Mini-break

We had some sunshine for a few days and I went to stay with a friend on the west coast. I had a great time, we had a murder mystery party, visited some megalithic monuments and managed a day at the beach complete with swimming and surfing!

Me with factor 50 on - managed not to burn

 The holiday was great, exactly what I needed and we all managed it quite frugally. We stayed in my friend's Mum's place (her family are in Spain on holidays) we were able to drive there and bring food along.
We eat out once, cooked and brought picnics the rest of the time. All in all a very frugal and refreshing break! Now back to filling out job applications and (hopefully) attending interviews.

The view from the front porch!

 

 

***Also, one very handy tip for a trip to the beach is to put your electronics (touch screen phone or kindle) in a ziplock plastic bag to help protect against sand!

Carrowmore Co. Sligo

We visited Carrowmore, an incredible complex of megalithic tombs in sligo. Because my student card was still valid it cost €1 for a guided tour (full price €3) and I have to say it was well worth the price! I have paid much more for far shorter less enjoyable tours. We brought a picnic and had a wonderful time

Mixed Berry Scones

I am coming to the end of my frozen berries from last year, I was going to be baking my cottage pies and decided to throw together some scones as the oven would be hot anyway.

• 450g/1lb strong white flour, plus extra for dusting
• 5 tsp baking powder
• 75g/3oz  butter,
• 75g/3oz caster sugar
• A handful of mixed berries (still frozen)
• 2  eggs,  beaten with
  
• 250ml/9fl oz milk

I mix everything together and spoon the mixture into my silicone muffin tray (you don't need to worry about greasing or sticking)
Glaze with milk
Stick them into the oven once the pies had been cooked and bake for 10-12 minutes (or 15 if like me you forgot about them)

I didn't get a picture before everyone had a scone - so here is the lone remainder

Please ignore the whiskey collection in the background, and the fact that the last scone is a little deformed. It will get eaten none the less!

All in cottage pie

It has been a damp week with me, I was cooking for my family and wanted something that would warm them up in this weather. I also wanted something that could be prepared in advance.
An easy go to dinner that I like that pleases most people is cottage or shepherds pie. I was cooking for some picky customers this time, so I made two - one was plain with meat, gravy, peas, corn, beetroot and mashed potatoes. Mash contained garlic and rosemary and a smidge of butter.

The larger one was filled with all of the above and some chickpeas, onions, peppers, broccoli, aubergine, courgette (basically everything in the fridge) The chickpeas stretch the meat out, but maintain protein. I added some chipotle peppers and some raspberries to the gravy in this pie.

For the gravy I used bisto - at bit of a cheat but I find it very useful.

I also put a little grated Grana Padano on top - it adds to the flavour and appearance without adding too many calories to an already cosy meal

Frugal Exercise: Part 1 - Get out and run

I'm afraid even frugal exercise involves hard work. My own exercise regime is relatively frugal. You can pick up good running shoes for £15 - after that you don't really need that much else.

I am very lucky to have such an enthusiastic partner to keep me focused on my goal (being able to run for 20 minutes without killing myself)

I try and get out every day, this is made easier by having my little pupage to spur me on. Find a local walkway or even if you aren't lucky enough to live near any green areas plan a route that you know is safe and get going (there are also great internet sites that tell you how much you've run - even googlemaps does a good job)
If you are trying to lose weight I would advise you to get up and go for a quick walk/jog before breakfast - this helps you regulate your blood sugar during the day. Here is a link to the NYT article that goes into more detail

Frugal Stationary

As a student teacher and as a newly qualified teacher I find the phrase "I don't have a pen" to extremely irritating. And on the advice of one a more seasoned veteran I instigated this approach.

If you have forgotten your pen I will give you one, for a small charge.

This might sound awful to some people, but it is the only way to works. I usually charge about 10p and the money goes to charity.

I don't buy pens to supply the children, I acquire them. All of my friends and family know I am a pen fiend and they gather them for me too. Any time you see pens being given away snag some

There is nothing more disruptive or disheartening than a child not taking part in class. I always carry a handful of pens and pencils in my bag. I know that students should learn to bring their own supplies to class, but as I am a newly qualified teacher trying to make a good impression and maintain order in the classroom I wouldn't do it any other way.

Rain Rain Go Away!! Marbling Nails

SO, this summer isn't going the way I expected weatherwise! Here are some ideas to keep children entertained on these long wet summer days.

Personally I am a fan of the raincoat and out we go policy, but even for me the rain has been a bit heavy. So I been trying to think of some ideas (other than daytime tv - which is awful) to keep little folk (and some not so little folk entertained.

If you have a female centred bunch I have found nail art to be a great way to keep a group of young women entertained and sparks their creative side. I tried nail marbling with the girls at my local youth club and it worked a treat.
You can use nail varnish you already have, ask the participants to bring some of their own, or pick up a few colours in pounds shops.

Check out some videos on youtube or eHow

I used white from a french manicure kit for the base and just had a bit of fun

Some of the designs the girls came up with were amazing!

Elderflower Cordial

Where I live we are reaching the end of the elderflower season - and I have been busy. Taking my pup with me I head off into the woods and gather Elderflower.

Although there are plenty on the side of the road I don't pick those - as you don't wash Elderflower when you use it for cordial the roadside flowers are a little to chancey for me.

I followed this simple recipe:

Elderflower Cordial

10 heads of Elderflower, (remove any critters but don't wash)

1kg granulated or caster Sugar

600mls of Water

1 unwaxed Lemons

Add citric acid if you intend to keep it for longer periods

In the same book from which I found this recipe I also discovered a recipe for elderflower Ice. I will hopefully try this soon and post about it.

 

- Put the sugar in the pan with the water and bring to boil. (make sure to use a large saucepan to prevent any scalding sugar escaping)

-Prepare the heads of elderflower in a large bowl add the rind of the lemon and then add the sliced pieces

*if you intend on adding citric do so now  

- Pour the sugar & water over the elderflower and leave covered overnight

-Filter and bottle the mixture 

I passed it through a sieve to get the larger pieces

Finished product

I then made up a bottle with some sparkling water - perfect!