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Spinach and Feta Pie.

August 12, 2013, 10:23 am
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Hello Dear Reader,

Oh I've been hard at it again today! I had a lovely rummage around the charity shops of Saltash and then Dearly Beloved took me to their local community centre that has a cafe run by volunteers. Two coffees and two choccy biscuits for £3.50! Find their website HERE  I'm so impressed by the place that I think it will be a great venue to hire for a great big quilting, sewing or knitting get together! They have a quilting group that meets there on a Friday from 10am - 4pm and I would go if I wasn't at work. There is a community space upstairs which can be hired and there is a cafe downstairs. The view from the patio is stunning!

There is also new walk right under the road bridge and round to the 'other side' of Saltash. We had a walk around the wooded area and were enchanted by the playscheme that was looking after the children in the holidays. What a lovely place for them to have fun.

I managed to buy a dress, pyjamas, a cardigan and two tops for work and I spend £12 in total; it's all in the wash and ready to go onto the line. If anyone wants to buy a full set of Beryl woodware dinner service and teaset - they had one in the Hospice shop in the mainstreet of Saltash for £6! Go get it!


Here's another recipe for you all and this would serve eight! We'll be eating this for the rest of the week!

Spinach and Feta Pie.



You will need

1 block of ready made puff pastry - 99p - Morrisons.
350g of frozen spinach - defrosted - 36p - Morrisons
1 pack of Feta cheese - 500g - 85p - Aldi
1 onion - chopped and fried - 18p - Aldi
2 beaten eggs - 33p
teaspoon dried parsley - or fresh if you have it - 5p
Sprinkle of nutmeg - 2p

Total - £2.78 and serves 8 - 34p per portion. Serve with salad and you have another meal for well under £1.



Pre-heat the oven to 180/Gas 5

Defrost the spinach and separate the leaves with a fork.


Crumble the feta cheese.


Add the fried onions.



Add a heaped teaspoon of parsley, some salt and pepper and some nutmeg.

Beat two eggs and stir through.

Divide the pastry block into two and roll out to fit the size of a baking tray.

Carefully arrange the ingredients on top.

Lay the next piece of pastry on top of filling and secure the edges by either pressing down with a fork or crimping, by folding and pinching.


Bake for 30 minutes and then check, if it needs longer or if it's ready. It will be golden brown and crispy if it is ready.


I marked the top so it's kind of Spanakopita meets Pithivier with Cornish Crimping! 


Of course, the obligatory close up - we had ours with a beetroot and tomato salad.


I'll be back tomorrow with a lovely 'use everything but the cluck' chicken recipe and will show how one chicken can feed two people all week not to mention the recipe for Anzac Biscuits.............can you believe that DB has emptied the biscuit tin already?!?

Until then,

Love Froogs xxxxxxxxxxxxx
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Sticky Glazed Roast Chicken

August 13, 2013, 6:01 am
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Hello Dear Reader,

There is such thing as a free lunch! Tesco sent me all the ingredients to make Glazed Roast Chicken. Apparently, Plymouth's favourite meal is the traditional Sunday lunch and to be honest, who can blame them? I hope their campaign gets people trying new ideas and new recipes as I'd never have smothered an £8.31 chicken in anything at all if I'd paid for it! 

Here goes! This is the recipe they wanted me to try and then review.

First of all, you'll need a lie down if you've just paid £8.31 for a chicken! I remember now why we don't eat it other than for Christmas lunch! It is so expensive. Never fear, I'm going to strip that bird, make stock, soup and use every last scrap of it. Another way of looking at the campaign is to think about the ever increasing cost of food and for all of us to be as creative as possible with our budgets, eat the best we can within our price range and to love every mouthful because we've paid a lot for it.


Glazed Roast Chicken

6 tbsp of runny honey
5 tbsp of soy sauce
6 garlic cloves - crushed
1 inch cube or a little more of ginger, peeled and grated
5 tbsp of rice wine (I tested this and it tasted of corked wine - you could use wine or sherry or splash of watered down vinegar)
1 big chicken
1kg of charlotte potatoes (I used half this amount and it was still way too much and I have a pan full left to use, and don't worry.....I will use them) - cut them in half.
1 or 2 lemons thinly sliced
1 tbsp of olive oil - or any oil would do.
1 pack of tenderstem broccoli - (I would not have bought this, it's out of season and flown in from Kenya - I would use summer peas, broad beans, spring greens, wilted summer spinach or carrots - but I won't throw food away and it was lovely!)



Preheat the oven to gas 6, 200C or fan 180C

Combine the honey, soy, ginger, garlic and rice wine in a pan. 

Bring to the boil and keep stirring until it becomes sticky. I think that soft brown sugar would have worked better than honey as this never became sticky and didn't coat the chicken.

Put the chicken in a roasting dish and cover with the glaze. The instructions told me to brush it on but the ginger and garlic got stuck in the brush! 

I covered this in foil, I didn't want an £8.31 chicken to shrink to the size of a sparrow.

Cook in the oven for 1 hour 20/30 minutes - but baste every 30 minutes.



In a roasting tin, toss the potatoes with the lemons, oil and some seasoning - I added more oil.

Roast them in the oven for the last 30 minutes of cooking time along with the chicken.



Boil the broccoli for 3 - 5 minutes and serve with the chicken and potatoes.

I poured the juices from the chicken, along with the marinade that was in the bottom of the roasting tin, into a gravy jug and skimmed the fat off and then poured it all over the chicken.




Now don't get me wrong, I enjoyed this, but put this in front of a Janner and I don't think this is the Sunday roast they were thinking of. The sticky sauce was a delicious combination of honey, ginger and garlic but I felt it masked the natural taste of the chicken. I like my Sunday roast with all the 'trimmings' of stuffing, heaps of steamed seasonal veg, some gravy made from the giblets and if I'm using new potatoes then I like them lightly boiled with a sprig of mint.

I'm going to enjoy using the rest of the chicken, the new potatoes and the other ingredients I was sent. We certainly did love every mouthful and I can definitely recommend the sticky ginger sauce recipe.

Over to you Dear Reader, is it just me  or are we all finding the cost of meat almost prohibitively expensive?

Until tomorrow,

Love Froogs xxxxxxx
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What do we need to budget for?

August 14, 2013, 12:53 pm
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Hello Dear Reader,

I'm having some really positive email discussions with some of you about budgeting. It's easy to over look what we actually need to budget for. I've had a good think about this and even then, I'm sure I've missed quite a few things. I had to think back to my children being at home and still in school and all the costs I had for them. Whilst at Secondary School, the costs were enormous and needed saving for all year. I knew they were not heading for university by the time they were fourteen but if they were that way inclined, or if yours are then I'm sure the holidays, treats, new clothes ect have all gone by the by as you save for the huge costs of sending them to higher education. 

What ever we buy, how ever we buy it, we need to plan it and carefully work out how it fits into our budgets. We knew we couldn't afford a holiday this year as we had to do house repairs (rotten patio door frame and corrupted double glazing needed replacing). After assigning every penny, we don't have any money spare at all, not a bean! There's no spontaneous days out, trips, treats, shopping or even a takeaway. Every penny is spoken for. It does mean we have sizeable savings and that the end of every financial year we can now roll over funds from immediate savings to long term savings as we will need a new car soon. 


We all need to develop a saving habit which also means we have to develop a going without until I can afford it habit. It's too easy, especially if we have children, to not plan carefully for all costs. A birthday invite can throw a budget askew by £10 for a present and then the family will soon be playing catch up because of that. Teaching our children to save their own pocket money to buy birthday gifts themselves can help alleviate sudden budget spin balls. Putting aside money every month to buy wood for the winter means I can keep really warm, dry all my laundry and keep my house at a steady temperature. Having my car maintained properly means I will get a decent price for it when I trade it in. Looking after my property means I have less surprises or suddenly unexpected bills. 

