Are you loyal to one supermarket?

Hi everyone

Well to answer my question...I was...but not anymore! I have been loyal to one but got so fed up with dreadful online shopping experiences and last week was the final straw! The fresh produce was the worst I have ever had and I would never of picked that stuff up instore. The uncut loaves were burnt and inside was disgusting...we couldn't eat it.

This week I tried Sainsburys and was pleasantly surprised. I mostly bought meat, bread, fruit, veg, salad and dairy items. Nearly everything was fresh and what a difference! 

I'm happy so next week I will stick with sainsburys but I will also be willing to try others. I want to save money on the food shop but I also want quality fresh foods. 

Yesterday I had a day off cooking and lovely hubby treated us to a beautiful roast...

I think he overloaded my plate (I didn't eat that much!) Such a treat to be cooked for. 

This morning, the post-Christmas declutter continues and I'm sorting out my kitchen. No photos of that but look at this...

A double yolker! Only the second I have found in my lifetime! Simple things please me :)

Finally, the slow cooker is on...sausage casserole and lovely fresh farmhouse loaf to mop up the gravy. I'm going to use my slow cooker as much as possible. Please share any recipes you have in the comments...I don't have a lot for slow cooking and fancy something other than casserole! 

Thanks for reading,

Mandy x

Cooking from scratch...a shortcut

Hi everyone,

September was an expensive month for us and sadly not enough thriftiness going on. There were also a couple of distressful events and this impacted on my blogging. I'm not going into great detail because my blog is public...I was very upset but it's sorted now.

Today my slow cooker is on, even though it's warm and sunny here again. It's a simple beef casserole, but I thought I'd share my little cheat (shortcut) when I'm short of time...

This is simply diced beef (I don't even brown it anymore), a pinch of smart price mixed herbs, a couple of dashes of Worcester sauce and a packet of this...

Casserole veg, chopped and washed ready to simply chuck in! It costs £1, but I think it's worth it. I didn't add any other veg because there is a mixture of onion, leek, carrots, swede and potatoes. 

I then make up a large jug of gravy and stir. I cook it on high for an hour then turn it down to medium for the rest of the day. An hour before we want to eat, I will make some suet dumplings and pop them on the top.

Perfect, easy and delicious! 

I like to cook from scratch, but some days I want to do other things and so the odd shortcut is fine! 

Let's face it, it takes very little time or effort to take something out of the freezer and bung it in the oven for 20mins...easy peasy, dinner is served! I am at home and I do have more time, so there's no excuse! I prepare my veg in the morning and try to get everything else ready so I can forget about it until later. I hate having to rush about later on. Today I felt like cheating :)

Does anyone else have any shortcuts to share?

I don't know if you enjoy seeing my Carboot finds, but here's some more!

I love reading and don't do it enough. I have been inspired by the amount of wartime books on offer lately at the car boot. I managed to pick all these up for £1.60.

These bits for Daisy cost £1.50 (for her Christmas stocking).

At 20p each, I was really happy, especially as one is a next winter coat! The seller even threw in a pretty dress for free as she'd seen me looking at it and put it back!

Something is only worth what you are prepared to pay for it, and I paid £1 for this dress. It's lovely and just what I was looking for. The Christmas card making kit was 20p! Brand new and although a bit tacky, it will keep Daisy amused in December. I can't grumble at spending 20p for a few hours entertainment. Daisy can personalise them as she chooses and send out her own cards at Christmas.

My final purchase was this rocker/see-saw. It's little tikes and it's pink! This was £3, but I know they are quite costly brand new. Daisy will play outside whatever the weather and loves it already. We've been looking out for garden toys like this for ages. 

I'm sensible carbooting and don't buy impulsively any more. We are hoping to do some selling very soon...wish me luck!  I hope to clear loads of the clutter that's stacked up and make some pennies to go towards Christmas. That's it for now.

Thanks for reading,

Mandy x

Using the slow cooker on a hot day!

Hi everyone...anyone?

I've been going through my cupboards this week, picking out anything close to its use by date. I plan to gradually use these bits up, incorporating them into our meals and baking. 

I have also started to go through my freezers doing the same. This is what I've done this morning...

The blackberries have been in the freezer a while and the apples have wrinkled skins! These are the base of my crumble for tonight's pudding.

The apples are sweet so no sugar needed.

The crumble mix is simple...plain flour, marg and I used soft brown sugar. Sprinkled over the fruit and ready to bake just before tea.

The slow cooker is on with lamb that's been in the freezer for a while, with some frozen cauliflower, frozen mixed veg, sweet corn, onions, mixed herbs and gravy granules that Daisy can't have (contain lactose would you believe!) Not my normal slow cooker combination, but using stuff up...

I've made Daisy a vegetable stew and raspberry jelly with frozen raspberries for pudding. She will eat this with her dairy free ice cream.

My cupboards are looking much less cluttered now. Tomorrow I will be using up more things. Until then...

Mandy x

My thoughts turn to Autumn and Winter...

Hi everyone!

