From Frugal Foundations to Fortified Family Future

beanielou

Good news on laptop.

teapot2

Yay for the laptop, always gutting when it goes like that.  Good idea to back up important files and pics x

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning MFW'rs!

redo - I was quite pleased with how the chickpeas cooked up (soaked overnight first), they are soft, but have retained their shape.  9 mins on low and natural release.

RT - I don't know who sulked most out of me and the computer 🤣

👋 to beanie

teapot - You're right - I should have been backing up the files anyway, and ideally removing them to safe places, but ......... stupid thing is, it didn't really take that long to do, as at least I have them bundled up into specific folders for that trip/day out or event.  I am a fool unto myself!  

And at least we now have the announcement that the forum is going slow.  That was another reason why it would have been futile to try and use my mobile phone to access the forum when it's going on a go-slow anyway.  But it does highlight how reliant we've all become on computers/tech 🙁

So, day one, of potentially the next 2 weeks of frantic activity and "stuff" needing to be provided/lugged to school for LG - done.  Ironically, the one activity that needed additional items to be provided, wasn't done.  LG didn't really know what I was on about anyway, so I had to read out the school email on the subject to prove that their 'auld ma' wasn't going dotty and making them resemble a pack horse each morning......  As I was leaving school yesterday, another parent was struggling in with their child, again, weighed down with bags, backpacks and lunch pails..........  Crazy planning on behalf of the school.

Lentil bolognese was dished up for tea last night.  There was extra tomato sauce made, so that was boxed up and put in the freezer, and there was a box of cooked pasta for another day too.  Activity wear is in the washing machine, but today looks really, really dreich, so the best i can achieve will probably be to wash it and then set it up in front of the de-humidifier.  I'm not keen doing that in the house, but as it's leisure wear, it won't take too long to dry, so worth it.  Unless we have a break in the weather, I'm going to have to consider going to the launderette.  I have my £2 'in hand' to call on, if necessary.

We only had the heating on for a little while last night.  We still need to drain the air out of the radiators - how does it get in?? - as they are performing a little under par, but DH sensibly says we need to have the instruction manual on hand in case the system need re-pressurising once he's done.  We managed to shut the boiler down when we did the same at the rental house, and it was a frantic search on utoob that got us to a video of how to do it for the particular boiler make fitted in the house 🤣 Anyway, fingers crossed we're moving to milder weather that will mean we need the heating less and less.  

LG has club tonight, fees are paid, so no cost there, but I may go shopping whilst over that side of town.  I do have a couple of things on my list, or if I spot any "good" YS bargains.  Will try to keep spends low, and only get the essentials on my list - a couple are non-food items.

Right, must toddle orf.  Snack to prep.  Ta for popping in.  Appreciated.

Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning MFW'rs!

Early start for me as I needed to get a wash on and out, as the weather gives a brief window for drying this morning and then possibly more rain.  Annoyingly, it was supposed to stay warm and breezy overnight - perfect drying conditions, but it didn't stop raining until late evening, and the thought of paddling out into the sodden garden, trying to peg out washing in the dark, did not appeal.

I had one of those 'serendipitous' moments yesterday, when you being to wonder just 'who' is listening.  When we bought this property, there was a small query about part of the property that never really got answered conclusively.  Part of the property is like some other houses around on the whole estate, but is different to (otherwise) similar properties in this road.  Funnily enough, the waterboard guy that I was questioning about meters the other day, commented on this difference (it is visible from the front of the house) - which irked me slightly, as it was not water meter/water pipe related and was just his opinion.  He was good on meter knowledge, but as a building surveyor, lacked a little something.... possibly qualification?

Anyhoo, purely coincidentally, I was wandering about the house and garden yesterday, and was thinking to myself that  if we were going to satisfy any future buyer that this part of the property was original, it would do to not remove fixtures and fittings that were contemporaneous with the rest of the house.  Because they clearly illustrated age.  Later yesterday morning I took delivery of an unexpected pack of documentation, which we should have received at the time of our purchase.  Nestled in amongst some useful papers, and some not so useful papers, was planning permission for the relevant 'differentiation' to our property.  This was dated around the time that the property was built and there is also correspondence between the estate developers and the first purchaser of the property.  So, we're legit!  But how spooky........................................

