November...ing

 November and  already part the way through, that came around fast so it is an 'ing post .

Making a skirt with little bird houses all over it, I have a bit of a thing for fabric with birds on so this is another one for my collection.  It was completed in the week but I am moving tow of the pleats ever  so slightly as I feel it will hang better, it is lined with white lining as that is all I had and has a zip and button at the side.   I don't know how it happened but  cut the lining pieces out of the good fabric!  I was laughing away listening to a ted talk and thought oh no!  I only just had enough fabric to cut out the main skirt then, luckily it is a short version, I have never done that before.

I like the shape of this, it is cotton though so we will see how it holds up to being worn all day, it may get a little crumpled.

I have also bought some Christmas fabric to make some festive masks, just a bit and I've not started yet as it has only just arrived.

The snowmen are quite a bit bigger than I thought so I may rethink that one.

Reading 'When God was a Rabbit' by Sarah Winman, I have enjoyed this book it is an entertaining read,  one of those books that makes you reminisce on your own childhood.  Still nothing is living up to the Elena Ferrante novels but I'm sure there will be something in time.  I have just a few pages to go then I will be on to something new.   I feel a  bit guilty that I haven't read much non fiction lately but I know that is foolish as there  are no rules as to what we should be reading!

Riding our bikes, we managed to get out twice last week and this week we did a good ride of twenty miles yesterday with some big hills.  We did use our motors on those, one bit in particular was Jawbone hill in Oughtibridge and it is really steep you can read about it over here Jawbone hill so we were glad of the motors at that point, I only use it on the hills I struggle with and I think we are out exercising and there is no way we would be able to do some of the routes we do without them.  So that said I am not feeling guilty about that, I am not an experienced cyclist so this is getting us out and I am sure I am getting better.  At first I went really slow down hill on the roads as I was nervous but I feel more confident now. 

 Watching Undercover, the drama series, well I say watching rather watched now as we viewed the last episode of series two last night.  I really enjoyed this and they managed to do a second series that was completely different from the first but still followed the story on from the last one, it was well done and worth watching.   It is a Belgian, Dutch-language crime drama and is on Netflix, you need to watch series one if you are going to give it a go so you understand the plot. 

Lengthening  my bedroom curtains, now I have a large and rather cold bay window in my bedroom despite being double glazed, it also has a cold wall below it I think the cavity wall insulation does not go in that bit for some reason.  Anyway I have two pairs of curtains up there as it it wide and last year I double lined them with thermal backing.  The wall below is still cool though, and liking the curtains I thought of a solution.  I bought a heavily discounted pair of curtains in a solid colour and I have added a colour block to the bottom of my existing ones.  I am happy with it, my husband thought  it was odd but I think it's a design feature and from what I have seen you can get some curtains with colour blocked bands at the bottom.  It has saved me buying two very large new pairs and wasting the ones I like.

  I know some people just have a flat pole going across the wall in front of it but you lose part of the room when it is closed that way.  There was a piece left of the curtain fabric that has also covered a foam base cushion for the caravan, a piece that extends the bed, so that was another little job done.

Baking homemade GF crumpets form the Jack Monroe site, these were very time consuming so I am not sure I would make them again in a hurry.  What with the rising and then waiting for them to cook and turn over, as you can only do a few at a time in a pan.  They tasted good but as I say too lengthy a process.  The recipe is for regular ones on the site, I decided to make both kinds so I could eat them as well so that did also add to the time. 

Feeling thankful for all that I have at this time when so many are struggling, health, family and everything else. Remembering to stop and appreciate things and not let the little day to day events steal my joy.

Thank you for stopping by and have a lovely week. 

Soup on Friday, Pepper and Lentil Soup (Vegan/Gluten free)

Making a soup for lunch on a Friday is becoming a bit of a habit now.  Today I used what I had in again, no need to buy anything extra as all kinds of leftover veg can go in.
So I roasted two peppers one red, one yellow and  a red onion, boiled 150g of split red lentils then put them all in the blender with one veg stock cube, one tbsp. tomato puree, one tsp basil and topped it up with a little water.

Roast the veg on medium so they don't burn.

I had mine with a GF sweet potato wrap, I wouldn't recommend putting it in the oven as it turns like cardboard! I have had some success before popping them in a lightly oiled pan for a  few minutes though.

My oldest son ate a large bowl full so I always take that as a good sign as he is so fussy.  I do have to remind myself now when I almost pick up the tins in the supermarket as it is so easy to do, but such a waste when soup is so easy to make and you know it is not full of nasties if you make it yourself.

Quick Vegan Dinner

Well I arrived home from work with a sore throat which is a bit rubbish as I've had an awful cough for two weeks that is just going. While there are lots of things I could be getting done the only practical thing I felt up to was making the dinner then crashing on the sofa with a book.
So the meat eaters of the house had a stew, chop it all and pop it in the oven style.  I had a look in the fridge and came up with this...

