Hope for somebody

I want to promote a Nottingham based charity that helps people in difficult circumstances and the homeless. As my blog is mainly about food then this is to say 'thank you' to all those individuals who are kind enough to offer up something edible to those in need through a foodbank and a food parcel.

Here is their website details for further information: www.hopenottingham.org.uk.

Phil x

For anyone wanting to learn more about foodbanks and charitable trusts click on this illuminating site. http://www.trusselltrust.org/start-a-foodbank

Tentatively exploring the kitchen Narnia.

Times are financially hard and it has become cripplingly necessary to cautiously open the door of frozen delights and investigate exactly what lurks in the freezer compartment of my fridge freezer. Why spend money on more food when I probably have plenty to eat in the freezer? That's the idea anyway. I know that there is a block of ice at the back but that is hardly edible or cash saving. Like most people I squirrel things away in the freezer with the nutty intention of consuming the silver packaged and plastic bagged goodies, one day. Bless my bushy tail as I realise some of the goodies saved for a rainy day are circa 2009 and so therefore unadvisable to eat as being marginally older than the recommended three months habitation in kitchen Narnia. So, discarding the more geriatric foodstuffs I pulled out the packages and wrote down exactly what lay within and was advisable to eat and  therefore save money.

The list:

3 x home made spag bols
6 x sardines
2 x Yorkshire puds.
Bag of lambs liver
3 trout.
2 home made chicken curries
2 x home made chilli meals
1 chicken breast
3 x home made courgette tians
2 ciabatta breads
Bag of peas
Bag of green beans
Bag of sweet corn

At the time of writing the list I also realised that I had (around the kitchen) eggs, bead, brioche, a chicken, rice and pasta and a host of tinned items in the store cupboard plus herbs and spices and cooking oils. Enough, I figured for about 18 meals - 21 if frugal.

Since these initial investigations I have also started a small noting exercise which I have kept positive by noting food and drink things that I have not spent money on (thereby saving money) by making my own sarnies for lunch (save money on buying staff canteen meals) and by drastically cutting back on the booze I tend to buy out of habit to relax of an evening. I have found a cuppa just as relaxing and I spend less time trotting up to the loo for another pee!!

My old financial hero Alvin Hall's expression "Do you REALLY need that?" has once again become part of my life and though it may be slow work I am determined to sort out where it is I waste money. I predict that there may be more blog posts from me on this subject. Today I walked three miles to a butcher's shop in Clifton because I knew that he does a pork hand - shoulder and hock joint - for under a fiver and it will last me all week! Perfect. I got him to take the hock off and I did the major boning and rolling job back at home. Decent purchase plus exercise and money saved. I was in luck he had just one left from the weekend. As I type it is cooking in the oven spiked with cloves and star anise. Yum!