Frugal February

Just made 5 pints of vegetable stock for soups. Just cooling waiting to be frozen.
I think the secret to success is planning.Now, you'll either think I'm very sad or very savvy as I spent last night devising a 28 day menu

I am taking this VERY seriously!

Tempted to make a Very Rude Reply Mrs Allboys ????

I'm not sure if it was stock or apple sauce - but the soup was quite tangy! A whole head of broccoli (gone slightly soft but still green), a few home-frozen runner beans and sprouts plus an onion.
I've never put sprouts in soup before but it was very nice indeed.

so must be polite and enjoy it.
It would be very rude not to eat everything

Happy Birthday from me too whitewave

Happy Birthday whitewave?? Enjoy this evening and fresh start tomorrow! OldMeg look on the bright side....think how much easier to lose weight just eating soup and scrambled egg for a week or two.?

Mash potatoes, sprouts, cabbage, carrots, swede, parsnips..... whatever it all gets mashed together. I also added some left over roast chestnuts from Christmas... Delicious.

Sorry about the double post I didn’t think the first one “took”

gilly that vegetable idea sounds good will do that for sure

Lunch
Chunky minestrone soup 420 calories
Cup of tea 5 calories

So far today 732 calories

This will now be totally ruined by dinner with sister oh well it is my birthday dinner so must be polite and enjoy it.

gilly what a good idea re vegetables I shall do that in future.
Chunky minestrone soupmfor lunch 420 calories
Cup of tea 5 calories

So far today then I’ve had

Oh it sounds a bit like the Pan Haggerty I make OldMeg which is very similar. Layers of sliced corned beef , sliced potatoes and gently fried onions. I pour gravy over the top and pop into he oven until the sliced potatoes on the top go all lovely and brown. I'm drooling.

Forgot to say, bake in hot oven till cheese is golden and bubbling.

I'm not really tempted by sweet things at all
My problem is with finding substitutes for the things I love, which are all high calorie, but with a lovely texture. Nuts, crisps, cheesy biscuits.
Rice cakes are the nearest, but still nowhere near what I crave.

Funnygran; try those easy peeler small oranges that I've been esting if you crave something sweet. I've never ben a great orange eater as, in the past they used to trigger migraines but I'm now [touch wood] clear of them. They really are incredibly sweet but, at the same time have a slight tartness which stops the sweet tooth [if that makes sense]. I'm also snacking on bananas as they're filling, energy giving and [supposedly] do something with the serotonin levels in the body thereby making you feel happy. I used to put my fruit and vegetables in a smoothie but they were packed full of calories. It seems we've all pretty much cut back on calories but lost little weight over the past month; could it be that it's been so cold and we've had our heating on so high that our bodies just aren't burning calories to keep warm? I've also been keeping the heating on throughout the night; something I've never done before.

Gilly I slice the corned beef and put it in an oven dish. Mash together steamed onion, steamed cabbage and boiled potato (ratio 1:1:2) cover corned beef with this and grate cheese on the top. I usually use leftover veg and that lump of cheese that’s been festering in the corner of the fridge since Noah was a lad.

Serve with boiled beetroot and/or red cabbage, and brown sauce if you want.

Very easy, very tasty, very filling and very cheap.

Onion, cabbage, re cabbage, beetroot make 4 of your 5-a day too.

Sounds Yummy. I Haven't tried that Oldmeg (but I will do very soon) do you just mash the corned beef into the veg then?

Yikes, my stock isn't labelled but I don't think there is anything else in the freezer to confuse it with at the moment, except for maybe curry sauce ....

Happy birthday whitewave
My theory is that your body needs a 'calorie jolt' every so often or else it gets used to the lower number of calories and the weight loss slows down.
So eating too much once in a while can help.
That's my excuse theory anyway, experts will probably disagree

I am cleaning the oven - and told DH that there will be no more roast potatoes now that it's February. He asked if he can have chips instead

Last time I defrosted some chicken stock it turned out to be apple sauce
Oh, I didn't check the stock I defrosted. It's in the soupmaker now - that could be interesting. Although there are some soups you can make that contain apple, aren't there?

PS love bubble and squeak - made with corned beef. Wouldn’t have to chew that much would I?

Yes, feeling very sorry for myself.

I hope you’ve labelled your stock. Last time I defrosted some chicken stock it turned out to be apple sauce ??

I would normally OldMeg but I already have a few bags of stock in the freezer.

Another one of my frugal tricks is to always cook more veg than I need. I mash all the leftovers together and freeze to have as bubble and squeak at a later date.

Poor you...(re the dentist) . How can you not chew on one side for 2 weeks? seems a very long time.

Well I won’t be doing a lot of chewing Gilly. Just back from dentist. He’s removed a crown from back molar and not put in a temporary one ??. Warns me not to chew on ‘that side’ for next two weeks until new crown is fitted. Looks like I'm on a liquid diet as I find it almost impossible to chew on one side.

Can others do that?

Re your chicken Gilly - didn’t you boil the carcass up for stock? Makes great soup.

Mouth not moth [stupid phone]

I read something that said the longer you have to keep food in your moth before swallowing the better it is for you. Think cakes etc. that dissolve quickly and nuts etc. that take a lot of chewing. Not sure if it's correct though.

My frugal week has so far consisted of 1 very large chicken cooked on Monday evening when it was dinner for DH and I, my dad and 3 grandchildren. Chicken pasta bake on Tuesday, sandwiches for work on Wednesday and enough left for a curry tonight. Cluck cluck cluck