Well benefits advisor came to fill in dreaded ESA form. He took all my details and what I could and couldn't do and took it away to fill in. He told me that the form is a laugh really as they do not bother reading them, its all on the medical whether I will receive ESA or not, and he admitted unlikely and so will have to appeal but if so I will stay on lowest level of ESA until appeal so at least that means I have a bit longer before its likely we will be living on just hubby's wages even if money will be £40 a week less, better than nothing.
Today all the drivers at hubby's work were called into a meeting, with all the cuts they are looking for 8 redundancies at least and if there are not enough people coming forward to take up redundancy they will choose so now we wait.
Have put a roast chicken in oven with potatoes for tonight. Went mad and covered it with lemon juice as had some lemons that had to be used up and brushed honey over it. Just checked it and top is browning nicely and almost cooked.
Porridge of course started the day with the honey, then I actually had a pear - managed to buy a bag that was reduced to 50p and 9 pears in it on Tuesday along with a few bags of apples costing 40 each and 12 in each. I have to give these hands of mine a good talking to so that I can get them peeled and cooked before they go off, but they are tasty to eat but will never eat them all in time.
Thursday 24 November 2011
Wednesday 23rd November 2011
Well started with the old porridge again - although hubby still having cornflakes, maybe if winter ever arrives he will want some instead.
I had bought a lamb breast - well bought two so one in freezer - and cooked it in the slow cooker with sweet and sour sauce and no did not make it myself, I am afraid I bought Sainsburys Basic Sweet and Sour sauce and just poured it over and left it to cook, at 45p for a jar ( so sad it was 29p up till a few months ago) I cannot see me being able to make it that cheaply and hands were to sore to be fiddling around.
Did make a coffee cake out of one of the war time books - ahem you say what about the rest of the Bakewell tart, well I threw it in the freezer, fed up with it. So make up some butter icing ( I just grind granulated sugar until it turns to powder).
So a very boring entry.
Didn't do much else I am afraid as rather a pain day.
I had bought a lamb breast - well bought two so one in freezer - and cooked it in the slow cooker with sweet and sour sauce and no did not make it myself, I am afraid I bought Sainsburys Basic Sweet and Sour sauce and just poured it over and left it to cook, at 45p for a jar ( so sad it was 29p up till a few months ago) I cannot see me being able to make it that cheaply and hands were to sore to be fiddling around.
Did make a coffee cake out of one of the war time books - ahem you say what about the rest of the Bakewell tart, well I threw it in the freezer, fed up with it. So make up some butter icing ( I just grind granulated sugar until it turns to powder).
So a very boring entry.
Didn't do much else I am afraid as rather a pain day.
Tuesday 22 November 2011
Tuesday 22nd Nov 2011
Well today as usual started with porridge with honey its funny how I enjoy that so much now, could not go back to sugar.
Lunch was believe it or not some bakewell tart - made on Saturday its amazing how big it was and how filling and it has to be used up. Will add the recipe for it to Saturdays blog.
Dinner was stewing steak cooked in slow cooker served with Veg suet dumplings.
Stew and Dumplings - for two in Slow Cooker
250g Stewing Steak
1 tin tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste
1 large or two small onions cut up small
Gravy Powder or granules made up with a bit more of them to the water as in directions as you have the liquid from the tomatoes.
Put all in slow cook and cook on high for about 6hrs or low for 8 - 10 hrs
Dumplings
400 g Self Raising Flour
100g Vegetable or Beef Suet
Pinch of Salt
Water to make into soft dough
90 mins before end of cooking make dough into balls and add to slow cooker. I know many books says and hour or less but I find they are not cooked fully and have not absorbed enough of the liquid with less.
We had a bit later a whoopsie buy - 2 bain maries for 54p, handy for the ramikins they were in as I have a habit of dropping and smashing them.
Lunch was believe it or not some bakewell tart - made on Saturday its amazing how big it was and how filling and it has to be used up. Will add the recipe for it to Saturdays blog.
Dinner was stewing steak cooked in slow cooker served with Veg suet dumplings.
Stew and Dumplings - for two in Slow Cooker
250g Stewing Steak
1 tin tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste
1 large or two small onions cut up small
Gravy Powder or granules made up with a bit more of them to the water as in directions as you have the liquid from the tomatoes.
Put all in slow cook and cook on high for about 6hrs or low for 8 - 10 hrs
Dumplings
400 g Self Raising Flour
100g Vegetable or Beef Suet
Pinch of Salt
Water to make into soft dough
90 mins before end of cooking make dough into balls and add to slow cooker. I know many books says and hour or less but I find they are not cooked fully and have not absorbed enough of the liquid with less.
We had a bit later a whoopsie buy - 2 bain maries for 54p, handy for the ramikins they were in as I have a habit of dropping and smashing them.
Belated Monday 21st Nov 2011
Well I never got round to putting anything on here yesterday, not as if didn't have the time, but day just seemed to zoom.
Anyway yesterday started with usual porridge but I had mine late, around lunch time and hubby didn't have his breakfast till about then as he was delayed in work so home late ( he doesn't eat before he leaves in morning its to early for him, just before 6am).
Main meal was Spag Bol for him and Mince and Pasta for me. I cooked the mince for both of us together but then separated it and made the tomato sauce for him and just added gravy for me.
