Followers

Tuesday 26 January 2016

The Storm has landed.

At some point in the night the storm landed in Wales, the wind is hurtling down the valley from the south west and various bits of debris are being arranged along the way.
The road is now a shallow ford and cars are creeping along, well the majority are. The odd idiot is ploughing through at a rate of knots and causing small tsunami,s to rush over the pavements.
I had to winkle Ben out this morning and he made all of 10 yards before stopping for the necessary and turning tail for home.
I have finished the sleeve for my wreath and started making flowers. The daffodil tutorial from Lucy at attic24 is so simple to follow and very effective. I will get some more done and attached before I share.
Dinner is done, ready to reheat. Chicken Tikka, Sweet Potato and Butternut Squash curry and I will make flatbreads later. I plan on feeding 2 tonight and having enough leftovers to make an awesome Oggy for the weekend, again to feed 2.
This comes from the legs of a cooked chicken, half price in Tesco. The breast meat has already made 3 meals and 2 sandwiches. The bones and skin are in the slow cooker with some garlic, celery and carrot. The stock will go into a batch of broccoli and Stilton soup, also for the weekend.

Thanks to Ilona, Mean Queen of the world, I now shop very savvy. Ilona is vegetarian, while I eat a small amount of meat and fish, but since I started shopping as she does I have cut my food budget savagely. I am eating far better health wise and it shows. I can walk  for well over an hour, slowly with Ben but at route march pace on my own, with out getting out of breath in the slightest. I am running up and down the stairs easily.

I have never been the kind to throw money, or food, away but never consciously set out to look for rock bottom prices. The odd times that I scooped up a 90% reduction were serendipitous. Then I started to mooch around Tesco on  Friday evenings to while away an hour. I started to pick up bargains on a regular basis and now this is the basis of my shopping routine. I still do not buy vast amounts, just what I can use or freeze but the savings are fantastic.

This weather will keep me in doors today but as soon as the wind drops a bit I will be out. The rain is no problem, I have the correct clothing and will not get wet at all.
I took some raspberries out of the freezer last night and made some jam this morning, just 2 jars and the rest into a dish. The fruit cost me 55p and the 700 gs of sugar works out at 35p, so my jam cost 90p for 2 1/2 jars and is over 50% fruit. I call that a real bargain. It only takes 5 minutes boiling so even the gas cost is minimal.

I have some out of date milk, it needs another day or two then I will make a batch of scones using some of my bargain basement butter. They will freeze well and will supply weeks of treats spread with the jam. I can almost taste them.
Right, time to gear up and get Ben out for a paddle,he is snoozing on his cushion but needs must and all that.
Before I go I just want to grovel a bit to all my new, and newish, followers. Blogger has been changing numbers and the little pictures appear and vanish rapidly. Welcome to one and all, I hope that I can entertain you, albeit briefly, and perhaps make you smile.

                     TTFN                                                   Pam

16 comments:

  1. I get new followers, but somehow the numbers never increase! You are certainly one of the frugalist people I know when it comes to food - very savvy. I've occasionally popped across to Ilona's blog - must do so more often. I haven't even thought what my tea is tonight - K has a gammon steak, but they are taboo to my diet now.

    I'm waiting out the storm by painting chairs in the kitchen (they are to go into the Unit once they are done). They came from auction with scraped paintwork so I have started from scratch with them but it takes a good 3 or 4 coats per chair. So today's exercise is stretching and bending, rather than walking!

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    1. I was brought up not to waste anything and to stretch a pound till it squealed, then give it another turn of the screw. Now I like the challenge, I am very picky over what I buy and would never get ready meals or anything that looked iffy. I got dinner ready first thing so that I can sit and craft all afternoon, I even made the flatbreads, wrapped in foil they will warm through in a low oven while the curries get the ding treatment. There will be minimal washing up to do, suits me sir.

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  2. The storm has just hit here at the top end of the midlands Pam and it is bloomin' freezing. I think the fire will be lit shortly.

    We love scones but I have never frozen any. Do you freeze them cooked or uncooked? It would be nice to have some in the freezer for days when I can't be bothered to bake-x-

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    1. I have done both, I usually freeze them cooked though and defrost in the microwave, a minute or 2 and you have a nice warm scone to soak up a cuppa. I do the same with slices of cake and small cakes in cases.

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    2. Thanks for that Pam. I think I will try them cooked. Easy to pull out for pack ups etc-x-

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  3. I love it when tea is pre made so it's literally the plates to wash! I'm looking forward to seeing your wreath. The storm hit around 10am and it's still squally now. The HG reported his hat blew off too many times for his liking. I offered to crochet a pair of ties for it, but he declined!

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    1. Perhaps he would rather a long scarf to go over and then around?

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  4. Hi Pam the storm has landed here as well, but there is always plenty to do indoors, although we buy meat we do make it stretch there is always lot of veg on our plates. I have froze scones uncooked and cooked, I think they are better uncooked. x

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    1. I freeze mine cooked so that I can have them one at a time, when frozen raw I would not put the oven on for less than 6 and would burst trying to eat them all.

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  5. I am always on the look out for a bargain but never get lucky with huge amounts of yellow stickers like Iona gets, she is certainly blessed with an eye for a bargain.

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    1. Ilona knows her local shops, years of practise shopping.

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  6. I'm not even newish any longer, as my little picture has moved on down the line. I love your blog and find it always entertaining. Stay safe in storm. Glad our storm has moved on.

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    1. I can say the same to you, I love seeing the animals and would reach in to hug Eli if I could.

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  7. Hello there, since first starting to read blogs a year ago I've picked up so many tips and now try and search out food bargains when I can. I can't understand why people think this is strange when I think it's savvy!!

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  8. I'm looking forward to seeing your wreath, I've made a Christmas wreath as a gift in the past but never for me & I really should. I've read IIonas blog before, she's an inspirational lady as my dear are you xx

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  9. I happened to notice my numbers upping and downing too, I thought it was because of my moaning! Obviously not. Phew! xx

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