It hasn't really got a name but tasted lovely and very soothing.

I put baked potatoes in the microwave for  five minutes each, then rolled them in olive oil, sprinkled with salt and put them in the oven. Then in a pan with a little more oil I added about eight mushrooms, half a pack of marinated tofu and some garlic salt then fried for a few minutes. Next I added about a quarter of a carton of chopped tomatoes with garlic and a handful of chopped spinach, finally a good sprinkle of Italian seasoning.  This was allowed to cook for about ten minutes then poured over the cooked potato. 

It was really just a case of grabbing what was available in the fridge and making something warming and quick, and it was. 

Sweet Potato, Carrot and Apple Soup (Vegan/Gluten free)

My son actually requested I make us a soup today, quite unusual for him to request something healthy but progress at least.  Last week I made us a kale and watercress soup, today I did something different.

Very deep bowls so it looks like I haven't got much but there is quite a bit in there.

Ingredients

2 large carrots

1 large sweet potato

1 red onion

1 apple

2 tomatoes

1/2 tsp cumin

1 veg stock cube

A little black pepper

Boil sweet potato and carrot until softened, fry onion in a little oil, add tomatoes and apple and fry a little longer. Once the veg are cooked add to the blender with stock made from the water the veg were boiled in ( or steamed, I usually steam them it just takes a little longer). 

Add onion, tomatoes and apples to the blender along with the cumin and pepper, blitz.  This amount served three of us with bread, I had gluten free toast with mine.  It could be stretched much further but I like it quite thick so not as much water.  I also made vegan lasagne for four but I will share that some other time.

Spicy Chickpea Stew (Vegan, GF)

Well today I was faced with what to have for lunch and as I looked in the fridge I noticed I had half a tin of chickpeas and half a tin of tomatoes that needed using up, well I say tin they had been transferred to plastic containers because you are not supposed to leave them in the tin once opened.

I had a look on my pinterest board and there was a recipe for Spanish chickpea stew but every time I tried to go the page my computer kept freezing.  So the page was called Lazy cat recipes if you want to find the original.  I could remember the ingredients but didn't  have all of them so I had to improvise a bit (which I think you should rather than buying spices you may never use again). 

So I didn't have any onions left instead I used a green peeper chopped and fried, I added the tin tomatoes, cooked for a few minutes then added 2 garlic cloves chopped.
  Once the pepper softened a bit I added the chickpeas along with one tsp mild chilli powder, one tsp oregano, one tbsp tomato puree.

  Then it was looking a little dry so two tbsp. water along with two small fresh tomatoes chopped.
I let that simmer for about five minutes then added two handfuls of chopped spinach, salt and pepper.

Few minutes more and it was done.

I decided to have it in a gluten free wrap, although I'm not a massive fan of these they are ok with something that has a good amount of moisture in it like this.

It didn't take that long, everything I used I had in the fridge, it's vegan, gluten free and healthy. Furthermore my youngest son had some in a wrap with leftover chicken and there is one full portion left which will either be frozen or consumed by oldest son later.

The Best Dhal

Today I tried another recipe from Naturally Sassy and I have to say it is one of the best dishes I have made in ages.  I really love spicy food so I regularly make a korma with any variation of  veg and nuts in it, I have to say though I have generally bought dhal.  I am now thinking why? I know how to cook lentils and I put them in all sorts of things so why has it taken me so long to make a dhal.

I saw this recipe this morning as soon as I went to look on the Naturally Sassy blog and decided to make it today for lunch. It is really colourful, which is always a good sign and smells amazing.  It does state it serves four but I had a second helping however there are two portions left which are now in the fridge.

If you haven't looked at the blog before do so now, this lady is amazing, she is a ballet dancer, cook with her own book not to mention she runs lunch events.  I would love to attend but I am a bit out of the way up here in the North.  It certainly gets you thinking when you see what some people achieve, but mostly I admire her positive attitude towards food.  So as I mentioned before go take a look now, if you follow the link Naturally Sassy it will take you straight to the page with recipe for the dish above.

Something that is very satisfying about cooking more things from scratch is that you don't have that moment where you are reading the ingredients on some container thinking 'now what on earth is that?' I like knowing exactly what is in my food and that it is all there for a purpose and. not just as a filler which is what many ingredients in pre-packed foods are.

I hope at least a few of you take a peek and find something scrummy to make, I'm sure I have probably mentioned the blog before.

Butternut Squash and Sugar Snap Korma, Cheap Gluten Free Curry Night

If I have a choice about what kind of food to eat when we go out it has to be curry. I have to say it has to be one of my favourite meals, so tonight I  thought I would make one. Despite the fact that my older son and fellow vegetarian had gone out and my husband and younger son wanted a beef casserole.

