From Frugal Foundations to Fortified Family Future

Greying_Pilgrim

Paspatur said:

GP thank you so much for the mention of Andi Oliver
Just watched 2 episodes and they are wonderful
There are still decent people in this world

Hey Paspatur, I'm afraid I got hooked too and watched another episode too - that eco-park looked lovely.  I would love to live within cycling/walking distance of a community garden of that calibre 🥰  I am glad that Andi Oliver is getting stuck in though and adding to the series - above and beyond a presenting role, albeit with her super energetic, totally engaged in the project, style.   I learnt something though, that there is a use for milk cows at the end of their productive life (albeit not intensively milked cows).  I had always assumed that they went off for 'non-human consumption' processing, but what that farm was doing was a revelation. 

I think there is at least one more episode - Bridlington??

Inspired by watching Andi do lovely things with vegetable produce, I decided to make a quick carrot pickle to go with the burgers instead of using the bought kimchi.  I grated carrot, massaged it with sea salt and then added white wine vinegar and sugar.  Stirred and stirred and then added caraway seed and nigella seed and a small lump of grated fresh ginger and a little bit of dried dill.  Kept on stirring until I added it to the burger baps.  I liked it, the caraway gave sweetness and the ginger a little (tiny) punch.  I was disappointed that DH smothered it in tommie ketchup before trying it.  But he declared it nice and identified there was ginger in it, so.......

DH has done some more preparation of surfaces for painting.  Apparently all I need to do now is 'say what shades i want' in terms of paint, and he will crack on with getting it done.  I realise we're at the mercy of the weather, but I'm not keen to allocate every future weekend to painting 🙄

I have updated my grocery budget.  Not too bad, but will have to mind expenditure doesn't run away.  We've not completed the first week of the month yet.

Today I am grateful for these 3 things;

Interesting TV programmes
DH's diligent work on decorating prep.  
the weather hasn't totally battered us...... yet.

Ta for popping in.  Appreciated.

I Skate.

Greying X 😉

rtandon27

Wow GP - quick pickled carrot - very impressive!  Were you inspired by a recipe? or was it a pinch of this and a soupçon of that?

Greying_Pilgrim

rtandon27 said:

Wow GP - quick pickled carrot - very impressive!  Were you inspired by a recipe? or was it a pinch of this and a soupçon of that?

Hey sweetie - a mix of both.  I got a recipe off the internet, but improvised with grating the carrots, and not boiling the brine, as I was going to eat the pickle within the hour.  I did use my own choice of flavourings, more based on what compliments carrot more than anything else.  I didn't have to sterilise a jar as we ate what I made (used a couple of carrots).  I would have loved a little bit extra sweetness, but couldn't work out how to achieve it without just resorting to adding more sugar, but it was fine as it was.

Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning MFW'rs

Hope you have survived the weather unscathed. The sound of the wind & rain woke me in the night.  Luckily the rain must have been coming from the 'right' direction, as DH had left paperwork on the windowsill of the shonky landing window.  I thought about it this morning, and shot out of bed to check - luckily for us (and him) it had stayed dry........ I do feel slightly vindicated that we cancelled our plans to go away this weekend.  I wouldn't have fancied travelling about in any of the weather that we've had, and we would have needed to be travelling back today.

I have also investigated properly and the Andi Oliver 'Fabulous Feasts', series actually comprises 8 episodes.  Episode 3 is airing on Wednesday night BBC2 (Bridlington).  There is also an upcoming episode in Stoke.  I wonder if Staffordshire Oat cakes will feature?  I didn't mention I picked up a pack YS'd from MrT the other week.  We used to have these all the time when I was at Uni, as a gal who hailed from Stoke-on-Trent introduced the commercially produced ones to us.  I have only had the 'freshly made', from a tiny 'hole in the wall' bakery in Leek, once - and they were different to the packet ones from a supermarket.  I love the savouriness of oatcakes.

