Gone but never for long....well it's all relative....

Well I didn't die, leave the Internet, or any such thing but just haven't had much time to do this in addition to everything else that goes on in life.  Work and home keep me plenty busy and of course finding all those bargains tends to keep one very busy indeed.

In the last few years I've kept to my cake making, jamming, and my latest interest is pickling, just about anything and everything I can.  I also have been busy crafting and will be working on something rather big even for me. I have loads of pictures which I've put below with some descriptions underneath....

This is a chocolate box that I got naturally reduced and it was paper/card.  I just couldn't throw it away so instead decoupaged it with some paper I had and old books.  Well a monster was born I tell you!

This is a cardboard magazine box - it had gotten faded and yes, broken along one side.  So glued/taped it back and yep, you guessed it, decoupage to the rescue.  I think it is ever so cute and now it's totally usable again.  What luck! 

This was a gift that I used just plain brown paper I got in a package (no lie!) and then decorated it from my endless stash of crafting things - some are collected from charity shops others I get at the usual shops when they are super reduced (well you would expect no less of me right?!?!). 

Just to prove I've been making jam and getting it all reduced, you can see the costings, yes, I'm very lucky in the reduced aisle.... 

These two are Christmas presents I did one year - yes, I used up some of my coloured coffee filters and cut them up like snow flakes, taped to the plain wrapping and yes, gave it a bit of glitz! 

This was a present for my sister, she had sent me all of my niece's photos and videos of her and I put them all onto CDs and then used LightScribe to etch onto the disk a photo and age for her.  I knew she had lost a few of them due to a hard drive crash but yes, backups to the rescue! 

Valentine's day....yes, I stamped the paper in red, rose, and white.  It was plain but cute I thought. 

Yup, more decoupage mad for me....!  This was a wooden box I had for ages, nothing to do with it until yes, inspiration hit and well, like the magazine holder it just took on a life of its own. 

Somebunny's vegan chocolate cake for their birthday....you would never know it was vegan I swear.  Please visit this great blog - I've gotten a number of things to make from Traci and it is one of those that is easily adaptable.

All homemade crust and filling quiche.  I surprise myself sometimes....and yes, all the stuff in it was reduced (silly - need you ask!?). 

My birthday cake one year, my usual Chocolate Pistachio.  Yes, lovely....*sigh* 

A lovely friend gave me some small green tomatoes and decided to pickle them,  I'm really into the pickling now.....  We use them for nachos or salads if needed and to a few jars I added some chilies - yes, very good.  And waste not, want not, the pickling juice is used for salad dressings.  Nothing ever gets wasted if I can help it. 

Plate salad in all its various incarnations - it is never the same at our house....but then why should it be?  That would be most boring!  

Yet another scoop at ASDA this time, yes, more jam!  Sadly, everyone wants some so it goes just about as fast as I can make it. 

These three pictures are of some quinces from that same person who gave me the green tomatoes.  I've never had them and well they are the most delicious things ever.  I canned them and we've had them in crumbles all winter long.  I've mixed them with pears and apples, a bit of oranges, etc.  All great and what doesn't warm you like a crumble and custard?   

Well this might give you pause for thought, but it was for a turkey - post-Boxing day shopping and I just hit it right.  It was a whopper of a turkey, but cut it up into pieces, and froze for future dinners.  The carcass I made stock from (and included my frozen bones I keep for just such purposes) and made a lovely turkey soup with loads of meat from my admittedly bad carving and we had like two weeks of dinners on that alone.  Another four from the two breasts and legs which was great.  I still have the neck which I'll use to make stock as well when my next batch of bones comes due. 

You might want to check back again, I have many surprises up my sleeve....

Happy Christmas!

Yes, I did play with my food a bit to get this but what fun! I got this box of Alpha Bites on offer but had them this morning and thought could I find enough letters to say Happy Christmas - I did and more as you can see!

Well it is Christmas and I just wanted to show you a bit of what I've been up to lately.  I've been busy the past two weekends baking my socks off as all my presents this year were home-made in some way or other.  I bought only one present that at least was made here in the UK and the rest made by my hands.  I did a vaiation on hot chocolate mix, vanilla shortbread, butter mahagony toffee crunch, and yes, double-chocolate flapjacks (I'll do a posting later on these).  All have passed muster with J (they cannot make it out of hte house until they've passed this tough critic!) and hopefully are being enjoyed with their recipients.

