Food Waste Friday

Every week, I link with Frugal Girl in an effort to curb unneccesary food waste.

 

Well Kids, it is another Food Waste Win this week, nothing to report. Made even impressive by the fact I am going away tomorrow so would normally be clearing the fridge. But nothing there that cannot wait out the 10 days I am away. Brrrrrrriliant!

 

So back in the UK on Tuesday 10th and I will upload all the pics if you like, save ones of me in a bikini... shudder shudder!

 

Frugally and very joyfully yours

Abigail

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Food Waste Friday & A Surprise.

  Every week I link with frugal girl in an effort to reduce my food waste and live according to my needs.

 

After last week's success of nothing to report, this week..

 

4 poor mushrooms, shrivelled up, with the consistency of golf balls. What a shame, I love mushrooms and could have

• fried them and added it to some pasta
• had them raw in a salad

Poor little things. Rest in peace. x

On a happier note:-

I got home last night from work and opened my front door to find a carrier bag in my hall. ??

Inside was this loot

My mum had read yesterday's blog entry, and bought everything I required on the list for my holiday in 2 weeks time.

How sweet was that?

Thanks mum. I love you x.

I am 36 yrs old, and she STILL takes care of me.

Frugally yours
Abigail
x

 

 

 

 

Food Waste Friday

  A really great week, nothing to report. Whoo Hoo! Am a Consumer winner for 7 days. Frugally yours Abigail x  

Food Waste Friday.

Food Waste Friday, On A Monday...I Am That Kind Of Rebel!  

So 1 or 4 things to report today, depending on how you look at it.

Spuds, or potatoes for our international friends.

These were left over from a bag I bought about 3 months ago. I kept them cool and not touching, but still they are now the consistency of of a sponge.

Wonder if I can re purpose them for my showers??

I did mange to save 3 last week by making homemade chips, but these babies were left..

So off they went to the great fridge tray in the sky. Farewell!

Better luck this week i suppose.

Frugally yours

Abigail

x

 

Food Waste Friday.

It is that time of the week again. Food Waste Friday. I link up with Frugal Girl in an effort to shame myself into better kitchen organisation.

Oh Dear not a good week at W Towers! 2 things to report.

First of all half a bag of green beans. The reality is, I love green beans so goodness knows how these developed a nasty of “stinkus veggus”. I swear they were fine earlier this week. If they were on Facebook, they would have changed their status from “fresh and delicious” to “liquid” within a space of 3 minutes. Ah well!

Secondly on Sunday, was searching the bowels of W Towers' kitchen I came across a rather nice tin of Venison Pate. It was obviously bought in better days involving afternoon tea and Cath Kidston aprons. It was delicious on hot toast for a snack. I then emptied the tin into some opaque Tupperware where it sat forgotten, until a root around found it yesterday evening. Shucks! I seem to recall it was about £3 for a small tin and I am upset it got wasted.

On a happier note the instant mash I made on Wednesday has been stretched to another 2 meals.

I added a tin of Tesco value tuna (54p) to the cold mash yesterday evening and formed it into fish cakes. I then fried them in a little sunflower oil and had 2 for my tea. Another 2 tonight with some frozen vegetables and £1’s worth of instant mash and tuna I think has done pretty well.

I forgot to take a pic I am afraid.

Olympics start tonight in case you have had you head stuck in the sand for the last 7 years. I just wanted to say Good Luck and God Bless to Team GB. I am so proud to be British. I will be watching the whole Opening Ceremony whilst baking in my little kitchen ready for tomorrow’s competition.

Frugally yours

Abigail

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Food Waste Friday

Every Friday, I link with Frugal Girl in an effort to shame myself into reducing my food waste.

After last week of being away, one would think I should have nothing to report.... Oh dear what a disappointment am I?

About three quarters of a pint of milk on the left and about half a tub of sour cream. I would actually try the sour cream, but it has all separated and looks rank. I would have taken a picture but did not want to hurt your delicate sensabilities.

Ho hum, better luck next week.

Frugally yours
Abigail
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Food Waste Friday

Every friday I link up with Frugal Girl in an effort to reduce to food waste.

