Stress and Quiche

Its quite stressful at work just now, we have moved to a larger shop which includes a small cafe and the past couple of weeks we have been rushing round like headless chickens.

We had a new lady start today doing her training so all of a sudden I was surplus to requirements and given the day off.  Philip was out all day playing fireman Sam at the flying club so thought I would bake.  My menu plan said Salad for tea so I thought a quiche would be a nice accompaniment with some homemade coleslaw.

I started off by gently frying a large chopped onion and grating 150gm of strong cheddar and in a large jug beat together 6 eggs and half a pint of milk.

I made 400gm (flour) of shortcrust pastry and lined my tins and foils, the back one has been frozen for a later date, the other 3 were baked blind until only just set.

I laddled out the filling and sliced a couple of tomatoes for the top.  They were baked at 150*c until the filling was set and golden brown.  The smell in the kitchen was divine.....mmmmm.....

I had a spare shelf in the oven so whipped up a tray of oaty seedy flapjack.

The middle sized quiche we had for tea and the rest is now tucked up in the freezer for a later date.

Tomorrow we are going to start the Christmas shopping.......more stress!!!!

Thank you for reading, enjoy your evening.

Karen xxx

Long Day

Did you remember to put your clocks back?  I had forgotten all about it until  I thought I had over laid this morning.  I woke up in a bit of a panic at 20 past 9  when really it was only 20 past 8.  I think today has been a really long day, after a busy week and another expected next week, I made the most of the time I had, and cooked some  meals for the freezer.  I'm glad I have got back into meal planning, its making things so much easier as well as being much cheaper.  I managed to cut my usual spending by more than half for October just by using up stocks that I had and only buying things we really needed.  There is still plenty left in stock so my mission continues through November and hopefully to the end of the year.

We haven't had a Lasagne for ages and when I saw Frugal Queens post it reminded me to make  a couple.

 A lovely big pan of Ragu Sauce bubbling away and making a mess on the tiles!!

My makes for today included the 2 lasagne's and 2 tubs of Ragu Sauce for Spag Bol, a Beef and Bean Goulash, I didn't quite have enough meat so I added a tin of Red Beans to bulk it up and a big pan of Beef Stew.

Here it all is portioned up and ready for the freezer, I even labelled it all so we don't have any UFO's (unidentified frozen objects) lol............ The margarine tub with the stew in is in the fridge for tomorrow nights tea.

The last 2 portions of the Lasagne were for our tea with a nice crispy salad.

It looks like a huge portion, but its not very deep and we were starving.....and we did have salad with it.....

Stuffed full and ready to watch Downton Abbey.

I also did a bit of washing today, not fit to dry outside so it went on to hangers and it will get ironed tomorrow when I get home from work.  At least I know exactly what we are eating for the next couple of weeks.

How was your day today....... anyone had any snow?

Thank you for popping by and reading,

Karen xxx

Flights Cancelled!!

Just had notification that our flights from Robin Hood Airport to Cyprus in 4 weeks time have been cancelled due to a flights review by Thomsons.............

So now instead of a 4 minute journey to the airport of our choice which happens to be right on our doorstep we have to travel over 2 hours to Manchester for our holiday flights.

Needless to say we are not happy bunnies.... We now have to book a car parking slot at a cost of around £50 plus fuel to get there and back.

After a bit of a heated phone call we are getting the difference back between the holiday booked from Doncaster and the one booked from Manchester which is £230.  They offered us £148 at first   then with a threat of cancellation they gave us the true difference plus £20 for compensation..WOW!! big deal.... I'm still very cross about it, this holiday has been booked, saved hard for and looked forward to since January

I hope the sun is shining when we arrive in Cyprus because at the moment Thomsons you have taken the shine off my holiday!!

Sorry for my rant, normal service will resume shortly :-)

Karen xxx

All photographs are courtesy of Google images.

5 Glorious Days

We have just had 5 glorious days down in Plymouth with my beautiful grandaughter and my lovely son and family.  The weather was really kind to us and we were walking around in tee shirts. Its a different story today, back home and its misty rainy and cold.

 Cheeky Monkey Danielle, it was her birthday last week she was 5, where does the time go?

 New Hello Kitty Scooter.

 A new RED DS......concentrating hard.....

 Ah...thats it I can do it now.......

 Fi the cat is keeping well out of the way on the patio chair outside, the only place to get some peace :-)

 From the decking a moody sky overlooking the Tamar towards Cornwall. They live about 5 minutes from the Tamar bridge.

