From Frugal Foundations to Fortified Family Future

EssexHebridean

Redo we tend to take the chutney route as well - if we can forage plums in sufficient quantity then MrEH will do a batch of jam, but a batch of chutney will also be in the equation. Similarly piccalilli is delicious home made - far nicer than bought IMO! I must have a go at a more traditional sandwich pickle at some stage though. My MIL used to be a great chutney maker when she had a huge garden and lots of gluts of plums, apples, tomatoes etc - now she's downsized she doesn't make stuff any more although we are still working through stashes of her stuff - so we always take a jar or two of whatever we've produced down for her when we go. We also like a jelly as not only can you spread them on toast but of course they also work as a great way of adding depth of flavour to stews and that sort of thing. As for lemon curd, you may just have reminded me that we have eggs that need using, and a couple of stray lemons in the fridge... 

Pollie

Asda's Just Essentials sweet pickle  is £1. Don't eat it so don't know how good it is.

teapot2

Greying_Pilgrim said:

teapot2 said:

Can I ask wat you do to process and freeze the coriander GP?  I've not had much success with freezing it in the past and not tried for a long time x

Oh, I just wash it, spin it dry in the salad spinner and depending on how 'dry' that gets it, I might squeeze it with kitchen roll.  I then chop it up finely with a knife ( but imagine chopping it with a mezzalune) and pop it in a box into the freezer.  

I only use this type of coriander in cooking - so curries or soup.  It does stay a shade of green, but it's nowhere near like 'fresh'.  And I wouldn't top a dish with it - only incorporate.  I don't think I have ever tried to freeze sprigs of coriander, I would imagine it would go black and sludgy on de-frosting - but I don't know that.  

What were you using the frozen coriander for?

Greying X

Thanks GP, I just stick it in soups, stews, dhal and curry etc, I'll give it another try x

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning MFW'rs

RT - I make a similar 'quick pickle' - particularly using red onions - when doing buddha bowls.  

Pollie - We haven't had it for a while, as I don't routinely shop in MrA, and I would be the first to say that the essentials/valoo/basik ranges seem to vary their ingredients the most, but having tried that pickle, DH found it too vinegary/acidic.  

I will have a bit of an experiment with veg/quick pickles.  The one that is stuck in my memory isn't a recipe, and neither is it a product as such.  I remember that one of the supermarkets - trouble is, I can't remember which one, I'm thinking MrS or M&$ 🤔 used to to a (V) ploughmans sandwich, and there was a sweet/sour carrot pickle on that sandwich that was just bob on.  It was lovely in its own right, but also complimented the cheese so well.  Funnily enough I was in the kitchen this morning and noticed DH being rather heavy handed with slopping the pickle onto his sangers 🙄  Guess I better get experimenting sooner rather than later 🙄  Another option is to buy a tub of coleslaw occasionally to mix it up.  When DH and I first got together, he always had cheese and coleslaw sangers..... can you see a theme of 'uniformity' developing here......🤔

Last day of term today.  Can't say I'm not relieved.  

Tea this evening is going to be an experiment.  I am going to try my own HM beanballs cooked in tommie sauce in the SC.  Will they retain their shape or disintegrate into an amorphous blob?  The result will be served up with boiled basmati.

Can't think of anything overtly MSE to add, but thanks everso for popping by.

Greying X  

Cheery_Daff

I love to see you being so thoughtful about the different areas of your life Greying 😊 Hope you find a decent pickle. People often give us jars of chutney, and I really like the IDEA of it, but not the taste... Fortunately Mr Cheery will always enjoy it. I want to train myself though! Hope you have some cheerful things planned for time off school 😊

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Afternoon MFW'rs

Well, I am a contented woman.  The sun is shining and me smalls (underpinnings, not children 😉) are flapping merrily on the line in the breeze.  Sigh......  I got other stuff washed too - huzzah!

I am now a fully carded up n*ctar card holder 😁I had a thought - you know these loyalty schemes that are app based, does it take power/memory space on your phone?  I mean, I get that it's "easy", but how does it translate to using up your power or memory?  

I have made a vat of tommie sauce 😁  Not put on the SC yet.  Probably won't need overlong - maybe a couple of hours to heat through properly?  The beanballs are frozen, so I will err on the side of caution and give them 'enough' time.  I intend to process those mushrooms just now - I will just cut them up with some onion and garlic, cook them off and then cool & freeze.  They will come in for pizza topping or something.  Definitely worth buying them.  

