Memorygirls - Make Do and Mend

Yay!!! Clootiesmum the Stovies Queen:j

I bet any peeps not from Scotland would read the recipe and go !!!!!!!!! It's a plate of mashed potatoes!!!!!!!!

Seriously though guys - its a brilliant dish - great to make for parties when the weather is cold. I remember New Year's parties as a kid where there would be a pressure cooker full of Scotch Broth and an oven full of dishes of stovies for people coming First Footing after the bells.

Because they are savoury in a kind of "I've had a couple of beers now I've got the munchies take me to a kebab shop kind of way" they go down a storm. In fact I remember making them at some pretty posh house parties in London and the dishes were always cleared.

As for dinner tonight Clootiesmum - I think we will be having Roasted Butternut squash with shaved parmesan and salad. Don't I sound wayyyyyy cheffy????????

Beginning to think that risotto's are a DFW godsend. A large handful of rice per person and whatever veg is hanging around makes for a really impressive meal. And my kids love it so thats always a bonus. It's worth practicing how to make it cos its a grat "end of the month got no money" stockcupboard staple.

The last sleeve is done - :j

Going to pull out the ironing board and pin out the pieces.

Then my challenge for today????????????

I'm going to use my timer again set for 15 minute intervals.

15 minutes set for clearing out my Kitchen Cupboards and making a proper working inventory.

15 minutes listenning to Jack Black's Mnidstore programme and setting some goals for my life that get me truly excited.

Repeat until children need me

See you soon

Memorygirl

Cleaned out my Coffee / Tea / mug cupboard - Ooooh!!! I'm getting so brave.:D

Unfortunately did not discover 5 jars of quality coffee to see me through to Christmas:( Just what's left in the jar!!

So I'm thinking that my coffee habit is now going to have to be brought under control if I'm going to make my money last.

So now my rule is coffee only with breakfast (or if there are guests in). What I will drink instead is from my selection of 10 boxes of fruit/ herb teas.:eek: I don't remember buying all those!!! What I have found again (which I love) is a tin of unfermented Chinese Green Tea that my Mum brought back from China as a Xmas Gift.

Not only did she bring me tea - but a mug with a lid and strainer so that you can brew your own mug, and a Chinese Tea Flask that you can use to take a bottle with you to have really healthy green tea to sip on all day. The best news is that you only need to use a pinch of tea to brew up - and you can then use the same leaves over and over again all day. I think I had a record 8 cups from the same mug when the really cold weather was here - so its very DFW friendly:rotfl:

Looking at whats in the tin - I have got enough to do me until next Christmas - so that's the brew up sorted then :j

I DO RESERVE THE RIGHT to buy more decent coffee when I've finished my current jar (well a lady has got to have some luxuries in life - LOL)

So far my "Make Do and Mend" challenge looks pretty healthy - making my pennies stretch as far as they can is going to be interesting this year.

Paid my Mum back the £30 I borrowed for the car last week - and paid her for the £14.65 yesterday too (Dad paid it when he picked up the car). So I am now back to only owing the bank money - and that it slowly going down too. In fact I will find out how much I still owe and add it to my signature too.

Off to sort out my Spices and "exotic cooking bits" cupboard. I know that I have some yummy stuff in there for spicy lunches.

Memorygirl

Next discovery - I have 18 packets of Mama Tom Yum Spicy Noodle soup mix. My mum bought these when she was here - but they are Waaaaaayyyyy!!! chilli hot so Dad won't eat them.

I Luuuurrrvveee them!! In fact with the 18 packets plus a glass jar of Tom Yum soup paste I now have another lunch sorted out until Christmas. I think I will nominate this as a Friday lunch as lunch on a Friday has to be just after 12 as the whole school goes swimming in the afternoon and I am out the door to get them at 12.30.


So scores Looking like

Breakfast
M Muesli and frozen berries with HM Yogurt
T Porridge with cinnamon and chopped apple
W Muesli with chopped apple and HM Yogurt
TH Porridge with brown sugar and milk
F Khichri with poached egg
S Sultana bread and HM jam
S HM Pancakes for boys, poached egg and khichri for me.

Lunches
M Miso soup and Soba Noodles
T Bottom of the fridge soup with crisprolls
W HM Hummus and veggie dippers
TH Baked potato and hummus and salad
F Tom Yum Soup - with fruit for after swimming
S Gazpacho Soup and noodle salad
S Vegetable soup and HM Granary Roll

DINNER
M Risotto night
T Pancake/ or toad in the hole or baked potato night
W Pasta night
TH Rice n curry night
F HM Pizza night
S HM Burger n chips n salad (in front of Dr Who - LOL)
S Meat night - chicken/ brisket/ lamb dinner


Most of this I can cook from stuff in stock - got frozen sausages n stuff too. Obviously I will need to buy fresh fruit and veggies and milk / yogs for the kids too. But Grocery spends should be pretty minimal.

What a monster of a project.

Now I'm off to copy it up and tape it to the inside of my cupboard door so that I know exactly what I'm doing.

Think that calls for another brew up!!:j

Memorygirl