Am liking the meal planning but it needs to be flexible!

Meal plan doing fine. We have Curry for tonight as I recall. I might do lemon chicken tomorrow instead of lasagne as I have lemons that need using up. They have been there since christmas. I will use what I need for the recipe and then juice the rest. I may freeze some of the juice and use the rest.
We will have jacket potatoes with the lemon chicken.


I hate waste!! The lasagne can stay in the freezer till next Friday night.
Curry
Lemon chicken
Pork Sunday dinner


Meal plan for next week
Monday - Pizza . Cheap one with added toppings. 60p per pizza with left over ham etc etc Easy meal for Monday night and quick!
Tuesday- Sausage and mash- with peas and gravy  Veg sausages!
Wednesday - Fish and chips with peas
Thursday- Tomato soup and bread - Quick and its shopping night! Better for bargains though they are sparse at the local Morrisions.
Friday - Lasagne and garlic bread with veg
Saturday- Thai Curry
Sunday- Chicken pieces roast dinner

At weekends for lunches we have snack foods - pitta and cheese and cucumber, tuna etc etc

During the week  I will have left overs and porridge and sandwiches for lunch next week.

The regular shopping buys I have are mostly fresh stuff and cat food!: potatoes, veg, fruit, milk, bread

I alwasy look out for yellow stickered bread and meat.


Also as a silly thing I have a daily outfit total cost at work. The team now ask me how much I spent in total on todays outfit. I should do pics. lol its an expensive one today totalling £28 quid but thats including boots, coat, jeans, top waistcoat thing and under vest.

Yesterday was a below a tenner day. the team were impressed but not yet ready ot make the move to second hand clothes lol

Shopping

Well mostly stuck to the shopping list.I did buy yellow sticker mince reduced from £4 to 2.89,  veg sausages, the linda mac ones reduced to £1, garlic  ciabatta reduced 19p. This is as good as yellow stickering gets in my local Morrisons. Spent £28 but yellow stickers for meat and good stuffs is allowed as an investment. I only buy special offer meat or try to.

Squeeeee! Freecycle and the first resolution!

Mostly so far so good.....

I have acquired a sewing machine from Free Cycle. It is a huge old heavy thing - works ok I hope. Haven't tried it yet. I also have a new tea tray. I swapped one at work.

I have got work to pay for the PTTLS course. ( Preparing to teach in the lifelong learning sector- minimum qual to deliver anything in FE or adult ed.) Starts Jan 23rd.

No joy with fitting in the exercise yet but hey ho there is time.

I have had a no spend day today. Monday was a farce however. Weeny needed her shoe strap fixing. I am not forking out for new shoes for a few weeks! When she gets into the size 11's I have for her all well and good.  I also had to fill up the car. I intend on only filling up at supermarkets. I will endeavour to do so once a week and not forget and leave myself having to get even a small amount of petrol locally as it is too expensive.  Hmm I failed the charity shop test. I just went in for a browse then found a skirt for £4 however the it was brand new and the attached label said RRP £55 so its going straight to Ebay. I then spied another skirt also for £4, some cushion covers- 3 for £1.49 and a sale rail long waist coat for 99p. I only went in for the 99p sale rail. The skirt  for me is very cool however, I would keep the other one but will chance my luck on Bay. Its by some silly label it looks like. Never heard of it but thats not a surprise. Its black, full skirted, hipster style goes to the knee with silver thread through it. Sounds odd but is very nice. Ebay it is however.

My little resolutions now include:

• making my own washing liquid at least once
• making jam from brambles
• making a simple roman blind or two
• plus the other little stuff

Bummed out on the charity shopping but hey ho won't beat myself up about it.

Sticking to the meal plan so far and will stick it the shopping list.

Also found a free PDF thing for birthday invites. Only went for B/W but they were cute. Weeny turns five on the 18th Jan. Plans are afoot for celebrations.

I have money put aside for her class birthday party at soft play and we will do pressies and cake in the house on her actual birthday.  Will purchase a basic small cake for the soft play event and make my own for the house party.

This is the last time we do soft play parties and the only time I will do the whole class thing. Next year it will be a few kids to the cinema on a Tuesday afternoon when its cheap or a few to one of the wildlife sanctuaries. I kind of feel obliged this year as all the others are doing something similar or have done the class size party.  No birthday pressies of any significant worth however. Have gone for the party and small pressies instead. Will only be the Bratz accessories I have stashed from Free cycle. That was an excellent haul!

Off to find patterns/instructions for Roman blinds. I have old curtains and venetian blind slats as well as cord/string stuff. Fingers crossed.


Good stuff - Quals and freecycle, free invitations from the interweb!
Poor show- spending needlessly in charity shops not including the eBay find as this may be an investment

Routine looms, frugal plans, .... and P easy soup amongst other things....

Back to work tomorrow. We have taken Biggles to the station after 17 days of loveliness! We have our packed lunches made. We have P. Easy soup made for tomorrow.

P Easy as it is literally piss easy and also made from peas lol.

I had left over creme fraiche so made Piss easy soup here after known as Peasy soup so as not to offend the sensitive. I try not to waste creams as they are not cheap. We had fajitas so had left over Creme Fraiche. Also works with soured cream. Proper fridge found dairy stuff not the nasty bottled sauce style. Bleugh!

