on, because the breeze is soooo good, but we've rain forecast too, so it's a straight gamble 😐 But I've specifically chosen the 'lighter' pieces, and the one item that DH doesn't have a dupe of, to wash, so that if the worst comes to the worst, I'll get them in front of the dehu. I did the same yesterday with a mix of clothes that had been sopping/muddy from 'slush day' 🙄 They dried pretty well, and I was able to put away all but one item - which got shoved on the rad to finish off.   At least Dh does have a set of workwear to get to at least Wednesday, so I do have a bit of headroom to get the laundry done if the weather lets me down today.  Trouble is, there is rain in the forecast (when isn't there with the beebeecee?), for much of next week 🫤  

Yesterday afternoon, I made a vat of tommie sauce in the PrC, and cooked up the last of the lentilles verte and also some pasta, and we had lentil bolognese for tea.  There were 3 pots of tommie sauce, one pot of lentils and a small pot of pasta to put in the freezer.  

I suspect soup will be on the menu for lunch, and I'm undecided about tea at this mo. in time.  

DH is intent on going 'shopping' (not for groceries) and LG is bursting to go with.  I wish he wouldn't - there are silly bits of ice still left over, on pavements, and I should imagine on carparks.    Rylan was talking to Liza T on R2 last night and said that his mum had fallen over (and fractured her shoulder?) as she stepped/slipped on the smallest bit of ice, that was the only bit of ice left on the driveway 😐

Right, can't think of anything else MSE at the mo.  I'll get an peg out 🤞I achieve something with the breeze we've got.  

Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

Spiced tomato soup made for lunch.  I served it up with a blop of rice at the bottom of the bowl, as I feared it was going to be a bit thin. In the event, it was fine, but tomato rice soup, what's bad about that?  I put gochujung in rather than chilli powder/flakes, as well as a bit of ginger powder, cumin, cinnamon and some paprika.  Not super hot, but you could tell there was a slight warmth.  LG ate it and went back to finish off the slight slurp that remained, sharing it with their Pa.  I used the last red onion from PoTW, sometime before Christmas, and I have one shallot from the 5p veg left.  Other than a quick wash and chop of veg (not too fine, as I was going to blitz it anyway), it took about 15 minutes to make in the PrC - not significantly more time than it takes to make a cup-soup.  

I lost my bet with the weather.  It isn't raining all the time, but when it comes, it is wetting enough to put you back to square one, so I brought the clothes back in, almost as soon as I'd pegged out 🙄 In support of the old wives tale regarding the floor being wet or dry when you peg out, the manhole cover was wet wet whilst I was pegging out, and it is still as wet now ☹️  I have set up the dehu, and it is working well.  The clothes had 2 hrs, and although they are not bone dry, they are reasonable and the one item I needed drying is dry, so I might give them a further hour this afternooon.

I'm sure it's just because it's wet, but despite the outside temperature being warmer than yesterday, everywhere feels cold ☹️

At least DH and LG went about their shopping safely and have returned.  Apparently the retail parks were heaving 🫤 

Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

Forgot to add, I have updated my grocery siggie figgie, as DH and LG dropped in to hB  to look for apples and yoghurt - and came away with a pot of yoghurt and some 'jarlic'.  So I have repaid DH and updated the grocery spend.  11 days in, and £60ish spent 🫤 not brilliant, is it?  And that's with focused using up of bargains, and stores 🫤  Mind, I am a little bit bound to buying things like bread and snacks for DH/LG's snap buckets, neither are keen on taking much else other than sandwiches.  DH rarely gets the time for a sit down lunch and prefers the portability/snaffleability of sangers, and LG doesn't get to sit with their chums at lunchtime 🫤 so likes to 'gobble and go' ☹️

Greying X

Jellytotts

My dumplings are always with veggie suet as it’s gluten free (well, the Morrisons one is) and I always use a mix of half suet to GF SR flour.  I always add some flavourings, my favourite is smoked paprika and lots of freshly ground black pepper and normally a squidge of tomato pureee to mix through too (a shake of hard cheese from a pot goes well with that mix too).  

Mix well and add the water to bind then I tend to leave them in the fridge until needed, they tend to really puff up more when cooking if left to rest.

My mum always said dumplings needed to be browned on top but I much prefer them
soft and spongy done in the IP, slow cooking doesn’t tend to work well with GF dumplings, they tend to just stay the same size and sink.

GF cooking is a law unto itself.