On days like this I generally make sure I am making enough so I can save some, I usually freeze a couple of portions and then I have a freezer meal another day for the vegetarians. 

I started off the casserole and then went out with the dogs then I started the curry when I got back.  To go with my curry today I made some sweet potato fries so I also put these in a bowl of water once chopped so they could soak for  forty five minutes.  ( This gets some starch out apparently)

So in my pan here is half a  yellow pepper, one small red onion, 100g sugar snap peas chopped, two cloves of garlic and about a third of a medium butternut squash.  So I fry these for about five minutes gently in   olive oil and add a few tbsp. water and let it simmer for about another seven to soften the squash.

I then make a space in the middle add a tiny bit more oil and one tbsp. of cumin, one tsp of turmeric and one tsp of coriander (fresh is better at the end but I didn't have any). When the spices have fried a little pour in 200ml of coconut milk and 100g of cashew nuts crushed to a powder ( or very small bits).

Now I don't own anything to grind the cashew nuts so I put them in a bag and bash them with a rolling pin (very therapeutic!)  it doesn't get every last bit but it's good enough.

As well as being good for you they thicken up the curry.

For the sweet potato fries I soaked them  first for forty five minutes, cut all the same  size so they will  cook at the same rate, blot on kitchen paper and add a small amount of oil to baking tray then space them out evenly.  Don't add salty seasoning as I read it creates steam and they go soggy, I added some herbs.

Then cook a  in hot oven for forty minutes checking and turning regularly.

Once you add the coconut milk and nuts it only takes a few more minutes, there is about three portions here but I suppose it depends on your portion sizes.

So I really enjoyed my meal, it is healthy, inexpensive per portion and ticks all the boxes for wheat free, dairy free, vegan etc.  Plus that is a meal sorted for another day, it also goes really nice in a regular baked potato,I've done that before when I have only had a small amount left to freeze.

That is a large portion there, I feel a bit full now.  Just a couple of my fries caught on the edges but these were the crispiest I have made so I would say the soaking works.  Sweet potatoes are really great, very healthy so I must eat more. They have a low glycemic index and lots of vitamin A. Although I really should add that by baking the sweet potato you increase the GI, but who wants to boil everything? They are still very nutritious as fries.

First Cathedral Window Panel Finished

Well I finished my first cathedral window panel yesterday, it took longer than I thought due to it being hand stitched but I really like the effect and I would imagine that that this style could make even the most dull fabrics look interesting.  I'm not sure what to do with the panel, whether to put a border around it and make it a cushion cover or to turn it into a bag I'm leaning towards a bag as it has the denim shades already in it so it will go well with the denim scraps I have.

My shapes are not perfect I know but I'm very pleased with it as a first attempt.

I had a suit to alter today for my mother in law, as skirt to take in and up by 6 inches (she is only small) and the jacket needed sleeves taking up. Then they came here for lunch along with my mum.

While I was in the mind for sewing I had another look at my sprocket cushion because I felt the cover was a big for the cushion I made. So I took that apart, I made the side panel smaller and also gave it a bigger button at the centre.  It looks much better now and gathers in nicely at the centre, I want to make a few of these for the caravan.

I changed the colour of the button in the centre also, I did like the yellow one but I didn't have one big enough the other other one looked a bit out of place.

Here is the back, it is good to get some daylight photos.

After continuing with a few more crocheted squares today I thought I would share a couple of the patterns I have seen that I might try next. They are from the same library book but I have instructed my mother in law to keep an eye out for any books that come in the charity shop where she works as this one is getting looked over quite a lot.

This one is pretty and a bit different I thought.

After everyone left earlier we went for a rainy walk with the dogs, we called in Tesco on the way just because they always mark stuff down on a Sunday at that time.  We got three veg curries with rice for 50p each and two of those posh soups that we never buy at full price for 20p each not bad.  I took a picture of these bargains but it came out blurred each time.

I also made a soup for my lunch tomorrow using the leftovers from dinner today ( the bargains from the Tesco had chicken in the soup).  I used carrots,fried onion, red lentils, veg stock and tomato paste.

So as January comes to an end I feel I am on track with what I set out for myself, I have learned a few new things and I am enjoying looking at ideas on pinterest for what to try next.

  I often get asked what I did at the weekend and sometimes I feel a bit err.. what to say, because people tend to want to know where you have been, what events you have attended and so on.  I really must stop feeling awkward about this, unless it is the summer and we are taking the caravan places we are not people who go out a lot.  However I am always busy with something and these are the things that I enjoy, learning new skills and creating things, listening to music,  reading, walking and reading blogs by people who share my interests.  All these things take time but they don't all take me out of the house, they are often very low cost too and that is ok.

