Charity Challenge Day 2 - Meal Plan

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

Day 2 of our Charity Challenge, and I thought this little fellow might distract the kids from the general lack of breakfast on the table this morning...

The egg cosy body and head are crocheted, and the rest is knitted - still more confident knitting the fiddly bits really, especially if I'm making it up as I go along.

Shame we had to share the egg…

Anyway, now you know what I spent the £12 budget on (shopping list is here) I thought I'd run through our 7 day meal plan.

You'll notice I've started and ended the week on a crowd pleaser - the other part of my cunning plan is to make some morale boosting chocolate brownies on Thursday, just when I reckon spirits will be flagging. I'll have to alter recipe quantities as I could only afford 100g of dark chocolate; but it's the good stuff - 74% cocoa.

I'll be doing some recipe fiddling with other things like the apple cake too - it all has to fit with what we've got. The apples are our own; we had a bumper crop last year and stored some in the garage. Mind you most of them are rotten, or look pretty manky…

Not great, but managed to make some reasonably decent stewed apple. A friend has kindly donated 4 eggs from her hens and a few leeks from her garden. I'll be using 4 rather soft looking potatoes I found at the bottom of the cupboard, plus 3 onions. I'll also be using up old bags of flour -some so old I wouldn't be surprised if they started moving, but I'm purposefully not looking at use-by-dates - rather not know…
I've mixed in some of the new plain flour I bought with my old strong flour, for bread-making, and so far so good. A little flat looking maybe, but the kids seem to like it.  I found half a bag of oat bran too, also of questionable age (from a failed attempt at the Dukan diet I think) and I've been adding that to the bread and muffin ingredients.

Breakfast is homemade bread, though I'm hoping there might be some pancakes left over for Thursday morning.

Sunday
Lunch  Pesto pasta with a sprinkle of cheese, then apple crumble.
Dinner Tomato and cheese pizza/garlic bread pizza and peach muffins.

Monday 
Dinner Vegetarian sausages with rosti potato and carrots. Apple cake for afters.

Tuesday
Dinner  Almost Spanish omelette and carrot muffins.

Wednesday
Dinner  Leek and carrot soup with cider bread, followed by pancakes. 

Thursday
Dinner   Not quite Puttanesca pasta and chocolate brownies.

Friday
Dinner Savoury rice and chocolate brownies.

Saturday
Lunch   Lentil soup and homemade bread followed by peach muffins.
Dinner  Tomato and cheese pizza/garlic bread pizza and whatever's left for pudding!

Such a beautiful day on Sunday, so we had our pizzas outside. It was getting a bit parky by teatime, but that didn't seem to matter, seeing as all the grub disappeared in five minutes flat. I used a whole tin of chopped tomatoes and all the passata plus an onion to make the tomato sauce, but only spread a little on the pizzas - the rest has been put away for Thursday's pasta.

I'm really conscious of rationing everything out, and using things like butter/milk sparingly. I've even grated all our cheese into a tub...just makes it look like it'll go further somehow!


I'm doing the £12 Challenge for Sport Relief - if you're interested, my page is here.

Day One Charity Challenge - The List

Okay, so call me Norma.

No other takers for the Charity Challenge….obviously didn't make it sound remotely tempting!
Don't blame you really.

Anyway, my £12 shop took me all of 5 minutes, but planning what to buy took A LOT longer. It's all about the prep with something like this: squeezing as much as you can out of every single penny.
There was a good deal of list tinkering, calculator bashing, sighing, crossing out, cheek puffing, more sighing….

I'd have liked to try a few different vegetarian meals, but there's no point if the kids won't eat them, so I've played safe. All my groceries came from Lidl, except the tin of peaches I bought in Tesco's last week. The cheese was reduced which meant I had enough money left to buy some cream crackers…the height of excitement I know, but they'll provide a bit of variety for after-school snacks, so the kids don't tire of muffins. I purposefully haven't given them muffins for a while…or carrots. We'll be eating a lot of carrots.

It goes without saying there's nothing organic going on here...

15 eggs                 £1.35
Cheese 250g            90p
milk 4pts                £1
butter                        98p
2xplain flour (3kg)   98p
tinned toms               34p
passata                      29p
carrots 500g              75p
sugar 1kg                  79p
vegetarian sausages   98p
tinned peaches           35p
Pesto Rosso               89p
cream crackers           38p
dark chocolate           79p
pasta 500g                 29p
red lentils 500g          89p

TOTAL               £11.95

One big advantage I have over last year is I don't have to make packed lunches. The kids now have school dinners - pre-paid - so this should take some of the pressure off, and possibly ease the whinging.  I'm thinking mainly about the eldest here - he eats more than his Dad and is permanently starving.

There are five of us to feed today and next saturday, but during the week it's down to four. I'm starting off gently with homemade bread for breakfast, and tonight, everyone's favourite - margherita pizza and garlic bread pizza. Got to keep them happy. Like I said, it's all about the prep…

I'll post the full 7 day meal plan tomorrow, and explain why I blew 79p on a bar of dark chocolate.