As I mentioned I am away this afternoon to London for the weekend to stay with my good friend S, but relocating to Surrey on Sunday.

I have made an concerted effort to eat up all my perishable food items this week, which has led to three days of homemade tuna fishcakes.

So one would think I had nothing to report again today. Not true :o(

One tablespoon of baked beans left in a can from my tea on Sunday.
I do need to do a big shop upon my return on Thursday. As the cupboards are remiscent of Old Mother Hubbord here at W Towers.

I think I can sleep easily with such a small amount of waste to report this week, though I cannot polish my halo.

Hope everyone has a fantastic weekend. Hope the sun shines and you enjoy your friends and family.

Frugally yours
Abigail
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Food Waste Friday

Every Friday I accept Frugal Girl's invitation to link with other bloggers in an effort to reduce food waste.

A very good week of no food waste. This may have something to do with the fact that I have no food and my cupboards now consist of dried /long life /frozen food. I do actually currently only own one extra large mushroom for stuffing and a drawer of potatoes to last me a week.

A week today I am breaking up for a weeks holiday and going to see my friend for my birthday theatre treat, I then hop in the car and drive to my sisters to stay 4 days with her before heading homeward on Thursday morning.

I get paid on Thursday and until then only have the barest of cash enough for my £5 lunch out tomorrow and our summer book club meal on Monday (£10 3 courses) before breaking up for 2 months.

The car is full and save my £15 cash in my purse, that is June's pay spent.

After having had about £80 out of my ebay auctions these last few days, I spent yesterday evening loading up another 6 items - books, shoes and Dum Dum Dum.... 4 items I bought wholesale for a price of £1. I am trying to see if they will allow me to make a little extra cash each month.

Watch this space!

Have a great weekend.

Frugally yours
Abigail
x

Food Waste Friday.

Well, everything could have gone better. There I was merrily mooching along in my daily life until I was poorly at the end of last week. Everything got stuffed and the result? 2 large items to chuck First of all three quaters of a homemade quiche

Then I found a whole carton of NCG tomato soup that went out of date a week ago. Would you rish it? So easy to have frozen it, but it escaped my notice until too alte.

Just rubbish.

Money is still tight- I managed to make the £5 I had in cash last until the end of today when I have 30p left.

I spent £40 on petrol on Thursday morning and am rather hoping it will last until I am home on Tuesday. But, that is rather unlikely.

Some good news, the shoes I had on Ebay finished yesterday and after a last minute flurry went for £22 incl P&P. So hopefully I can use that extra cash to either see me through to Pay Day in 13 days time. If I do not need it then it is being knocked off Credit Card 2.

Still got 3 auctions active, so more good news early next week - fingers crossed.

The Chap is out tonight with his cousin, so I am in by myself catching up on rubbish tv and still trying to munch my way through the freezer, Yum ribs! On the down side that is the end of the nice stuff. Back to pasta and the ends of boxes e.g. 2 fish fingers.

Gosh it is boring eating!

Frugally yours
Abigail
x

Food Waste Friday, Oops!

I donned my rubber gloves yesterday evening and entered the murky underworld that is my fridge, which for the last 2-3 days has been emitting an odour reminiscent of a great dane with a nasty case of gastroenteritis.

Here is the culprit.

The problem seems to be wrapping it in tin foil. I cannot see when the cabbage started to deteriorate. Lesson learnt I guess.

Not a good couple of weeks on the food waste front.

This weekend is The Queens jubilee. 60 years since Elizabeth Windsor ascended the throne in the UK.

For those not based in the UK. Well, the country has gone wild for it. You cannot walk anywhere without being bombarded with red, white and blue.  It is nice in these difficult financial times to find something to be happy about. I am proud to be British, part of a multicultural society and am proud to be Queen Elizabeth’s subject. She has given her life to us the British people. A proper working mother in the times before that term was popularised.

My little corner of the country is celebrating all over this long bank holiday weekend. There are street parties, lunches, fairs, fireworks, choirs and dances set up. Actually a company we share are office with all came in today dressed in red white and blue.