We all of us need a 'shit hits the fan' fund too! Our washing machine is five years old and won't last forever, nor will the dishwasher or oven and I couldn't do without them. Someone could drive straight into me and right my car off and I might need to replace it quickly so I can get to work. There is always something that could go wrong and we need to be financially as prepared as possible or else we'll be begging the bank for a loan!

Over to you Dear Reader, what have I missed that we should be saving for? You may make essential charitable donations or pay towards care home fees for your elderly relatives. What do you budget for? Do you have as many accounts as us? (No charges with a classic account - no over draft facilities, no frills bank accounts). We also need to budget for the 'excess' on our insurances and in countries outside the UK, that will be the excess on your medical insurances too.

I look forward to your pearls of wisdom on budgeting, we can all work that bit harder on our family finances and I would be glad for your in-put.

Until tomorrow,

Love Froogs xxxxxxxx


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Back Soon

August 16, 2013, 12:24 pm
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Apologies for my absence, horribly ill again! I will be back when I can.

Love Froogs
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How to bulk buy from the butchers

August 18, 2013, 6:42 am
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 Hello Dear Reader,

First of all, I'm going to let you into a food industry secret. Tesco's biggest meat suppliers are St Merryn Meat, who have abattoirs in Bodmin (round the corner from me - which slaughters 'red meat') and Merthyr Tydfil (lamb and poultry) and their mincing, processing and packing plant is in Roche on the outskirts of St. Austell, also near to where I live. My butchers is effectively Tesco! If I were to buy what I bought today in the Tesco store in Callington (my nearest) then I would have paid £8.00 for Tesco minced beef (less fat), £7.99 a kilo for a gammon joint and £10 a kilo for casserole beef. I paid considerably less. The meat industry in the UK is so big that there are always outlet stores for the supermarkets, run directly by their suppliers and they are in your areas if you know where to look. 



My minced beef cost £3 a kilo and would have been £8 a kilo if I bought it in Tesco.



Bacon is a great ingredient to add to so many dishes and it's always cheap to buy the bacon off cuts. This is nothing like the bacon pieces you get in Tesco but instead, it's the great chunks of bacon than cut wonderfully into lardons which enhance so many dishes. It isn't cheap but who can have a coq au vin without lardons?



My beef, which I use in casseroles or just braised for the Sunday roast dinner is £5.99 a kilo and £4 a kilo less than if I had bought the same meat in my local Tesco.



Do any of you buy packets of ham for lunches and salads? We boil our own gammon, use our electric slicer and then keep it in the fridge in an air tight container. It lasts well over a week and well into the next week.



If you get to Tregeagles, which is Tesco undercover. Here is the secret code - green packs = Tesco organic, Black Packs = Tesco Finest and the clear packs are Tesco ordinary meat. They were selling Tesco's finest burgers for 25p each today! DB loves them!



24 organic beef meatballs for 99p! The bargain of the week! We will eat six each (they shrink!) and each meal will cost up 25p a portion! There are massive bargains to have if you can find a meat outlet store. The big indoor markets often sell meat in bulk at massively reduced prices - if you can buy ten chickens at once, be prepared to buy them for pennies each.



We're having a huge chicken leg each today, roasted with some potatoes a pile of veg and gravy. At 60p each, I'm not covering it in sauce if you don't mind.



I cut the bacon packs into four and rebag it, I always note down how much each portion costs so I can price out our meals and stick to a budget.



Each 250g bag of bacon pieces is enough for a quiche for four, or carbonara, or with penne and bacon and tomato sauce. 100g is 4oz - which is a plenty big enough portion for anyone.



Each 350g bag of minced beef is enough for a lasagne for 4, or cottage pie, or bolognaise and works out at £1 a bag.



One roasted chicken leg, with the meat stripped from the bone and half a bag of bacon pieces, along with some vegetables and gravy is more than enough to fill a chicken and 'ham' pie and will feed four people.



Braising steak is always expensive but it's tender and full of flavour and can be used in pies, such as steak and kidney, or steak and mushroom. It can be slowly braised in some seasoned water with onions and served with roast potatoes for a Sunday lunch. It is expensive at £1.03 a portion but it's still much cheaper than if I'd bought it straight from Tesco.



This has to be the bargain of the day! Ready made meat balls. I'll simply serve these in either a tomato sauce and with spaghetti or with a rich onion gravy, buttery mashed spuds and greens.



The gammon joint is cooking away and I will slice it when it is cooked and cold. It always amazes me what any shop charges for cooked meat. Raw, it's £2.99 a kilo but if I bought this off the deli counter in Tesco, I would have to pay £7.79 a kilo. For the price difference, I can cook it and slice it myself.


If you live near me, what are you waiting for? Tregeagles (AKA Tesco!) is on the Trago Mills site in Liskeard. Do they have an outlet in Wales? If you know, or can find out, please let me know so I can tell readers. Does anyone have a market, whether indoors or outdoors such as Cornish Market World? They all have the stack it high and sell it in large quantities type of butchers who are selling supermarket surplus. If you would buy your meat from Tesco, Waitrose, Co-op, Morrisons or Sainsbury's then you can buy direct from their suppliers without the supermarket mark up which charges you for: free parking, onsite toilets and cafes, children's play areas and a wide range of products all under one roof. In my quick research, I found markets in Leicester, Bury, plenty in Manchester, Bolton, Swansea, Leeds, Accrington, Stevenage, Birmingham and I could go on and on. Take a look and find the bulk sales and listen out...........you'll hear them selling before you see them!

Work out how much meat you would need for each family member and rebag your meat into convenient packs, I buy my bags from Poundland. It also helps if you can research before you buy and as the supermarkets are in a price cartel, then use Tesco's website to research prices. Don't just buy a heap of meat because it is cheap but because it's what you would buy anyway but just for a lot less. Every butcher will have a sign somewhere in the shop saying where the meat is from, or who owns it, or where the meat is slaughtered. Note that down and get on the net and do some research, you may find that your local market stall is selling meat that is the overstock from Morrisons!

Now Dear Reader, let us all know if there is a market near you that sells meat in bulk. Have any of you strayed away to the seedier end of town where the meat is cheaper? Do you worry that because it's cheaper that it's not going to be the best quality? Are you intimidated by a butcher with a hands free microphone shouting out that he's got three legs of lamb for a tenner? Go on, have a punt! It's all destined for the supermarket and if you would buy it there, then there's no difference.

Thanks so much to everyone for their kind words - I have an ongoing form of vertigo/viral (emergency GP appt on Friday night) where I'm either dizzy or sick and wobbly and it comes and goes. I managed a shopping trip and now I'm in need of another sit down...............which is a great excuse for some quilting!

I'll be back tomorrow,

Love Froogs xxx
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Does it cost £148,000 to raise a child?

August 19, 2013, 5:45 am
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Hello Dear Reader,

I grew up in a house with heating in one room, with that fact and the recent 'surveys' in the cost of raising a child, it's a total surprise to many that I'm actually alive! 

Our living room had a parkray coal fire which heated the water and that room. No other room had any heating at all. The coal fire also heated the hot water but it would take it being 'opened up' and set roaring to heat a bath and we just couldn't afford the coal. We had a parrafin heater in our bathroom which was lit on Sunday afternoons when we had our weekly bath. The rest of the week, the bathroom was unheated and we had a 'strip wash', which I always successfully managed to have under my dressing gown! Half way through the week, I would wash my hair in the kitchen sink and it was usually damp the next morning. I never owned a hair dryer until I was grown up and with a job. 

