Unexpected spends and craft heaven

We have had some unexpected spends this week, dental charges (toothache), giving help to our family and a chance of a brilliant course on patchwork! It is Stoptober so I guess offically I have failed but I really do feel that this is why we scrimp and save, to cover those one offs, whether they be medical, family or even unexpected (will pay back dividends in savings later) courses! After the dentist I also popped into our local Barnardos charity shop and picked up a much needed 1 pint pudding bowl for 49p (I have been desperately needing one since I broke my other one)and a lovely lap tray for £1.99 so a spend of £2.48 but well worth it!

This weekend I was introduced to a wonderful place called make do and mend, a place to go and knit and chat, sew and chat, draw and chat, attend wonderful, amazing workshops on crochet, patchwork, jewellery making, knitting, making facinators for weddings, making shoes, rag dolls and cushion covers!

I had gone along to the knit and chat session, knitted, chatted and then found out that there was a discounted place available on that afternoons patchwork for beginners course! I couldn't really turn that down as I had promised someone dear to me that I would learn how and then make a memory quilt for her after the sudden death of her Mum! It was fun to do and I now have the confidence to get going on such a special project!

Very basic but a beginning at least! :-)


In the meantime we are still eating from the freezer, indeed one freezer is going, so silly having more than one and expensive on the electric! I would rather have some storage space and the freezer might be of help to someone else! This weeks menu will be planned on whatever I find in this surplus freezer! Wish me luck! I am going in........................

Free Lunch! Well almost!

After walking the dog this morning I was so cold and needed something warming for lunch. Had to stick to the rules of the Stoptober challenge and use what I had in though!

Out came a bag of sprouting potatoes, I took the biggest one and cut out all the bad bits, then a half onion left from last nights meal, a small handful of frozen carrots and some frozen peas, boiling water over the top with a chicken oxo from the bargainous bundle I got from App foods, a generous grinding of black pepper and on it went to simmer. I was going to blend it all but the potatoes cooked into a lovely smashy type of mix and the soup was just fab the way it was. Managed to save the best of the potato peels and popped them into the remoska with some olive oil and a sprinkling of some of the course welsh smoked salt I found in my last lucky box (everything for £1) from app foods. Free chips! :-)

Stoptober Challenge!

I've joined in with Frugal Queens Stoptober challenge to stop spending money this month! Well other that the necessary spends!

First disappointment was having to turn down the chance of tickets to see Andy Fairweather Low! (sob) but at £35 each we have saved £70 into our pay down the mortgage account! Yay! Might have to get "Wide eyed and legless" on home brew to get over it though!

Living out of the store cupboards and freezer so far and not starving. Not gone shopping yet either but will need milk, cheese, butter and fresh veg and fruit this weekend! I am making soups daily and freezing the leftovers for another day! I have some more dentistry to get through soon so the soup will be welcomed!

I have plenty of knitting projects and the wool to do them, so still going to chat and knit club, only twice a month and £3 covers tea, biscuits and overheads. I can also ask for some much needed help with my knitting!

Anyone else doing this challenge?

Recovering from a wonderful weekend with our family. My eldest, his wife and our little grandaughter came to stay. The sun shone, despite a reaction to her MMR vaccination, our little grandaughter smiled, chattered, walked, ran and played to her hearts content. Her Daddy bought her a little £3.99 paddling pool and set it up in the garden so that we could cool her down. My peg basket and a few pegs and second hand mega blocks were enough toys to make it fun, they built boats and splashed. This kind of entertainment costs next to nothing.

We did go out, to a wonderful little zoo called tropical wings, complete with a butterfly house, meercats and giant rabbits - though not all in the same enclosure! :)

We had ice creams and came home to eat, saving ourselves (over the weekend) at least £100. The cost of eating out is soaring, at home we can have what we want, when we want it and then enjoy the leftovers!

Today I have a poorly little dog, she has been to the vets and is now on a chicken and rice diet for a few days. Luckily we had chicken at the weekend so I have enough chicken for now. Somewhere at the bottom of the freezer I have more chicken pieces and must now go and "freezer dive" to find them! Don't you just love chest freezers?

I love leftovers! Especially planned leftovers. Today we have leftover chicken from one of the costco chickens I bought last week. I cook a chicken and we have a roast chicken meal from 1 breast, with vegetables etc., next day I take all the meat off and put to one side, everything else is in the slowcooker for some lovely stock and soup. Chicken sandwiches, chicken curry and a Nasi goreng (fried rice) are all planned, either to eat this week or for the freezer for later.

According to a recent yahoo news story we can all eat gourmet food quite cheaply! Worth reading the article as everything is priced up in large quantities, not taking into account that there would be plenty of ingredients left over! Leftovers that would make another meal or 2 in some cases, bringing the price of the portions right down! Half price in some cases (see first recipe) I wonder what suggestions we could all come up with for the leftovers in this article?

We spend far too much money on sandwich fillings so today I cooked a ham (3 for £10) so £3.33 which produced 472g of lovely ham slices! So much nicer than the 180g packet of ham slices I had bought last week for £1.50 but which normally costs £3. I have frozen some of the slices so it should do 2 weeks of sarnies and meals. We add chopped ham to quiches, fried rice and Nasi Goreng - a malaysian fried rice meal which is delicious!

Last night we braved the rain and went to see Shakespeare in the park - Macbeth performed by the brilliant Lord Chamberlain's men! The poor actors were also braving the elements and by the interval were coping with thoroughly rainwater sodden costumes as well. We enjoyed a home packed picnic, a glass of wine each and some hot chocolate to drink at the end, this warmed us up a treat! We had the shelter of our umbrellas, groundsheets and waterproofs! The moral of the story is if you want to enjoy outdoor life in Britain at the moment, be prepared and pack for rainy weather!

Sadly during the interval, many people decided enough was enough (surely not true brits then) and packed up and left for home. This was good news for us though as we suddenly were the front row! The folks at the side of us also stayed declaring that they were making memories! We agreed!