So thank you Your Majesty. God Save The Queen!

Frugally yours

Abigail

x

Food Waste Friday. It Is All Soft.

Afternoon.

Food Waste Friday again.

Unfortunately 2 things to report.

First of all 4 potatoes, all soft and sponge like. I cannot think of a thing to do with them. So into the bin they had to go. Damn

On Monday I went into work with a whole cucumber I had bought last weekend to have on toast for lunch this week.

Unfortunately though by Wednesday I had run out of bread. I meant to make some Sunday afternoon, but I went to see The Chap. Then I meant to make some on Wednesday, but I went for tea at my parents instead. Then last night, I was absolutely postively going to bake 2 loaves.

The Chap was ill and off work last night, so I went round to his instead to give some TLC. Result no bread to put my cucumber on, which means the cucumber went soft and yucky (technical term) as well.

So this afternoon I am blogging about 2 different fridges, both of which were holding dirty little secrets. Bum!

On a more positive note, next week I get paid and I am really excited, be prepared to see a big chunk coming off the outstanding debt I have. I managed to pay off extra over the course of May from Credit Card 1, plus this Pay Day looks to be a good one! I cannot wait for Thursday.

The sun is shinning here in Staffordshire, this weekend is the official weekend The Chap and I have chosen to celebrate 12months together. So tomorrow afternoon we are off to Tamworth for a little bit of shopping, then dinner and a movie. He is lovely, and I am lucky.

I should of course weed the communal area in my cul de sac or sand the bathroom skirting board, or sort through my clothes. But I shan't. I am going out. Thrrrrrrrppppppp! to chores.

Frugally yours
Abigail
x

Food Waste Friday, and UFOs

It’s Friday Folks! POETS day. (P*ss Off Early Tomorrow’s Saturday)

But more importantly It is Food Waste Friday.

The holy grail of food waste this week….. get ready for it….. nothing to report.

Zilch, Zero, and Nada.

Excellent!

The Chap is away walking in Wales this weekend, so at a bit of a loose end. My friend J is coming for lunch tomorrow and apart from a food shop tonight I am going to try and have a No Spend Weekend.

I want to really concentrate on a few UFOs. For those thinking I am a bit loopy. UFOs are Unfinished Objects. I.e. sewing / repair project that got shoved to one side and forgotten about in lieu of more exciting undertakings.

So home tonight, clean W Towers. Then set up sewing machine and overlocker ready for Saturday and Sunday.

I say this weekend lets all get one thing done that has been hanging over us for weeks. Perhaps:-

-         Filing the paperwork

-         Emptying the shredder

-         Washing the pillows

-         Feeding the lawn

-         Taking dry cleaning to be done.

-         Washing the windows

We all have UFOs in our lives and I do not know about you, but just getting one or two crossed off makes me walk with a lighter step. And, often repairing / mending or filing means we save ourselves some time and / or money in the long run.

What would you like to get done if you suddenly had a free weekend?

Frugally yours

Abigail

x

Food Waste Friday

It is Friday, which means Food Waste, Oh so much to talk about…

But first, Hello and Welcome to my new follower – “Never Too Old”. Thank you for visiting and signing up. X

Today, I am really hanging my head in shame. I only had one item to bin this week.

Yes, that’s right. A whole pack of bacon. Yes a WHOLE pack. That is about £3 of meat. I think I am going to cry.

Bacon is a treat for me and I cannot believe I let this go. I bought it a few weeks ago and did not eat it. I put it in the freeze for another time on the last BB4 date. I then got it out about ten days ago and with one thing and another, just did not get round to eating it. I now am too cowardly to have a go and binned it yesterday. Throwing vegetables / milk / fruit away is painful, throwing meat away is criminal.

Must…..do….better.

However, yesterday has shown me “Necessity Is The Mother Of Invention”. I got home last night and checked the fridge.

8 eggs BB4 10^th May

half an onion & half a tin of sweetcorn left from Mondays pizza

Not to mention......6 bloody radishes

Hmmm, what to make?

I put the oven on and defrosted some left over puff pastry from the freezer.