There were no supermarkets. Food was grown in our garden. Luckily, we had the usual size big council house garden that had plenty of space. Our back porch was full of 'clamps' where the root vegetables were buried in sand and peat to keep them throughout the winter. Apples were wrapped in newspaper and placed on planking shelves in the roof rafters of the garage. Our greatest luxury, was a deep freeze............with a lock! Through out the summer, my parents and us kids, would pick barrow after barrow of broad beans, French beans, runner beans and peas and prepare them, blanch them and then freezer them in bags to keep us going throughout the winter. Apples were stewed and bagged and again stored in the freezer to last the winter. In the warmer months, my dad would fish off Par docks and Spit beach to catch whiting and mackerel. The mackerel was 'soused' or hot pickled and sealed in kilner jars and the whiting was gutted, filleted and frozen. He would go out of his friend's boat and bring back pollock which would be gutted, steamed and mixed with mashed potatoes and there would be bags and bags of fish cakes in the freezer. Meat came from 'Dave's Discount' freezer store and mum would buy a forequarter of beef (shin and mostly stewing meat) that was stewed and served with gravy. It was bagged up at home and stored in the freezer. The big roast dinner was reserved for Christmas.

We kept chickens and not just for eggs. We also had ducks. A good third of our garden was a muddy poopy mess! We had piles of birdy poop and bedding which we kept to dig into our garden. We would be sent with a barrow and fork to the nearby stables to ask for manure which we would bring home. As a child, I spent a lot of time either collecting shit or digging it into the garden. I quite enjoyed digging! 

We had a green house and throughout the summer ate grapes and melons to the point that I was sick of them. We had lots of fruit bushes in a fruit cage and made jam to keep us going all year. School lunch was always a jam sandwich and yes, the bread was home made. In winter, there was cabbage, kale, purple sprouting broccoli and sprouts. Dinner was always 'shut up and eat it' and as we were always hungry, we always ate it.

School uniform came as balls of knitting wool from the local haberdashery and my mum would knit us all one school jumper each every year. When we out grew it, she would detach the jumper and start to unpick it and pick up the stitches and then just knit the body and sleeves longer. When our school skirts got too short, she would let them down. When our school shirts got tatty, she would turn the collars and patch where no one could see. We each had one set of uniform, the jumper and skirt got worn all week and the shirts and underwear washed by hand each night and dried by the fire. We had no washing machine and sheets were washed in the bath by sitting on the side and stamping on them. Mum and I would take them in the garden and hold an end and twist them into a sausage to wring them out. They would then be hoisted onto a high ling and held aloft with a pole to stop the line drooping in the middle. 

Winters were harsh and everyone I knew had chilblains. You got them on your feet and hands. Everyone's noses dripped, mouth cracked with cold sores and wore unwashed clothes, as no day was ever a drying day for weeks and weeks on end. Coats and shoes never really dried and the house would be damp and dark from October to March. We had ice on the inside of our windows and our pipes would often freeze, which meant no water until they defrosted. We took a hot water bottle to bed. When it got so cold that the blankets didn't keep you warm any anything became a bed covering. Coats, dad's donkey jacket, and old curtains. Still, I can remember sardines on toast and sitting around the fire on those cold evenings and all of us spending time together in one room. 

All entertainment began and ended in the local village. Everything happened in the church hall. Brownies, Scouts, Guides, youth club on a Friday and Sunday school on Sunday. We flocked to Sunday school to collect our 'I've been' stamps in our books as it meant we got a Christmas present and a holiday to Porthpean for a week in the summer. No one at that summer bible camp had any pocket money, we ate what we were given and every year knew we would get an ice cream on the last day. We looked forwards to Christmas bazaars, summer fetes and sunday school 'teas'. 

Shoes were something that you got new in September for school. They were purposefully too big and everyone wore two or more pairs of socks. We clunk clunked our way to school in loose schools, with rolled up jumper sleeves and trousers turned up to almost the knee. They had no toes in them by June and by July we had to explain to our teachers why we were wearing our black plimsols for just a few weeks. Clothes came from jumble sales, hand me downs from friends and relatives. Schools knew and accepted that they were full of ordinary kids and consequently, I can't remember a single school trip, day out or special occasion. We just went to school and learnt and that was it.

My dad was a lorry driver but that wasn't well paid. My mum stayed home until we were older and I was at secondary school. I was expected to have the fire going and the dinner made for mum when she got home. I loved reading and drawing and would while away hours doing just that. There was no child care. I got a bus home from school and my sister and brother walked back from the primary school and I met them at the end of the lane and I took them home. There were no snacks, no multiple TV channels to watch and we all loved our own 'tranny' radio. If you were hungry, you made do with a jam sandwich as you did for breakfast and lunch.

Employment law was mercifully slack throughout my childhood. I and so many like me, picked the winter daffodils in bud and then the spring early Cornish potatoes. We got work in pubs washing glasses and chippys peeling spuds. I had friends who swept up and made tea in hair dressers and even crimped pasties in the back of bakeries. I sold ice creams in a van on the beach every summer from when I was thirteen years old, I was supposed to be fourteen but I lied. I used to save up and buy Mum roll-ons, Rimmel make up, Silvikrin shampoo and Yardley perfume. One summer, I was so determined to buy a pair of Wrangler jeans that I saved all summer. By the time of was sixteen, I was financially self sufficient and by eighteen was living independently. I'd never heard of a university until VIth form and didn't stay long enough to go to one.

Everyone I knew lived a similar life to my own. In fact, I was much better off than many of my contemporaries. My mum knew who the hungry kids were and told me to bring them home. I was taller than most kids and my mum knew who was short of a cardi or a nightie and they could have my old ones. We always ate a hot meal every night, there was always a pot of tea and I was always able to bring school friends home and they always got fed too. Locally, we were strangely aware of the parents who smoked or drank their money and it wasn't unheard of for my primary school head teacher to go personally to the house and give them a shot across the bough if they neglected their children. 

As a family, things got better for us when both my parents had a job and we'd often have a coal fire in two rooms and later we had electric heaters in our bedrooms and we were allowed to switch then on just before going to bed. By the time I left home, there were three TV channels but still no washing machine but at least mum could afford to take the big wash to the launderette.

It takes what ever you have to raise a child. I didn't have a holiday until my youngest child was thirteen and my eldest, now 27 has never had a holiday in his life. They didn't get much at all, but in comparison to my childhood, grew up in decadence. They could have a bath every day, clean clothes every day, and we had a heated house with double glazing. They had breakfast cereal, juice and a packed lunch and a cooked meal every night. They had a birthday and Christmas present. They went of school trips and even school holidays. We had days out to the beach and parks. They had an ice cream every week! 

It certainly doesn't take that much to raise a child and those of us who didn't plan them but had them anyway, know that you get by some how and do your best. Those of us who grew up, by modern standards, in poverty, were never aware that we were poor. Children need to be loved and wanted, have secure families, a roof over their heads, enough food, enough cleanliness and enough clothes. There is little more that they need. I was loved and wanted and so were my children and that is about all they or I truly needed.

The photo is of me and my lovely mum - a couple of summers ago. I am truly blessed, that despite of having no money, gave me a wonderful upbringing. 

Over to you. Who else brought their kids up on not a lot more that good luck and prayer? Who else thinks that materialism has polluted family life and blurs the line between what we want and what we need?

