Old Style Diary Archive - JUL 05

catznine

Great news Jo! At least now you have time to get organised and get a place you really like rather than rushing!

culpepper

Spent a lot of money today.
First went to Asda and did the weekly shop for £29
then had lunch (Sausage and salad sandwiches with HM bread)
then we went to Costco for our quarterly shop there and spent £93
but I did buy 2 colour and 2 B/W cartridges for the printer(lexmark and usually quite pricey) for about half the usual price in the shops.These will be refilled too .
Also bought 3 months supply of beef mince,A huge tin of pineapple pieces in juice(the juice makes great lollies),a big tin of Tuna ,A big jar of Nuttella,3 months supply of DD's Sanitary towels(can't convert her to washables) .
Then we went to Ikea (where we met a mad lady in the carpark who thought we were trying to steal her space,though we were just turning around as we had driven into a dead end)for a cuppa and I spent £5 on a big glass dish for cooking DD's Brownies,Shepherds pie ,lasagne etc as my usual one is an old baking tin and so cant use in microwave and a new set of measuring spoons.Phew!
£127 all together.. OH paid for the cups of tea and juice for kids.

Just noticed today that the Asda fast bake Yeast satchets have flour improver incorporated.I usually buy Allinsons in the orange tin but forgot so bought these to fill in.Wow! My loaf was much taller using the same 1 1/4 tsp's of the new stuff.Might buy some to use when making wholemeal and just use Allinsons when making the white loaves.

I made vegetable curry for tea using Broccolli stalks and spring onion tops frozen for the purpose , 2carrots and onion.We buy our curry powder in Costco as it is so much cheaper there and I always add a slosh of vinegar too.

nabowla

I've been a bit lazy today but did go on a mini expedition to a farmer's market that I saw advertised. There was a really good selection of stuff, including some lovely organic eggs and posh lettuce leaves that hadn't been chlorinated. It's a real shame that I can't get there very often at all - I'll have to continue the search for somewhere that I can get to every week.

Right now I'm killing time whilst my supper (lambs' kidneys in fresh tomato sauce from a recipe by St Delia) is gently simmering. Think I'll have them with buttered noodles and fresh green salad - yum! I picked up the kidneys from the village butcher yesterday, I was surprised how cheap they were. Tonight's OS homework is going to be dragging out an old copy of Mrs Beaton and reading the chapter on buying meat. I think it has quite a bit of info on which are the cheaper cuts of meat to buy: I really want to buy quality meat from the butcher's as opposed to meat from the supermarket but I can't really afford the more expensive cuts.

squeaky

We have an earlier thread on cheaper cuts of meat with a great website pointed to by Queenie a few posts down.

To join the thread ---> Click Here

Pooky

Just got back from out trip to the inlaws - nothing OS to report but I'm sooo chuffed that I've got to tell someone.........

We joined our local freecycle group a while back and we've offered a few bits and pieces but nothing had come up that we wanted......got an email last wednesday.......21inch colour tv with fast text - had to be collected by friday......sent the email - got the reply - hubby went and collected and it's great - good condition and has gone straight in the loft for DD1's xmas pressie......she has a small 14inch telly in her room at the moment and has been asking for something bigger.......

Then - whilst visiting the inlaws , F-I-L said -- ohhh look what I got from work last year........a lap top

---

he never uses it --- could we find a home for it?? DD2 has wanted her own pc for the last year but finances wouldn't allow.....so that's her sorted for xmas.....and all for free!!!! I've already got a few pressies for them and got £100 in my xmas savings account so how happy am I!!!!!! :j :j :j :j :j

elona

Well done Pooky - you must be :j

A word of warning - do not let on to daughters that you got a bargain or even worse (for free) or they will turn their noses up!

Zziggi

culpepper wrote:

Just noticed today that the Asda fast bake Yeast satchets have flour improver incorporated.I usually buy Allinsons in the orange tin but forgot so bought these to fill in.Wow! My loaf was much taller using the same 1 1/4 tsp's of the new stuff.Might buy some to use when making wholemeal and just use Allinsons when making the white loaves.

I used to use the Allinsons yeast but moved to the asda sachets. I now have bread that touches the top of the breadmaker. definitely a thumbs up for asda yeast sachets (although i haven't made a brown loaf yet)

Rachel021967

Queenie wrote: »

For those who asked about Everyday Biscuits yesterday ....


Every Day Biscuits - Make and bake, or make and freeze, then bake

Yield: between 45 - 50
Gas 5/190C/ 375F

Metric Imperial
225g 1/2 lb butter, softened
100g 4oz caster sugar
225g 1/2lb SF Flour
5ml 1 tsp vanilla essence
To finish: sprinkle of icing sugar

Beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, add vanilla and fold in the flour
Mix to a smooth dough
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for a minute or two. Roll into a sausage shape approx 5cm/ 2in in diameter, put in fridge to chill until firm.

To Freeze: Wrap in foil, pack in a freezer bag. Seal, label and freeze.
To Thaw and Serve: Thaw in the wrappings in the fridge for approx 30 mins, then cut into thin (ish) slices, place on greased baking sheets and bake in a preheated oven for 10mins.
Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool. Sprinkle with icing sugar before serving.

Variations:
Chocolate: Sub 25g / 1oz cocoa powder for the vanilla.
Cherry: Add 50g / 2 oz glace cherries, finely chopped
Nut: Add 50g/2oz chopped almonds or walnuts.

Notes:
These take moments to prep. I make one batch and cut the 'sausage' in half before chilling. Once chilled to firm, one half is then put in the freezer.
The "dough" will keep in the fridge for a few days, so you can "slice" fresh biscuits as and when required.

I used to make these but lost the recipe. They are delicious. Recipe by Queenie.

Rachel021967

MATH wrote: »

I use a similar recipe for Everyday Biscuits (I call the Refrigerator Biccies) It has a little more suger than Queenie's recipe but half the fat. The method is bascially the same.

Makes 45 biscuits

Basic Mix
8oz Plain Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
4oz Butter
60z Sugar
1 egg

Additions (Choose One)
1tsp Vanilla Essence
2oz Desicated Coconut
2oz Grated Plain Chocolate
1 1/2 tsp Ground ginger or Mixed Spice
2oz Raisins or Mixed Peel


Sift flour and baking powder and rub in the butter.

Add sugar. Mix to a dough with your chosen addition.

Shape into a sausage and roll up into foil. Work back and forth until 2 inch in diameter.

Chill for 1 hr

Slice off as many biscuits as you wish and bake on a baking sheet for 10-12 mins @ 190 c.

The mix keeps for about a week in the fridge or can be frozen and thawed as you need it. HTH

Also made these and they are equally delicious. Original recipe by Math.