We also took the time to reflect on how lucky we are to have each other and to have what we do that we decided to give locally to the chairty that works around here to provide food and help to families who cannot afford to have a Christmas or life as they should.  We took what we didn't spend on presents and gave them the money to hopefully make it a better time for them.  We also donated to our usual charities that I do each year instead of sending out cards to colleagues. 

I took this picture as J usually makes us porridge at the weekends when it's cold.  It sure does get you going and keeps you going the whole day.  Anyway, a while back I found some flavoured porridge reduced - it was organic and one was chocolate and the other was vanilla/banana flavoured.  I got it like for £0.50p a box so bought a number of them as it was going into winter.  Anyway, we tried them and while they were OK I thought I can do this.  So below is the result of porridge which has 2 cups of oats with 2 heaping tablespoons of cocoa added (this is enough for two - scale up for your needs).  I soak the oats overnight or at leat 15 minutes before cooking - it does make a difference - it comes out so creamy.  I have to say next to cinnamon and rasin this is my next favourite.  Please do try - it really is lovely!

 

This is a cake by Mary Berry called Cherry Cake.  I made for one of the people leaving work earlier this month.  I had seen it in The Great British Bake Off and looked and sounded so good that I thought I've got to try that recipe. I had to improvise with the self-raising flour as I don't normally buy that kind - but in the end I found a conversion so did that and it came out really lovely - or so everyone told me.

This is a small tree I made out of buttons I had around the house.  I did another one the same in white buttons with green pins - came out cute but forgot to take a picture of it before I wrapped it up as a gift. I thought it came out really cute - and it was so easy to make and put together.  I did a paperback book which I decorated with glitter and pearls.  I've got a picture somewhere - just have to find it and when I do I'll post it.

 

And this finally is my reduced haul although not all of it as the cheese (fresh mozzerella) and a few other bits were in the fridge by the time I got around to taking the snap.  The lamb roast is Christmas Day dinner (along with reduce parsnips, roasted potatos), the fish and lamb mince are in the freeze for dinner on other days, the eggs - well they always come in handy with a mad baking woman in the house, and the bagels and blueberrys will be breakfast during the days I'm off.  The blueberrys will go into making some corn / blueberry / almond muffins one morning - I'll have to devise a way for the recipe as I tend to just mix it in my own way - measuring is sometimes the last thing I do.  What a way to warm the house.  

 

Well that's all for the day - enjoy your special day with family and loved ones.  It is after all what the time is about.  Enjoy!

Nothing Fishy Here....

When browsing the aisles I found some fish I’d never had before of course reduced.  As you can see each fish cost me £0.88p each – so for my main meal it was £1.76 for us both.  That didn’t include my other bits but in total the whole meal (food and fuel) cost me £4.00.  I don’t have a particular price point for my meals – this would mean I’d be limiting myself.  Sometimes I find things reduced and just have to try them – this was gurnards.  I just couldn’t pass them up. 

I hadn’t a clue about what to do with them – thank goodness for Rick Stein’s Seafood book!  It showed me what to do and while I had a few recipes I kept it simple with just some parsley, white wine and a knob of butter (OK – some Old Bay Seasoning might have gotten in there too!). 

I hope the next time you see something reduced and don’t know what to do you’ll think again and get it and give it a try.  I’m very glad that I did and yes, I found them again at an even cheaper price and yes, got them again!

Oh my Samphire!

I’m well known for my savvy shopping skills – as most of this blog shows the kind of prices I find things at while out on my shopping expeditions.   However, this one really does take top some of my finds. 
I can remember watching Rick Stein on one of his many shows going on about samphire.  I thought shame I’ll never get to try it and just moved on as they say. 