Until tomorrow,

Love Froogs xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx




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Potato Salad and a simple life

August 20, 2013, 8:28 am
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Hello Dear Reader,

You contacted me via Twitter yesterday and wanted some advice on how to save for a mortgage. The answer will not be what you want to hear. If you want to save up for anything, you have to give up almost everything to get there. You will need to live a simple, austere and frugal life and learn to love it. If you don't love it, you will not stick at it and you'll never save up for anything. When we paid off our debts, we totally gave up our previous life and we don't miss it at all because we've not slipped back to any of our old ways at all.

My life is very simple now. I've been on holiday from work since the end of July and we haven't had one day out, I've not spent any money on myself, we've not eaten out, I've not bought any thing new and I've not been anywhere. I now consider a holiday to be any day where I'm not at work...........that's my holiday now. I've had the luxury of being able to afford new glasses, had some work done on the house and getting the car serviced; all from money we had saved for such an event. We have enough. We have enough food, our home is heated enough, we have enough stuff, I have enough clothes, I have enough to do and read and our lives are simple. We have no debt other than our mortgage and saving for when we need anything.



My day has been another simple day on planet earth. I baked bread and each loaf costs 30p. I made two quiches for the freezer as I'm bound to have a 'can't be bothered to cook' day really soon. I made jam tarts with the leftover pastry and we had home made potato salad for lunch.If any of you have any suet mix lurking in your cupboards that you may have bought from Approved Foods in the past, it makes great pastry and is brilliant to make quiche with. I always portion my quiche before I freeze it and then just pull it out of the freezer, already wrapped in foil and ready to pop into a lunch box or the mini oven to warm up for lunch.

I'm still using the goodies I was sent by Tesco and have some of the bag of Charlotte potatoes that they sent me. I'll share my potato salad recipe with you.


Serves 2 - You will need 

1 small onion finely diced
10 small new potatoes cut into cubes - only just cook them
1 tablespoon of mayonaise
3 tablespoons of low fat natural yoghurt
4 cornichons or 1 gerkin - finely diced. I get mine from Aldi and they have a stong dill flavour
1/4 of a peeled and chopped cucumber - optional


Combine the lot and serve with cold or warm quiche, or some home boiled and sliced gammon or some home made veggie burgers or fritters. My gammon joint cost £4.69 and after cooking I got 25 slices out of it which worked out to 18p a slice. 




Today sums up our simple life. Dearly Beloved had the day off work and the highlight of our day was sitting down to lunch together. You see, normally we eat lunch apart and it's a great joy when we are both at home together. We don't hanker for things, experiences, trips, days out and enjoy life just as it is. 


I don't for one minute want to tell the young reader that you should live like me to save for your mortage but I will say you can't have it all. You can not have new shoes, all the latest toys and crazes for your young children, you can not have the best toiletries, day trips to amusement parks, you can not have trips to the hair dressers (may I suggest the local college or training academy), handbags, ready made supermarket food, holidays, nights out in restaurants and save up for a deposit on a house. However, if you truly want your own forever home for your family, giving up any of the above will be easy. 

We are determined to move to a smaller house. We are determined to keep paying the amount we do now and have a very short mortgage term and be mortgage free within six years. If I have to go without to get what we want out of life, then I will have to go without. I'm not telling anyone to live like I do, nor am I suggesting that they should I'm just sharing my simple life and how I save to get what I need. My only regret is that I didn't think like this earlier. It's never to soon to be frugal, thrifty and to live a simple life.

Sorry I couldn't tell you what you wanted to hear but have to tell you that if you want to save for a deposit, that you'll have to go without for a many years to be able to afford a mortgage at all. I wish you well and know if you are truly prepared to make sacrifices that it will be worth it in the end.

Over to you Dear Reader, what advice would you give to a young family on how to save for a deposit for their first home.

Until tomorrow,

Love Froogs xxxxxxxxxxx



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How to write a menu plan for a month.

August 21, 2013, 11:33 am
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Hello Dear Reader,

There are many ways to menu plan for your family. The starting point is making the plan together. It's easy for Dearly Beloved and myself as we know our cooking capabilities and what we like. Any family can decide what they like and what they don't like and you can work on compromises as a family. Once you have decided on that, then you need to know your budget. Our catering budget varies week to week but averages over the month at £50 a week (I know! Prices have shot up!) and that's for all our food, fresh fruit and veg which we buy weekly, a big meat shop once a month, a big shop once every few months for tea and coffee, a big shop every few months for cleaning products and dishwasher tablets (we buy in bulk from Trago) and a big shop once every few months for tinned, dry goods, UHT milk, pet food and toiletries. In all, our 'grocery' budget is £200 a month. It's high in comparison to some and low to others. We also add to our stores by using Approved Food a couple of times a year and I usually buy a year's worth of pasta, dried pulses, cous cous or rice from them for a tiny price.(e.g 10 500g bags of pasta shapes for £1)

When I menu plan, the first thing I always do is stock take everything we have to eat in the house. I write everything down and start to formulate a plan of what we are going to eat. I create a spreadsheet so I can refer back to the previous week and check we are not eating the same things over and over. I try to make my plan as varied as possible, even when I have bags and bags of minced beef, or masses of packs of pasta to use up. We tend to eat the same things for breakfast of either cereal or toast and we eat one main meal in the evening and one light meal as well. Lunch is often leftovers from the night before, or a boiled egg in a sandwich or salad. I always have fruit in the freezer and family sized pots of natural yoghurt so there's always 'pudding' if we want it. We rarely snack between meals and we rarely snack after our evening meal so there's no cheese and crackers lurking and definitely no bought in snacks such as nuts or crisps. Not snacking means we can keep our grocery bill as low as we can. We don't snack because we fill up of lots of veggies with all our meals so we don't get hungry until our next meal. Occasionally, I relent and make biscuits or cakes but portion them to last as long as possible.

I have a stock of cookery books, I also use BBC Food, Yummly, allrecipes.co.uk and other recipe websites. I'll often try recipes from other frugal food bloggers too. I like to try new ideas and will look at my ingredients and then use Google to search for recipes to make from those ingredients. I like to plan from pay day to pay day, so I know we've got enough food for the month and other than fresh fruit and veg, that I don't need to buy anything else. You could find your own way of planning and it might be weekly to start with, moving onto fortnightly and eventually monthly. I have a friend who pins her planning to her fridge to remind her what to prepare, or to take out of the freezer or to defrost if she had made one earlier. Anyone can find their own way. Another friend of mine has a write on - wipe off board on her kitchen wall and writes her planning on that, with a shopping list next to it. You can find your own way.

Of course, I'm not suggesting anyone should plan, it's just personally something that we do. Our plan isn't set in stone either. I could cook anything from the plan on any of the days as I've got most of the ingredients in the house as we always have veggies and salad here. I cross off the 'meal' once we've had it, as that helps with my stock taking at the end of the month. 

Here's my plan for the coming month.


You will notice that we eat the same main meal on Sunday and Monday and that's because we give ourselves the night off cooking on a Monday and have 'Ding Cuisine'. We'll often eat soup for lunch two days running as I will have made a large pot one day and we eat it over the next few days for lunch with bread. I like to keep a good store of frozen foods and dry goods so there is always food in the house and I like to keep a good table. We might be frugal but I always do my best to make sure we eat well.

I hope I've given you a few ideas about menu planning and now it's your turn to chip in. Who menu plans? Who has a set budget for food and sticks to it. Who thinks they have a set budget but actually pops down the local Co-op for a bit of this and that? Who else bulk buys and keeps a store? Who batch cooks so you can have days off cooking?

As ever, I look forward to hearing from you.

Until tomorrow,

Love Froogs

p.s A second house viewing on Friday by a couple who have now sold their house, so cross your fingers for me.
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Sometimes, Febreze just won't do!

