Oh where oh where have the mushrooms gone!

For some reason no further mushrooms have arrived.  OH thinks it is because its too warm - I for one am very disappointed.

Oh well never mind.  I have been reading posts on here whereby they have one spend day a month and I am very interested to see how it works!!  I do not spend every day I have quite a few NSD's per month but just spending once a month scary although I have a feeling it applies to spending money on oneself although that may stil be difficult.

Now how much to spend I have no idea!

Mushrooms - home grown indoors

Got our first crop of mushrooms this week.  Only 330g but nevertheless its our first home grown and indoors.  We got the kit for £5.50. The crop so far is worthabout 90p and we are not quite sure if it will be cheaper than buying the same from the shop loose but its fun and of course we dont need to go to the shop just to get them and of course they are less likely to go to waste as we can  almost pick them when we want.  They will then last a few days.

I use mushrooms quite  a lot but not everyday so we should do okay.  Its amazing how they just shoot up so quickly!!

Storecupboard Shopping

For some reason I do not have the amount of money I usually have in my current account. I budget and I check my bank account but try as I might I cannot work out what happened.

So other than  buying a loaf of bread, a pack of turkey style quorn slices ( I ama veggie) and bananas today I have to shop from the store cupboard and fridge and freezer none of which are full up. I do have plenty of milk that I bought yesterday along with four rolls of toilet paper.

So I went to my storecupboard and threw lots of out of date food out some were two years old.  I have enough to get through this week although I think most days will include eating mash and beans at dinner time lol.  Lunches will be quorn sandwiches and perhaps cheese and crackers.  Problem is although I can get through a week I dont get paid until a week Friday.  Any tips that anyone could  give me would be great.

So I need to get back to my bank account and budget to see what I have done.  In the meantime, I sold a lovely dress on ebay now I have lost two and half stone - cost me £30 sold for just under £6.00 they are getting a bargain lovely dress and I only wore it once.

£3.00 in coupons for a comment!

On the slimming world plan Hartley's Jellies are syn free well the 10 calorie ones add some UHT Squirty cream which is also syn free and I am happy.  Well last week the jelly I bought was not wobbling and it tasted a bit different.  I was very concerned they had changed the jlly so I wrote to them and told them of my concerns especially as I had not really enjoyed it and as a veggie I am limited in the types of jelly I can eat.  They then wrote back to me with information on other types of their jelly which was suitable for veggies and today I received a apology although I didnt really complain per se and £3.00 of premier foods coupons to spend - obviously I will spend mine on - you got JELLY yum yum yum and free even better!!

Northumberland Easter 2010

I may have mentioned I went away at Easter and that I was going to post some photo's, here they are :

First here is a photo of the view outside Cragside -  a National Trust property :

We also visited Lindisfarne.  Here is its castle which is also owned by the National Trust:

We also visited Dunstunburgh Castle - here is a picture of me - its a bit windy!!

And another of this castle also National Trust:

We made the most of our subscription to the National Trust this Easter.  We always do so it is well worth it for us.  We stayed at my husband's parents who live in Acomb.  We get the pleasure of seeing them and having a wonderful holiday at the same time!

Finally, a quick pic of my husband Chris taken at Cragside:

Growing veg without a Garden

I have always wanted to grow my own veg however for the last 15 years I havent had a garden. 

The year before last a work colleague gave us some tomato plants to grow in our window which has a huge ledge, but they didnt grow very well.

Last year my friend gave me a chilli plant which produced 2 chillis. However, although its an annual it currently has 13 chillis on it!  See below for an example. Its my husband that has been assisting them by using a paintbrush to pollenate the flowers.

Its handy that these have been successful as we eat quite a lot of chillis in veggie chilli.

We have planted more chilli plants from the seed of the existing ones.  We are also growing peas from a box of dried peas having seen this over Easter on a TV Programme.

Finally, we consume lots of lettuce expecially in the summer so today my husband has planted some which are in a propagator in our front room on the window ledge.  We are not sure that these will be successful but if they are it will save us a small fortune - fingers crossed.

Meal out Frugul style

Its my husband's 39th Birthday today.  I took him out to our favorite restaurant.  Its a chinese restaurant where you can eat all you as much as you like for £15.95 but its not a buffet, its waiter service.

I am a veggie and they have veggie duck, veggie pork and chicken.  I do go to other chinese restaurants but they do not have veggie style meat.

Well before we went I bought our pudding for our return which cost me £1.70 and is a lemon sponge pudding - not something I would normally get but as it was a special occasion!  Thats my first saving as its about £4.00 for a dessert.  Second was coffee - we just came home and had it.  I do not seem to be able to justify dessert and coffee when we go out its just so expensive. 

If anyone else has any other tips I would be grateful to hear those!!