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

hev_2

weezl74 wrote: »

Hiya Hev,

the blog is going to be launched to coincide with the start of the new challenge, on the first. I think I'd be on a sticky wicket with a book, due to copyright and this site. I'll post a linky here on Tuesday!:D

The recipes and thoughts already posted here belong to MSE now. I don't mind this at all, but I'm not sure what I'd put in a book that I haven't already written!!!

Weezl x

First of all - I really admire what you've done and how you've done it with such a cheerful and indomitable spirit. I am learning from this.

Now, this is playing devil's advocate, so it's just raised for discussion. If you remember the thread started by Black Saturn about copyrighted recipes (which went to the Arms, then to Site Feedback and then was deleted after it got really out of control) the consensus was that recipes can't be copyrighted, only stuff like pictures and layout.

It is really obvious that you are not going to rip anyone off, so I am just floating this more for discussion than anything else. You could ask Martin - didn't he do a book 'Thrifty Ways for Modern Days' with stuff from the site (which actually meant I found here)? You could ask permission from people who have posted their recipes to use them in a book. You could publish the book and donate the proceeds to Martin's charity (but keep some if you are going to do this - writing a book is hard work!).

Trying to phrase this so I don't sound like an ego insisting you do stuff - it could all go wrong and it's loads of work and it's just one person's thoughts who hasn't even posted on here.... I'd love to see a book about your journey, with recipes included. I think it is fascinating reading, I have loved this thread and I am really, really, really looking forward to the blog and the new challenge.

This is really just to say that your journey has been amazing and I think it is worth recording, but tbh I think you could have enough on your hands without a book. I am currently struggling to look at my grocery budget and it is silly money - too ashamed to say how much, but I am going to be watching your thread and reading your blog and hopefully I can get a bit nearer my goals.

Thank you for starting all this off - it is amazingly inspirational.

boredofbeingathome

Plum_Pie wrote: »

Other butter nut squash soup ideas, both of which involve more fat than the recipe above (!)

Try Indian spices - e.g. garlic, cumin, coriander seed, mustard seed, onion seed, ginger or just your favourite curry powder. Fry spices in oil briefly to release flavour, then proceed as for Boredofbeingathome's recipe, substituting yoghurt for fromage frais. Serve with naan!

Very lazy butternut squash soup method:
Cut all veg into rough chunks, sprinkle with oil and seasoning and bake for 40 mins.
Boil up some stock.
Blend veg with stock, in pan with stick blender or in liquidiser.

I also like to chuck it all in the slow cooker, i like eating the chunky bits so don't always blend...either, mmmm.
I have tried your one above as well, but have used a general medium curry powder. I have some cumin and corriander seeds, so will give it a try.Thanks.
BOB X

boredofbeingathome

I think it is a very good idea HEV, and i am sure we can all do a bit of chivvying along..............

hev_2

Hey - I'd even do the basic writing, if Weezl tells me what she wants, and I'd do it for free. I want to be a novelist (can't find posey smiley, so use this :doh:) and it would be great experience.

That does depend on what Weezl wants, though. After all, it's been her journey. Besides, I don't think she'd have a problem with the writing as she always comes across so fluently.

If you get the all clear I'd divide it up into weeks, so chapter one would be week one where you set out what you aim to do, what recipes you've discovered, what support you've had...

No pressure....:o

Plum_Pie

boredofbeingathome wrote: »

I also like to chuck it all in the slow cooker

Hadn't thought of that!:T

(I was given a 3-in-1 SC a while back but have only really made use of the rice cooker and steamer functions. I should really read through the SC index.:o )

Sian_the_Green

:lipsrseal Any ways to get over offal-phobia?

germish_se

Hello!
Three days to go!!
Well done Weezl and Acetate Monkey!

Just to let you know, I have served my lot spicy couscous (not DH) and that went down a treat, thanks to whoever posted that. I then served them the Chickpea & Potato curry made with more potato than recipe said (just din't look enough whilst on the worktop,turns out there was no need as I ended up with 2 servings in the freezer - bonus!)
I also swapped half the chickpeas for half a tin of mixed beansalad and used tikka masala paste.
It was lovely.
Even DH tasted it (he says he don't like curries) and said if it was less hot he'd eat it next time!! YAY! I will win him over, slowly slowly I am wearing his will and ways down!

And I will be popping in for the party tomorrow!

Germ

ceridwen

weezl74 wrote: »

Mind you, I could sacrifice my posh coffee, and then I could afford more meat, so each to their own!



weezl x

AND you're still managing to get "posh coffee"....cor.....you never cease to amaze me our Weezl (says she thinking ruefully.....":eek: about £3 per packet for real coffee now:eek:" and debating rationing myself to 2 cups per day).

I sorta assumed that - at the sorta budget you are working on - that drinks would be tapwater and Value teabags only:D

ceridwen

weezl74 wrote: »

I really understand what you mean, and DH would always helpfully hoover up any leftovers, so I've found that having the thinking of 'I'll make a batch and freeze anything that's left' just wouldn't work.

So I make the batches at a seperate time to when we're going to eat it, then decide 'Right I want to make this into 12 portions of chilli' and then portion it out like this into 6 tubs (1 portion each in each tub!). This was just my solution tho, and I'm sure you could come up with creative ways round it too;). If I've made it just before we eat, I serve us, and the tubs too, and then DH doesn't feel there are any leftovers to hoover up!!!

My solution is a bit more like once a month cooking, but I know it's a bit military for some folks taste!

<<cough>> ....err....some of us (who? me?) were brought up by the "military"...ie a "military" family....<<cough>> - so wouldnt know what counts as that way of organising things anyway, as I take that for granted....goes off to find out just how many peace badges I have in my collection for decluttering purposes (seriously!)...;) . I loves me parents really:D

- signed "Apple of Daddy's Eyes";)

ceridwen

weezl74 wrote: »

Hiya Hev,

the blog is going to be launched to coincide with the start of the new challenge, on the first. I think I'd be on a sticky wicket with a book, due to copyright and this site. I'll post a linky here on Tuesday!:D

The recipes and thoughts already posted here belong to MSE now. I don't mind this at all, but I'm not sure what I'd put in a book that I haven't already written!!!

Weezl x

On that front weezl....I would think the "copyright" thingie that MSE Martin puts is to avoid conflict - from people putting stuff in a book that originally came out of other peoples heads and they might want to assert "ownership" of a recipe themselves. (Well...I could follow the logic on that one). But - I still think that anything that came from your own head (or you had got permission from the contributor concerned) would be okay for you to put in a book. Certainly...I still feel very much that owt I put on your thread is just fine by me for you to put in a blog/in a book/whatever - just put me down as Secretary of the Weezl Fan Club;) I honestly believe that your own recipes you put on here remain yours to do with as you please.

I tend to "cover" myself if I want to put anything much in particular by just giving the gist and then referring people over to my blog (where I can be 100% certain that there cant possibly be any question about "ownership").

There can be no question whatsoever that anything that you put only on your blog is quite quite definitely "yours".

To me - I think many of us would be interested to hear the day-to-day details of just how you managed to eat on such a low budget (I am certainly still reeling with astonishment at just how low your budget is)...as in:

Monday: shopped at Asda, bought x/y/z for such and such a price and made this for breakfast, that for lunch and those for dinner from it. Mr Weezl's comments were.......

I think it would be a real shame personally if you didnt "go for it" with a book at some point if the chance arises....and a tv programme.......