Frugal Five this Week

I haven't done this for a while so I thought I should get back into the habit as it keeps me on track. It also gives you opportunities throughout the week to look for ways to save which is always a good idea for your pocket and the planet.

First off is card making, I really need to do more in advance so that birthdays and so on stop creeping up on me so I am on that this week and here are a couple I made for friends birthdays last week.

Next is food bargains,  we really have been better this year at not wasting so much food and I have to say I no longer have a load to throw out of the fridge when we have been shopping.  I think this is mainly due to always checking before we go out and making extra for the freezer.  This past week I have had two meals from the freezer that were a result of freezing the left over portion.  This comes in useful as I am often eating differently to the rest of the family ( due to the GF) so cooking just for me can be a pain.

We always check out the reduced section and this week we have got asparagus for 28p.

Citrus drink for 15p, we don't often buy pop but the children like it occasionally. We usually stick to dilute.

We bought a couple of bottles of this and it is really nice, not too sweet, from Asda.

I also got a 2.5kg bag of potatoes for 10p, a pineapple for 10p and three peppers for 49p.  All of these items were perfectly fine so it really is worth checking the reduced goods.

My next saving this week is  exercising, now for the past couple of years I have a swim card.  This did give me a good deal on savings while I was using it, I used to go two to three times a week and the yearly fee cost me less than if I went once a week.  However I let my membership lapse earlier this year as I was no longer enjoying going.

The timings when swim club wasn't on were awkward, there were a few times the showers were not working, when it was open to public it was getting very busy and you couldn't swim properly without getting stressed argh! The list goes on so I stopped.

I do think it's important to exercise so in addition to walking my dogs I do pilates from home using online videos and more recently this fabulous workout I found at  sweatybetty it is great you alternate intense exercise with a cardio and is well worth a look.  There is loads you can find for free, I'm not saying I will not use the pool ever again I'm just not going to tie in to a membership or make it a weekly must do.

Frugal  saving number four is my 2016 Diary which is the same as last year only with new inserts which can be found and printed here I used this last year and as you only use a bit of your diary most of the time what is the point in paying loads for a new one.  I find it is the notebook pages that get most use so just get one of your notebooks and add some diary inserts to the front or back section.

I tend to stick mine in along with a motivational picture, then add a book mark of a paperclip for the month we are on.

Finally my last item is my library books, I have had some great ones this year not all of which have been listed.  Irma Voth was a recent favourite, I am currently reading  How is the Internet Changing the Way You Think . I did not hit my target of a book a week but then some of them were much bigger and heavier reading than others.  I have also bought a few which I now think were unnecessary although not expensive but as I really can get most stuff from the library it is sometimes just impatience. This is something I will keep a check on in the new year, I do like to own favourites, but rarely read them again so maybe I need to start and photograph them along with a few notes and just keep this in a file? 

So there they are, my minor savings. Has anyone else still managed to have some frugal successes during the Christmas week?

Gluten Free Christmas Cake

I know this post is a bit overdue but then I was a bit overdue making this! Never mind you can eat cake any time you certainly don't need a special day. I got a recipe for a Christmas cake from this blog Frugal feeding and then had to modify it a bit to make it gluten free, less sweet and just a bit different but other than that it formed my base.
I am really pleased with it and it is a definite step up from the Baileys cake I made a couple of weeks ago, so yes you guessed it,  I used baileys again but this time the Aldi version.

Here is the cake...

It filled the tin and had a lovely smell as it baked.

It held its shape well when sliced.

So after refusing treats at peoples houses this last few weeks I am very pleased with this!

Most important it tastes great, I really appreciate now when things come out well after all the disasters I've had with the GF flour.

So here is the recipe and like I said I got the original recipe from Frugal feeding but altered it to meet my needs.  Thanks to Nick for the original recipe. (Nick put sherry and orange juice in his)

Gluten Free Christmas Cake 

500g of mixed fruit

200ml Baileys (or Aldi Irish cream)

200g Bertoli spread

100g brown sugar

1tbsp Golden Syrup

3 free range eggs

200g GF plain flour

2tsp baking powder

2tsp mixed spice

100g ground almonds

100ml soya milk ( or your own preferred)

Method

Heat oven to 150c, place mixed fruit, Baileys, Bertoli, milk, sugar and syrup in a saucepan. Heat gently and stir until spread is melted and allow ingredients to combine a little, remove from the heat. Beat the eggs in a jug, add almonds and spice to pan and stir, mix in the eggs then sift in the flour and baking powder and give it a quick stir through so all is combined but don't over do it. Pour into your lined tin (mine was a 2lb loaf) and cook for 1h 50 minutes.

