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Original poster

First Frugalling month of 2018 almost done , so Forging forward into Feb we go

999 replies

Laska5772 · 23/01/2018 22:52

...and here we go !
Welcome all!

OP posts:
Thread gallery
31
SunnyLikeThursday · 04/02/2018 18:23

What are your favourite mac and cheese recipes? I've never made it.

My spell-checker just said I should spell that recopies.

Original poster
Laska5772 · 04/02/2018 18:24

Actually wreck that does sound good especially with pile of green cabbage) .I can imagine it as a replacement for spuds ,just not as a meal on its own ..

OP posts:
WreckTangled · 04/02/2018 18:26

Laska I much prefer it as a side.

Sunny I just cook the pasta then pour over a cheese sauce (home made), sprinkle with cheese then put in the over for twenty minutes.

lifelongfrugaleer · 04/02/2018 18:30

Cauliflower or Mac and cheese Envy

QuiteCleanBandit · 04/02/2018 18:37

Mmmm all the recipes sound lovely .
I do macaroni cheese with very strong cheddar and smoked cheese plus mustard.
I never precook the macaroni so its not soggy.
Serve with crispy salad
I usually do it for lunch or a supper if we are tired,cold and hungry .
Its that sort of dish.
Another favorite is Nigellas supper onion pie .Lovely cheese pastry and oodles of melting cooked red onion and herbs .
Cheap as chips,quick and DS favorite.
Lovely as lunch the next day,warmed with salad.
Or for a picnic .
Thanks for the knee commiserations-luckily my pride took most of the impact Grin
Have made a big tuna pasta bake for next couple of days packed lunches for me and DS . Tarragon and peppercorns with tuna mushrooms celery and frozen green beans,vegan bechamel and cream .
Its going to be cold Sad🐧🐧🐧

Fluffycloudland77 · 04/02/2018 18:57

Wreck Not that I know of. Some call for soya milk too but you can just use normal.

Quick to make though, no creaming stage.

SnugglySnerd · 04/02/2018 19:20

I love cauliflower cheese! I sometimes make posh macaroni cheese with chopped artichokes (out of a jar) and frozen spinach mixed in topped with garlic and herb breadcrumbs and baked in the oven. It's fabulous and might go on my meal plan now

Rubbish day today but didn't spend any money and the bank balance isn't quite as bad as I feared!

Original poster
Laska5772 · 04/02/2018 19:32

Snuggly that does sound like my kind of thing ( says the food snob!) Grin

OP posts:
Wolfcub · 04/02/2018 19:32

I love the idea of adding artichokes Snuggly. I suspect I might be the only person in the house to eat it though

Loveabaconsandwich · 04/02/2018 19:32

NSD

Moanranger · 04/02/2018 19:50

Due to sun & wind today, I got bedding dry on the line. Result! I have only had to use the dryer for bedding twice this winter - surprising, as it has been so wet.
I agree with others re spin dryer. But my washing machine has a high Rev spin cycle, & we tend to dry our clothes in winter either on rads or hangers dotted around the house. I call it the Chinese laundry effect! However, no minor children here, just me, DP, and adult son who does his own thing, so laundry is not daily, more like twice a week.
Otherwise, LSD, I am coming down with something, yesterday it felt like flu, today not so much, although I am chesty. Nearly out of Lemsip, went to Trading Post, they only had Beechams black currant, I thought about it a bit, but a hassle to drive to chemist(Sun, so local one is closed) So Beecham’s it is, for £1. Also got dishwasher descaler & hand sanitiser, also £1 each.
God, my life is so boring, no Birkin bag shopping for me!

needastrongone · 04/02/2018 19:52

Well I've hauled myself off my death bedGrinGrinGrin

Had stodgy mac and cheese, added some sweet corn and tomato in your honour laska, made it healthier ha! Veganised of course with vegan cheese alternatives and nutritional yeast.

I run 40 miles a week and do 2 classes. Did 18 miles today. I'm less than 7.5 stone. Most of the time my diet is completely on point as it affects my training if it's not but a bit of stodge is totally fine with me too!!

However also made a healthy salad for lunches and brownie. Can help sometimes just to be busy, I feel worse sitting around 'resting', makes me more tired I think.

DS has had mates around this afternoon, they are sorting a holiday, this will be the first time away on their own. They are all 18 though. They will be fine. I'm sure shenanigans will be included but that's par for the course. They are going to Budapest and Prague, so not quite Ibiza thankfully. These are his mates from the village, not his school chums. Good bunch of lads. It does feel weird though!

needastrongone · 04/02/2018 19:57

Food efforts

First Frugalling month of 2018 almost done , so Forging forward into Feb we go
First Frugalling month of 2018 almost done , so Forging forward into Feb we go
First Frugalling month of 2018 almost done , so Forging forward into Feb we go
needastrongone · 04/02/2018 19:57

Welcome nofilter some goal, kudos to you. You sound like you are getting to an organised and planned stage. Lots of work and excitement ahead.

needastrongone · 04/02/2018 19:59

Bloody iPad

First Frugalling month of 2018 almost done , so Forging forward into Feb we go
First Frugalling month of 2018 almost done , so Forging forward into Feb we go
needastrongone · 04/02/2018 20:00

Small plates btw, looks like I'm a right piggy!!

needastrongone · 04/02/2018 20:03

Oh sorry guys, it said all my posts didn't postSadSad

Unescorted · 04/02/2018 20:04

I am happy with Mac and cheese or cauliflower cheese. All together is a bit too much.

