So ... What DID I Buy with my Vouchers

After the last post I thought it only fair that I came back on and tell you what I did actually decide to buy with my Tesco and M&S vouchers.  I had no fixed idea of what I intended to get until I got to Tesco and then I thought what would give be the absolute best value for my vouchers in terms of food shopping that would be useful for next year when we have decided to scrimp and save on the housekeeping to help us save to pay off the mortgage.

Dried goods it had to be then.  

The Basmati rice was £5.70 for 4kg, the Red Lentils £1.80, the Pearl Barley and the Yellow Split Peas came in at 55p each .... just 10p over my £8.50 worth of vouchers.

I could have gotten more rice for my money if I had gone for the Everyday Value long grain rice ... a whopping 12kgs in fact ... and we might be eating that by the end of year, but how much better to start the year with a decent supply of our favourite rice.

Today I nipped into Marks and Spencer while I was in Llandudno and decided on the spur of the moment to get treats with the £6 I had in vouchers from there.  So mince pies for Christmas for Alan and some sweets for the cinema for me.

My trip to Tesco also threw up some yellow stickered bargains.

A selection of meats for the freezer ...

... a tray of Mediterranean vegetables, that worked out cheaper than buying a couple of courgettes to go with veggies I already had at home.

And a bag of nice baking potatoes ....

... that will be in use as soon as we have finished the last of our homegrown ones.

Not a bad little shopping spree :-)

Sue xx

Birthday Treats

This is proving to be a very good couple of days .... well apart from the bit about being officially another year older.  

It's my birthday today and I'm being treated to lunch with my Mum and brother.  Yesterday I was treated to a lovely day out with Lovely Hubby.  After an appointment he had first thing, we went into Llandudno for coffee and Welsh cakes for breakfast, a mooch around the shops and then lunch at one of our favourite establishments Osborne House.

While we were out I got a text to let me know my parcel had been delivered, as I wasn't expecting a parcel I thought this very strange!!  And when we got home there it was in the garage ... a big box containing a magnificent bunch of flowers and a teddy bear, which I have been reliably informed by my Mum, who is the lovely person that sent the flowers to me, is called Spencer!!

Thank you Mum they are beautiful.

I also have a little row of cards on the mantlepiece and, in what Lovely Hubby has called my Birthday Amnesty, during our year of living without books, clothes and housekeeping money, a new waterproof jacket and a card telling me that Rhonda Hetzel's new book 'The Simple Home' is currently winging it's way over to me from Australia.

Totally spoilt I am ..... and another year older.

Sue xx

The Contents of the Hamper

 Lots of you asked to see the contents of our lovely Fortnum and Mason hamper so as we unpacked it yesterday I thought I would take a photo for you ... a certain little lady decided she would be in the shot too.  

I don't think it was fame she was after, more likely the box of chocolate covered mints that are perched on the Christmas pudding box.  What ever they put in them seem to make them extremely appealing to dogs .... last year Charley pinched and ate the lot, including most of the box!!

Edited In - Please be aware that chocolate in all it's forms is VERY poisonous to dogs,  We were very lucky Charley had a cast iron constitution and survived her impromptu stolen feast,  (we did keep a close eye on her after ... watching for any ill effects), I've read about other dogs that have not been so lucky.  

If you want your dogs to have chocolate treats, especially at this time of year, buy them special doggy ones which have safe ingredients and are very cheap.  You can always do what we do and put a few of them in a dish in the corner of your Malteser box .... then the dogs just think they are getting the same as you.

A close up of the contents.

Tin of biscuits

Red wine

Champagne

White wine

Cognac Butter

 Christmas Spiced Tea

Glitter Shortbread

Thick Cut Orange Marmalade

Rich Preserve Blackcurrant Jam

Icy Chocolate Covered Mints

Christmas Pudding

Champagne Truffles

Cognac and Cranberry Fruit Cake

We might have accidentally eaten the Champagne Truffles last night .... as we were putting everything else away in the cupboards  ;-)

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Reverse Advent - Day 17

A tin of F&M Christmas Spiced Tea.  We won't use this and it's far better it goes to someone who can make good use of it while it is fresh.

Sue xx

An Anniversary Treat

Last week was our eighth wedding anniversary. as I had been lucky enough to be asked to review the new festive menu at The Bells of St Mary's in Prestatyn we asked if we could be booked in on our anniversary.

We were lucky and that's exactly when we went.