Tea yesterday was Tanzanian Black-eye bean Soup, which I know I have linked to here before.  LG slurped up a whole bowlful (no chilli), so that was good.

I spent some time yesterday sorting out a vague meal planner.  More a list of meals that we could have/that use up things we have.  I do want to make Mushroom Carbonade de Flamande (a French version of Veggie Gu1ness stew to be honest with you), for tea on Saturday night, so again, need to make that on Friday so that the flavours have time to meld.  I did buy a bottle of dark beer for it last night - I went for a H0bg0blin product in the end, as the choice in Belgian dark beer was limited in our branch of MrS, and the price difference was.......  Anyhoo, I need to check my receipts as I spent some money in MrS and HB last night whilst LG was at club.  A quick tot-up shows I spent £9.20 🙁

I think tonight's tea will be 'deconstructed Cabbage rolls' - which is a recipe from Leanne Brown's books - which are available online (for free) and I know that they are (certainly were) linked in the resources bit at the front of the grocery challenge, thanks to the sterling work of dearest elsiepac.  Leanne is Canadian, but worked in an American University to develop recipes for recipients of food stamps that gave adequate nutrition for not alot of moolah.  I can't remember if the recipe I'm using tonight is in 'Good & Cheap' or her other publication 🤔

We were discussing LG's camping trip around the breakfast table just now and I was lamenting how slow progress was in saving for this month's total, and DH gave LG £2 out of his wallet to add to the total, so must amend siggie.  

Can't think of anything else MSE at the mo.  Just plodding on trying to marshall the pennies as we go.  It was mild last night, so I wouldn't have had the heating on, but DH was 'home alone', so the switch was flicked 🙄At least the heating was only on for a couple of hours last night.  Oh, and I used the shower/shower screen yesterday, and apart from 2 miniscule water droplets, that were as likely to have escaped when I had finished and was moving the screen to get out of the shower/bath, there appeared to be NO leakage down the side of the bath.  YAY!  Although it was a relatively 'cheap fix', it did require the 2 elements, new bottom edge seal and copious sealant around the bottom of the screen frame.  But DH had the sealant already, so definitely a sub-£20 fix. 

Ta for popping by.  Appreciated.

Greying X

rtandon27

Hooray for cheap fixes! The best kind!

Greying_Pilgrim

👋 to RT

So pants are flying merrily in the breeze 😁 Hope the pegs hold.... 😮

So LG has trundled orf to school.  Seriously, they need a lan-r0ver pickup and a trailer to take the assorted carp accessories they are required to take to school at the mo 🙄

I don't know if it's a case of learning having taken place, or just 'monkeeseemonkeedoo', but when we got another coat out for LG for school, they remembered that their change from Saturday's purchases, along with a £1 they had been gifted by a 'gentleperson of the road', was still in their pocket.  And LG immediately said. "oh, I want to put it in the camping jar, mum'.  They then proceeded to count up how much was in the jar - which is now standing at a much healthier £7 😁  I am constantly astounded by folk's generosity, and I don't know what it is about LG, that makes the 'gentleperson of the road' always gift 50p or a £1 - "for sweeties" when they see them.  They always ask after LG when I'm alone.  And despite protestations by me that this person doesn't need to give LG money, they will not take no for an answer, and continue to gift.  They have sufficient problems of their own, and life ain't a bowl of cherries for them - although they do pretty much always have a rosy outlook - but they always look out for LG.  Astounding amongst a sea of meanness, crassness and selfishness in this world. 

I have whipped up a batch of meatless meatball mixture, using black beans as a base.  I will decide once it is cooled whether to form 'ba11s' or sausages, or patties or whatever.  I've used ground linseed as a binder.  Pretty much the first time I think - I have had linseeds before, but not the pre-ground sort - which are certainly finer, and therefore mix in better, than anything I could achieve myself.  We will see if they add anything to the textural feel of the resultant meat-free items!

