From Frugal Foundations to Fortified Family Future

Greying_Pilgrim

I forgot to add, lunch today will be leek and potato soup (I ain't claiming Vichyssoise……😉) I have a pack of 2 leeks from the green box - I'm hoping to use one, and the tatties are the 'big bag' sprouty wiljas. So cheap 'n cheerful, but is it ever the weather for soup 🥶 The constant dampness just makes it feel colder, I'm sure.

KajiKita - you're right about the sharing of ideas and techniques (as well as ingredients and foodstuffs). Knitting (and textile crafts in general), are a wealth of history, adaptation and experimentation. And I'm loving the word 'crossness' 👍

Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

Right, so the dehu was on for 4 hours, and the clothes and towels have mostly dried. Alot of water came out (expected because stuff was straight out of the machine). I have put the airer in front of the radiator now, with the expectation stuff will be dry enough to put away tomorrow, fingers crossed.

The weather has worsened here as the day wore on, however, there is no way we've had as much rain as in Rome. The rugger was a good match - I think (as an impartial), the best team won, although I love that both teams play until the final whistle in any match. That is absolutely to be commended. The Princess Royal was indeed at the match - how refreshing that the 'great & good' know to double up appointments - MSE 101! 😁

Lunch was leek and potato soup. I left it partially chunky, which we prefer. There was enough for a bowlful each and about a ladle each 'seconds' for DH & LG. Whilst I was making the soup, I listened to a World Service Food Chain episode about 'Brick Lane', very interesting. I forgot to say, the label wasn't on the broccoli head from the MrL green box, but I found it today - it had stuck to the leeks packet 🤣 It's a shame i had to bin the broccoli, as it was organic ☹️ I do still have the hand of bananas, and they were organic too.

I've decided to do fish cakes, chips and mushy peas, with HM tartare sauce for tea. Not exactly 'hands off', but relatively simple to cook and dish up.

No money spent today, although DH went out to order a medical item, and bought some ibuprofen. LG was looking for r1bena, but the stuff in MrA was too pricey, and hB didn't have the smaller bottles. LG settled for a hot chocolate, this afternoon instead. DH tackled the understairs 'cupboard of doom' this morning. There was method in his work ethic, as he wanted to get the cycle helmets stored in better order. He'd been looking at all sorts of 'cycle helmet storage' on p1nterest and in DIY stores, but in the end, we worked together and made far better use of some coat hooks that we already had, and finessed it further by moving the hooks to handle the helmets - and then I pointed out that it was 'safer' to put the helmets on the longer part of the hook - which worked, and means it will be hard to be in the cupboard ferreting for something and knock the helmets off by mistake.

I can't think of anything else MSE, but we've been 'walking the walk' today, so we need to give ourselves a pat on the back for that. Routine, using what you have, and thinking about things does help to keep to budget and move you forward. Not always the most exciting (who doesn't like to go shopping?), but it works.

Greying X

Humdinger1

All your thank-yous for people popping in are also greatly appreciated @Greying_Pilgrim! Your diary is a haven of civilisation; I find that much of the forum a beacon of light, politeness and clear thinking in the swamp that's too often the web. Love Humdinger xx

Watty1

I so agree @Humdinger1 The forum is such a source of joy, friendship, willingness to help and a kind of standing together that is a pleasure to sit and read.

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning MFW'rs

Aw thanks Humdinger 😁

So another wet day ☹️ It's not currently raining, but it's awful damp and rain is forecast to fall, and there is virtually no breeze. Day 2 of operation dehu ☹️ It'll be LG's clothes today, and then in order of priority my clothes tomorrow and DH's non-uniform wear. The beebeecee weather site has rain everyday for the next fortnight 😭 Here's hoping those forecasts change considerably ☹️

First MSE-inspired disaster (it's all relative), of the day involved DH's and LG's breakfast. DH had been given some spare food off someone at work. There was instant breakfast cereal and pasta. The breakfast cereal was out of date. The main box was composed of sachets, and - employing the sniff test - DH added these pouches to the porridge pot everyday - and the box was used up. There was one pot of oats, which was a different brand, and although instant, it was just supposed to be original oats. I said to DH to use it up - it was about 3 weeks 'out of date'. I don't know if DH employed the sniff test, but he added it to the porridge pot this morning, and when the porridge was cooked, LG took one bite and declared it horrid, DH concurred, and that was a saucepan-worth of porridge binned ☹️I can only assume that the milk powder in the product hadn't stood the test of time? Anyway, These things happen - and at least it was the 'lone' pot that was yuk, not the box of pouches, so we've saved a bit of money, even though we don't buy the instant cereal (unless on holiday), and wouldn't have bought the pouched stuff, as it was the increased protein variety (and must have cost a pretty penny to begin with).