We were greeted warmly by the lovely chap behind the bar, we should have asked his name but he was busy and other people needed his help so we kept things brief.  He got our drinks, opened the tab and then invited us to choose a table to sit at.  The restaurant was quiet as we had chosen to go for a 6pm meal due to the distance we had to travel, but the folk that were there were lively and chatty and it was a brilliantly informal atmosphere.

We had a look at the offerings on the carvery table, had a chat with the cheerful chef and one of the other kitchen  lads and then sat with the menu and made our choices.

Lovely Hubby started with a Prawn Cocktail, a real blast from the past but he just fancied it.  I had the Roast Parsnip soup.  I'll let you into a secret .... I don't like parsnips, but this was the only veggie option on the starters ..... it was delicious, I am a convert!!

The only thing we both felt left the starters down was the cheap sliced bread, a small bread roll would have been much better and most likely not added much cost to the course.

The mains we chose were a two meat carvery selection for LH and I had a Sun Blush Tomato and Squash Kiev with a selection of vegetables from the carvery.  The vegetables were delicious, all steamingly fresh straight out of the kitchen and you could help yourself to as many Yorkshire Puddings, vegetables and as much stuffing as you wanted.  The gravy was all suitable for vegetarians which I thought was a nice touch.

The mains were delicious.

And I think this photo just shows how good the puddings were ... we got stuck in the minute they arrived and then remembered to take a photo!!

Lovely Hubby had the Profiteroles, and I chose the Apple Pie, which usually comes with custard or ice cream, but I had it plain .... deliciously so, it tasted completely homemade.

And the exceptional thing about this lovely three course anniversary treat was that  it was £8.79 a head!!  So with a glass of cider each on arrival and then another pint for LH and a sparkling water for me as I was driving, the whole bill came to less than £25.

Where else can you get good, wholesome food and two drinks each for this price, well I guess other Crown Carvery establishments .... we will have to look out for them on our travels.

The absolute stars of the night were the staff ....  everyone from the chap that greeted us and got our drinks, the chef that chatted about the food and explained how everything worked with the carvery system to the smiling girl that delivered each course and kept all the tables cleared as folk left the restaurant were lovely.  It was nice to go to such a friendly, relaxed place on our special day.

 I would like to thank Chloe at Spotty Dog Communications who offered us the opportunity to do this review, she was warned that I would say it exactly as I found it and I have.

A brilliant night, with good food and excellent company.

Happy Anniversary again my Lovely Hubby ... now where are you taking me next year  ;-)

Oh, and if you've not planned your Christmas dinner venue this year and you like eating out, .... the Christmas Day menu is just £35.99 for adults and £17.99 for children, and the Boxing Day and New Year's Eve menu a real bargain at just £11.99 for adults and £5.99 for children.

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Reverse Advent - Day 12

A book all about John Deere tractors, it didn't feature the one that Lovely Hubby restored so he's donated it ... he doesn't actually know yet .... ooops!!      ;-)

Sue xx

Christmas Has Arrived

I went to Mum's in Manchester for the day yesterday and when I got home there was a wonderful surprise ..... as Margo would say .... 'Christmas had been delivered'.

Of course as soon as the parcel was in the house the dogs and Ginger had to have a good look around the box and check it met with their approval.

And Ginger thought it a brilliant new perch.  We'll have a proper look through the contents later, one thing I can guarantee is that there won't be anything for the doggies and moggy in there, I'll have to sneak in a few of their treats so they don't feel left out.

And before anyone jumps in and attacks me for being so extravagant and ordering a hamper from good old F&M, I will point out that we get one of these every year from the agency that Lovely Hubby works through, as a thank you for his hard work at lining their pockets with vast amounts of money.

Ginger loves his new perch.

Also through the letterbox was this ... the Christmas edition of the Radio Times. 

 I usually sit pen in hand over my morning coffee and plan out my holiday viewing.  I have to get the circles round the good films and programmes before all the cowboy films, space films and daylong NCIS view-a-thons get planned by a certain other resident of the house ;-)

Reverse Advent - Day 10

A pretty little hand decorated dish that has been languishing away in a drawer for the last few months, someone else should be enjoying it.

Sue xx

Relaxation and a Hot Dog ?

 

When you work hard you have to know when to stop ...

 

 

... when to down tools and take a stroll ...

 

 

... enjoying the scenery and taking the time to slow right down and watch the boats sail past along the river or pull into their moorings ...