Laska have I seen you on the 5:2 threads? How is it working for you?

SnugglySnerd · 04/02/2018 20:12

Due to various catastrophes I have washed and tumble dried 5 loads today. The day started at 5.30 with dd1 crying because she'd wet the bed and went steadily downhill from there. No longer an NSD as I needed chocolate!

needastrongone · 04/02/2018 20:12

Also nofilter, we have a pony, I sympathise on the associated costs!!

ememem84 · 04/02/2018 20:30

JUmping in on the Mac & cheese chat.

sunny rick stein has a recipe for bacon mac & cheese. It’s lush. Salty and creamy and unctuous (now there’s a lovely word to say...) jamie o does a lobster mac n cheese (also delish but in my opinion a total waste of good lobster. Iceland frozen lobster however works wonders in this!)

We eat it with salad. Or just in its own.

And any left overs get cooked scooped with ice cream scoop into balls bread crumbed and fried. Sort of like Arancini. Mmmm.

Original poster
Laska5772 · 04/02/2018 21:36

I am in the minority then on mt thoughts on Mac & Cheese Grin..

Promise I will give it a go post-diet.. ( well perhaps.. as I fear its highly calorific)
Unescorted I was active on 5:2 a few years ago when it started and lost a lot of weight on it but eventually i allowed myself to slip back into my old ways and so am now back on the 8 week blood sugar diet which is similar and works well for me (but also allows an element of 5:2 fasting within that ..)

This time..I must not yo-yo back .. I was OK maintaining a for some time but sadly over the last year (and not helped by having killing sciatica for months which I medicated in comfort food and wine ) I have just put it all on again . But I am nearly a stone down.. feeling positive that by my holiday ill be back in the bikini. Grin (yes i do know that I am 60!)

OP posts:
ememem84 · 04/02/2018 21:56

laksa afaik there is no age limit on bikinis. You have a body. You have bikini. You have bikini body.

(Providing it’s not a thong bikini and you’re so tanned your skin resembles a naice leather handbag and you’re not also topless....vivid flashbacks to very old Italian lady I saw sauntering to the bar at our hotel in lake como..... it was the leathery looking skin that made me shudder. Moisturiser? Sunscreen? I suspect she used the finest extra virgin olive oil...)

I got sucked in to eBay. I’ve made an offer on some vintage Pyrex casserole dishes (glam) lovely white ones with blue pattern and glass lids. My grandma had some like it. So am feeling nostalgic. £20 for three in different sizes. For the new house. Which we don’t have yet. Will see if offer is accepted.

Original poster
Laska5772 · 04/02/2018 22:20

thong bikini? Shock I think not! .. nice proper bra-sized underwired and decent bum-covering pants sort for me..

I am naturally a sort of pale blue colour and only manage to be sort of a dirty cream, after a whole summer, Factor 50, sun hat and beach tent all the way for me! ..

OP posts:
mammymammyIRL · 04/02/2018 23:27

Left my phone upstairs after a wonderful 3 hour nap earlier & you guys have been very chatty since Grin

Loads of food ideas - I've got a piece of bacon in fridge since fri which I earlier pondered what to make with it, was thinking egg fried rice but rick steins bacon mac & cheese sounds good

I also have some packs of puff pastry to use as I bought them instead of shortcrust by mistake for dhs pudding rolls Shock maybe I could try Nigellas supper pie with it?

I also cleared out a freezer drawer of ends of bread to make breadcrumbs so any recipe using them most welcome too Grin

Nofilter welcome, sounds like you've a good plan in place. And I love the idea of your converted barn accommodation!

I'm debating if I could go back to work in half day segments this week or if I should take an extra couple of days & go full days wed & thurs & I've a half day booked for a wedding on Friday anyhow. Will see what the nights sleep brings. Hmm

Em I missed that, which house did ye put an offer in on?

Mary berry lemon cheesecake very easy & frugal too. As I said I already had biscuit base but topping was 1/3 jar lemon curd (69c for jar in Aldi) pack of mascarpone (€1.09 aldi) and some lemon juice. Made 5 huge slices, rectangular dish. Biscuit base estimate cost 50c. Going to try with strawberry jam sometime too as last strawberry cheesecake tasted a bit like petit filous on top Smile

Need Grin at your dh Grin