So come one of my shopping trips out and about and stop into Asda and what do I find reduced?  Yes, samphire!  It was marked at 50p although I tore the sticker off – you’ll have to trust me on this.  I didn’t know how to cook it other than boil it for a bit and to not salt it.  So that’s essentially what I did and it was lovely.  I’ll probably never get to taste it again but am so glad I was able to get it – and reduced!  It was as salty as they claim and was most like asparagus I’d say in texture. 

I’m rather lucky in all that I do find reduced and it just goes to show you can have a very varied diet if you are willing to experiment and also willing to just go with whatever you can find.  I think what I try to do most is have options in the freeze for those instances we I don’t find anything but I’m always willing to exploit a find and maximise it’s potential.  I’ve seen a lot of shows lately on just how difficult it is for people to make ends meet and how they have trouble finding good food – I don’t think this is true.  I think you can do it all – you just have to be a bit more resourceful but you also have to WANT to do this – it’s not something that comes easy.  But oh boy are the rewards worthy of the eating!  Enjoy!

Blueberry muffins that won’t make you blue!

OK – I’m probably not your average shopper.  I admit I know my prices of my basics in my head, use the web to get me the best prices but I also adjust my plans for what I can find reduced.  I’m lucky in that I find a lot of variety reduced and thus get a varied diet.  

Take the blueberries, I got them reduced but I also had some milk that was on its last leg.  So what to do?  Make muffins of course!  If I don’t have buttermilk and often I don’t – I just sour it with lemon juice instead but the milk provided me with the perfect reason to use it up.  I also had some corn meal that needed to be used up so that got thrown in – voila – muffins!

 

 

It’s not a complicated recipe as I have a basic muffin recipe and I just alter what I put in depending on what I’ve got loads of or found reduced.  I also am lucky that I get some fresh rhubarb from a friend so I just add an apple or pear or any other soft fruit I have that need using up into the mix and make a crumble.  

 

And here is a teasing look at the chocolate that will be going towards someone’s cake in early August!

Herb cream cheese and bagels….

I’ve made my own bagels in the past but since they require some careful preparation for making at the weekend I often just get them from the supermarket when I find them reduced.   Normally we like them with cream cheese which we used to buy at Aldi’s but since they keep changing the recipe we’ve long gone off of it.  It’s a shame that we find something easy and convenient and not too expensive but once we do – it’s a guarantee that it will be gone when we next go looking for it.  

I’m getting where I am making just about everything at home.  Not that that is bad or anything but one has only so much time to devote to this. So fast forward to the other day when I found some bagels reduced and wanted to have that herb cream cheese with them but alas Aldi’s is not in the cards and wouldn’t be now that they’ve changed the product and we no longer like it.

Enter inspiration!  I had some cream cheese in the fridge from another meal and of course I’m forever finding herbs on the reduced aisle so there is plenty to choose from in the freeze.  I’ll make my own I say!  So armed with nothing more than a vague idea of what I’ll put in there I set off to the kitchen to create some fantastic herbed cream cheese for those bagels.

I must admit I’m rather good at combining things and just hoping for the best and usually I am rewarded with often very tasty treats.  So for this cream cheese creation I envisioned some garlic (one clove, minced), some parsley, a bit of chive and coriander.  I don’t have exact measurements – with this sort of blending I rarely do but about a teaspoon of each should do for those not used to cooking like this.  I didn’t add any salt but a good few grinds of the pepper mill would not go amiss.  I then tasted – it was good but missing something.  Back to the cupboard I go and spy some ground cumin and coriander.  I had a good measure of each – about ¼ teaspoon to my mix.  I should state that I began with about 100 grams of plain cream cheese.  Another mix and it finally tastes as I think it should and present to J with our bagels.

It passes the test for taste and of course expediency of making it.  After all it took me only about two minutes to get the cream cheese mixed and ready – how long would it have taken to get the one we liked previously from the store?  Surely longer than two minutes I can assure you.  The best part is that I mixed just enough for our bagel breakfast and that used up the last of the cream cheese.  A win-win situation – gotta love those! 

I just got these last night on my trip to M&S as I was heading back home and saw these - knew I had to get them - the price was just right as they say! I know it's sickening - but just had to get them all as the chives just freeze really well.  I've been using them up making my pasta side dishes and this is the first time I've tried rosemary - we'll see how well it freezes.  If it doesn't work - well no great loss as you can see the price was really cheap!