Down on the front at Plymouth, all the little boats in the harbour and the Sealife Centre in the background

A different weather picture on the way home!!  We got as far as Exeter before running into this lot and it continued all the way back to Doncaster and its never cleared since!!

Even the poor Wicker man got a soaking.

And more rain!!

The time spent there went soooo quickly and I cant wait to go back.  My lovely daughter in law makes us feel so welcome and looks after us really well with lots of gorgeous home cooking and trips out.  Roll on February..............

Thank you for popping by and reading

Karen xxx

Kate Rusby

Kate Rusby is on Radio 2 tonight at 8 pm if anyone is interested. Frugal Queen I tried to message you as I didn't want you to miss it.

Baking for Family

We are going down to see my son and his lovely family in Plymouth for a few days and I daren't go down without baking for them. As you can see I always take plenty so they can fill up the freezer for later days.  Its all packed up and ready to take, with the amount of stuff we are taking its going to take us ages to pack the car, I have also been to our local mill shop and stocked them up on a few goodies.

Ooops missed the Victoria Sandwich!!

At least the car will be lighter on the way home. I dare say hubby will have a few cakes but this lot doesn't really appeal to me, its a bit too sweet and sickly, I'm more of a plain cake person. After our break its back to some serious dieting ready for  our December holiday.

The Stoptober challenge is still going well but I confess to spending £2.69 on some roast ham for tea and sandwiches yesterday. I really didn't feel like cooking last night, its been a busy time at work over the last couple of weeks with working more shifts to cover for holidays, glad I will be back to my normal working week of 2 days when we get home :-)   It will have been worth it though as its paid for our hotel, food and spends plus petrol  without having to dib into the bank.

The sun has been shining here today after heavy rain during the night so all the washing has been done and dried outside. We both got stuck in this afternoon and cleaned the house right through so it will be lovely to come home to.  Lots of meals prepared in the freezer for continuing the challenge next week.

Enjoy the rest of the week and have a good weekend.

Karen xxx

Stoptober week 3

Its already week 3 of my Stoptober challenge, I haven't managed to not spend at all but I have concentrated on spending as little as possible and use up my cupboard stock and freezer contents.  I want to have a go at updating my In stock spreadsheet but at the moment I don't have the time, plus its a bit scary as I will be most embarrased at the amount I have.

I have planned a menu again this week and been shopping.  I did forget to take my shopping list with me but still managed to buy only what was needed for the week and the total spend was £13.43 in the supermarket and then my veg box which was £8.  I had more than enough veg for a week so this morning I set too and made a huge vat of veg and pearl barley soup, this is now portioned up in the freezer and ready to grab on those cold days for lunch.

We are going away this week for a few days to see my son and family, everything is paid for and the petrol money and spending money has been earned by working extra shifts over the past couple of weeks.

My menu plan is for 8 days, 3 this week and 5 next. I shouldn't need any more shopping other than a bit of fresh fruit when we get back home.

Day 1 Sausage Casserole & veggies
       2  Chilli & Rice
       3  Salmon Salad
       4  Beef Goulash potatoes and veggies
       5  Tuna Pasta Bake & Crusty Bread
       6 Gammon, Potatoes & veggies
       7  Chilli & Rice
       8  Fish Potatoes & mushy peas.

Breakfasts will be cereals or toast and lunch will be sandwiches, leftovers or soup.

What are you eating this week and are you managing to cut down your spending.

I'm off to watch Downton Abbey now, my treat for the weekend.

Take Care
Karen xxx

Gone in a flash

Just popped out to put some rubbish in the bin and saw this beautiful rainbow, I quickly dashed inside for the camera only to find it fading fast as I got back outside.  Withing seconds of this photo it has completely gone.

Then it chucked it down!!!!

Hope you had nice weather today

Karen xxx

Stoptober Week 2

Well its the start of week 2 of Frugal Queens Stoptober Challenge and here is my menu plan for this week.  This shopping from the cupboards and freezer seems to be working well and the spending is really down to a minimum, just fresh stuff bought, although I must confess to a small spend today (see below) Ooops...

 I called at our local Misson Mill shop on my way home from work today to get something for my son and I spotted this, the price in Mr Tesc*s is £2.99 per 750g and as you can see I only paid 49p so bought 2 oops.  We will try it tomorrow for breakfast and see if we like it, if not it will be lovely for making flapjacks.  If it is nice I might buy a few boxes for future weeks.