August 22, 2013, 12:31 pm
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Hello Dear Reader,

I have bleached all the grout and polished all the taps with window cleaner. I have use Pledge to make all the wood surrounds and skirting boards shine. I have washed all the dogs in Pantene and given them and extra sniff. I have trained them to look at visitors with big puppy eyes and look cute. I have cut the grass, edged the lawn, cleaned all the windows and the inside and outside of every cupboard. I have bleached the over flows and put Dettol down every drain. The ceilings might collapse because everything is in the loft. I've even put my sewing machine away and tidied up my sewing room so it looks like a bed room.I even arranged the cup cupboard so all the handles face one way! You never know where people look!

That reminds me.................I must scrub the steps and polish the door handles!

I wish I had a house viewing every week to have the house this clean all the time!

Until tomorrow,

Love Froogs xxxx 


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Froogs, her latest quilt and her quilting companions.

August 24, 2013, 8:23 am
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Hello Dear Reader,

I've finished my latest quilt! To my shame, I started this in Spring 2012! I made the top quite quickly and made star blocks for the first time. I didn't use a pattern nor did I measure correctly and nor was I good at quarter inch seams and had irregular sized blocks. I felt a total failure and as if my quilt was rubbish. I put it together and the blocks didn't line up and it was skewed when I finally backed it and had it all together. Well, I got over all that, patched in where it wasn't square it up and got on with it any way. I then started my first (and probably my last) free motion quilting. I was rubbish at that too! I couldn't get the tension right, nor the stitch size and in places it's so amateur! However, I got over that too and got on with it. It has been slow going this summer and it's taken me ages and in truth, I haven't enjoyed it. But, I got over that as well and now it's finished. 


The mutts always accompany me when I sew. They don't mind the sound of the machine. The quilt they are lying on (now the dog quilt) is the first ever quilt that I made. I keep it as a reminder of how far I've come. It's not long ago that I'd never made anything, least of all a full sized quilt.

Below is the texture of the quilt with lots and lots of circles it makes the quilt look as if it is covered in bubbles.


The quilt is made of a collection of fabrics that I bought at reduced rates at the 2012 South West Quilt Show and of course, interspersed with plenty of shirt fabric.


The quilt is for a single/twin sized  bed and hangs almost to the floor. 


It's edged in a pink and green check that I bought as an off cut in the reduced price 'bin' when I went to Ikea and the backing is a vintage single sheet that I bought in the Salvation Army shop. As usual, I've used Hobb's unbleached batting/wadding and the entire quilt is 100% cotton.


I machine stitch the binding by sewing it onto the back first and then using a decorative stitch on the front to secure it. I know most quilters do this by hand by I'm a strictly machine girl!



Here's a close up of one of the stars.


I like the fabric in some blocks more than others. My inspiration originally from the colours of the Polyanthus flowers that are in all Cornish gardens in springtime.


You can see that my FMQing is not great, but as I've got over it and as I grow to like this quilt then I can forgive my first attempt. It can only get better.


I'm going to use this in the spare bedroom, which is where my daughter stays when she comes to visit.


It's been emotional and I'm glad it's finished. I now have FOUR!! other UFOs or WIPs to complete and I'll keep you posted. I'm going to finish the baby quilt I've started first and then the baby quilt that's being donated to an orphanage in Romania and I'm certain that they won't take me six weeks each to finish!

Come on you quilters. 'Fess up! Who else has quilts lurking that you started months or even years ago! Who else needs a size 6 Froogs' boot up the back end to get it finished. Take the pledge here..........repeat after me, I will finish what I've started. I'm embarrassed that I have so many unfinished quilts so here is my pledge. I will not start any new quilts until I've finished the ones I've started. Feel free to leave your pledge, either about a quilt or craft project that you've started and now is just gathering dust. May be, it's a DIY project or work around the house or garden. Come on, come clean and tell Froogs all about it.

Until tomorrow,

Love Froogs xxxxxxxxxxx
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Quilt in a day

August 25, 2013, 12:14 pm
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Hello Dear Reader,

Above, is all that was finished of a disappearing nine patch quilt that I started in October 2012 at one of my quilting workshops. I had all the pieces ready to make a cot sized quilt and never finished it. It's going to someone for her baby girl and I needed it finished for the end of the school holiday. With a week to go! I finished. I made it, quilted it and bound it all today. I'm going to add some FMQ to secure it but it's ready to go. 


All of the fabric is donated by you Dear Reader and you might recognise it as some of the fabric you sent me.

I used 144 5" X 5" squares and made 16 nine square blocks. If you are going to do this, position the fabric you like the most if the top/bottom corners as these stay whole. 


I arranged each block to make sure that I had a good variety of fabric.


After I had sewn all sixteen nine patch squares, I cut them across the middle vertically and horizontally.

I then muddled up all the blocks so they were not with the original block they came from and then sewed the 'new blocks together'. I created blocks of four and then sewed them together until I had the finished quilt top.


I backed it, and again that was fabric donated by you Dear Reader. I patched together all the bits and pieces of batting/wadding I had and got straight on with quilting it.


So far, I've just quilted the blocks in 6" squares which is quite loose so I'll add some FMQ to the middle of each block.


I've edged it with my machine and again, do you recognise the fabric you gave me. I would never have been able to produce such a lovely quilt with old shirts and scraps and it's lovely to use such vibrant new fabric.


I love the backing fabric you sent me with the teddies. 


 More of the backing.


And a long shot.


I'll be back tomorrow with a recipe for you and I hope you are enjoying the Bank Holiday weekend.

I'm off for a sit down and cup of tea..............it's been a long day xxxx

Until tomorrow,

Love Froogs xxxxxxxxxxx
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Burgers in Baps

August 26, 2013, 9:12 am
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Hello Dear Reader,

If you've ever eaten at Mc Muck's, those filth pedlars with the big yellow M, then you will have the misfortune to have eaten some of the worst bread in the world. It's so artificial that it would not rot if it survived a nuclear winter! Dearly Beloved loves a burger in roll, with some cheese and some fried red onions. I make all of ours from scratch. 

I use my bread machine to make the dough
1 1/4 cups of water
2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tsp salt
3 1/4 cups of strong bread flour
1 1/2 tsp of fast action yeast 

Check if your machine has a dough setting and use that. Mine takes 1.5 hours to make the dough and gives it two rises, knocking back and kneeding again at each stage. I then take the dough out of the machine and form six balls for the rolls or baps and then leave them to rise again for the final time. About 15 minutes in a warm window will do. I then bake them at 190C/Gas 5/375F for 20 - 25 minutes. I would encourage anyone to make their own bread, even without a machine, it's so easy and it tastes of bread!

Leave to cool and then get on with the burger recipe.



You will also need one large red onion that you will need to slice and fry gently in some butter or oil. Cook them until they are sticky.


Homemade burgers are so much better than the ones you can buy.

 350g of minced beef that cost me £1. 
Heaped tbsp of dried coriander,
1 small onion, finely chopped.
1 tsp of mustard - I used Dijon as that's what we have.
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp of olive oil
salt and pepper to season.

I had every intention of grilling these, but my ageing grill (at the top of the oven) would not heat up in time so I didn't get the chance to melt the cheese. It is better if you have cheese that it's melted. These take about fifteen minutes to cook under a hot grill, cook one side, turn over and cook that side and then in the last five minutes add the cheese. Or not, if you don't want any!



Serve your man mountain his burger with onions, cheese topped burger and a healthy smear of pesto!


I aimed to eat two but I was beaten after just one! They are just lovely. If you ever feel like reaching for the takeaway, or poisoning yourself with Mc Muck's then stop, make them yourselves for pennies and I can assure you that the combination of home made bread rolls, soft fried onions and burgers are a massive treat and will not break the bank!