I've been away from blogging this week because Daisy has needed my time more than ever. She now has four back teeth poking through and she has suffered with it. She just wants cuddles. Tomorrow I will make matters worse for her...her next set of immunisations :-(

I know I promised a post on meal planning/shopping and how I did a thrifty party for Daisy, but these will have to wait, sorry!

Back to my post title...

The last couple of days have been a bit chilly here. I've heard of people putting their heating on, but we won't be doing that just yet. Ideally I want to get to October, but I obviously have Daisy to think about. She was shivering after getting out of the bath last night, so I put a cardy on over her pjs and thin tights under. I always cuddle her with a blanket wrapped around her once she's ready for bed to snuggle and she soon warmed up. I also slept in a cardy because my arms are always cold and I generally seem to feel the cold.

Now I'm thinking about what I need to do to prepare for the colder days and nights and what I need to buy. I obviously need to buy new outdoor wear for Daisy because she was very small last winter and has grown out of all her little hats/bonnets, coats and snowsuits, although we do have one pair of knitted mittens that fit. She has loads of warm blankets for when we're out and about and her cosy toes for the pram. She has sleeping bags for her cot because she won't stay under a blanket at night and it's dangerous to try because she could put her head under. I will need to get a snowsuit and coat, mittens and hats. She will also need a few new bits of clothing for winter and tights. She is growing out of her 3-6 months clothing now, but quite a lot of her 6-9 month stuff is summery. I will just put tights and cardies with those bits. Whenever I go carbooting, I buy knitted cardies for Daisy. I can't knit (yet) and the bought cardies are not warm enough, so I have bought bigger sizes when I have seen them. I don't think it will be long and we will be visiting Clarks for her first pair of shoes! She's not walking yet but standing with furniture for support. It's definitely going to be an expense this winter anyway.

I need a decent coat, a waterproof one. I will be looking out for one (second hand). My daughter picked up a fantastic coat, a good make, at a charity shop for a few pounds last year and it keeps her warm and dry when she walks Flo. I layer up to keep warm and will keep on wearing the same clothes I've had for years, although I do need to get the sewing basket out! I will pick up things if I see them, but I could manage as long as I can get the washing dry.

There are other things to consider for if snow comes, like food stocks and salt for our sloping drive. I need to do a list!

The slowcooker is coming out in a minute for some braising steak I found at the bottom of the freezer. We had dumplings the other day but could manage them again :-), so I will add diced potato and have it all in one pot (less washing up and electric) and then add some dumpling mix from my Approved Food stash (not the real atora ones I made the other day - yum yum!)

Is anyone else planning for the colder weather yet?

Mandy x

The slowcooker is out of the cupboard!

Hi everyone!

I have taken Frugal Queen's advice and got the slowcooker out again. I only usually use it in the winter months, but I have been converted! The weather's not brilliant here at the moment, so we can manage a casserole. I got two packs of braising steak out of the freezer last night to defrost and I will make double beef casserole today. Today we will have it served with dumplings and tomorrow it will be turned into a steak and onion pie. I always think it tastes better the second day.

We are having pudding today! I have been looking for a recipe to use my trifle sponges (AF) up (apart from trifle!) Today we are having...strawberry and white chocolate trifle. It doesn't sound very frugal, but I have all the ingredients and the strawberries need using up too. I will put the recipe up tomorrow if it's nice! Our own strawberries growing in the garden are doing well and almost ready to start picking. I spotted a blackbird having a feast the other day on the only strawberry beginning to ripen!

I'm also hoping to do a little bit of baking and have two recipes from when I was a child. The first is jam buns and the second all-in-one buns (little cakes). These recipes will go up tomorrow - frugal and simple.

I got very little sleep last night, I don't know why Daisy was so restless, but it didn't help hearing boy racers charging out of the village at 1am. We live at the edge of our village, on the main road in and out and the windows are open at the moment. I shut the windows!

I have been playing around with my blog design but I'm not quite happy with it yet.

Jane - thanks for your comment, I have noted your likes/dislikes for future recipes. Do you eat potatoes?

Lean Thinker - Hi, I'm glad you are enjoying my blog! Just like you, I spend too much time on the laptop during the week, when daisy is asleep and I should be doing housework!!! But I love learning new things and sadly I then have little time to try them out. Sewing being my main one.

Right, lots to do today and the tennis is on too. Hopefully back tomorrow with those recipes if they turn out well???

Mandy x



Batch cooking and pastry making

Hi

Yesterday I cooked a beef casserole in my slow cooker (instead of a roast), making enough for two meals. Yesterday we had it with dumplings and today I made it into a pie. I'm trying to save on our electric bill (already cut down on gas) as it is always massive.

I didn't make any New Year resolutions because I always fail by the end of January, but I have decided to try to get better at some things and to try out new things. Pastry is something that I am not particularly good at, but I think it is improving already! I also intend to practice making bread and biscuits. I am a cake baker, but struggle with biscuits and pastry. I use my breadmaker, but I want to make it by hand now that I have the time.

The new things I want to try is sewing and crochet. Today I began my sausage dog draught excluders. I will post a photo when they're finished.

I got two loads of washing dry on the line today, can't believe how mild it still is.

Tomorrow I'm going to sort out all of my craft stuff so I know what fabric etc I've got to play with.

Mandy x