Peasy Soup
Chop and soften one medium onion in a little oil. Add a sprinkle of mint and S and P. Add 400ml of stock - veg will do though others such as ham, chick etc work well. Not sure of the redder meats. Def not beef. Boil. Add a good two handfuls of peas - frozen ones maybe more.  Boils for a min or two but no longer. Reduce heat to minimal. Add creme fraiche ( four tbs approx) or single cream or marscapone or whipping or double. Make a judgement according to how much you have left and how thick you want your soup to be if you are using double cream etc etc.  If you only have a small amount of creamy stuff or it pleases you chuck in a handful of grated cheese or to taste or give substance!
Add more mint, S and P and blitz. Ta dah! You can strain if you like or if your frozen peas are getting a bit husky and hard. I keep the husks in, if they are soft enough.
It is very green and makes for good flatulence. I have warned you. Great with HM bread.

So I have me several lists.


Frugal to do list

1. Meal plan to work out - reduce shopping budget to at least 25 pw and no more
2. Budget to set and review
3. Own washing liquid to make when  my current stash runs down
4. Make simple blinds for the kitchen - I have the material and the old blinds so hopefully I can fashion something
5. Ebaying - I have sorted out clothes, more stuff, shoes, etc Weeny girl stuff. I also have Biggles warehouse to sort out
6. Car boot sale when the season starts. I shall reccie a newish car boot in the area to see what its like. I have a preference for one that I know is busy and well
7. I shall not shop at charity shops or otherwise till at least Easter. I have no need and have many items that I can upcycle and adapt.
8. I have seeds that this year I will plant in my boxes and tubs.
9. To complete more online surveys. I am lazy and use my phone for many a thing so

I shall freecycle and skip dive for all other needs. I plan on going to the tip for a reccie and look see.
I also need to get to Biggles house to rescue some freezer food and some condiments and spices etc.  I shall also have a root around for any tupperware for batch cooking.

My free cycle list included the following:
Bamboo or other blinds
sewing machine
photo frames
dvd player
garden table
curtains
toys for weeny for xmas lol
oil filled radiator



I nearly caved and purchased bamboo blinds then thought no I can make stuff. So if anyone has any hints on making simple roman stule blinds please send instructions my way.

I do not have a sewing machine so all will need to be hand sewable or wonder webbable lol


General to do list
Car wash and valet - needs some TLC
Put up the princess bed thing - It has a massive screw that I need to set into a joist in the ceiling somehow. Any ideas much appreciated!
Garden to be sorted out a bit  and also the Barbecue for the better weather,
Spring clean and de clutter - will try a draw a month lol

I also have the ongoing get fitter thing and the qualification thing and most def the meal plan thing!

I have got out the mini cross trainer. I will endeavour to build up some time on this in the evening. I will also walk up the stairs and not use the lift. I will walk Weeny to school Fridays bar rain!

Meal plan 1.  7th - 13th Jan
Monday - soup and bread
Tuesday- chicken and salad, chips
Wednesday-  baked potatoes with cheese and beans, I will have beans on toast or something. Only one spud and  Shopping day is Thursday. Weeny likes her spud and beans!
Thursday- Eggy bread with beans
Friday-   Chicken Chow mein or curry
Saturday-  Lasagne- and garlic bread. Its already made and in the freezer!
Sunday-  Pork- Roast

Pudding is always fruit and we always have cucumber and carrot on the side as a snack

Thus my shopping list for this week shall be:

Eggs, potatoes, carrots, brocoli, peppers, cucumber, lettuce, chicken pieces, beans, squash to drink, milk, sugar, bread for freezer, pizza, loo roll, cheap cheese/ham, fruit for lunches and pudding- see whats on special, cat food.

Will only get yello sticker bread for freezing as I already have three loaves in stock and will see what bargains are up. So all in for £25 not including additional yellow sticker bargains??? What do you reckon????  

I will oblige my self of bargains at Lidl and Iceland for certain things ( eggs namely) as you can get 6 free range for 99p. I won't do caged. Most other stuff I find The Sons of Morri to be adequate given travelling time etc.









 

NYD Ochils 2. What we walked!

 

Castle Campbell again....

Car park not far form here and a wee road walk before you turn off and head for Sauchie falls. I could have walked from Dollar itself but have no love of walking roads and through houses and streets. I find it very boring.

 

 

 

 

View from a cairn - not quite Kings Seat. Kings Seat is a Donald and over 2000ft. I think We left it too late in the day to climb the seat. It looks a simple enough mooch however I didn't fancy the steep bits to the above cairn in the dark. just  There was not enough sunshine in the day.

 

 



The wee town of Dollar.

 

 

 Same hill in sunshine!

 

No pics of Kings Seat but will try to add some later.

Pics NYE 1 Ochil Hills and Castle Campbell.

New Year Eve Birthday

Child with a temperature so we were up most of the night. She hit 39 degrees so we went through the list of things to do. Finally it broke and she is feeling better, We were nearly off to a walk in centre but thankfully. Fit enough today for a walk to a castle and a waterfall in the Ochill Hills.

We are visiting my sister for New year and my birthday. I hit the big 40 today. Sister liveth in the land of Scots in Clackmannanshire. The wee town is very picturesque and nestles at the foot of the Ochil Hills.

Pah 40! Its just a number. Had a curry last night in Alloa. We all went out and I used the evil CC to pay for it, Not loads but it happens rarely that I am in a position to do so. Will be paid off in full.

My birthday meal this evening is on the sister and BIL. We are celebrating their anniversary (28th December) as well as my Bday.

Weeny will have cousin time.

Apparently we have champagne, panettone and a  birthday cake.

We are heading out tomorrow to bag some hills before a huge sunday dinner.Weeny will be staying in.

The pootle to the castle and the waterfall was gentle. I believe in fresh air and kids bounce back to being energised so quickly.

Enjoy your Hogmanay! I maybe drunk or at least a wee bit tiddly fnar fnar