Secret nuclear bunker

Dear reader,

Thank you all so much for your lovely comments over the last few days. I had been feeling less than successful with my frugal living. My food bill is not as low as I would like and the car saga continues. I have been without a car for a week now. It's not a huge problem as Big man takes me to work.

I spent yet more money on food yesterday. A small top up from Tesco. Bread, bananas, bagels, deodorant and two shower gels that were half price, sweet and sour sauce (no time to make this last night) half price sausages.

I have switched my menu plan around a bit and we had the sweet and sour pork last night. I made a huge, huge pot. Enough for 4. I had been at work and Big man was off and hadn't eaten enough. He was so hungry that two massive man sized portions later and a big girls portion for me and the whole lot was gone! Oh well, at least it was home made and we don't eat takeaways.

I finished work at 3pm yesterday, got home and quickly cooked the sweet and sour. I was so tired I had two hours on the spare bed. Lovely.
I took today off as week and had a lovely lie in until 9. I like my sleep and feel so much better after enough. I like to let the body have as much as it wants.

As we are both off we have decided to have a day out together. Yes, we will be spending money but we never go out, never eat out, go to the cinema or spend much on entertainment at all.
We need to do things and today we are going to an old nuclear bunker. Kelvedon Hatch in Essex. I have been before and it's brilliant. You go to a small bungalow in the woods and once inside you are in a huge bunker with loads of rooms. It's massive. Big man will love it.

We both love anything like secret tunnels, caves, dungeons that kind of thing. So if you can recommend any places like that please, please drop me a comment.

We will be spending £7 each on entrance and taking a packed lunch each. Sandwich, banana and a flask.

Much love
FIB. X

Meal plan week 2-September

Dear reader,

I have found half a loaf  in the freezer, phew and a pack of pitta breads in the larder.
I have come up with this plan for the week. Am going to try to make as much as I can today. The curry at least.

September meal plan w/c Sunday 8th.

Sunday

Brunch

Baked beans and cheese on toast.

Dinner

Roast chicken leg, vegetables, roast potatoes, gravy, stuffing.

Monday

Breakfast-porridge

Lunch-cheese and pickle sandwich

Dinner-leftover chicken with spicy rice

Tuesday

Breakfast-porridge

Lunch-spicy rice and veg

Dinner-stuffed peppers with rice and cheese

Wednesday

Breakfast-porridge

Lunch-stuffed peppers as above

Dinner-chickpea and butternut squash curry and rice,mint yoghurt and h/m flatbreads.

Thursday

Breakfast-porridge

Lunch-chickpea curry as above

Dinner-chicken stir fry and rice with veg

Friday 

Breakfast-porridge

Lunch-stir fry as above

Dinner-pork steak, sweet potato chips and veg.

Saturday-breakfast porridge 

Lunch- something on toast

Dinner-sweet and sour pork and rice.

Fingers crossed. 

How's your planning this week?

Good luck.

FIB. X

Stretching our food.

Dear reader,

How are you doing this month?
I am struggling on the food. It just seems to go and there are only the two of us. No kids, no pets.

We did a big shop at Lidl at the beginning of the month, £80 and did another £30 top up also there a few days later. It just seems to go. We're not having goodies like crisps or chocolate either.
We are out of bread and eggs and the fridge looks very bare already.

This is what we have left

Freezer
2 chicken leg portions
2 portions beef stew
Frozen veg
1 pack frozen Quorn mince
4 pork steaks

Fridge
4 pints milk
2 kg cheddar cheese (one I have grated)
1 butternut squash
3 peppers
1 huge sweet potato
1 small mozzarella cheese
Cream cheese
Half pack smoked salmon

Larder
Rice
Porridge
Lots of packets-curry, stir fry, BBQ- all AF bulk buys
Tins of tomatoes, baked beans and chick peas. A couple of new potatoes and peas.
2 part baked baguettes
Flour SR and plain.

I think today will be dedicated to using what I have to be inventive in making some meals.
It really helps me to list it all. It's already given me some good ideas.

Breakfasts-these can be porridge all week for both of us.

Lunches will have to be the leftover of the night before. I usually do sandwiches for Big man plus a side like chicken portions or sardines, with fruit. Then a dinner that night. With no bread I shall have to be inventive.

I will get a meal plan done by the end of the day.

FIB. X

Alternative roast chicken dinner.

Dear reader,

Phew, the weekend. A long week at work some 12 hour days but did manage to get home at a decent hour last night. Well 7.30 pm, that's decent, isn't it?

Big man has gone off to work early so I am up and thought I must catch up with my blog world, both incoming and outgoing.
I realised I hadn't quite finished with my alternative roast chicken dinner from last weekend.
I'm not sure why but if I do a long post it seems to stop and I just can't write anymore so have to break into two parts. Anyone know a solution?

Before moaning about my car I had blogged about roast chicken and a yoghurt coated recipe.
I also did some spicy roast potatoes and had seen a packet of Indian paneer cheese in Lidl so had a go at making paneer and spinach, a dish I enjoyed when we used to have meals out.

So we had roast chicken, roasties and veg. The roasties were just par boiled then tossed in some oil, spices and sprinkled with a pack of lemon and herb crumbs that I had from AF. (You can't taste the lemon, it just gives a great crunch) the chicken has blackened but wasn't burnt. It goes a bit like tandoori chicken with the red stuff.

Down in the dumps.

Dear reader,

A quickie before bed! Up at 0430 am. Aaaagggghhh

The garage rang. I knew it wasn't good when he told me to sit down.

We are up to £1400 so far. Oh joy. It failed the mot. The brakes need doing, discs and pads, the calliper thing is knackered, the something else is jammed and a load of other stuff.

I only bought it in December and had it serviced in February. It has a full service history but it is 10 years old so to be expected I suppose.

Still, not good. That was my holiday I was hoping for. Not had one since 2011.
Used to go several times a year. Oh well.



Hope to be more perky tomorrow.

X

Bloody car!

Dear reader,

0630 this morning was not a good time for the car not to start. Can't even get it to the garage.
The local garage will come down here if I drop off the keys which is great. I decided to get all my paperwork for the car out and shock horror, the mot expired 2 days ago. I am so disorganised.

Suppose it's a god send really as I wouldn't have checked otherwise. It also needs the brakes doing and a cam belt change. I would like to have it done before winter sets in. Typical, just as I was getting straight with my money and saving for my insurance so am not best pleased today. Oh well, must be more organised and ensure I have enough for unexpected issues.

How do you budget for your car?

Different Sunday lunch-coated chicken.

Dear reader,

Ever fancied a change to your regular Sunday lunch?
We usually have chicken. We like it, we make it do several meals and it is better both health wise and price wise. Don't get me wrong, we love beef and lamb but chicken is our usual choice.

I mostly roast it and we have a selection of vegetables and potato of some sort.

Today I did something different. Here what I did in pictures with the recipe at the bottom.
My chilli powder is well out of date but still fine. The redness comes from three tablespoons tomato purée. I skinned the chicken for less fat.