Eat & Drink for £1 a day - 28 Day Challenge - Days 19 & 20

Days 19 and 20 were spent mostly fighting with a cold which threatened to become a chest infection. There was a lot of sleep and not a lot else. Normally when poorly I just sleep and drink water, and that's what I did this time as well. There were moments when I felt a little better, and during those times I managed to eat the remaining two bananas and an apple.

Presently, I can breathe again - which is good, so hopefully day 21 will be a better day.

Eat & Drink for £1 a day - 28 Day Challenge - Day 18

Today has been a day of sleep and not much else. I've only been awake now and again to drink some water. But finally I'm up and out of bed, and I've had a lovely salad of spinach, green peas (the last bit), onion, tomatoes, red pepper, courgette, and avocado.

I'm going to have a mug of hot bouillon before going back to bed, and maybe a banana just to get some more energy.

If you would like to help by sponsoring the clean water project in Meru, Kenya, please go to  http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=stopcocks

Eat & Drink for £1 a day - 28 Day Challenge - Day 17

Another day of feeling rubbish and with no appetite. I managed to eat an apple, a banana and three carrots throughout the day, like yesterday, and like yesterday they tasted of absolutely nothing. When I got home from work I fell asleep while changing into comfortable clothes, and had a lovely unscheduled snooze for a few hours. I really didn't want to get up again when I woke up, but knowing that I don't do well if I've had several days with hardly any food I realised I had to.

After clambering down the stairs I made a lovely salad, (spinach, avocado, tomatoes, red pepper & onion) and I can feel it doing me good already - but I'm still straight back to bed with a mug of hot water. Hopefully some more sleep and a few days off from work will do me good.

If you would like to help by sponsoring the clean water project in Meru, Kenya, please go to  http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=stopcocks

Eat & Drink for £1 a day - 28 Day Challenge - Day 16

Still battling with my cold I had absolutely no appetite. Since there was no smell or taste to anything I didn't feel like eating, and all I wanted to do all day was to go back to bed.

So that is what I did as soon as I had completed my chores for the day. Throughout the day I managed to eat an apple, a banana and the remaining carrots from last week, but even that was more than I fancied.

If you would like to help by sponsoring the clean water project in Meru, Kenya, please go to  http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=stopcocks

Eat & Drink for £1 a day - 28 Day Challenge - Day 15

I have to admit that I'm getting a little bored now with having not much of a free choice of food. But I said I'd do it for 4 weeks, and I'm a day past half-way, so I'd better keep going.

I've done my shopping for the next week, and this week I've gone for fresh food only. All in all it cost me £7.12, the 12 pence coming from my leftover funds of 20 pence from the first week. What I got was:

2 red peppers
1 pack of cherry tomatoes (400g)
3 courgettes
6 bananas
6 apples
4 small avocados
1 pack of carrots (400g)
1 pack of dried mixed herbs (18g)

Hopefully this will be enough to last me the week. I've also got some leftover food from the previous two weeks:

4 potatoes
2 carrots
a small piece of swede
some frozen vegetables
some frozen sweetcorn
half a pack of rice
a handful of red split lentils
a small handful of yellow split peas
a quarter of a tin of green peas
1 onion
most of a bulb of garlic
half a box of bouillon
a third of a tube of tomato purée
a third of a bag of spinach leaves

I reckon I should be ok with this.

Today started with a juicy apple, I've been dreaming about apples for the past two weeks, and today I finally had one. Luckily I was at work and had only brought the one, or I could have eaten the whole lot. Lunch was the rest of yesterday's leftover lunch (rice and lentils with spinach and tomatoes), and then I also had an afternoon snack; a banana.

Dinner today was a warm and cold mixed salad. I used two handfuls of spinach, some of a red pepper, half an avocado and three tomatoes. I also boiled two potatoes and some lentils which I mixed with the cold ingredients once they were cooked. It was both filling and tasty, and all I lacked was some olive oil to drizzle over (far too expensive) and a glass of wine to go with it (completely out of the question on my current budget).