Now I bought myself a GF fruit cake from Asda a couple of weeks ago, it cost me £2.50 and was a pitiful size, probably a fifth of the size of this one.  So I need to give myself a kick the next time I feel like wasting money like that!

So like I said, I know this is a bit late in the day for your Christmas celebrations but if you have been missing out on the treats and feel like giving it a go it is really easy, tasty and  good value.

Courgetti spaghetti, Cake, Biscuits and Books

As I get used to avoiding wheat I find it gets easier all the time, I suppose this is the same with any change that we need to make but initially it did feel very difficult to eat without all the baked goods that I used to love.  The thing is now I tend to associate them with feeling dreadful afterwards which tends to make them less appealing.
Due to this change I rarely get to eat any cake or biscuits unless I have braved baking with the dreaded gluten free flour.  I saw a recipe for white chocolate and cranberry cookies so I thought I would try it. Now as usual I didn't stick to the plan ( maybe this is why things go wrong?) I just creamed the margarine and sugar then threw in the flour, egg, cranberries and white chocolate.  I also didn't need it as I have found it to be very crumbly and not very workable, instead I added a little soya so it would be more moist and just spooned the mixture onto the baking paper.

I didn't get any pictures as half are already in the freezer, some in my stomach and a few left in the kitchen which wouldn't make for a great photo.  Long story short is that although they were not very biscuity they were very tasty!  They came out more of a flattish scone but never mind as they are so nice.
I will maker them again with a full photo and recipe for you.

Something I did take a photo of was todays bake, which is for church and therefore not Gluten free as it is to be given out and not consumed by me!  I made this up, and it is a vanilla sponge with crushed wheatos ( Yeah like I said I'm not eating it!) marshmallows and chocolate topping.

There are marshmallows inside as well.

Another thing I tried today was courgetti spaghetti, now basically it's just courgette cut into really fine strips (julienne) and fried in olive oil. You can top it with whatever pasta sauce you use, I made one with tomatoes, onion, garlic and chilli.  I then topped it with cheese and had a spinach and cucumber salad.  It was really good and strange how the courgette when cooked lilts and has the texture of spaghetti.  Much healthier, I will definitely make this often.  I think I will buy a julienne peeler though as they are cheap enough and would make preparing stuff quicker.

A couple of books I have read recently are The Shack which was really thought provoking if maybe a bit challenging in places. Also I am having a bit of a binge on reading about habit formation. A book I enjoyed was 59 seconds.

 It has some really good examples of studies, some you may have heard of before if you have read Outliers or Tipping point there are some familiar themes.  I also started Nudge but I got a bit bored with that,  The latest one is The Power of Habit, I just started this so I will keep you posted.

Gluten Free Blueberry Pancakes (frugal and quick desert)

I really wanted some pudding today after my lunch and while everyone else was eating banoffee cheesecake and cream I had to go without.  I did try a bought lemon cheesecake from the supermarket's free from range a couple of weeks ago but it was awful, expensive and everyone complained!  So back to letting them have the regular deserts as why should everyone else suffer.
After about an hour my sweet tooth got the better of me and I decided to make something using what I had in the fridge.

Blueberry Pancakes.

 I didn't measure anything out as it is not necessary with stuff like this I feel, so here is what I did.

I used one egg and cracked it into the jug, added a splash of soya milk and whipped it up a bit.

I added one teaspoon of sugar and about five level desert-spoons of  GF flour (plain). Next I chopped up a handful of blueberries, heated some olive oil in a pan and poured in the batter.  I waited until the bottom had caught a bit then spread out the blueberries, turned after a short while and it was done.

To serve I added some plain Alpro yogurt, a few more blueberries and a drizzle of syrup, it was very nice.

It was a decent size serving so you could use this amount and make four or five small thin ones to have with ice cream if you can eat that (I can't).  There is a really good cheats ice cream though that you make using frozen bananas and peanut butter. You can find it here Dairy free ice cream

Pancakes are quite useful as you can put savoury fillings in them and they are cheap to make and a bonus is they are one of the few GF recipes that taste just like the regular version.

Frugal gluten and dairy free pudding

Yesterday after lunch everyone was about to have desert except for me because I usually don't bother now. ( being gluten free means there isn't much I can have unless I bake it or get ripped off with the price!)
I really fancied a desert though so I decided to make one. I had to pop out to get Alpro custard but the shop is just down the road.

I made bread and butter pudding using the genius bread I had in the freezer. ( just a couple of slices)
It was really easy just butter your bread using dairy free spread, cut in to triangles, sprinkle on some raisins, add cinnamon if you like it, pour over half a carton of the custard and drizzle a little syrup over the top.

Here it is before it went in the oven I forgot to take one when it came out but the bits of bread sticking up went nice and crunchy.