I've been quilting again today and have finished another quilt top, with I have batted and basted and I'm currently in the process of quilting. I'll have the photos to show you tomorrow. I now only have one and a bit unfinished quilts and I aim to get them all done by the end of the week!

Now Dear Reader, who else makes their own bread? Is it me, or does shop bread just taste of salt and sugar and has the texture of polystyrene? Any other burger makers out there who like to beat the takeaways?

Until tomorrow's next reveal,

Love Froogs xxxx
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Chickpea and Chilli stir fry for 65p a portion

August 27, 2013, 11:30 am
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Hello Dear Reader,

It's very near the end of Austerity August and other than food, I haven't bought anything. Until today! I needed 505 spray adhesive to baste my quilts and more Hobbs Batting/wadding. I'm really lucky that we have a fantastic craft shop right here in Liskeard. I was able to pick up what I needed and four FQ that were on sale for £1 each. 

I took a photo of the outside of the shop below so you can see the name 'Painters' and their website address. It's always incredibly well stocked. If you are local, they have lots of stocking kits and toy kits so you can get making home made gifts in time for Christmas. They also run craft classes if anyone would like to go to any. They've not sponsored me in any way, but they are really helpful and have often ordered what I'm looking for. I could buy my supplies on line but I like to keep them open........in case you want anything - they have an on line shop.



I needed so little shopping this week that everything I needed was bought from the greengrocers and fit into my back pack. I bought a kilo of tomatoes for £1 and decided to make some Tomato Chutney.


  • 500g red onions, finely sliced
  • 1kg tomato, chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, sliced
  • 1 red chilli, chopped (optional)
  • 4 cm piece ginger, peeled and chopped - I had some left over from my Tesco free dinner.
  • 250g brown sugar
  • 150ml red wine vinegar
  • 5 cardamom seeds - I didn't have any and omitted these. 
  • ½ tsp paprika


Tip all the ingredients into a large heavy-based pan and bring to a gentle simmer, stirring frequently. Simmer for 1 hr, then bring to a gentle boil so that the mixture turns dark, jammy and shiny. Place into sterilised jars and allow to cool before covering.



Wherever you might use ketchup, use tomato chutney instead. In fact, you could blend this and then use it instead of ketchup.



Chickpea and Chilli Stir-fry - this makes 4 portions - we'll eat the same again tomorrow lunch time.

Ingredients

2 tbsp oil - 10p
1 tsp ground cumin
1 onion, sliced - 11p
1 pepper, sliced - optional - 33p
Cooked carrot batons - optional - I had some leftover and used them up. 10p
2 garlic cloves finely chopped - 2p
1 chilli seeded and finely chopped - 20p
2 X 400g cans of chickpeas drained and rinsed, 90p
1 tin of chopped tomatoes - 32p
A few 'chunks of frozen spinach - I used 6 'chunks' it soon defrosts. - 10p

£2.18 - 55p per portion + rice 65p each. 

1. Heat wok. Add the cumin and fry for 1 minute. Add the onions and peppers - stir fry for 5 minutes
2. Add the garlic and chilli and stir fry for 2 minutes
3. Add the chickpeas and tomatoes to the wok. Reduce the heat and simmer
4. Add the spinach - cook until defrosted.

Serve with rice.




I also finished the quilt. (No wonder I'm weary, shopping, cooking twice and finished a quilt). Not any quilt, but your quilt Dear Reader. Remember? Liz sent me her hand made blocks, hand stitched with the cardboard templates still intact. Liz sent me this almost a year ago and there were enough quilt blocks that I made three quilts. One went to DB's mum, one went to charity to raise money and now I've finished this one. This one is for me to remind me of your incredible kindness.  

I added blocks and a border (the border is dress from a charity shop that I unpicked) and the binding was also sent to me by you Dear Reader. The entire effect is scrappy and that's just how I like my quilts. I have a bit more quilting to do, but the quilt is now sound and with a bit of FMQ it's good to go.



The backing is four retro pillow cases from my local Salvation Army charity shop that I unpicked and opened out. I love the tiny roses on the binding.



As usual, and just for you, the obligatory close ups.



I love the dusky old colours. I'll treasure this as you made those blocks by hand.



Here, with a glimpse of doggy tail, is the other retro pillow case that backs the quilt. I love those 'groovy' flowers. We had wallpaper like that when I was a child.



Here's a close up of one of the blocks. If you look at the block above, you can see the tiny hand stitches around the black triangles.



The dogs love my quilts even though they really shouldn't be on the bed but they are such poseurs!


I'll call that a fruitful day. Shopping - done. Chutney - done. New recipe trialled and eaten favourably - done. Another UFO - done!

One more UFO to go and I can start an brand new quilt!!!!!!!!!

Time for a cup of tea and put my feet up with the Great British Bake off!

Until tomorrow,

Love Froogs xxxxxxxxxxxxx
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Nope.................I've not been washed out to sea!

August 30, 2013, 10:04 am
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Hello Dear Reader,

Not been able to get to a keyboard.

1. Last UFO almost finished.
2. Last few jobs got done before I go back to work.
3. Family stuff.

I'll be back tomorrow, with the last of the UFOS and some of the latest thrifty recipes.

Be back soon,

Froogs xxxxxxxxxxxx
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One summer, four quilts and paying it forward.

August 31, 2013, 1:13 am
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Hello Dear Reader,

I have defeated the UFOs! All four of the previously half finished, or just cut and not even started, or promised and not even started, have all been finished. The pile above were all finished in my six week summer break and I'm ashamed to say, that two of them were finished in the last week. Procrastination, really is the thief of time! 

Below, is the quilt I made from scratch yesterday. I say scratch as I had a few 5" blocks of pyjama fabric already cut.............from last summer! I didn't have enough and after a rallying cry, you stepped in to help and sent me lots of brushed cotton to help me out. I couldn't have finished this without you. A big, big thank you to 'Mummyhen' who sent me lots of this and you really were my angel who stepped in to help me xxxxxxxxxxxxx


My final quilt, is a cot quilt for Romania and will head out on the next truck consignment to an orphanage that a local church supports. I have enough scraps for another and I'll get on with making that as soon as I can so I can keep using my odds and ends to make them as many quilts as I can. 


 This is quick to make as I quilted it on the diagonal to make it as strong as I could for washing.

You can see all the donated fabric here. I hope you don't mind that I've made this to give away but it's a really good cause. If any of you know of any charities that could benefit from quilts, then please let me know as I'm happy to make quilts and love the thought of them going to families and children who need them. 


The back is also made of brushed cotton or 'flannelette' and it's a very warm cot quilt. I can not thank you all enough for the support and encouragement you've all given me with my quilting. I've only been doing this for a few years and this kind of quilting, 'scrappy quilting' really is my favourite way to quilt. 

I've got lots of challenges over the next few weeks. I've received bags of upholstery and curtain fabric which will be great for cushion covers and bag making. I'll keep you up to date with some 'how to' and 'tutorials' as well as telling you what I will be doing with all of them. 

A massive thank you to everyone who sends me fabric, old shirts and the bits and bobs that you don't need or have time to use. Without your support, these quilts would never have been made. 

I've been cooking away over the last few days and the recipes and photos will be up later.

Over to you, does anyone know of any charities who distribute quilts? Does anyone else make hats, blankets, dresses, quilts for charities? I hate the thought of any fabric, textiles or wool being wasted and I'm sure I can create a page of addresses of charities who could benefit from our crafting and thrifting. I'm sure we can quilt, make school bags, clothes, knitted hats and mittens for a whole range of charities.

As ever, I look forward to hearing from you.

Love Froogs xxxxxxxxxxxx
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Yoosta-Bee is in the bagging area!