I lined a flexi cake tin with the pastry and blind baked it with beads for about 5 minutes. Whilst that was in, I fried THE LAST of the radishes sliced with some onion in a bit of olive oil until soft. I then whisked up 3 eggs with milk and salt / pepper.

The pastry came out of the oven, I put the onion, radish and sweetcorn in the bottom

and poured the eggs over the top, with a sprinkling of grated cheese and baked it at 180 for about 20-25mins.

Came out looking like this

And, it was delicious. I love using up the ends of things, and was pleased with my faux quiche especially as I have never made one before.

I ate it sitting on the sofa watching “Britian’s Got Talent” with a big dollop of brown sauce. The other half will do nicely for Saturday lunch as tonight The Chap’s parents are taking us out to dinner. Something to get dolled up for. I am looking forward to going.

This week has been expensive again, I have forked out over £200 for flights. Yes, TC and I are going away again. 10 days in a Spanish villa in September. However, the villa is free of charge and once there we will live as cheaply as we do at home, perhaps with a ‘slight’ increase in rum consumption. :o)

A few months to go, but nice to have a holiday booked where we can lie in the sun.

And finally, look at this. Isn’t it beautiful?

My clever Mummy did this. It is a duck egg carved, painted and encrusted with pearls and beads. Inside she has mounted a mini coach surrounded by guards and a miniature HRH with bunting.

It is all hand done for a jubilee competition she is entering. She used to do these when we were kids, but it must be 20 years since she last tried it. Isn’t she clever, and isn’t the egg absolutely exquisite?

Frugally yours

Abigail

x

 

Food Waste Friday

Reducing food waste one day at a time.

Food Waste Friday. I have great news. Nothing thrown away at all since last Friday. Brilliant isn’t it?

Now before I start with the self congratulations I do have a rather pressing problem to resolve. This is it.

What the heck do I do with a bag of radishes bought over a week ago that whilst “officially” are out of date. Look perfectly edible to me.

How the heck am I supposed to eat all these radishes? I mean everyone likes the odd radish….

I desperately do not want to throw them away, but save going round offering them to neighbours I am fresh out ideas.

Why the hell did I buy it? A warning to those visiting the supermarket without a list I suppose.

I am obviously living on borrowed time, but so far am bereft of ideas what to do with a European food mountain of radishes.

Answer on a postcard…..please….and soon.

No plans or tasks set for this weekend – save getting up early and going to the bank tomorrow to use all my coins saved to pay off extra from my credit card. Boring? Maybe, but I will walk back to the flat with a little extra skip in my step.

Frugally yours
Abigail
x

Food Waste Friday

I am intrinsically tight about a lot of things. I will not pay for tomato sauces for pizza / pasta etc. I make it. Now I cannot bear to pay for bread. I bake it. I do my own ironing and wash my own car.

So throwing food away really sits badly with me.

Because I was away for 4 days over last weekend, I had to chuck some mashed potato and leeks that has been cooked on the Thursday evening before we went and lay forgotten in a quiet corner of the fridge in that most furtive of camoflage gear - a clear tupperware box.

I forgot to take a picture I am afraid, there was about 1 portion of each.

This kind of food waste is the most irritating, as I could have simply placed it in the freezer for another evening.

As I live in a flat, I cannot even compost it. Just money in the bin. :o(

The last of my birthday treats are happening in the next couple of day. Tonight The Chap and I are being taken out to dinner by my parents and tomorrow morning my mummy and I are going material shopping in Birmingham - the fancy silk store . 4 floors of material. I walk in and normally just start dribbling as I want everything.

Mum, normally treats us to a drink and Krispy Kreme and then we wander our way home.

Is there anything better than a day spent with your mum shopping? Bliss!

However, I am hoping not to spend a penny as my last present is some material she is going to buy me to make a bag.

I will blog about the wrap dress over the weekend, as it is well on its way to being finished.

Frugally yours
Abigail
x
P.S. Has anyone noticed their emailed updates of posts have stopped arriving from me?

Food Waste Friday.