Lunch will be soup. I've asked LG what style they would like. They said they didn't know enough varieties of soup to suggest, so anything would be fine 🥰 They then had another think and suggested vegetable and pasta (are you surprised? 🤣), so I'm sure we can come up with something.

Tea is probably going to be veggie mince cottage pie and apple crumble, and I'll use the oven to cook them.

Last night's tea was a UPF fest 🫤 The MrL YS'd fish cakes were OK. Naturally HM would have probably had more fish in them, but they tasted 'OK'. Like the haddock portion the other week, not something that I would buy routinely at proper price - but that has more to do with us not being great lovers of fish - but YS'd and an occasional purchase/meal, yep, ticks sufficient boxes 😁The mushy peas were tinned, so the most colourful object on the plate was a salad tomato (and a January greenhouse grown tomato at that!), so I did a 'tulip cut' tomato half for us all 🤣 LG didn't comment on the style, and did query whether they had to eat 'all' the tomato - but they did (without further comment), so at least a smidgen of 'whole' food went into them! Yoghurt and banana was for pud.

Right, LG has just shouted the washing machine is done, so I best go set up the airer and dehu. It isn't currently raining, but there is no breeze either, so pegging out would be utterly pointless ☹️

Ta for popping by. Greying X

Sunshine_girl2

Aldi had Ribena and Vimto in this week not sure how much it was .

Greying_Pilgrim

Thanks Sunshine_girl2 - I will put it on the list for this week, it was only because LG was going to be in a supermarket that they thought about it. I knew MrA had gone expensive, but I hadn't realised they'd be 25p more than other places for the 850ml bottle. £1.49 is about what I'm used to paying.

So the day turned out far better weatherwise than anticipated. I regret not pegging out - BUT - even if I have of taken the risk (we had no further rain), I'm not wholly convinced it would have got any drier than it achieved after 4hrs in front of the dehu. It got quite dry, and will spend the night on the airer.

Soup turned out OK. I used the core of the cauli (MrS YS'd huge one), to make some stock with a shallot and a stick of celery. I cooked that in the PrC and then blitzed. To that I added diced carrot, swede, potato, a tin of rinsed baked beans (haricots), and some cooked pasta. Warmed it through again, and it made just 3 (big) bowls. LG loved it, and would have had seconds had there been any. I think the 'asking for their choice' helped too. It was just made up with what i had, but I think it was "proper" soup in LG's eyes.

LG and DH went out on a bike ride, and I got a 40 minute walk in today. I don't know how far I walked, but it included several looooooongggg inclines, so I felt like I had a bit of a workout.

Tea was as previously mooted. I made a cottage/shepherd's pie filling using onion, celery, leek (the last one out the green box), garlic, Linda Mc's vegan mince (300g pack), some mixed peppers, carrots and a small pot of the rich veggie tomato base sauce I made the other day. This was all cooked up and I added in some dried herbs, and a teaspoon of the Lebanese 7 spice that i made up the other day for the Anissa Helou soup. I also cooked up some potatoes and diced swede, and when that was cooked I drained and then mashed up with some butter. I filled a casserole dish with the base and put the tatty on top - just in a rustic spikey style. I also made up crumble topping mix, threw the last of the 'kerbside' apples that I'd open-frozen using tmv's approach, into another casserole dish and put the crumble on top. Popped both dishes in the oven at 180 degrees for approx 45 mins.

We had the cottage pie with steamed cauliflower (some of the MrS one), and some (frozen) broccoli and a handful of peas. LG has now decided that they don't like cauli or broccoli (not what they said the other day 🙄) but they did eat what they had on their plate. And they did agree that the 'fresh' cauli was actually nicer than frozen bagged cauli. This morning I also used half of the same cauli to make a batch of coconut, cauliflower gigglebean curry - which is a vegan recipe from Lee Watson. It made one big pot, one takeaway tray and a small pot. - which are now in the freezer. I wonder whether LG will be anymore keen to try that…… It was a lovely orangey/yellow colour, and I was thinking YAY! as I'd laughed when dfw321, on her thread, mentioned being fed up of 'brown' curries - It's so easy to turn them brown at the drop of a hat! I used the PrC to make the curry.

