From Frugal Foundations to Fortified Family Future

Greying_Pilgrim

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81892155#Comment_81892155

Thanks love - you've prompted me to think 😁 I had forgotten that I got the 2kg lentil bags (La1la brand) from MrAl last time. The same offer was on in MrT, but whereas I could get the lentils in our local MrAl, I would have had to travel to get the same offer from a (bigger) MrT, as our local one doesn't stock a WF aisle 🙄

You have also prompted me to go through my cupboards again. I'm pleased to report they were 'relatively' tidy and organised, but being realistic, I already have 9kgs of red lentils. And whilst we LOVE lentils, and use a ton, I do not need to buy anymore at the moment. If all else fails, I will buy some during the next 'special offer' cycle. I have 3 or 4 kgs of green lentils too, and whilst the special offers are rarely as generous with them, they come on special from time to time - ditto chickpeas. I have 3 kg approx of them, plus a couple of tins. I just wish we had better offers on a range of dried beans like they do in the US - navy beans, pinto, lima/butter beans, black beans, black eye peas, pigeon peas……. Our 500g gold-plated bags are pitiful in comparison.

Thanks for posting Cheery - you've prompted me to think, make a decision and saved a trip across the way/petrol 😁

Greying X

Cheery_Daff

Ha, 9kg of red lentils is quite enough,I agree 😂 And while my food cupboards are NOT tidy 🙈 I do know at least that we now have 5kg of red lentils, which is plenty for us for the time being 😂

greenbee

I feel inadequate as I only have 1.5kg red lentils… I do, however, have 2.5kg black beans, same of chickpeas, 1.5kg cannellini beans and pinto beans. There are more green/black/coral lentils and various types of pea (flamingo, blue, Carlin). I’ve just put some black beans in to soak.

rtandon27

I'm well behind in the lentil lottery - we have less than 500g each of red lentils, split urad, dried chickpeas. I also have a tin chickpeas and a tin of puy lentils. We don't stock peas or beans though OH does occasionally have a small tin of cannellini beans as a side 'on request'. I'm amazed that everyone stocks such a variety of legumes (lentils/beans/peas) and gets through such vast amounts!

Greying_Pilgrim

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81892264#Comment_81892264

You're jus' braggin' now…….. 🤣 Are the carlin from Homnedods (sp?)?

Dearest rt - horses for courses, you are bound to have more asian ingredients in your household than me, as you cook those types of meals more often. I just got into the indian and middle eastern vibe more with my veggie cooking, so my ingredients list are more reflective of that 😁

Well, today's weather is horrid - far more limiting than yesterday's in a way. We pootled off to MrT to see if there was any clothing for LG - big fat nada. And I'm now sure that someone from our MrT must read here, as, in a 'blink and you'd miss it' spot on the shelf, there were indeed bags of pulses on cc offer - such as chickpeas and red lentils. So now I know that I needn't make the round trip to the bigger MrT should I cave in to lentil FOMO, prior to the 18th March…….

We did get some YS'd goodies in the produce aisle. Oranges and green bell peppers. Masses of the things bagged up (separately) in the produce YS'd section - I paid £1.05 for 20 oranges and 5 bell peppers. I shall be turning orange due to over consumption of the fruit and the bell peppers are always useful for tommie veggie sauce, and they don't detract from the flavour but they do add heft and fibre 👍 Mind, I could always do my best Nell Gwynne impression and head down to Twickenham, providing the oranges at half time in the rugger…….. 🤭 We called into fArmf00ds as we were on the right side of town. They had restocked the pulse shelf, but just RKB's, chickpeas and channa dhal today. There wasn't much to tempt me, but I still managed to spend £5.35 in there 🙄 I did get some g00df3llas branded arancini (frozen) to try. They were 99p a box. I did also buy some cereal bars for our hols - I didn't think I could beat 69p a box.

In total I spent £6.40 on food and £5.45 on some 0% gu1ness as I remember trying it last year and finding it OK - I'm sure I have tmv to thank for putting us onto it.

We've just munched a cheese salad sandwich for lunch with a bag of crisps. LG had suggested maybe taking our lunch out somewhere, but even they changed their mind, having been out in the rain just to get to MrT.

Right, off to amend my siggie figgie and work out what's for tea.

Ta for popping in. Greying X

Cheery_Daff

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81892334#Comment_81892334

I don't have a massive stock, but neither of us eat meat, so pulses are quite a mainstay. I don't usually keep 5kg of red lentils 😂 I just bought two 2kg cheap bags yesterday 😂Other than lentils, we tend to do pulses in tins, rather than dried - it's just not a habit I've ever really got into. We do usually have tins of chick peas, kidney beans, butter beans, then an assortment of other things depending on what was in the supermarket (we shop in Mr Al and they don't always have everything) - black eyed beans, black beans, cannellini beans etc.

Mr C will eat a tin of most of them just plain, or with a bit of salad cream. Very much NOT my thing, but I'll usually have pulses in at least one meal a day. We get through a fair few 😂

greenbee

I try to have lots of variety, as although I'm not veggie, I prefer to eat pulses and veg. Yes, the carlin peas are from hodmedods, as are the flamingo and blue peas, and all the lentils. I do get the others from them sometimes, but they're out of a lot of stuff at the moment, so I have been forced to by from BWFO. I used to buy more tins, but since I've had the instant pot I've been brave enough to pressure cook them.

Greying_Pilgrim

Yes greenbee - It's having the PrC that has transformed dry pulse cooking for me. There was no incentive to cook beans conventionally in a damp, north facing kitchen before I got the PrC. Hodmedods! I mangled their name, didn't I 🫤 but I thought you used them 😁

So I've done the meter readings. We've spent £14 more this month on energy 😬 It's all on electrickery, as our gas expenditure had gone down from this time last year (only by £3, but we spent less). But I have been doing alot of washing and drying - so that must have gobbled it up. Not too sure about oven use, there might have been a bit of extra use, and perhaps the SC has added a smidge. Whilst I don't like to spend more, I do think it's probably accounted for with laundry - the weather has been lousy - and I don't believe I would have got as much washed/dried for £14 paying launderette prices.

Greying X

Blackcats

Nell Gwynn at Twickers ….. or Erica Roe? 🤣

I'm the Eddie the Eagle type competitor in the battle of the pulses!

Greying_Pilgrim

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81892865#Comment_81892865

You and I both showing us ages knowing who Erica was……….. 😉 I should imagine orange quarters would remain untouched nowadays - all the 'sports' drinks that are available, gels and powders…….. I even had to explain the concept to LG as they didn't understand the 'half'time' oranges reference…… 🫤

So I just watched an episode of Froogal Queen en Francais. I know some folks have opinions about various vloggers, but I was inspired to make savoury lentils with veggie sausages as a result of her latest video. I didn't follow the recipe she used (I don't think she claimed to have follow one - and mentioned it was as much Italian as French in inspiration/origin), and of course, I am not using meat sausages as she did, but it's important to acknowledge inspiration - and that's where it's come from. I have used one of the green bell peppers, along with onion, garlic, celery and some mixed peppers (for colour) along with a couple of carrots. I will add in some spinach, and the veggie sausages are Linda Mc's red pepper and chorizo ones.

There is the tiniest wee baby watching the ice hockey - awwww. I think they are on Finland's side…..

Greying X