It worked out to 70p a portion but that was because the bread  and ready made custard were expensive. If you can get  them on offer or buy cheaper versions it would be less.  Still I thought that was ok considering the cost of a GF ready made desert. 

I may add jam and no syrup next time or vary the fruit.

Frugal Errors and Overpriced Coffee

Yesterday we had a quick visit to Meadowhall, it was a necessary trip as son needed new jeans/chinos.  I like to get in and out pretty quick usually as people shuffling along at a snails pace wondering what to spend next just drives me crazy. So after a quick decision on my sons part we got the jeans and then made our way to  the Lego store ( we have to do this, it is the bargaining tool to get him to come and choose clothes he will wear!) we don't go to buy but just look and perhaps think what we might get for Christmas.
So after these brief amount of time we are heading out and we pass Starbucks, now I have to confess that over the past few months I have bought a few of these when we have been near one, nothing over the top maybe three times last month and a couple the month before.  I know you probably think 'so that is just a couple of pounds' but really when you look at it it is such a waste.  If my son has been with me or both of them I've bought us all one, at £3.00 a go that's £9.00 on coffee! To be honest the last time I had one mine was luke warm but I complain? No I was very British and grumbled about it to my son and did nothing.
The other insult about this place is that they charge you  extra to sit inside, you are a customer! Why are they charging extra to drink their product on the premises it's crazy!
Anyway it occurred to me that ever so slightly bit by bit for a couple of months I have been letting my frugal habits slip. I think this happens sometimes without us realising it, it becomes easier to spend money (or waste it) as you do so.  I have been doing the usual justifying that we do, you know what I mean 'I work full time, it's only a few pound, I'm allowed a treat' yes all of this is true but I like the freedom that comes from not having to spend money to feel good and having security behind me.
So I had a bit of a wake up call yesterday about what is important to me, and also felt a little shaken by how easily we can get sucked back into the wasteful consumerism. I walked past the dreaded Starbucks and decided that as we needed milk on the way home I would buy a jar of coffee that would last weeks and not just buy one cup.
I had to pass Tesco and when I looked they had coffee half price from £4 to £2. I came home and made us both my version of the caramel mac which Starbucks lured me in with.  I cannot drink milk I have to have Soya so this is how I made my coffee...
I spoon of instant coffee (half a cup of hot water)
Half a cup of soya milk heated in the microwave then whipped up with a fork until frothy and poured over
A good squirt of Syrup on the top (rest of the family take milk in theirs)

The syrup was from Aldi the other week £1, I use it for pancakes for the children.

Now look, that is as good as the overpriced stuff and I get to sit wherever I like.

I worked it out and the can of coffee says 55 cups on the side so 3.65 pence a  cup plus a bit of soya and a splash of syrup I think it works out to about 8 pence  a cup, as opposed to £3.00! I feel like I must have been in a bit of a daydream because yes we know it's expensive but you think well I'm out and I'd quite like a drink.  So stop and think.

There are a couple of other areas where I think I have also become a bit more free with spending and I need to reign it in.  I have bought fabric twice this month, I told myself it was ok as I have done extra sewing jobs but the idea of doing the extra work is to make money not spend it. I need to get back to sourcing more recycling for materials and not rely on the new stuff.

The weekly shop is always under control so maybe that is why I haven't noticed the other bits slipping away, now that I am mindful of it I think it will be easier to keep in check.

Has anyone else had a similar experience of realising they may have been a bit wasteful? I find it helps me to share as I become more accountable this way. 

Frugal shop

I went and did my shop this morning straight after church at Aldi. I try and do this whenever I can as it is quiet usually at that time and I try to get in and out as quick as possible that seems to keep costs down.  It does also mean that I sometimes forget the odd item but we are surrounded by shops so it is no big deal if I have to run in and grab one item occasionally.
Today was not so quiet as all the people who are usually in bed have got up because the clocks went back and they got an extra hour! I felt grumpy having to share my usually quiet supermarket with so many other people grr! Any how shop done and I managed to get it down to £40 this week. Mainly because I didn't need any toiletries or cleaning stuff and there were some good offers on the super six stuff, peppers (pack of three) satsumas, apples, plums, mushrooms and butternut squash all 69p.
I have this week off so there will not be any rushing in at tea time thinking quick what am I making, and while I do generally plan what we are having there are days when I come in and think, oh I just want to do something quick. Being off work this week will save all that hassle.  I'm also going to make sure that when I make a curry and veg casserole etc. I'm going to do a couple extra to freeze to save me some time the week after.  Here is some of what I got...