Not too sure what we will achieve today.  I need to sew some name labels into a couple of new pieces of school uniform, although the weather is hardly conducive to 'summer uniform' styles is it 🤔

In theory I should squeak a nsd, as we have lots of food, but I do need to do a bit of baking, so fingers crossed I haven't forgotten anything pivotal.

I should be able to put £2 into the 'C4C' jar as an item of uniform was £2.01 less than I have budgeted for, so I will get onto that.  

Banks and money is all at that 'nothing occurring' stage of the month 🙁

I think I hear the rest of the household stirring, so best go and stick the porridge pot on.

Ta for popping in.

Greying X

teapot2

Greying_Pilgrim said:

rtandon27 said:

Wow GP - quick pickled carrot - very impressive!  Were you inspired by a recipe? or was it a pinch of this and a soupçon of that?

Hey sweetie - a mix of both.  I got a recipe off the internet, but improvised with grating the carrots, and not boiling the brine, as I was going to eat the pickle within the hour.  I did use my own choice of flavourings, more based on what compliments carrot more than anything else.  I didn't have to sterilise a jar as we ate what I made (used a couple of carrots).  I would have loved a little bit extra sweetness, but couldn't work out how to achieve it without just resorting to adding more sugar, but it was fine as it was.

Greying X

Hi GP, I wonder if Mirin [Japanese rice wine] would work to add sweetness if you happened to have some in stores?  I know some varieties have an alcohol content so might need heating first for LG but thats maybe too much footering?  

Its not cheap but lasts ages, I use it for making things like Teriyaki tofu.  I think most of the sugar content comes from the fermenting process used to make it.  x

redofromstart

I have MrM own Mirin, which I use for salt and chilli chips (with lots of peppers, chillis and onions, and HM wedges). I think it was c£2 but it does last well.

Greying_Pilgrim

teapot2 said:

Hi GP, I wonder if Mirin [Japanese rice wine] would work to add sweetness if you happened to have some in stores?  I know some varieties have an alcohol content so might need heating first for LG but thats maybe too much footering?  

Its not cheap but lasts ages, I use it for making things like Teriyaki tofu.  I think most of the sugar content comes from the fermenting process used to make it.  x

Hey hun!

That's a great suggestion.  I don't actually have any Mirin, but knowing about the composition is incredibly useful, and you're quite right, that changing ingredients may well have got me closer to where I wanted to be (in my mind's eye), and once you've cracked the ingredients, well, then you've the recipe for all time then, haven't you?  I used white wine vinegar, mostly because I had some, but partially as it's less 'sharp' than simple distilled white vinegar, but yes, Mirin may well have been a much better choice.  Funnily enough I was thinking to myself how picked ginger would have been a lovely addition, better than 'conventional' ginger - but I didn't have any, although that too is relatively simple to make.  I think I have made it once before.  

As it happened, I didn't bother giving any too LG on this occasion - it would have been an immediate 'nose turned up', but again, with testing and tinkering, it may well have appealed to them.

Thanks for popping by.  Suggestions are always appreciated.  

Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

redofromstart said:

I have MrM own Mirin, which I use for salt and chilli chips (with lots of peppers, chillis and onions, and HM wedges). I think it was c£2 but it does last well.

redo sweetie, you nipped in when I wasn't looking.  Actually, your point about MrM own label made me think and I am pretty sure that MrL had Japanese culinary ingredients on an aisle the other week - I shall take a look, but even if they are oos, then your point is that it is widely available.  Thanks. 

Greying X

EssexHebridean

The other thing that could work would be balsamic vinegar - probably not for the whole amount of the vinegar used, but just a splash? I always use a splash of balsamic in onion gravy because it adds that nice mix of sharp and sweet. 

For the amount you would use, even if the Mirin DID have an alcohol content, it would be negligible by the time it had been shared out. 

mumtoomany

Don't know if you use tinned beans/pulses but, Farm foods have chick peas, kidney beans, blackened beans and green lentils, all 39p per tin. Don't think the kidney beans are cheap compaired to aldi, but the others might be. Hope this helps someone, hugs, mumtoomany.xxx