 

And these lovely flowers were from some friends after I had a biopsy (not to worry - everything is OK!) - took it a few weeks ago but have only just downloaded them and they came out so pretty just had to share. I know - I'm lucky to have such wonderful friends!

 

I’ve now thought of a sweet variation for my home made cream cheese and once I’ve had a chance to try that I’ll post all about it.  Enjoy!

Bargains Galore!

Well it is Easter and I just happen to need some lettuce for some soft tacos I was making the day before Easter Sunday.  So off to the Co-op we go and what do I find – yes, a bunch of reduced that I haven’t a clue as to the why but I sure did take my share!

As you can see from the photo it was a big haul by even my standards.  I got vegetable bouillon which I use in a variety of ways from my doodle-noodle nights to making my own pasta sauces (I mix this in with sour cream, or pasta water and lemon juice, the list is endless).  I also found some dried mushrooms – which are always welcome in a risotto especially when it’s still cold out as it is here in the UK.

As you can see a wide variety of items and most had a long shelf life – the bouillon was not too long but I’ve put them in the freeze to keep it fresh but I’ll use this quite quickly with my cooking.  Some of it fresh fruit and veg as well as some Quorn for this week’s lunches.  I also got some organic peanut butter which will go nicely into making some cookies which I put in the freeze and then make ad hoc when we want fresh warm cookies.  

I also thought I’d post this picture I took at Sainsburys some time ago after I posted about finding loads of fresh herbs reduced.  I’m still finding them and found it funny how they sell them frozen now as well.  Sadly they will not get my money that way as I’m still finding them off and on in my trips to the stores.

And finally this is a picture of the first snow we saw back on the 5^th of December.  The flakes were the size of small golf balls – it is true.  They didn’t come out too well and sadly the snow disappeared by the next day but it was fun to see it fall.

I’m off to make dinner – am still trying to get used to this time change but slowly the body is kicking in and says time to eat!  Enjoy!

Lovin' the reduced asile....

Sorry - still busy and even more so with the Olympics now on the telly!  Have had loads of things at work to accomplish and home has been a whirlwind of activity which I cannot discuss just yet but soon!  Nothing bad just cautious before I say it is a fait accompli.

So I have lately been finding herbs reduced - parsley, lemon thyme, lemon grass stalks, coriander.  As I've said before I go in spurts of something all the time then never.  I know weird!  So what to do with them and those lovely big bunches of them?

Well I did a bit of a test on them as the one I had gotten I couldn't use all of the parsley I got reduced so chopped it up and put into a small baggie I had from home - they are half the size of a sandwich bag - so cute and great for those little some thing's that are too big for a container or larger baggie.  Froze the parsley and used in a sauce a few weeks later.

Verdict?  Not a lot of difference in taste (it had lost a bit of it's punch but not enough that I didn't know it was parsley by it's taste) and excellent for when you want a bit of something to add to that sauce.  Now I've tried a few different ones and thought I'd report back what ones seems to freeze well.  Coriander, parsley, lemon grass stalks (for those lovely doodle noodles as I call them!), and lemon thyme so far all have worked out quite well.  Chiles not so great and mint really did lose it's zing (not my words as I hate it but J loves it and he could hardly taste it in the final product).

I know I've seen all these fresh herbs in the freezer section and I must admit that I looked at them but they stayed there for the price they wanted.  And I've never understood the garlic thing - it's really not that hard to peel and it is nothing like the 'real' thing.  So why bother?

I have thought of trying to capture the flavour in an ice cube tray but that will have to wait until I have a bigger freeze - cannot spare the room for that at the moment.  Unlike American fridges, British ones are in a whole other class!

And when I say reduced herbs - I'm talking less than 25p for a huge bunch of corriander or parsley - otherwise it's not worth my time.  I'm keen to try others but obviously only when found reduced so it's a wait and see but hope this is useful.

Next posting will be the bed - sorry - haven't as yet downloaded the pictures from the camera nor the ones from the Olympic torch that went past my work a few weeks ago.  Saw the opening ceremonies and really liked it.