 

... and listen out for instructions to stop completely, turn round and say 'Cheese'.

 

The chap in the distance obviously thought I meant him too :-)

 

 

These past few days while Lovely Hubby has been recuperating from his re-done laser eye surgery we have been taking the dogs out for a stroll along the banks of the Thames.  Suky gets hot very easy, Pugs do, with their little flat faces they can struggle to breathe if they get too warm.

 

But we take it steady and avoid the hottest parts of the day when we take the dogs out, and she  knows exactly what to do when she's got herself too hot, she plonks herself down on the little jetty and cools off, then she takes a drink of the lovely clear river water and then plonks herself down again.

 

After that she's all set for the final hundred yards back to the car and the journey home.

 

I'll be back on Monday with more Simple September ideas , in the meantime we are taking some time to ourselves and hitting the road tomorrow, heading for River Cottage to meet up with our old friend Hugh and pinch some more of his good ideas to put into use as we prepare to begin yet again in a new place, with new land and a whole new batch of plans and dreams. 

 

 A final weekend of rest and relaxation before our decorating marathon begins.  The old homestead is in safe hands as are the dogs, cats and chickens ... and we are free to hit the open road.

 

Sue xx

 

 

 

Simple September - Top Tip #5

 

Remember to take time out when you need it. 

 

It really is no good pushing and pushing yourself to do too much.  Better to do less, enjoy it more and want to do it again.

 

Take time to stop and smell the roses, God gave them scent for a reason :-)



Stocked Up for Winter

 

It might be Austerity August but when an opportunity to get stocked up for Winter comes your way you simply have to take it.

 

The other day I got my usual daily email from Approved Foods and on it was a brilliant offer for cake mixes.  Now cake is not something I eat a lot of, honest .....  but Lovely Hubby is very partial to a nice slice of cake with his morning or afternoon coffee when he's been doing physical work on the land and who am I to deprive a man of obviously much needed sustenance.  He's also rather partial to a slice smothered in custard for his supper after a hard day at the office and then I'm usually quite happy to join him on that occasion.

 

 

And these were all on at a brilliant price.

 

I got 12 packs of Madera Cake Mix, 4 packs of Ginger Cake mix and 8 packs of Oaty Crumble mix all for just 25p each, a total of £5.50 for all these cakes and crumbles.  With our own eggs and using powdered milk and the only expensive thing I have to add is a spoonful of butter to each cake mix, which means we have 16 cakes that will come in at around 40p each.

 

 

As I have tipped all the Oaty Crumble mix into a tub in the freezer I can make many more than 8 crumbles with it, possibly up to 14 crumbles for two people I would say, we like our crumble thick on top of the homegrown fruit.  With nothing to add to that it means 14 nice crumbly desserts for two people for around 15p each.

 

 

I also got six boxes of Carrot Cake mix, which comes with everything you need for the cake and frosting, again I just need to add powdered milk, butter and eggs, these were also just 25p each (and still well in date).  So that's another six cakes for around 40p each.

 

 

I ordered three packs of shortbread for £1.20, I normally pay 50p each for something very similar from Sainsbury's, but I thought I would try these while the order was going in and there's still a small saving.

 

Some of LH's favourite salad dressing at 60p a jar. (Also in date until the end of the year.)

 

Enough tea bags to keep my man happy for at least eighteen months both at home and at work at just £3.49 a box  ...

 

... and enough Vegetable Bouillon Mix to keep us both happy in veggie friendly stews and soups for a lot longer, for just £1 for a 2.5kg tub.

 

 

Also, very unusually for me I was in the right place at the right time and they had some of their Lucky Boxes available, they have a hundred or so every now and then, you get about £5 worth of food for £1. 

 

Now when I was little I loved the Lucky Bags you used to get from the sweetie shop.  Never knowing what sweets or little gift you were going to get was a brilliant way to surprise yourself with your spends every now and then.  Obviously this mentality has stayed with me :-)  so I ordered one ...

 

... and was pleasantly surprised. 

 

 Lots of lovely goodies and well worth my £1 outlay.  Lovely Hubby's eyes lit up when he saw the jam tarts.  Everything was well within it's sell by date and fine to pop in the cupboard to use whenever we need them.  Luckily with our eating our way through the cupboards there is room for all the new purchases ... just!!

