This Weekend

Cake ingredients cost me £21. So I will not be entering this show again demonstrating my culinary skills.

Disappointingly I was not placed in the show. But the comments from friends at work this morning more than made up for that as both cakes did a very convincing disappearing act at lunchtime.

Death By Chocolate Cake

Double orange cake

I am trying to comfort myself with the thought that it was full of industrious skilled professional bakers, but sadly I think we all know the truth!

Ah well back to sewing, more fulfilling!

Frugally yours
Abigail
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The Weekend That Went.

Hello and welcome to my new follower Lucy. Thank you for your kind comments. x

You made me think with what you wrote about having a simpler life.

So this weekend I tried to just enjoy the simple pleasures.

So, I got home Sunday lunchtime after spending the weekend with The Chap and decided to spend the afternoon doing paperwork and baking.

275g plain flour 215g caster sugar 3 tbsps golden syrup

3 level tbsps cocoa powder 1½ level tsps bicarbonate of soda

1½ level tsps baking powder 3 large eggs, beaten

225ml sunflower oil 225ml milk

For the icing - 450g plain chocolate (I used tesco value choc) 200g unsalted butter (I used utterly butterly as it was on special offer a few weeks ago)

To finish - 50g white chocolate and plain chocolate, coarsely grated

Pre-heat oven to 160 degrees C (Gas Mark 3). Grease two 20cm deep, loose bottomed tins, then line base of each tin. Sift flour, cocoa powder, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder into large bowl, add sugar and mix well. Make a well in the centre of dry ingredients and add golden syrup, eggs, oil and milk. Beat well until smooth, then pour into prepared tins. Bake for 35 minutes or until well risen; then leave to cool in tins for a few minutes before turning out. When cold, cut each cake in half horizontally. For the icing – break chocolate into pieces and melt in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Remove from heat, add butter and leave to melt into the chocolate. Sandwich all layers of the cake together and pour remaining icing over the top, smoothing evenly over top and sides. Leave to set, then decorate with grated plain and white chocolate.

Not entirely a frugal recipe, but I made it cheaper by only using tesco value chocolate and syrup. All the other ingredients i had in stock.

Sitting down on Sunday evening to watch the football (lets not talk about that!) knowing that all the paperwork in the flat had either been shredded, recycled or filed gave me peace of mind. Plus the cake sitting in the fridge made me feel that I had something to show for my 48 free hours.

Making something, whether it be sewn or baked, gives me a sense of satisfaction unparallelled to anything I could buy.

I took my cake to work and the set it in the common room with a big sign saying help yourself. It was demolished within 2 hours. Now it cannot have been to bad can it?

Frugally yours
Abigail
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DEATH BY CHOCOLATE CAKE

Mary Berry and Nigella Lawson Are Gods, Do you Hear Me Gods! I say :o)

The day before pay day, and is supposed to be No Spend Wednesday.

Unfortunately it is not. The reason? Well I forgot to bring some lunch in.

Been a pretty disappointing 24 hours really in terms of spending.

Yesterday, I left work early as I had a dentist appointment - £17 NHS check up and clean.

At least my teeth are so sparkly you will not realize I have holes in them, yup…. Got to go back at the end of Feb for 2 fillings. Heck, another £30 to spend on the gnashers next month.

I forgot to take my toothbrush into work with me so had to stop off at the Co-op and buy a toothbrush and toothpaste. I also took the opportunity to buy the plain flour to make the pastry last night. Total spent £3.

So today, in order to eat at lunchtime. I wandered out to buy a loaf and went to Poundland. Got a Hovis brown Loaf for 50P about to go out of date. I only buy short dated bread products as they freeze and defrost so easily. I had some tomatoes back at the office to go with it. Whilst I was in there, bought 3 cans of diet coke and a multipack of crisps. Again, total cost £3. But hopefully this means I can avoid spending tomorrow and Friday.

I checked my online banking today to see what was left 24 hours before pay day and discovered I was £9.65 in credit (well before I hit my OD limit) not having expected this cash, I immediately transferred £9.60 off Credit Card 1 as an additional payment. This is 1.85% off the balance for Credit Card 1. ….Every little helps!

So time to review my debt at the end of the month

Overdraft           £300.00

Car Loan            £334.00
Credit Card 1      £514.12
Credit Card 2      £710.00

Total Debt          £1858.12

I hate throwing food away, so when I got home today I noticed that the remainder of the eggs were about to go out of date tomorrow and as there were 5 left I ought to try and use some. I will probably eat the rest over the weekend. They will not kill me as long as they still sink in water, then they are fine. Plus I bought 3 lemons on Friday that need to be used up too.

So I got out another favourite baking book…

And did 2 of Nigella’s lemon loaves I meant to make at the weekend. I am going to freeze the second for another time.

I am rather pleased with these.

I love a freebie and today provided me such a situation courtesy of Martin Lewis. I ordered a Valentine’s Day card for free from CardTown for The Chap. Bargain. Or am I just cheap? Answers on a postcard...

Still blooming cold here tonight. Went to bed early last night with a hot water bottle and a good book. Probably do the same tonight.

Frugally yours

Abigail
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