If you would like to help by sponsoring the clean water project in Meru, Kenya, please go to  http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=stopcocks

Eat & Drink for £1 a day - 28 Day Challenge - Day 14

Day 14 was one of those days where I was running around trying to get everything done at once. I got up a bit late, so didn't really have time to sit down for breakfast, instead I snacked on carrots throughout the morning until it was lunchtime. Luckily I had thought to prepare lunch the evening before, when I had boiled rice and lentils. There were some leftover cooked swede as well, and along with the remaining tomatoes this made a perfect, and quite large, lunch. I didn't manage to eat it all, so the remainder went in the fridge for the next day.

By the time I got home I was feeling quite rough, the sore throat Id been nursing for the last couple of days was getting so bad it felt like sandpaper, and I could feel a proper cold coming on, so I did what I normally do when I feel like I'm getting ill; I had a warm bath and then went to bed early and got a long night's sleep.

If you would like to help by sponsoring the clean water project in Meru, Kenya, please go to  http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=stopcocks

Eat & Drink for £1 a day - 28 Day Challenge - Day 13

What a lovely relaxing day this has been. I've done absolutely nothing useful at all, just read my book all day long, while grazing on leftovers from yesterday.

Dinner was eaten quite late, there having been quite a bit of leftovers to get through. Also I wasn't really paying attention to the clock. But eventually I made my way into the kitchen where inspiration struck and I made quite a colourful dish.

I used half an onion - sweated in a little water, 1 teaspoon bouillon, 3 tablespoons tomato purée, and a handful of tomatoes. This was simmered in a frying pan until it was all cooked through and soft, and while I cooked a few slices of swede in some water, and reheated a ball of the lentil&pea mixture I still had left from yesterday. It was quite tasty, and may be replicated on another day.

I also had a bit of a treat today; a tin of mandarin segments. It was absolutely delicious, and just what I needed at the end of the week.

If you would like to help by sponsoring the clean water project in Meru, Kenya, please go to  http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=stopcocks

Eat & Drink for £1 a day - 28 Day Challenge - Day 12

Day 12! I'm amazed I've made it this far! Only two more days and I've made it to two weeks, and half-way in my challenge.

So far today I've been stuck by my computer, and feel like I haven't really achieved anything. All I've done is munch my way through a handful of carrots and a mug of bouillon, plus a whole thermos-flask full of hot water. But now I'm finally about to make my dinner....

...and what a lovely dinner it was. I boiled 200g rice, enough for there to be leftovers for lunch tomorrow. In another saucepan I  boiled a handful each of yellow split peas and red split lentils. And finally I also cooked a pan full of carrots (two of them), half an onion, and a tin of green peas. I simmered these in some water until they were all soft. I assembled it all by laying out some spinach leaves, placing some rice in a small bowl and turning it out onto the leaves. Then I placed a tomato on top for decoration. The carrot-mix was then scooped up and placed along the other side of the plate, and three quenelles of the pea-mixture added. I don't think it looks too bad? And it certainly tasted good.

If you would like to help by sponsoring the clean water project in Meru, Kenya, please go to  http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=stopcocks

Eat & Drink for £1 a day - 28 Day Challenge - Day 11

Day 11 started in the usual way, with a mug of hot bouillon. By mid morning I was feeling quite hungry, but luckily I had brought a few carrots with me to work, in case of snackage needs. I munched my way through three carrots, and then finally it was lunchtime. It was a freezing cold day, and somehow the office never got warm, even though the heating was on full. The stew I had brought with me was deliciously warm and filling though, and warmed me up much more than the mugs of hot water I had been drinking throughout the morning. Sadly this was the last of the stew I made the other day, so no more ready-made meals.

When I got home I was running a bit late; work was busy and I couldn't leave as early as I had planned. The reason I needed some time was that I had promised to make cake for a friend who needed it the day after, and I was supposed to deliver it by 8pm. So there was nothing else to do than to rush into the kitchen and start baking. I grabbed three potatoes and baked them in the microwave, and ate them while baking. Not ideal, but necessary in the circumstances.

Finally the cake was ready, prettily decorated and securely packed, and off I went to deliver it to my friend's house. There I was warmly greeted and the cake taken off my hands. Of course I was then roped into looking at some faulty plumbing, so it was quite late by the time I finally got home and could dive into bed.

