Old Style vs the USDA head-to-head challenge...

weezl74

moanymoany wrote: »

Just a thought as I peruse these pages of magic - creep creep! - and I remembered a tip fro the Tightwad Gazettewhen cooking sour/acidic fruit. Add a pinch of bicarb, it cuts the acid and the fruit needs less sugar.

I've tried it and it works.

nice tip, nice compliment :A

Just been making 3 batches of houmous, made one mega batch the normal way, oil, lemon and garlic, then decanted out a third. Ground up cumin in a pestle and added it to another third, and whizzed flat leaf parsley into the last third.

The flat leaf parsley has been an amazing bargain. I got a growing pack of organic flat-leaf parsley whoopsied for 5p a month ago, used it all, cut right back to the earth, and now by watering daily and keeping it on my kichen window ledge, it's grown itself again and just made a lovely flavoured houmous!:T

We won't need it this month, even though I've funded it from this budget, but I'm going to freeze it towards my next challenge...:D Don't tell Mr Weezl, but I'd like to see if I can do £200 from beginning of July til christmas....

Love, kisses and improbable ideas, Mad Weezl x

weezl74

Aril wrote: »

Congratulations on this thread Weezel and for all those others who have pitched in with such good ideas. I think that this thread will, in time, become another of the Old Style classics.
Nowt much to add except I notice talk of the dried onions on an earlier posting- I noticed in a Canadian recipe [whilst I was over there:D ] that they suggest blitzing them up with bread crumbs and adding an egg to make a coating for burgers.
Aril

Another great tip! Thanks Aril, whitworth dried onions are 14p a packet in Asda at the mo, so I'm keen to find loads of uses for them

shaz_mum_of__2

weezl74 wrote: »

ooooh shaz, forgot to say, :heart2:happy anniversary:heart2: for yesterday, I really hope you and DH enjoyed your chinese feast.

Love to you both,

Weezl x

Thanks weezl we had a great night i hardly dare tell you what we ate as you may faint at the excesses

Oh alright i'll tell

Spring rolls
crispy duck with pancakes etc
halibut in prawn sauce
squid with black bean sauce and green peppers
king prawn fried rice
beef chow mein

we had a bottle of our home made dry vermouth as an aperitif and a bottle of bubbly we got as a prezzy last year for the wedding itself

total cost of meal £26.70


Hubby bought me chocolates ,flowers a book about a guys exploits on his first allotment "one man and his dig" and he wrote me a lovely poem too

I bought him a fishing licence and an organic living book (1st year is paper)

we ha a lovely time and no kids:D


Thanks for the costings and the lolly idea i struggle with lollys for DS7 who cant have additives etc due to as yet undiagnosed ADD :mad: don't get me going

Had a nice frugal morning doing the ironing and picking lettuce from garden

Shaz

shaz_mum_of__2

Me again weezl

Been thinking about mr weezls request for cereal for next challenge

if you buy bran flakes,corn flakes and rice crispies these all have dual purpose as can be used for baking etc and all available smartprice/value

i guess the fortification means they are all pretty same nutritionally?


Shaz

shaz_mum_of__2

Help plant identification required

giant rhubarb looking plant , heart shaped leaves about 1 metre long growing in shady wooded area

not in any of my books


Shaz

weezl74

shaz_mum_of__2 wrote: »

...a book about a guys exploits on his first allotment "one man and his dig" ...

:rotfl:.....To be followed by a sequel about his adventures in starting a smallholding and rearing pigs, doubtless entitled "one man and his hog" ?.....:rotfl:

Glad you had a lovely celebration. You deserve it. Hope the shoulder's a bit less painful.

Weezl x

shaz_mum_of__2

weezl74 wrote: »

Hope the shoulder's a bit less painful.

Weezl x

got new meds can't feel a thing ............................especially when combined with vermouth


Shaz

shaz_mum_of__2

Has anyone got a mango chutney recipe our local freezer centre(jack fulton) has 2 x 500g bags for £1.50

They also have blackcurrants but i have no room in freezer at all!!!


Shaz

germish_se

weezl74 wrote: »

...:D Don't tell Mr Weezl, but I'd like to see if I can do £200 from beginning of July til christmas....

Love, kisses and improbable ideas, Mad Weezl x

That's insane even for you! :eek: (but I will watch the scariest story ever told unfold over the next six months nevertheless:o)

**purpleprincess**

weezl74 wrote: »

interesting thoughts on portion sizes. We have 125g rice (raw weight) per meal, or 300g potatoes, or Mr W has 250g dry weight pasta. How large/small does that sound?

We have 60g (dried weight) of rice each and 100g (dried weight) of pasta each.

So you have double what we have!

If we have a jacket potato we have one that is probably around 250g-350g but have half this if we're having potatoes to accompany something.