What Friday? Again? Where has this week disappeared to?

You know what Friday means? A name and shame of the products who committed harakiri in my fridge.

2 items this week.

First of all and to my shame a whole unopened punnet of cherry tomatoes and we all know how much they cost. Actually they look okay(ish) in this photo. The reality is they smell……really bad.

For the last 24 hours I have opened the fridge and my delicate female sensibilities have been assaulted by a hideous aroma. It appears it was the swan song of these tomatoes. Rest In Peace..

And finally, what to do with the last half a glass of Lidl own brand cola (39p / bottle) which has gone flat? Answer. Stick in down the loo, swill the brush round and flush. Roberts your Mother’s Brother – it is sparkly clean.

Why does that not work on teeth?

I am going to spend the weekend tidying up The Towers, and plan tomorrow to shame myself with the "before pictures" for your viewing pleasure, and my shame.

Now once a year, I do something against the frugal grain. You see, I put a bet on. This weekend is the Grand National and the highlight of the racing season here in the UK. It is also somewhat of a controversial issue, as it is a dangerous race.

I understand people who hate it. But, it is annual event for this little lady and my family place a bet.

So today saw me at BetFred armed with £40 of various family members and work colleagues’ money to place on horses. Everyone wants to make a bet, but strangely all are unwilling to visit a betting shop. I normally gaily breeze through approach the desk and play the “ditsy female out of her depth card”

Do I feel guilty spending my hard earned cash on a bet once a year? No. I do not play the lottery. If you bought a ticket twice a week for a year it would cost - £104. So my £10 bet a year is a lot less.

Frugally yours
Abigail
x

Food Waste Friday on a Tuesday, As I Am A Crazy Kinda Gal!

Ok Ok, I know it is not Friday, but after a long weekend of doing nothing staying with The Chap at his house, well it was a bit tricky to blog.

Besides which he would want to know what I am writing and finds it hil-ar-ious to think people want to know about the mouldy food I throw away. Ofcourse, he also wants to know when I am going to become an internet millionaire so he can be a kept man. Pretty sure that if I become an internet millionaire due to a frugal blog, then I will probably have to give up the blog. Ironic?

Do you want to know what I chuck? I like to do it as it keeps me aware of not throwing food away, the shame of having a pile would be awful. But, if it is boring best to know.

I went back home Monday lunchtime and took the opportunity to surgically examine the fridge for toxic elements. I was not feeling hopeful and went in peg on nose prepared to be ashamed. Fully expected to find "strange new life forms"

This was it, some cheesy leeks I defrosted during the week and then left. So irritating as cheesy leeks are my favourite vegetable.

Yay me! Did the rumba round on my way to the disposal of the leeks.

This long weekend has been lovely and we spent it quietly, though vouchers have been the running theme to the last 96 hours.

Thursday we went to Frankie and Benny for dinner with the £10 voucher I downloaded from their website. I was actually quite disappointed. Some ribs and a pint for TC and a salad with lemon and lime drink for me - total was still c £23 with the money off. Food was ok, but we both agreed that it was not worth the cash even with a discount.

Friday we popped out for a bit of shopping, we needed to buy a rotary dryer for his garden and a few other chores. We also popped into Tesco, where I got these little beauties after having saved most of the vouchers and blatantly nicked the rest from The Chap and family.

Both knives should have been £15 each, I got them both for £9.90. I also bought a couple of other pieces mainly toiletries etc and offered to buy TC his xbox game- £25 to say thanks for dinner and all the food I was eating of his.

The bill came in at £43, I paid £23 because of the knife vouchers and another Valued Opinions £10 gift card. The Chap was utterly convinced Tesco had messed up and was doing that “Ushering me to towards the door whilst mumbling under his breath thing” trying to look innocent. I had to explain receipt in hand, how I had got the bill down by 50%. He was terribly impressed!

So apart from £23 spent in Tesco, No other cash was spent and Sunday / Monday were No Spend Days – Brilliant! Together we cleaned, painted and sorted his new house. We ate every meal together, exchanged Easter Eggs and watched rubbish tv. He cooked for me and I did Sunday lunch for him.