August 31, 2013, 8:55 am
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Hello Dear Reader,

As promised, I told you that as soon as I'd finished, that I would start thinking about Christmas. I'm planning on making a few bags to sell so people can give them away at Christmas and I made my first attempt at a new pattern as a practise. I used old curtain material and it is brighter than it looks in the photos where it appears to be totally washed out. I have a mass of curtain and upholstery fabric which I shall use to make lots of these bags. I have the fabric so they won't actually cost me anything to make. I shall use this bag for taking books to and from work as it big and roomy and every seam is stitched and then top stitched so it's very strong.


 It's a great bag for crafters and quilters to take to workshops with their fabric and notions inside and their tools, scissors and threads in the pockets. It certainly wasn't easy to make and has taken me the best part of a day to make my first one. I will get quicker as I make more. I would advise anyone to use jumble sale fabric to make your first dress or bag so it doesn't matter if the seams are lumpy or the pockets don't sit as you would like them to. I paid 20p for this off cut of fabric at one of the local jumble sales so it really hasn't cost me much to make it.


 The pattern very cleverly guides you to sew the lining into the outer layer and then turn it inside out. I'm really impressed with this pattern and I'm looking forward to making a whole load of these bags with the fabric I have.


If you want to make one of these really useful and sturdy bags the number of the Butterick pattern is B5741.

P.S I will have a 'Christmas Bazaar' page up and running by the end of October so my 'Scrappy Bags' will be onsale by then.

Over to you, who else is sewing for Christmas, or getting ready for the Christmas Bazaars and Fayres? It's a great way to earn some 'pin money'. Who is sewing or knitting for Christmas gifts?

I'm off now to pin out and cut out the next bag as I'm setting myself the target of three a week...... I love a deadline!

Yoosta-Bee? I make bags from fabric and they used to be something else.

Until tomorrow,

Love Froogs xxxxxxxxxxx
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We all need to learn new skills

September 1, 2013, 2:10 am
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Hello Dear Reader,

I'm so excited to share a TedX with you. The speaker is a friend and fellow thrifty blogger Elaine Colliar from 'Mortgage free in three'. Elaine's passion for a good life means she makes every pound she has 'do the work of five pounds'. Something that she said in her talk really resonated with me. She talked about us becoming 'polymaths'. This is not about being a 'Jack of all trades' but becoming a master of many trades. To put it simply, it's like this. I couldn't always cook, I couldn't always garden, I couldn't always sew, I couldn't always home wax, or colour my hair, I couldn't always quilt or make bags. I didn't have the money to do any of those things and nor could I pay anyone to help me. Please, before you read any further, take time to listen to Elaine, she talks a lot of sense.

Like Elaine, I wasn't prepared to let our quality of life suffer. I am not prepared to eat one lentil dish after the next, look or dress like a granny and I'm certainly not prepared to be cold in my own home. We learnt and we changed. We learnt how and where to get cheap fire wood and season it ourselves. We learnt where and how to get pallets and split them down into firewood and kindling. We learnt how to ventilate our house so we move the warmth from the one heated room to the rest of the house. We learnt how fix what ever was broken. We learnt how to service what we had to make every pound literally do the work of five pounds. 

I sought out learning opportunities. So many people think they have to be taught but we are all our own best teachers. Trust me, it will be difficult, there will be swearing and even tears. Seek out online resources, learn from library books, watch cooking, home renovation and gardening TV programmes. Sit with a notebook and take notes when you find a tutorial online. Book mark You Tube videos and you can learn anything from Yoga, bread making, how to amuse, entertain and educate children, how to make Christmas gifts and in my case.....how to quilt. I've never been to a sewing or cooking workshop in my life. 

"Seek out the experts" and as Elaine says "the grannies". Talk to people who grow vegetables, sit and chat to people who knit, sew, bake or cook from scratch. Ask the experts as they love what they do and love to share it. When you've learnt something, pay it forward and teach someone else. The obvious way to learn as well is to take classes, attend workshops and seminars. Ask at your church group, put a notice up at the local day care nursery where you drop your children, put a notice up in the staffroom or canteen at work. Ask for help or for ideas to learn the new skills that you want to add to your life.  

Becoming a polymath takes years and you will add to your skills day by day and year on year. I learned to make quilts and moved onto curtains, cushions and bags and have tried my hand at dress making. I have a lot to learn. I've had mixed success with gardening but I know how to and know that when I'm ready that I will have skills that I can put to use, for example, I can grow beans, potatoes, beetroot, radish, tomatoes and courgettes which means I can try growing many other types of fruit and vegetables. I've never made my own fresh pasta but know I have skills I can put to use when I feel any desire to do so.

I can hear so many of you bemoaning your lack of time and all I would say to you is unplug your TV and Wi-fi for a week and see how much you get done when you are not 'liking' cute puppy videos on Facebook. 

Now here's your chance, commit to learning something new! Have you never upcycled? Have you never knitted? Have you never used a sewing pattern to make something? Have you never made your own bread? Make a pledge and decide that you will set aside the time. Do you have a colleague who turns up with lovely cakes and wish you could make them, take time to talk to him and ask him about his cake baking. Is your mother in law a great gardener then make the time to have a tour of the 'fruit cage' and find out how it's done.






Yesterday, I used this bag pattern for the first time and by today, I've already adapted the lining to suit heavy fabric such as linen, canvas or denim. I re-read the pattern and instructions, I had another couple of reads and then understood a whole lot more. I looked at the pattern templates and worked out how to make it in less time and with less pieces. My second bag took two hours to make whereas the first took all day.

Don't be afraid to learn, to try and you will find out so quickly that you will need less and less money. You will be a savvy shopper. You will be able to buy that dress, top or skirt in a jumble sale and alter it so it fits. You will be able to rummage through the £1/$1 pile in the charity shop and find large men' shirts that you know will make a quarter of a beautiful quilt. You will know how to service your sewing machine, your PC, your vacuum cleaner, your washing machine and dishwasher and keep everything going years after the ink has faded on the warranty. 

I live on a lot less that I earn so I can save and reduce the length of my mortgage and be a home owner sooner rather than later. I have money saved for eventualities and live a warm, comfortable well fed life because I can turn my hand to a few skills I have developed within the last few years. I know my life will become easier and more comfortable in the future as I develop further skills and keep learning new ways to live a good life on less. 

Over to you. What can you do that you haven't done in ages? What should you do that would save a whole pile of money? What skills do you have that you could share in your community or family? 

As ever, I love hearing your comments.

Until tomorrow,

Love Froogs xxxxxxxxxx
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Spiced Pork with Lemon Pasta - 78p per portion.

September 1, 2013, 2:08 pm
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Hello Dear Reader,

I tried this very thrifty recipe for the first time and I had to share it with you; it's spicy, zesty and delicious. 

Ingredients - Serves 2/3

6 pork sausages (or similar amount of Sosmix or Quorn sausages) - £1 - Aldi
50g of pasta per person - 1p (I buy 10 500g bags for £1 from Approved Food)
100ml of chicken stock (or 1 chicken stock/vegetable stock cube and 100ml of boiling water) - 2p
zest and juice of 1 lemon - 23p - Aldi 
large pinch of chilli flakes/one chopped chilli/1/2 teaspoon of chilli powder - 1p
250ml of natural yoghurt - 30p - Aldi
1 small bunch of finely chopped parsley/2 tbsp of dried parsley - (I was given a bunch from Dad's garden)
salt and pepper to season

Total Cost -  per serving 78p per person.