So, we've - after the initial mishap - eaten well today. I've used the contents of the green box well - only have the bananas and some cherry and some salad tomatoes left now. There was stuff made for another day, plus we have 3 more portions of the cottage pie for another day, and there is a small bit of crumble for DH and LG to argue over for tea tomorrow 😁All the tatties used today were the sprouty wiljas, and I've used up a bit more of the last Christmas swede. I think i now only have one Christmas shallot left.

Ta for popping by. Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning MFW'rs

Currently dry with us, a little grey, although it looks like the sun is at least trying to make an appearance, but the grey skies are blocking it out. I have a wash pegged out. According to the weather radar, we've no rain at least until lunchtime, so I've taken a punt. There is a reasonable breeze, the clothes are moving about. So I may have to resort to the dehu, but I'm hopeful that the clothes will at least dry somewhat outside. I don't expect them to be bone dry, but if we could cut down dehu hours, that's all to the good.

I soaked some B-E peas overnight, and will cook them in the PrC. I'm probably going to try a new to me recipe - it's sort of like a stew, and i have some of the components. If I go down that route, I will aim to serve it with brown rice.

LG was talking to me this morning about Valentines Day and 'gifts'. I don't know if they had seen some displays or something at the supermarket, at the weekend? Anyway, my 'burgeoning little consumer' 🫤 was talking all about the "stuff" you could buy. I tried to talk about - without getting in-depth or serious - about love 'languages' and what the types of things we prefer to do as a family/team for all 365 days of the year, and not just one. LG understood when I said that DH knew you loved him when you make him a cup of tea - and it's true. Naturally, if you bought DH "stuff", he'd probably accept it, but what he values is someone thinking to make him a cup of tea. I don't know if the conversation will continue, or whether LG has 'got' it. I suppose our family's love language is 'service' rather than gifts, but I find it very difficult to talk about with LG or in RL, as it immediately seems like you're being judgmental of others who's love language is different - which is far from the case. You do you boo. I think alot of LG's classmates are families or blended or atypical families for whom 'gifting' is an extremely large part of their love language. More stuff = more love. And that's absolutely fine. But of course, we still have the issue of how it 'looks', LG is struggling at the moment with a classmate (from the family we've had issues with before), having ALL the stuff, connected with their latest obsession. It's something that LG has a passing interest in, and whilst they realise that the classmate will probably move onto something else at some point - and have ALL the stuff for that too, it doesn't help in the interim. The classmate delights in flaunting every new item, at any and every opportunity, despite the fact the children aren't supposed to bring "stuff" to school. I think deep down LG realises that "stuff" doesn't matter, and that this child has…. issues, and perhaps underneath the veneer of "I got all the things", there isn't very much else.

Anyway, in much better news - the woodpeckers are back! I just heard a strange bird sound - tuk, tuk, tuk - a single, not tuneful call. That's odd I thought, and I opened the door, but couldn't see the bird, but could hear it. I grabbed my phone and put the bird app on, and just as I opened the location, a bird flew to the top of the oak (Holm Oak?) at the back of us - I said "woodpecker", and sure enough merlin concurred that it was a Greater Spotted Woodpecker! How fabulous to have heard it and seen it! It stayed for a minute or so more and then flew off, it's undulating flight giving it away this time.

Greying X

Cherryfudge

You've got a woodpecker! Lucky you! Never knowing had one round here.

As for love languages (fascinating theme), perhaps try to spot different ones in others you know? The person who always gives hugs, the person who praises others… it can be positive as well as raising awareness that we aren't all the same and what can be a genuine expression of affection in one person may be being received as annoying by someone else.

EssexHebridean

^^^ This! Also - that hugs are something which should always be given permission for, not demanded or expected, at lest in the first instance. A hug is one person's routine sign of greeting, and another's worst nightmare, for all sorts of reasons! Compliments of course too are another way of showing affection and/or respect. It's such a complex subject, because sometimes the "stuff" has such meaning behind it that it's on a different level too - and other times it's just "here have this thing to show off because that reflects well on me/the family". Trying to explain the difference between those can be complex with an adult, and even more so with a child.

I wonder if the packet on that sachet of oats had been damaged somehow - a handful of weeks is nowhere near enough on its own to change the flavour of a "best before" item of that sort, so it suggests that another factor was at play there.