Cheery definitely hope to get some serious 'fun-stuff' packed into the hols.  It will be weather dependent 😬but fingers crossed we manage it. 

School have already been sending missives 'do this', 'do that' in the holiday - grrr.  Who died and put them in charge of dictating how we spend our time?  Honestly, I know some kids will want/be allowed to just slob in front of the TV/Computer/Games console the whole time, but that's up to them/their family isn't it?  I mean, we could have all the plans under the sun to be out in the wholesome fresh air all the time, hoovering up lashings of culture and inhaling educational tomes at every turn, but if it pours with rain, we're gonna retreat under a blankie in front of the telly, in we?  Honestly, never had meself down as an rebel, but for heaven's sake; hand me, me doc marts...... 🤣

Oh - in top-bird-tick-off-yer-lists I suspect we have.......... at least 1, maybe more reed buntings visiting the vicinity........  I can't be sure, as I've not got me observer book of birds to hand, but I saw an unfamiliar bird the other day.  Initially I thought it was just a female house sparrow, that seemed lighter in colour because the sun was shining brightly, and you know how the light is 'hard' at this time of year.  But the next time I saw it (and it does fraternise with a gaggle of sparrows, so easy to think it was one of the gang), I noticed that it had a light, straw-coloured 'blade' across it's eye - which I didn't think female sparrows had.  Then  I figured that it might just be an anomaly.  But no, I went searching on the web, and the BTO reckons it's quite common to see reed buntings along with sparrows at this time of year.  I mean, we have got standing water sources in the locale, possibly complete with reeds, but not absolutely close by, so I was a bit surprised to see them.  They don't sit still, and are constantly scanning around and above - presumably for predators, but I'm just amazed at the variety of bird life here (assuming my observation is correct - natch).

Right, mushrooms to process.  Moustache.

Greying X

badmemory

Actually I find it quite worrying that teachers & schools need to send instructions as to what their pupils should be doing in the holidays.  They can't send instructions to half the pupils so you all get them.  I suspect they are worrying about some pupils who spend any holiday with their brains totally turned off & then they have the grind to get some of them up to speed again whilst the others tread water.  I only know this because my sister is a retired teacher of younger children & it sounds like the situation is getting worse.  LG is lucky to have you because we all know that vegetation is not going to be an option.

ladybird1106

We had a goldcrest in the garden, cheered DH up no end this morning.
Love 🐞

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Evening MFW'rs

We're at the hols - YAY!

LG had an event afterschool, which to be absolutely fair was brought about because of volunteers and teachers, so kudos to them - who the heckingtons wellingtons wants to be working 'after time' on a Friday?   A great time was had by all 😁

badmemory - I suspect it is getting worse, but I never understand 'homework' dressed up as something 'different', and also which appeals to but a small skill set.  It is like saying 'everyone' must do reading, or 'everyone' must do maths, or 'everyone' must do running/walking/netball, or 'everyone' must paint a picture/write a poem or perform a play....  there will be some who can and some who can't.........let alone those that won't ....

The washing dried lovely 😁  But LG has grown out of more clothes 😬

🐞 - Goldfinches are so cheerful!  No wonder DH had a lift - bravo for nature! 😁

Tea worked out well.  The HM beanballs 'poached' lovely.  They still weren't as..... chewy?  as bought 'plant-based balls', but they were slightly firmer than fried ones, so.......  Clean plates all around.  More tommie sauce made than needed, so stores for the freezer accrued.  



I feared I would have a mess of beans and oat flakes floating in tomato sauce, so I am pleased that the beanballs retained their shape.  

Today I am grateful for these 3 things;

help from friends in RL to contribute to a nice event 
the work of teachers and volunteers to make something nice for the school community
line dried washing 

Thanks for popping by and participating.  Appreciated.

Greying X 

rtandon27

Welcome to the "club" GP - I currently get about 3 pounds a month in points through mostly their bonus point offers!  It's not a lot but every quarter we use the 10 pounds towards a grocery shop and it feels good to see a lower spend of cash that week!

Every penny really does matter so any money back from those loyalty programs really does make a difference over the course of a year!