I wonder how many couples felt the need to spend to enjoy their weekend? New cars/ kitchens / clothes etc

I even made the ultimate sacrifice –Sunday from 7pm to 12.30am I watched The Masters golf tournament. I can now talk knowledgably about Birdies, Albatrosses, Eagles and Bogeys and even saw a hole in one!

In actual fact, it could have been worse and way to go Bubba Watson.

If Carslberg did girlfriends methinks!

Frugally yours

Abigail

x

Food Waste Friday

"Trying To Reduce Food Waste One Day At A Time!" 

It is Friday, which means it is that time of the week again – Food Waste Friday (imagine Vegas style show girls prancing at this point to organ music and a cheesy crooner!)

After last week's success, I am back down to earth this week with a nasty bump.

3 items got thrown today.



Gravy left over from a meal last weekend. With it’s stealth technology, it holed up on the bottom shelf behind some butter packs. Probably trying for long term notoriety in the fridge fraternity.

Also the dregs of a bottle of milk that went out of date on Tuesday. It made close friends with a tomato left over from some work lunches that I bought back last Friday from the office. I like to think they had a doomed love affair and committed fridge suicide together, rather than be parted.

A Purchase

I am always trying to make what I have last longer, but after 4 months I have finally given up on this make up bottle. It is well and truly bereft of any foundation after soaking in hot water, shaking and some general cursing and threats.

I have been buying Christian Dior foundation for years, it is currently £28.50 per 30ml bottle.

For 12 months in 2011 when money was very tight for me I gave up my favourite brand and used max factor instead but at £14 per tub, I realised I was buying it every month. Nope, no money saving there. So at the beginning of December I bought it again and today it has finally run out. Equates to £7.13 per month.

£28.50 is a lot to spend on a bottle of foundation, so I decided to try a different brand and after reading up I decided to look at Benefit “Hello Flawless” – hey who does not want to look flawless at 35? It was a bit cheaper at £24.50 for 30ml. Off I trotted at lunchtime today and got them to colour match it to my existing choice. She then applied it to the whole of my face. Perfect, I liked the coverage and the tone.

I casually mentioned that their website was offering two free testers with every purchase and would she do the same. “Of course” came the reply. I explained I was coming to Benefit to save money and then the piece de resistance, House of Fraser has a 2 day event on 10% off all purchases so the final price was £22.05. She also gave me 4 moisturiser testers. Brilliant, £6.45 saved on my purchase and some freebies. I can most definitely live with that.

Plus inside the foundation box was a pore reduction tester.

What have you got reduced / free recently?

Frugally Yours
Abigail
x

Food Waste Friday

The holy grail of Food Waste Friday - no food food waste. Brilliant! Ages since that has happened.

However, I have some items on the cusp that I will have to munch my way through pretty swiftly.

On the top shelf is a Sweetheart Cabbage and 2 small lettuces (letti??). The lettuce has a use before date of the 6th March - it looks fine to me.

On the bottom shelf is a packet of celery, it does look a bit dried but I might have a go at cooking it and then freezing it to be used in stews / soups at a later date.

All of those items came from my parents before they went away. I should have remembered. Doh!

Yes, that is all my nail polish in the door shelf. It makes them last longer to be kept cool. Some of those bottles of delight are over 3 years old and still in good shape to use. Gives visitors a bit of a shock though when they open the door. :o)

I am really looking forward to tomorrow the Sewing For Pleasure and Hobbycraft show is on at the National Exhibition Centre and I am going with my friend "P" (she introduced me to The Chap so we like her a lot!) we have been looking forward to it for a few weeks.

I have given myself a budget of £50 to spend and hope to come back with some material and maybe some more patterns as they are quite cheap there. Just general loveliness really.

Mind you I bought this material there a year ago (I thought it looks like the Radley Dog).

Any ideas folks what I can do with it? 

I hope you have a fantastice weekend. Rest, relax and enjoy.

This weekend I MUST clear the paperwork and make more bread.

Don't forget the clocks go forward an hour on Sunday.

Frugally yours.

Abigail

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