 

 



 

And following on from yesterdays 're-use, recycle and repurpose' mantra once I had unpacked all this lovely store cupboard stock I had some bubble wrap and nine cardboard boxes to use for our impending move, two large, six medium and one small.

 

And one bemused little Pug that was obviously wondering what on earth Mum was up to yet again!!

 

And I have to stand up and confess to buying a few little naughty treats, well it would have been rude not too!  The Yorkie was a freebie for ordering more than £25 worth of goods and the box full of Snickers Cruncher just could not be ignored at only £2.99, making them 12p each.  These have now been reduced again and are £1 for a case of 24 making them now only 4p each - WOW, I missed out on that one!! 

 

The Easter Eggs ..... well who can resist a cute chicken and cow with Easter eggs AND fillings for just 50p each - nope not me!!

 

Obviously with our juicing journey still being well and truly ON, these treats are to be rationed out and we have decided that cake and chocolate will only be consumed in moderation and only at weekends if we have worked hard enough to earn them.  So no dossing on the couch and munching our way through the cupboard :-)

 

I've temporarily moved the Approved Foods link to the top of the sidebar if you want to nip over and have a look at any of these goodies for yourself. 

#

To look at any of the pictures, especially if you want to read the prices on the invoice a bit more easily just click on the pictures and they should enlarge.

 

Now I'm off to pack up one of the boxes with some of the things that we have been buying for the new house with our Car Boot sale profits, I'll be back tomorrow to show you what we bought.

 

Sue xx

 





Clever Lovely Hubby

 

Where Lovely Hubby currently works there is a scheme that recognises hard work, special initiative and someone who generally 'gives it their all' in their current role.  The reward is vouchers to the shop or organisation of your choice to the value of £25. My gorgeous LH has just won this recognition for the fourth time. 

 

Each time he comes home with his reward recommendation certificate and lets me choose which vouchers we should go for.  The first three times we got M&S vouchers, we bought things for our holiday for both of us with the first one, some things for LH with the second and he gave me all the third set to spend on myself.  This time after discussion we decided to plump for Sainsb*rys vouchers instead to help the £2 House Keeping Challenge on it's way.

 

 

So yesterday I took them with me and instead of just the usual fresh food shopping bought some things that LH has been asking if we have, some of his favourite things.  Yes, no doubt I could have made some of them myself but this was treat time, and while I was treating us with the food I spent some of my personal spends on things for me and us.  A cook book and the latest Sainsb*rys magazine, a couple more little loose bottom individual quiche tins and some tiny little loaf tins. 

 

I got us a few storecuboard staples too, some sugar, we neither of us take sugar in our drinks LH has sweeteners and I have nothing, so a bag full  in the 'Sugar' pot on the worktop last us about a year.  I use a spoonful in my bread making and guests that take sugar have the rest.  Some value cheese slices, we both love them on burgers, some biscuits for when we are motorway travelling and a couple of ready made quiche bases, brilliant when your mind is blank at teatime.   We always have eggs in the dish and a few odds and sods added to them from the fridge make for a wonderfully quick evening meal.

 

The Tartar Sauce, the Magnums (luckily on half price offer, hence the four boxes) and the Caramel wafers are all Lovely Hubby's absolute favourite things so it was a no brainer to treat him to these.

 

 

I was good, I brought the receipt home, I worked out and wrote in my diary what was for the dogs (not included in the £2 HK challenge) and what was my personal spending and then when I came to take a photo of it later , I couldn't find it anywhere. .  It's a mystery I 've searched high and low and it's gone!  I'm sure we've got a poltergeist in this house, I'm not admitting to it being my age ...... I'm not, I'm not!!

 

 

Anyway while I was out and about I called into D*nelm Mill to have a browse round their cookware department and treat myself to a coffee and lo and behold they have a 20% sale on at the moment and they had some of these giant Kilner jars for £3.99 instead of the usual price of £4.99.  I had just enough left in my spends to buy two.

 

They are so useful when you buy the big bags of dried goods when they are on offer.  My last jars cost me £8 each so I was really pleased with these. They are now washed and dried and waiting to be filled.

 

 

Don't panic and think that I've no fresh foods in and we'll be struck down with scurvy, I have just enough left from last weeks shop to see us okay until Friday and then as it's LH's monthly eye check up we will be in Reading and I can nip back to good old M&S to spend these vouchers on some fruit and veg.

 

 

 

Now I'm off to deal with this little pile of yumminess.

 

Sue xx