Return of the £12 Charity Challenge

There was a fair amount of whining and complaining in the back of the car when I reminded the kids it was £12 Challenge Time again. I'd seriously considered not bothering this year, after losing Dad, but then came round to thinking it might actually help a little. Being busy is good at the moment. Keeps the dark clouds at bay.

So, just in case you're wondering, from Sunday I'll be feeding the four of us on a tiny £12 budget for 7 days. Now, unless you know about this, I'm sure you're probably wondering why?/is she some kind of crackers…Weeell, I do like a thrifty cooking challenge, and it's for charity - the rest of the weekly shop money (guesstimated) will go to Sport Relief.

Believe it not, this will be our third £12 Challenge, and last time, in a moment of possible hunger-induced madness, I rashly promised we'd go vegetarian for the next one. Not a problem in itself - I love vegetarian food, and figure I could come up with quite a good week of cheap, wholesome meals; but despite my best efforts, the kids just aren't that keen on their greens...or any pulses for that matter. So there'll be no lentil casserole or cauliflower cheese, or mushrooms, or couscous. I've got one who won't even eat potatoes. Talk about a challenge...

Still, I'm up for it, AND the accompanying chorus of whinging that's bound to get noisy as the week goes on. 

It does mean a lot more planning and a lot more time spent preparing meals and snacks; but focusing on food in this ultra-frugal way always reminds me how easy it is to take what we have, and what we expect to have, for granted. It also makes me think about what I usually buy. I'm the world's worst for getting stuff I don't need just because it's on offer. 

Anyway, I was wondering so I was, whether I could tempt anyone else to join me for a trolley detox this time? (though, having read over the above, can't say I've done the best job selling it…) And I don't mean jump straight in at the deep end, (unless you want to that is) - I was thinking more along the lines of cutting back on the weekly shop; sticking to a meal plan; using up stuff lurking in kitchen cupboards/the freezer, and donating what you save.

there'll be a lot of this going on….

I have a few self-imposed rules to up the ante - I try, on the whole, to use only what I buy with the twelve quid, bar a few cupboard/fridge essentials. I'll get some flour, because there'll be much bread and muffin making….but I'll use up ends of bags too. Same goes for sugar and leftover marg/spuds and onions. No point duplicating and being wasteful.

I'll post my £12 shop at the weekend, but if you'd like to see last year's, it's here and my meal plan is here.

Sunday will be the first day of the Challenge, and Saturday 22nd the last. I've been organised enough to set up a Sport Relief page (http://my.sportrelief.com/sponsor/12poundchallenge) - I'd thought about doing a team page, but chickened out, in case I ended up looking like a right Norma, in a sad old team of one…

So, what do you think? Do you fancy it? I'd love some company!

Dad

I haven't mentioned my lovely Dad much before; I haven't really wanted to. It just felt too personal. He had a big operation two years ago and sadly never properly recovered.

Dad battled so hard; he was so brave, but after Christmas began slipping down hill.

He lost his fight on the last day of February.

Dad rallied a little towards the end, which gave us all a chance to spend some time with him and say goodbye. Really special to have that. He knew we were there; he was calm and peaceful.

I felt I wanted to tell you, because it's such a major event in my life; because I couldn't keep something like this from my friends; because it wouldn't feel right to simply plough on with posts about making stuff from egg boxes without saying. That would be too weird.

But please don't feel you need to write back - I just want to be able to mention him from time to time, and for you to know why.

I read this at Dad's Funeral. I honestly can't remember reading it, but I'm so glad I did.

When I close my eyes, you’re holding my hand,

By the sea; smiling; sand between our toes,

I’m in your shadow looking up,

Safe, Secure, Loved.

When I close my eyes, you’re with my friends,

Laughing, joking, enjoying the attention,

Glass in your hand,

Funny, Wise, Generous,

You touched so many lives.

When I close my eyes you’re lost

and full of sadness,

swamped by waves of emotion

that ebb and flow forever.

When I close my eyes it’s your Wedding Day,

Happiness wraps round you,

Your soulmate by your side,

Love with no limits.

Adventures ahead you’d never have dreamt of,

A life full to the brim.

When I close my eyes you’re holding Sam,

a new shoot to the Tree,

Passionate and determined

like his Grandad.

You looked out for us all,

Guiding, advising,

Practical, sensible,

Unfailingly honest.

When I close my eyes you’re at peace,

Released from the pain.

You slipped away surrounded by love,

Nothing left unsaid.

Always in our hearts.

Competitive? Moi?

'Miss says we have to tell all you parents to keep your hands behind your backs!'

Like that's going to happen.

It's competition time again; the St David's Day Eisteddfod - a Festival of music, poetry, baking and model making, held in schools across Wales. Absolutely guaranteed to bring out a steely competitive edge in many a parent.

Even ones you least suspect.

Is that me? Probably. I'm really not inclined to be competitive about most stuff, but give me a craft challenge and I'm suddenly possessed by a Blue Peter-like zeal to produce something simply glorious. Just can't stop myself.