I had already packed away some of it before I took the photo but other than the box of cereal and biscuits its all fresh stuff and no ready meals or things like that.  I think when people overspend on their food shopping those items are usually the culprits.
Ready meals are usually disappointing and not at all filling so if you can get out of the habit of buying them it will save you loads.
I do have a ready fresh soup there, I could have easily made this as I have plenty of veg so it was only when I got home I thought what have I put that in for?  I also noticed as I was checking my receipt in the store that the pudding my son chose for today was £2.99! A bit more than I would usually pay but he is a big help and was running around getting me the milk and stuff so when he asked I said put it in then.
I must check my receipts more often as I went to the fabric shop yesterday and only noticed when I got home that I had been charged for a half meter and not a quarter making one piece of fabric £7.00 for a fat quarter ( if you sew you know that is a tiny bit of fabric!) I had some other bits and notions and stuff so I didn't check in the shop, also she was chatting and asking me about my sons so I suppose we were both distracted.
 The thing is the shop is right across town so the time and fuel to get there is hardly worth going back.  I must be more careful, it's no good saving in area then losing it in another.
I bought the overpriced fat quarter for a bag I am making for my store so lets hope I eventually make back the cost. I also bought the fabric for the cowl neck dress I shared the other day and some tartan for the skirt. watch this space.

Frugal Friday Dinner

Just got home tonight and realised that there wasn't enough quorn mince for the bolognaise  that I intended to do for dinner.  I was loath to go out and buy any more as we are going to do the shopping tomorrow, also it is raining and I really didn't want to go out again. I had one small chicken breast left and there was a can of chick peas in the cupboard.  I added the chickpeas to the bolognaise and fried the chicken in a pan separately as with two of us being vegetarians we really didn't want chicken juices in our food!  I also had a garlic bread in the fridge so we had that also.  A grating of cheese finished it off, it tasted good,  filled us up and I didn't need to go out to the shops.  I might also add that the sauce was out of the freezer that my husband spotted in Tesco a couple of weeks ago in the marked down fridge for 15p. It was over a pound to begin with and was perfect for freezing so he bought two.
I then found this site after thinking how useful it is to have chickpeas in the cupboard, . 10 weeknight dinners with chickpeas

I might try this, Braised Coconut Spinach and Chickpeas with Lemon

   I should have took some pictures but everything was just cooked and gone in no time, which is how it should be really.  Had I been in a lazy mood I might have said 'Oh what can we have?' and either popped out or suggested a trip to the chippy which is not a fortune but I often think well they were rubbish when we do that.
 I read a post the other day about using up what you have and while I do generally eat what is in and planned for, I find that it is not so easy to make do with what is in the cupboards sometimes with children around.   Even the best thought out meals sometimes elicit moans (teenagers!) so I do admire the likes of Elaine from Mortgage Free in Three who has boys who eat all her frugal creations without complaint.  I have not been too soft and foods have been introduced again and again along with variety but there is some real fussiness.  (I have been told I was equally fussy ) Funny I don't remember, ha!
I have made a decision to be more mindful of spending again as I feel I have slipped a little recently I think it very easy to get into the habit of thinking it's ok to just pop and buy stuff from the shops on a whim. I could afford to go and just eat out this evening but why?  Often it is overpriced and poor quality. (I would recommend using discounts and finding somewhere that serves fresh food . See previous post on cheap Lunch)
I do like to meet up with friends sometimes, so on these occasions we will find somewhere reasonable and eat out then but that is very occasionally.  Most of the time I feel I would rather save for something else.  If anyone has any fail safe recipes for fussy teens  I would love to hear about them.

Cheap Lunch Out

Yesterday we went for lunch at Green City Coffee. We had a voucher from discount vouchers, well actually we had two because all four of us went and the offer was for two people.  I had not been there before but I will be visiting again the offer was for any sandwich and a slice of cake for two people for £6. The food was delicious and fresh, they had a good choice for vegetarians, friendly staff and a really nice spot.  It helped because the sun was shining so we sat outside but it looked nice inside too.

We occasionally take up the offers that are forever being emailed once you sign up for these things, but I think it is good as you find places you wouldn't have known about otherwise.  We said we will go back again at some point, so if you are in Sheffield and want somewhere to go for lunch this a good choice.  

Today we went to an event at Millhouses park called Cliffhanger. 

This was £12 for us to get in as a family and was not as good as I thought when I saw the promotional videos for it. The children stood in a que for nearly an hour to go on this free fall drop thing and just as we were nearing the front they had to shut it down due to technical problems ( a wasted hour!) That probably couldn't be helped but most of it was small stuff and large ques, it was nice weather but I think that we maybe would have enjoyed the park without the event and the admission fee.  The promotional video showed lots of stunts and demonstrations going on but we didn't see much just some bike polo!  It was on yesterday so maybe it was more of that then, others may disagree but I don't think I would bother again with that.  When we got back the sun was still out and we did the garden, I think I enjoyed my afternoon more at home.   I  must also remember to weed more often as the little ones come up so easily and the big ones are just a pain.