Total spends for this month so far are
Morrisons £23.41
Gammon £3
Veggies £7.20 including 2 bunches of beetroot for preserving
Above porridge 98p

Freebies this week are 1 large bag of Potatoes in my veg box, 1 Apple & Blackberry Pie, 4 Sultana Scones and 1 KitKat. I do love my customers :-)

Its not too late to join in with Frugal Queens Challenge,  go on have a go......

Thank you for reading

Karen xxxx

Natures Bounty

Waking up this morning to the sun shining and the grass damp with dew and a certain nip in the air I think we have arrived at Autumn.  I love this time of year when all is safely gathered in and we can get ourselves prepared for the winter months.  I thought I would share a few piccies of my veggies for this week, the colours are wonderful and I know the taste will be terrific, this is all homegrown organic stuff complete with a few slugs and caterpillers on the cabbage. 

 Mostly grown by my lovely new friends Tracy and Graham on their local land where everything they grow is fully organic.  Graham picks it fresh just a couple of hours before its delivered to my doorstep, its usually covered in mud and wrapped in newspaper.  Normally I would leave it dirty as I find it keeps better but just for today I have washed it so you can see the true colours.  Isn't mother nature just wonderful.

 This lot is just a fraction of what I get every week depending on whats ready.  Our arrangements work perfectly and we get the freshest of produce, it also give me chance for a good natter with Tracy when we put the world to rights!

 These are the last of my beans, I thought they were finished last week but low and behold another crop have appeared.  Thats it now, hubby will take the plants down and put it all on the compost heap.

 I picked these too this morning, the last pepper and a few tomatoes which need a couple of days on the windowsill. The little chillies on the top piccie were also from my greenhouse.

 I have had a lot of my tomatoes split before they are fully ripe so as not to waste any of them the split bits are cut off and the tomatoes chopped and roasted with a couple of wrinkled peppers and a large onion  in some olive oil.

My lovely friend Lesley rang this morning to invite us to dinner tonight, so I quickly made 2 batches of black treacle flapjack one of which I will take for her along with a jar of my beetroot and half the roasted veggies. I know these will be received with the love they are given and she won't even mind the margarine tub.
 A lovely gift that cost me next to nothing.

Hope you all have a wonderful Sunday

Karen xxx

Stoptober - day 3 and 4

Yesterday was a lovely sunny and windy day, perfect for drying the washing outside, so I finally caught up with the washing and ironing.  Tea was from the freezer a reduced price curry for one and made up with two leftover bits from  previous curries.  Morrisons curries are really nice but still a treat even when reduced, I also found half a bag of finger shaped onion bhaji's in the bottom of the chest freezer I think they were from a box of Christmas party food from last year.

Lunch was a simple affair of the sunflower and honey bread with goats cheese, olives and tomatoes with a few grapes for afters.  We had the same today too.

 Curry Rice and bhajis with a little mango chutney it was delicious.

A reasonably cheap day with nothing spent from the budget.

Day 4

 I bought these fish portions a while ago from Aldi I think they were £1.49 and they are absolutely deeelish.. I am a bit funny about fish but these are so tasty and the fish is snowy white, I will buy them again. As you can see we had them with new potatoes and peas with tartare sauce, I discovered a left over small jacket potato in the fridge and used it up by slicing it and cooking it in the pan with the fish.

Nothing wasted today and all left overs used up.

My menu plan is already done for next week and the shopping came in at £23.41, I only bought what was really needed for the week.  I'm loving this challenge its really making me think and its getting me organised.

Thank you for reading

Karen xx

Drying Herbs

As part of my Stoptober Challenge I want to try and do as many money saving things as I can, so today I started with the task of drying some sage from the garden.  I have a huge bush of this in my garden and every year it provides us with enough for making stuffings through the winter months.  I misjudged this last year and didn't dry enough and had to resort to buying some ... tut tut!!

 Its a nice dry day today so I picked this large bunch and striped off the leaves checking for tiny insects, luckily I only found one.  Using 2 bits of Kitchen paper spread the leaves out, dont over crowd or it will take longer to dry.

 Pop them into the microwave and ding for 4mins on full power

 The come out a bit shrivelled and crispy but still keeping the colour

 You can see the difference in colour between the shop bought and the home dried, the colour is more vibrant and the smell much more pungent. A better product by far.

 Scrunch it all up in a bowl and store in an airtight jar until needed, it will easy keep until the next years is ready to pick.  I popped mine into a pint glass just so you get an accurate picture of the yield. Not much!

I added it to my jar with the bit of shop bought and will keep adding more over the next few days until the jar is full to the top.  I know then I will have enough  to last till next year.

No money spent today and another money saving job to tick off the list.

Have you done anything money saving today?

Thank you for reading

Karen xxx