Boil the water and add the pasta - leave to cook.
1. Remove the skins from the sausage and cut into small pieces.
2. Heat a non-stick pan with a teaspoon of oil.
3.Cook for 5 minutes or until browned all over.
4.Add the stock to the sausage meat and let bubble - stir for 2-3 minutes until liquid has reduced right down.
5. Add the lemon zest and juice, chilli flakes and yoghurt.(If it starts to separate - add a teaspoon of butter and stir through)
6. Drain the pasta and return to the pan.
7. Add the sausages and sauce, stir the parsley through the sauce and pasta.
8. Serve immediately. (This is very filling and I couldn't eat all this, hence my suggestion that this will feed three)



It's spicy and yet refreshing from the lemon juice and zest. The recipe is from "Good Housekeeping - Family Meals for a fiver" - I made it for a lot less than that! I'm a great believer in eating well, even on a budget. Let me know if you try this recipe as I think it's a real winner.

Until tomorrow,

Love Froogs xxxxxxxxxxxxx
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Sesame and Poppy Seed Crackers

September 2, 2013, 12:34 pm
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Hello Dear Reader,

I'm experimenting with gift ideas in preparation for Christmas. I have friends and family who enjoy homemade chutney so I thought of making crackers to go with them. A pack of crackers, a jar of chutney and a label saying 'Just add cheese!'.

I found a recipe for Poppy and Sesame Seed Crackers. I had both of those seeds for when I make bread rolls so it wasn't a big decision to use them in crackers. 

You will need:

250g of Plain Flour
1 tsp of baking powder
1/2 tsp of salt
2 tbsp poppy seeds
2 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tsp of ground black pepper
60g of cold chopped butter/marg
100ml of chilled water


Method

  1. 1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan160°C/ gas 4. Line 2 baking sheets with baking paper. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl, then stir in the seeds and pepper. Using your fingertips, rub in the butter until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
  2. 2. Make a well in the centre, then add 100ml iced water. Using a flat-bladed knife at first and then your hands, mix until a firm dough forms, adding more iced water if necessary. Don’t over mix.
  3. 3. Form the dough into a rough ball, then cut in half. Wrap one half in cling film and chill in the fridge.
  4. 4. Roll the other half out between 2 sheets of baking paper until 1-2mm thick. Using a lightly floured 6cm round cutter, cut out rounds. Place on a baking sheet and prick all over with a fork. Repeat with the rest of the dough. Chill for 20 minutes.
  5. 5. Bake for 20-35 minutes until lightly golden. Move to a wire rack to cool.
These would be great at Christmas, with Stilton or a mature cheddar and some spicy tomato or rhubarb chutney.


If you are going to make these as a gift, make them on the 23rd and include a label advising to eat within seven days. I made mine a little thick and they had a 'water biscuit' texture; I will roll them really really thin when I make them again.  However, the flavour is fantastic.

I had two parcels waiting for me when I arrived home from work tonight and I am so grateful for all the fabric and shirts I have received lately. I have plans for an Irish Chain and Sister's Choice quilts and need the shirts to go towards two double bed sized quilts that also need to be made by Christmas. I am going to be busier than and elf! Ladies, you know who you are and I will do your fabric justice and make some wonderful quilts with the material you have sent me. It's your generosity that keeps me quilting.

Until tomorrow,

Love Froogs xxxxxxxxxx
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Zero Waste Week

September 3, 2013, 1:04 pm
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Hello Dear Reader,

I can't abide waste. The most dreadful thing to waste in such hard times is food. I know Jamie Oliver has been given a hard time for " massive Telly" gate, but there were parts of his TV programme that highlighted using up food, making things for the freezer or cobbling a recipe together from leftovers and a hotch potch of ingredients that the chattering and wasteful classes need to hear. 

There are so many things that we can do to save on food waste. Here, for what it's worth is my ten pence worth.

1. Get portion control right. An appropriate adult size portion of meat is 120g - that will provide all the protein needed in one meal. 50g of cheese, finely grated will more than fill one sandwich. A potato that will fit into the closed palm of your hand is also big enough. 40g of breakfast cereal is also enough. Get used to realistically sized portions.

2. Plan your meals. If you've never done this before, start with meals you can heat up! Beans on toast, Scrambled eggs and grilled tomatoes, a tin of soup and a sandwich...........think of the things you can plan and then try to stick to that plan for a week. Give it a try, even a non-cook can microwave scrambled eggs.

3. Stock take all the food you have in the house. If you have starches such as cous cous, rice or pasta then don't buy potatoes for a week or two until you've eaten them up. What do you have in tins? in the freezer? in packets? Try to use something from the stock pile of food every day and incorporate that into your recipes. There is nothing wrong with stir fry veggies with pasta shells, I can assure you.

4. Make entire meals from leftovers. If you've defrosted too much meat and you have one chicken thigh sitting in the fridge, add that to another meal. Don't over load your plate if you've cooked too much, put the food in a covered bowl (an up turned plate on top will create a seal)  Wash and peel those bendy carrots and finely chop them and add them to the potatoes and have carroty, speckled mash. Any veggies can be chopped up, sweated down with some onions, and simmered in an oxo cube and water to make soup. 

5. Ignore sell by, use by and best before dates. Use your nose. If something is off , you'll know about it! I keep the dry ends of bread and just add them to a bag in the freezer, I then blitz them in the food processor and use the bread crumbs in faggots, meat balls, on savoury crumbles and to coat fish or scotch eggs. Anything with a high fat, sugar or acid content is highly unlikely to go off for a very very long time. Jam can get some mould, which can be scooped out with a spoon and the jam underneath will be fine. Sauces, marmalade and pickles can become oxidised and congealed but again, scrape that bit off and it will be fine underneath. Meat will oxidise and start to brown, it will smell if it is off.

6. Good kitchen hygiene will keep food for longer. Make sure you put any leftovers into a clean container and seal with a plate, foil or cling film or a plastic container. If you are going to re-heat food, then heat at a high temperature and re heat quickly. If you have made any products with meat or dairy, then try to cool quickly and refridgerate as quickly as possible.

7. When shopping, don't bulk buy if you are not going to use it sooner rather than later. Three packets of carrots are only a bargain if you are actually going to eat them. If you have any doubts, then buy loose vegetables. Count out the ones you need and don't buy any more.

8. It's not just food. I don't buy any processed food and make sure I buy as little packaging as possible. If you use tetra packs which, to my knowledge and ability can't be recycled, then up cycle the containers. I cut the top half off mine, and create containers that I then use to hold things such as pens, two slot together to make a postal packing container, they can be made into plant pots and I'm sure there are many other uses. 

9. Recycle old clothes - swishing, charity shops, upcycle your clothes , PLEASE turn them into quilts, or cut them up and give the fabric away to quilters and crafter. If you have basic sewing skills, turn them into blankets and give them to the animal charities. Sell them on ebay, or take them to the big recycling bins in the supermarket car parks and charities such as The Salvation Army will redistribute them.

10. Turn old towels into wash mits, baby bibs or even nappies. Turn old table clothes into napkins. 

11. Give your old newspapers to friends with wood burners, we need them to light our fire. Animal shelters are also glad of any newspapers.

12. Make compost - I don't but have done in the past when I grew vegetables.


Sorry about the steamy picture - this is our leftovers risotto. Courgettes, some bacon, a chicken breast, the ends of a bag of mixed frozen veggies and chicken oxo cube in the bottom of the cupboard, a dice sized cube of Parmesan that we finely grates and from that bunch of odds and sods, we made our supper.

I do what I can to avoid waste by not shopping in the first place, keeping our portions low, ignoring dates on any food, sniffing and checking, re-heating and eating up. Now your turn, what do you do to keep your waste to a minimum.

Until tomorrow,

Love Froogs xxxxxxxxxxxx


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