Right, onwards and upwards.  I will have to decide whether to return some clothing to MrS that I bought last night.  There are traffic works over that side of town, and it was utter chaos in the earlier part of the evening last night, and is (apparently) chaos for most of the day.  I would be better off walking - which I don't mind, but i need to double check the weather, as there is no point taking the time to walk if I am going to get soaked, plus the washing on the line would get soaked at home. 

I keep on thinking I have forgotten something that is on today....... 🤔  There is nothing on the calendar, just a nagging doubt.........

Right, moustache!

Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Evening MSE'rs

So I just realised that I achieved a NSD today - Go Me!

I returned the clothing to MrS and had a refund to my card.  I did go and have a look in M&$ whilst I was there, but there wasn't anything of interest.  It was busy and people had full trolleys, but of the YS'd stuff, nothing appealed and there wasn't anything particularly well discounted.  The swedes, which weren't YS'd and were priced at 70p for a reasonably small root, had more wrinkles than me.... and that is saying summat.......

The washing sort of dried.  The rain showers did come at lunchtime, almost to the dot on time.  But of course I was mid-beanball making, so by the time I'd have washed and dried my hands, and got outside, the rain would still have done the damage.  I decided that the wind was such that it would blow over, and the clothes would dry again.  Unfortunately we had several sharp showers at around 4pm, not forecast and so the clothes came in slightly damper than I had intended.  But I put the de-humidifier on for 1 hr, and the clothes should dry overnight.  

I decided to make beanballs with the mix - which I based (but didn't follow to the letter) on THIS recipe.  Sausages may have been more in keeping, but I figured I made sausages the other day.  They turned out OK.  I put baking powder into the mix after I had chilled it, managed to keep the balls roughly the same size and rolled them in oat flour (porridge oats blitzed) before putting in the freezer for a couple of hours.  I made 27 from the mix I had.  I made a chunky tomato sauce, that included carrots and red peppers, and served with boiled basmati  and steamed cabbage that had some caraway seeds run through.  I fried the beanballs in a frying pan with a bit of oil.  If you spot any 'very dark' spots, I forgot I had the ring on high and got engrossed in shredding my cabbage finely, as I wasn't sure how taken LG would be with it 🙄, so they caught a bit 🙁I think they turned out OK.  I think I was possibly a bit stingy (initially) with the tomato sauce, DH had some extra sauce added - it wasn't dry, but definitely improved with more sauce - albeit 'chunky' sauce. 



LG cleared their plate, and declared the beanballs nice.  They said that they would like that dish again, but could I please leave out the caraway seeds, as they didn't particularly like those.  Fair enough.  I'm just impressed LG is munching cabbage no bother........ 😮

Today I am grateful for these 3 things;

Free exercise - the route isn't the best, but I enjoyed the walk
Trying a new "recipe" that we all enjoyed
LG enjoyed the days activities at school, and that's another 'take all the things' day crossed off 😁

Ta for popping by.  Appreciated.

Greying X
 

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning MFW'rs

I didn't put a wash on this morning, as we were forecast frequent showers.  We've had a few spitty spots of rain as yet, and I can't help thinking that I'm missing a washing/drying opportunity, as things are beginning to pile up..... 🙁

Popped out shopping.  Did end up going to MrAl and MrL.  I had intended to only go to MrL, but I'm glad I did in the end, as I got several things that were better from MrAl than MrL's offering.  In total, between the 2 shops I spent £31.70 and I have updated my siggie.  I was going to MrAl to get the easy peelers in the S6, but there were only 6 fruits in the pack for 89p, so I swapped for a bag of pears instead.  I'm always wary of pears, but if all else fails, I will make crumble with them.  I got a bag of the mini easy peelers from MrL instead.  