We all tend to do more than we should, don't we? Frankly I think anyone who insists they haven't helped their child with his or her cardboard creation is a big fibber. And I'm putting my hand up here, because I've taken 'helping' to the nth degree.

Now, you know how much I like making things out of rubbish - and at home I'll quite happily let the kids get on with creating whatever they fancy: no interfering…but when it's school bound, that's a game changer. As much as I'd like to be relaxed about it, I just can't let them take in any old tat.

So this happens.

I know.

It was my son's idea to make a model of the Statue of Liberty…and that's about all he did, bless him. Basically I got completely carried away. Out came the empty yogurt and marg pots and the tin foil, and then I thought, what about some papier mache? Honestly I had the best time.

Our model didn't even get placed.

It so obviously wasn't made by a 7 year old. I was far too embarrassed to say a thing.

Did I learn my lesson? Don't be mad. What I learnt was to tone it down a bit.

Fast forward to this year's competition, and my 9 year old had to make a Dragon. Attached to the letter about the Festival categories was a slip all parents had to sign, declaring no help had been given beyond a little guidance.

Oh dear.

New school, new rules. Suddenly it all seemed terribly official, which presented a bit of a dilemma, seeing as on the whole I'm quite law-abiding. It's different somehow when you actually have to sign something.

So, to get round feeling like a complete fraud and a cheat, who's bound to get caught and hauled before the Headmistress, I made another dragon alongside my son for him to copy - not saying there wasn't the odd helpful snip here and there, but, on the whole it was his own work.

I really needn't have worried, because on the way into school today I saw one mum carrying a beautiful clay dragon. I'm quite sure it had been glazed and fired. And my son told me his best friend's dragon had legs that moved and a CAVE.

Think I'm going to have to up my game again…

(By the way, if anyone's interested in instructions for an egg box dragon, just let me know!)

Egg box seals that ain't Arf! easy...

The Zoo hasn't made an appearance for a while, but it's on my mind; pinging around in there - more about that in a moment - first though, a new arrival!

Arf!

Sammy the seal, plus food..

It's all about the cut with Sammy - no glue needed - just an egg box, a good pair of scissors, paint and a black felt tip.

Cut out as much of a middle cone as you can, right down to the bottom. I've drawn a circle round the cone in this box so you can see what I mean.

Draw a line half way up one side, then use the cone edges to help you draw the flippers, like this.

Next, angle the line from the flippers gently downwards on the sides of the cone..

..don't make the angle too sharp - and bring the two lines together at the back to form the body and tail.

Cut out your seal. Now, because egg box cardboard is prone to ripping, make a little snip at the top of the flippers at the front - keep these cuts quite small so you don't lose a flipper - then carefully bend the them, and the tail.

Round off the pointy corners left on the flippers after snipping - just helps make your seal look better.

Next, paint and draw a face, like this one, drawn on an unpainted seal so it's nice and clear.

We made a few fish from bits of leftover egg box card too,

and then the seals commandeered the penguins' pool ….

Maybe you remember a few weeks ago I showed you an upside-down shoe box? Well, this is what's inside.

The plan is to use my box of animals to promote Roll up to the Zoo as a possible book idea. Thankfully a friend is helping with the promo stuff, because I'm rubbish at that.

It might all come to nothing, but as my 6 year old says (as she enthusiastically enters yet another Milkshake! drawing competition), you've got to be in it to win it.

'Swings and roundabouts, Mummy!'

So weird hearing your own words coming back at you.

*Update Oct/2018* And it was worth it!

Plenty of projects to try in my craft books, 'Make Your Own Zoo' and 'Make Your Own Farm Animals'

Easy egg box roses

This is a little Valentine's or Mother's day gift that won't fade away - really simple to make too.

All you'll need for half a dozen roses is: an egg box, some pipe cleaners, red tissue paper, a yogurt pot, small piece of wrapping paper, PVA/craft glue, scissors and a ball of plasticine (modelling clay).

First, cut the six cups out of the egg box - they don't have to be straight and even, in fact a wavy edge is best as it's more petal-like.

Paint them...and possibly your hands, red.

Once they're dry, cut pipe cleaners into 10cm/4" pieces(green is great, but any colour will do) - then make a hole, push the pipe cleaner through and fold the top part over.
(Keep as flat as you can as this makes it easier to glue in the flower middle)

Cut a sheet of red tissue paper into three (about 20cm/8" by 12cm/5") and then start folding, so you end up with a strip roughly 2cm/0.75" wide.

Once you've done that, roll it up tight.

Let the tissue paper centre naturally unfurl so it fits neatly in an egg cup, and glue in place.

Optional: Fold some green tissue paper a few times, draw a leaf shape on top, cut out and glue to the stems.

Stick some paper or a ribbon onto your pot (or both!) to cover the writing.

If you're using paper, cut a strip to go round the pot plus a bit extra, then snip the strip into smaller pieces - this makes it much easier to glue evenly.

Best to leave the plasticine (modelling clay) somewhere warmish so it's not hard as rock when you try to push the stems in.

The added bonus is this gives the pot some weight, so you should end up with quite a sturdy little posy…

egg box roses