Some asked if I could put my recipes so I will do that now - will put this one on here and go back and put the others on relevant pages.
Spag Bol and Mince with pasta
For Both
250g Mince
Onion Salt - hubby does not like chunks of onion in this meal only
Salt
Pepper
1 Veg Stock Cube
1 Beef Stock Cube
Water to cover
For variety I add different herbs each time I make this like Oregano
Bring to boil and simmer for 20 mins
Then put have the mince in another pan with a bit of the gravy
In first pan make up gravy powder ( I use Bisto) and bring back to boil and add pasta to it, simmer for 5 mins
For the Spag Bol
Tomato Puree ( I put in 100g can)
Sugar to taste
Add the tomato puree and sugar to the mince with only a little gravy, add water but keep stirring as you put it in as you want the sauce to be thick but not to thick, to be like a very thick soup. Bring to boil and simmer for about 10 mins. Add Pasta, simmer for 5 mins stirring to ensure all pasta is covered by the sauce.
Pasta - 200gs per person, less for a child - put in pan cover with water and bring to boil, simmer until as tender as you wish. Drain and add to the mince
Anyway yesterday started with usual porridge but I had mine late, around lunch time and hubby didn't have his breakfast till about then as he was delayed in work so home late ( he doesn't eat before he leaves in morning its to early for him, just before 6am).
Main meal was Spag Bol for him and Mince and Pasta for me. I cooked the mince for both of us together but then separated it and made the tomato sauce for him and just added gravy for me.
Some asked if I could put my recipes so I will do that now - will put this one on here and go back and put the others on relevant pages.
Spag Bol and Mince with pasta
For Both
250g Mince
Onion Salt - hubby does not like chunks of onion in this meal only
Salt
Pepper
1 Veg Stock Cube
1 Beef Stock Cube
Water to cover
For variety I add different herbs each time I make this like Oregano
Bring to boil and simmer for 20 mins
Then put have the mince in another pan with a bit of the gravy
In first pan make up gravy powder ( I use Bisto) and bring back to boil and add pasta to it, simmer for 5 mins
For the Spag Bol
Tomato Puree ( I put in 100g can)
Sugar to taste
Add the tomato puree and sugar to the mince with only a little gravy, add water but keep stirring as you put it in as you want the sauce to be thick but not to thick, to be like a very thick soup. Bring to boil and simmer for about 10 mins. Add Pasta, simmer for 5 mins stirring to ensure all pasta is covered by the sauce.
Pasta - 200gs per person, less for a child - put in pan cover with water and bring to boil, simmer until as tender as you wish. Drain and add to the mince
Sunday 20 November 2011
Sunday 20th Nov 2011
Well another day of food to make.
I got up late so ended up have just HM bread for brunch with marg and anchovy paste on it ( yes I love them, so many don't). Hubby also got up late but had his breakfast.
For main meal tonight I will serve what is left of the chicken soup with HM bread I think, then for main course I will serve the breasts I made the soup with. Its gone 4pm and not yet decided what to do with them. I will just get them out and basically make up something as I go. I know I will do them in a gravy, if not they will be very dry when reheated and hubby will not eat them cold. I might throw some rice in steamer and make a chilli with the chicken, but might change my mind when I get down there.
For afters I still have half the HM Bakewell Tart I make for afters yesterday so we will have that, no doubt hubby will want his with custard as he did yesterday:)
Update: I just threw the chicken in the oven with potatoes, tin of tomatoes, some bisto gravy powder, onions and salt and pepper.
Saturday 19th Nov 2011
Well might as well get it over with, the first meals following my frugal, menu - not that I have actually written out a menu, they never work with me, but I will work out a meal plan so I have enough in to feed us for a week or so.
Breakfast - Porridge 40gs with water but sweetened with honey ( I do not add salt to anything except actual cooking food like soups. stews etc.,)
Lunch Tin of Tomato soup - it was in and cheaper than making it and no not the H brand, do love it but to expensive.
Evening Meal - HM Chicken soup made with lots of vegetables, blitzed with a hand blender and served with Home Made bread
Pudding - Bakewell Tart taking from We'll Eat Again - only as I had almonds in I blitzed them in grinder and added them instead of the breadcrumbs that were used instead also had no soya flour in ( must check the recipes and see if its used a lot and if so buy some in) used plain flour. Apart from them stuck to the rest of the recipe and boy did it raise and next time I will make far less shortcrust pastry as to much, about half should do us. I think back then they liked thick pastry as it helped fill them up.
So that is it for today. Not quite 1940's but then could have been if you had a chicken that was past laying so better in pot than eating precious food that could be given to layers - I wonder if I kept chickens if I could have done that, easy to pretend but could I do it for real.
.
Starting
Well not actually done any menu planning yet although made sure I have the right food in, but I could not resist some whoopsies ( reduced items) and so tonight's meal is Chicken soup made with lots of Vegetables ( frozen I admit as its cheaper than fresh until I can grow my own) as the chicken was a whoopsie. So soup will be served with home made bread - I make 3 x 500g ( 18ozs) loaves a week for us that is equal to one days supply of flour for both of us, so that still leave plenty, we never go through that much flour in a week, but then of course we will fill up with other things, now this will stop ( I hope). The chicken that made the soup will be used in another meal tomorrow, as yet not sure what that will be.
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