I bought "wonky" parsnips from MrAl, as it's a saving of 10p over a conventional bag if you can find some that are not all pithy core.  I also spotted that MrAl do a bag of 'Essentials' carrots for 68p for 1.5kg - which would provide a saving over the normal price of 65p for 1kg.  However, I have heard of 'oss carrots, but MrAl were taking the proverbial with their offering - I should imagine a Shire 'oss would baulk at being asked to eat these things.  I suppose they could double up as cheap rounders bats for the kids in summer.........  Obviously some of the carrots in these bags are broken, but if you looked at the broken ends, you could quite clearly see the massive core - which is usually tough and fiberous and not a pleasant munch - for man, nor possibly 'osses......
So naturally I left them there.  I did get a nice swede from MrAl for 62p - just as well as the MrL ones were black with mould on the cut surfaces and weren't much bigger than the M&$ 'old wrinkles' from yesterday.......

My only bargain 'bag' in MrL was a family punnet of mushrooms that had been YS'd by 60% to 72p.  There were several punnets, but I just took the one.  Softly, softly with LG's acceptance of mushrooms.  And my one unplanned purchase was another of the 7.5kg bags of tatties.  There were some weird and wonderful variety names this week - but I think it was 'Accent' that looked the nicest - but I wasn't sure of their cooking properties, so whilst I was pondering, I had a rootle further down and came across some bags of Maris Piper.  They didn't look quite as attractive as the Accent, but I know sort of the characteristics for Maris Piper, so sprung for a bag.  I'm saying 'Accent' I can't quite remember - I thought the variety began with an 'A' but had a musical connotation - the other 2 varieties offered were 'Jazzy' (apparently a relatively new variety) and 'Vanilla'.  If the other tatties were Accent, they are supposed to be a waxy potato.  I was lucky with my purchase of Arran Pilot (also waxy) as they did mash ok, but waxy varieties are usually better for salads, or roasting/chipping.  Anyway, I'm happy with what I got, and instead I eschewed the bag of oven chips that were on my list.  I have a few oven chips in the freezer, but if I am in need of an 'emergency meal' and run out of chips, then it's my fault.  Hopefully the weather will improve anyway and we'll move away from eating tatties.  

Tea tonight will be Greek Mung Bean Soup.  I haven't made this recipe before, but hopefully it will be nice and I can add it to my list of Mung bean recipes.  I would never have associated mung beans with Greek cuisine, but that's the power of trade and shipping routes I guess.   I have soaked 500g of mung beans overnight, will cook them in the PC just now, and use some for the soup and some for a curry.  

LG only had to take themselves and their lunch to school today.  Cue a frantic - "are you sure you don't need to take anything else in today?" as we were stood at the door to leave 🤣I can't believe that it's only Thursday.  The last couple of weeks have been so hectic, and Monday's and Tuesdays are now so full on, we seem to come to a grinding halt by Wednesday (usually - not this week) and the rest of the week drags.

I have approximately £41 of my grocery budget left and one more 'shopping day', to go.  Can I make it?

Edit:  Blow!  I just remembered what that potato variety was - it was a musical connection, they were "Accoustic" - another new variety, but apparently a good all-rounder for cooking 🙁 Can't help feeling I missed out 🙁  Can't even look things up on the internet to check as I shop (even if my steam-phone is co-operating), as the signal is dire in-store 🙁 For any gardeners reading, it is touted as being very blight resistant, resistant to golden eel-worm and is heavy cropping.  Ah well, we'll enjoy the Maris Piper anyway..........

Ta for popping by.  Appreciated.

Greying X

beanielou

I have a mini washing mountain of 3 loads to do but no way to dry them as airers are both full. 

There is only me!! 

EssexHebridean

Maris Pipers are always a safe bet aren't they - that's one of my defaults when I'm decision making around tattie buying too - although the past couple of times there have been nice looking King Ed's so those have got the call.  it must be something about Lil's and phone signals though as ours also suffers from poor signal - which sometimes makes using the app rather challenging. I manage though - not missing out on the advantages from it just because of the rotten signal!