 I  have some dress ideas for this week so I will start those tomorrow but I did repair my husbands zip in his work trousers so some money saved there and a little sewing repair for someone else. 

Hot porridge better than cold cereal, cheap and healthy

More on food today, as I have been getting up earlier I have  been trying to make sure I eat breakfast everyday so that I don't get that mid morning feeling when my energy lags.  There are not many quick cold cereals I like as many are way too sugary and what they charge for a box that lasts a couple of days for a family is just ridiculous. I do like porridge though and it is easy, plus you can add whatever you like to make it more interesting.   A while ago my husband came back from the supermarket thinking he had a good offer because the Quaker Oatso Simple were on offer, well even on offer they are a rip off!  I buy these...
.

A box of this is £1 from the Aldi and you get 1kg of oats, a box of Oatso Simple is £2 and you only get 324g.  Why is anybody buying that? The Aldi version works out to 3p a serving without the milk. The Oatso Simple version is 18p per serving without milk. That is a massive difference and you can't really argue that the pre-packed ones are easier to use because they are not, unless you are incapable of putting a spoon in a box then emptying that spoon into a bowl!   I use 4 desert spoons (level) into a bowl, pour over a little soya milk and stir then put it in the microwave for 2 minutes, done.  It probably would take you longer to unfasten the pre-packed bags than to spoon it straight from the box.  I like to add just a little golden syrup ( just a tiny squirt) or sometimes some raisins. I usually feel full until lunch now, I think anybody trying to feed the children on less money should try and get them to eat porridge.  It is healthier and you may just have to experiment with different toppings to get them to eat it at first. A little bit of jam, grate just a little chocolate if that is what they are used to ( only a bit though) dried cranberries ( you only need a few).  This could save you loads on the cold cereal.   

I'm trying to be more vigilant about not wasting any food and I know I'm improving at this because we used to go to the supermarket and come back and be throwing stuff out from the previous week like vegetables or things that had gone off.  I know that is a back to front way to do things as we now check first.  Also if I've got a big bag of carrots and I don't think they will last I blanch them and freeze them in portions so they don't get wasted.  I also did this with cauliflower and broccoli last week that I knew I needed later in the week but wasn't sure it would be ok in the fridge for many more days.

My shopping bill is much more stable because of this and as food continues to rise I keep looking for ways that I can do things more cheaply so that the bill does stay more or less the same.  I appreciate hearing any tips anyone has about how you do things, you may have found a super cheap healthy recipe or a value brand that is amazing value.

Cheap healthy meal- Lentil bake

I said I would share some more inexpensive recipes for people trying to save money so I thought I would show this recipe for lentil bake. It is just something I make and not from any book. We had this yesterday with our lunch ( me and my son are vegetarian) my husband and younger son had chicken. This is a favourite if you want something to put with the Sunday lunch instead of meat.  It is good for you due to the lentils however if you are watching the calories  you will need to  use less cheese.

100g dried red lentils  rinsed  (20p)  from 500g bag from asda £1
40g of cheddar cheese ( 25p ish)  cheese from Aldi £1.99  350g
1 medium red onion  (10p ) Bag from Aldi 7onions for 69p
1 desert spoon dried basil  (6p)  Aldi 55p pot

Serves 3 good portions ( or make double and save some for next day) 61p for this side dish, so 20p per portion is much cheaper than a pack of quorn sausages!

That is all. Put a pan of water to boil then add the lentils for 15 minutes, keep it bubbling. Chop your onion and fry it in some olive oil for a few minutes.

 While these are cooking you can be grating your cheese.  I like to use this amount of cheese as I like the flavour and I do not have a lot of fat in my diet due to my vegetarian meals so some of them may have a lot of cheese or the coconut milk but as I don't have any other animal fat there is not a problem for me or my son.  I also don't drink milk I have Soya but I cannot get along with the dairy free cheese!

When the lentils are cooked drain them in a sieve, and put them in an oven proof dish. Stir in the fried onion, dried basil and grated cheese,  also sprinkle some of the cheese over the top.  I then put it in the oven at the bottom but on 240 fan while the yorkshire puddings cook, about 12-14 minutes. 

If you are like us and some of the family are vegetarian but not all it can make meals expensive if you are buying the meat for the meat eaters and the alternative stuff for the vegetarians.  A lot of the pre packed vegetarian stuff is expensive, poor quality and you don't get much. It is better to make your own.  I do buy the quorn mince as when we have that the whole family has it in bolognaise.  I have moved away from the rest of the sausages and quorn pieces though as I  am finding better alternatives for us.  I don't think this is any trouble to make so you could have it with anything really, I' ve not tried it with pasta and sauce but I might now, just a bit of garlic and tinned tomatoes would probably turn it into a pasta dish.