Be Excellent To Each Other

That and a matter that I'll not detail here, as most men would find it embarassing, and I want to spare Dudley any blushes for his little problem.

So anyway, I've spent £44 so far, isn't that interesting?

Is that a random expenditure generator?

How long's it been now?

Today is day 8, but don't worry, I have food enough for a couple of weeks, so I haven't spent and eaten that much already.

Ha! 44 in 8 days woudl be impressive.

So 44 in 21 days or so is ~£2 a day - blimey. I think you've won your bet if so.

About eight days.

I have spent £4.26 on food in the last eight days (quorn mince, cup-a-soups (hehe), apple, chilli powder, cheese).

You should live with me for a week, CG, I will teach you how to shop

Actually, I spent £2.55 on a mint tea yesterday as well.

But no doubt you have a cupboard full of stuff to put with it, I didn't!

Mint tea goes with hot water.

Nope, I really don't, nor a freezer with loads of stuff either. I do have half a packet of cereal, which I have been snacking on a handful a a time, and also some weetabix, but I haven't got any milk. Looking at the picture of your shelves at the ebginning of teh experiment, you have more 'stuff' in reserve than I do.

Se, the thing is, I would buy food, but I haven't found time to go to Asda, and I am leaving London in a few days, so there's not much point going now. I do have another packet of quorn mince to buy, and I think I should get some bread as I haven't had any in a few weeks, but Iceland shall do for both of those.

Mali - the mint tea was a little put of mint tea I bought at the museum, not a packet of tea bags. Actually, I don't have any tea or coffee, either.

I can't remember what your living situation is. Do you live permentantly in London or is it a temporary thing? Where is Craig? What on earth is going on here?

Yeah Mimi, are you single or what, and if so, is your place big enough for two?

I spent that on food yesterday lunchtime.

I'm down in London for a couple of weeks - my mother has been swanning off in Egypt and I've been half looking after my little brothers. She is back as of yesterday, (which I know because she came around asking for money this morning, and I said choice words...*) and I am back off to Lancaster in a few days (sister is back from Ghana on Friday and it is my nephew's birthday on Saturday, so I am going to go and eat much jelly and ice-cream at the weekend).

When I get to Lancaster we'll do an Asda shop and eat proper food

No, I am not single, CUS, I have been with Craig for, ooohhh, I dunno, 7 years? Maybe eight - I can't think, but quite a while

This is why I am in a slightly 'meh' mood if anyone has sensed it, I am not trying to be nasty or miserable, it's just made me feel down, so sorry if I have said anything untowards.

Where the fuck do you actually live!

Flat 3, London and number 10, Lancaster.

I spend more time in Lancaster, apparrently, but sometimes staying in londan makes it seem like I have been here fr ages (I have been in London under two weeks but it feels like a month)

But why do you have 2 places? Isn't that absurdly expensive?

I was under the stern impression that you lived in London or thereabouts, but actually you're oop north. Who knew?

No, for a start it's rented and Craig rents the place up north.

I think you perhaps have that impression because, CG, when things break down or I can't figure them out I am in London, and I ask people here, not being of a technological mind, whereas Craig is more likely to sort things out in Lancaster. Also, nothing much happens in Lancaster - it's perfectly pleasant but not that dynamic - whereas in London (well, in this part of London, at least) there are stabbings and shootings on an almost daily basis, so I often write things in relation to Neasden.

I also spend less time on t'internet in Lancaster because Craig and I occupy each others time when we are together and so when we are not doing stuff for work we are just doing stuff together.

I just had one of the aforementioned cup-a-soups for lunch. Tomato-y

Yes but that's still two lots of rent, council tax etc etc.

Wouldn't you be better off buying one place instead of renting two?

Hey I used to be a student too y'know. Once again, this isn't a strict 'how cheap can I eat and not DIE', because the answer to that would be under a tenner. There's nothing too interesting in such an experiment because it's too easy to answer. This one is about eating interesting varied meals on a fair budget. A blog saying 'Had rice again, cost 4p, bargain' every day wouldn't be worth reading.

yes, of course - most of us have been students and eaten nothing but toast with a nice toast starter, but I think that CG's is a good experiment - I think the weeks and weeks will get easier and easier as you build up a stock of ingredients in your larder and freeze down portions of your cooked meals. How long do you want to keep this experiment going for, CG? Are you trying for a year?

A month of blogging, after that it'll be down to my conscience

Wimp

*sniff*

I'm thinking of setting myself another challenge for next month, just for fun. I've got one in mind but I'll take suggestions.

I suggest "how little can I poo" for next month's challenge.

I like that this challenge will presumably help you to look fitter and less like a jolly pastry chef, Gnomes. Good idea - right, the missus is going to be away for a while, but when she sees me again she'll think 'Ooo, yes...' I like it.

Joke's not tired yet - FTFY

She thinks that anyway

Really? What's wrong with her?

Not a lot.

[insert Paul Daniels joke here]

Cheesecake is in the fridge, setting as we speak. For the cheese bit, I just whisked together two pots of tesco soft cheese, a bit of sugar, a bit of cream, and a bit of lemon juice. I hope I've used enough lemon juice or this will end up tasting like philadelphia on digestive biscuits. That would be disaster

I think I'll make toad in the hole tonight, as I have all the ingredients. Anyone ever made this? Recommendations?

A week left, which is nice, as I'm very tired and thinking about what to cook is hard.

Toad in the hole is that just yorkshire pudding with sausages?

Never made that but my yorkshires are excellent. I won't bother finding you a recipe as they're all pretty similar but heat and loads of it is the key. Make sure that the fat or oil you use is in a fully hot oven for at least ten minutes before adding the mixture. When you do add the mixture do it quickly. If you have a cast iron dish of some kind use that as it will keep more heat when you open the oven door. I guess you'd need to part cook the sausages first and then pour the batter over them and the oil.

hmm, a recipe I've got here doesn't mention precooking, but it does mention the pre-heating oil thing, so I won't ignore that. Why does it make a difference?

Because when the batter gets dropped in it boils, creating all the air gaps and then the crispiness. If the oil isn't hot enough you'll just end up with something resembling a pancake.

Not a bad thing. Pancakes are awesome.

I love Yorkshire puddings and my Mum's are amazing. As my other 'alf has got a milk allergy we have to make them with soya milk and they never turn out quite right.

Man, that must royally suck. Yorkshire puddings, truly up there with the food of the gods.

I will laugh at your other half for you, and see if I can bully him out of it.

I can't remember which, but either the bbc website or Delia Smith have a recipe for toad in the hole that I and my housemate made a few months ago. It was surprisingly tasty, and is on one of their websites. I am Delia-Smith-neutral (though leaning slightly towards thinking she's one of those chefs who don't live in the same food dimension as most normal humans. Goose fat? Why the fuck would I have goose fat?), but it was a pleasant surprise and cheap to cook.

He's a balding twat.

I have goose fat.

Is that like puppy fat but a for middle aged, middle class people?

Well, it turned out pretty well. Because I'm a nutbar with very specific tastes I added cinnamon, nutmeg and rosemary to the pud mix, then cooked it all up with the sausages.

Turned out pretty well. Well, enough for me to gorge myself on the whole damn thing. I'm fat.

Actually inspired by your post and because I was making just my own tea last night I made a sort of toad in the hole thing. Didn't have any sausages though so I used some of those little strips of chicken fillet, again with a few spices and whatnot in there. It was really nice.