Kitchen Potterings I am feeling the Pinch Too

It may not seem as if I am, but in reality it is.  Running out of butter and not being able to replace it until payday.  Making do with what you have or adding in substitutes; being selective about those items you do cook, but which provide good solid good food to keep the "Rumblies  in the tummy" away.  Not impossible, and it is achievable.  It also teaches you an awful lot about ingredients and what you can use to substitute.

Getting back to well practiced homemaking activities and trying to make the most of what you have to hand and trying not to waste anything.   This is one of the reasons I have gone back to making bread myself in my machines, which are not the latest models but make a basic loaf of bread.  One of these loaves lasts us two days.  It also offers possibilities and certainly helps my hands.  I am not good at kneading (arthritis and RA) so it helps.  Even if you just use the machines for kneading the dough.

Yesterday was spent pottering in the kitchen and I have started sorting the Pantry although I have been doing other things as well.  It is a slow old business, plus at the end of the day I will have to put everything back and then amalgamate those new items after the Pantry has been painted out which will happen in the next few days.  I want this project out of the way with.  I also have a curtain to make for the bottom shelf; I have some green gingham somewhere which will be ideal for this. It hides some boxes with extra ingredients in. Now if I could just locate the fabric.  The machine is easily accessible for a change.  The curtain may have to wait until I can locate the fabric but the best part of the Pantry will be done and will be clean, tidy and organised.

The Bread pudding was made using up one loaf of the spiced fruitless bread.  This will be used as a snack item and will be stored in one of my tins. 

The second loaf has been used to make a chocolate spiced bread and butter pudding and will probably be served with some fruit such as Mandarins on the side.  To my mind, Chocolate and Orange go very well together.  You can use any stale or older bead for making either the Bread pudding or Bread and Butter pudding, even tea cakes and croissants.

The rough bread crumbs after being pulled out of the crusts.  Did this by hand. no food processor which I tend to use to crumble the crumbs to a more manageable size.

I then worked at the crumbs a bit more and made them a lot finer.

The rest of the ingredients all amalgamated together in a separate bowl apart from the eggs.

Part of the process is to give the mixture a good beating to make the mixture as smooth as possible.  You can use a spoon but I tend to use a balloon whisk.

Into well greased tins, the mixture is then poured in.

All baked and finished with a sprinkling of sugar.

Cut into squares and popped into one of my tins for storage.

Supper is served.

I also have the third of the Spiced Fruit loaves on the go and another XL loaf of white bread as we are nearly through the second loaf.  Not a happy bunny as the fruit trap has not opened again.  Do not think it is functional on this machine either.  In any event I will have to get some more flour next week just to top up what have been using.  So now have another loaf to use.  Have come to the conclusion that will make the dough in the machine and then add fruit by hand and put to cook either back in the machine or in the oven. One of the problems is that if  you put the fruit into the mixture and let the machine do its work it disintegrates the fruit, hence the reason for stopping and adding the fruit supposedly via the fruit/raising/nut dispenser later in the programme.

It is a shame as this loaf came up quite well too.  This is an enriched dough as it has eggs and milk in it.

The white loaf came out well again and makes very good eating.  I have been using butter in the bread as per the recipe but have run out.  Might have to substitute some sunflower oil for the next batch.  Will see what happens.

Before going to bed last night, I made up a batch of pancake mix and also some waffle mix.  Part of Breakfast sorted for next few days.  It keeps pretty well in the door of the fridge for a couple of days, in case you do not get it used up in one sitting.  Little short cuts which help with time when in a hurry.  I love pancakes in any event.  I do have a waffle maker machine (I had proper round one which unfortunately got damaged) maybe one day I will get to replace that).  The particular one I have was a sale buy and is in squares or sticks.  I have very little counter space so I am going to have to plan out what equipment I do use on any given day. Waffles are perhaps best for a day when I do not have the bread machines out on the counter!

I also have Oat milk on the go.  More on that in another post.

Tomorrow evening (Wednesday night) I will put porridge on low for breakfast the following day.  I have some Apple and Pear Butter that can be served alongside this for breakfast just to change it up a bit.

I also have plans to make up some Muesli and Granola during the week as well.   Probably after the Pantry is completed as it can then go into one of my Large Sweetie jars which I use for bulk storage.  The beauty with making things  yourself is that you can keep an eye on the sugar levels and the quality of the ingredients used.

All these projects are made using ingredients I have inhouse and readily to hand at the moment.  Keeping a good supply of ingredients means that you can eat well, just not necessarily exotic items or dishes, but good home cooking that has a lot of flavour and has less sugar and nasties in than bought items.

It is not easy at the moment for any of us.  Pennies are short, fuel prices are astronomical and I think at this particular time of the year because it is cold and people need to keep warm., pennies are going towards fuel increases because it is not lasting like it used to. I aim for one hot meal a day. There is nearly always soup if wanted for a midday meal made from veggies or indeed the well known tomato variety as well as other items.  

I do find it obscene though and morally wrong that large corporate companies are profiting from everyone else's misery.  

I am also slowly  sorting out what things I need to have in my "Pantry" storage (Including, fridge, cold room, dry Pantry, freezers if you have them, or other form of storage) in order to get by. 

I am worried about replacing those items I am using, but I will make what I can where I can and then source the best prices where I find them too.  I do continue to add a bag of this and that when I can afford it.  I know I am lucky, however I cannot do this every time I go shopping which is not often now I cannot really remember when I last did a full supermarket shop, as shopping consists of what is needed on a priority basis to get through the month. I am however trying to come away from on relying on one supermarket and buying more for value with the shops that are easily accessible for me.

We have to make the best of what we have at any one given time.  The choices are more limited, but the food is still good.

Catch you soon.

Pattypan

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