If you would like to help by sponsoring the clean water project in Meru, Kenya, please go to  http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=stopcocks

Eat & Drink for £1 a day - 28 Day Challenge - Day 10

Day 10 was a very busy day, and it went by like a whirlwind. For breakfast I had my usual mug of hot bouillon, and then at mid morning I had a little snack; a carrot. It was delicious and fresh, and gave me lots of renewed energy.

For lunch I had leftovers from day 9's dinner, and it was perhaps even better tasting than the night before. Rushing around all afternoon I stopped for five minutes to have another snack (carrot), it was one of those days where I just craved snacks and carrots are perfect for it, sweet in taste and full of energy.

My dinner was, I'm afraid to say, the same as my lunch. I was completely exhausted after such a busy day, and so it was a relief to find a ready made meal in the fridge.

If you would like to help by sponsoring the clean water project in Meru, Kenya, please go to  http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=stopcocks

Eat & Drink for £1 a day - 28 Day Challenge - Day 9

Having slept in today, it being my day off, I skipped breakfast and instead had lunch when I got up. It was a delicious rice salad made from rice that I cooked yesterday along with some spinach leaves, three tomatoes, and some green peas.

This evening I went to a lecture at one of the private schools in York, and I have to admit that while I was there I had a glass of apple juice (it was free, as was the lecture). The lecture, about telescopes looking into space, was very interesting and well delivered, and I really enjoyed it. But when I came out I was very very hungry. So I hurried home and made some stew.

I used 1 onion, 2 teaspoons bouillon, 2 cloves of garlic, nearly half of my swede, 4 carrots, 2 potatoes, 4 tablespoons tomato purée, 100g red split lentils, and what I had left of ready boiled yellow peas from an earlier day. I sweated the onion in some water, added the chopped garlic, then when it was soft I added more water, and sliced carrots and swede. The I added the rest of the ingredients and let it simmer for about half an hour until everything was soft. It was delicious, warming and filling - just what you want from a late night dinner. And there is enough left for my lunches tomorrow and Friday.

If you would like to help by sponsoring the clean water project in Meru, Kenya, please go to  http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=stopcocks

Eat & Drink for £1 a day - 28 Day Challenge - Day 8

Today was the first day of the second week of my challenge. That meant a new shopping basket, something that I was more than ready for. I did my shopping last night in preparation for today, and I have to admit that it was really hard not to dive into it straight away, but I resisted.

Somehow the money seemed to stretch farther this week than the last, maybe because I didn't spend two days worth of money on one item like last week (bouillon), or maybe it was because I had more of a realistic idea of how much things cost and was able to prepare better, I don't know. What I got was:

1 swede
1 bag of carrots (1kg)
3 onions
1 garlic
2 tins of peas (300g)
1 bag of rice (1kg)
1 bag of dry red lentils (500g)
1 bag of spinach leaves (200g)
1 pack of baby plum tomatoes (325g)
1 tin of mandarin segments (312g)

And it came to £7 exactly, which means I still have those 20 pence from last week to play with, or save for a rainy day. Sadly no apples, but maybe next week.

I started the day in my usual way with a mug of hot bouillon. I actually quite like that, and may continue to do so even after this challenge is over. For lunch I had a baked potato (left over from last week) with some spinach leaves and 3 baby tomatoes. It was delicious! And such a change from last week. My dinner was also lovely; boiled rice with a few spinach leaves, 3 tomatoes, and about one third of a tin of peas. Yum!

Am already looking forward to tomorrow's lunch, as I boiled some extra rice which is now in the fridge waiting for me to return.

To sponsor the clean water project in Meru, Kenya, please go to  http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=stopcocks

Eat & Drink for £1 a day - 28 Day Challenge - Day 7

Today I woke up with two kittens sat on me, purring. And it has been a lovely day since then too. I started of with a mug of hot bouillon, and then set about doing things that had been on my list to do for a while. And then I had an early dinner; vegetable soup made from a bowl-full of mixed frozen vegetables and sweetcorn, enough water to cover, a teaspoon of bouillon, a tablespoon of tomato purée and two tablespoons of ready boiled yellow peas. I boiled a batch of peas yesterday, enough to last me another couple of days.

I've now completed a week of my fundraising challenge, only three more weeks to go. It's been an interesting week, with day three definitely the hardest one. What I had thought I'd miss the most was my herbal tea with I normally drink gallons of, but in fact it has been fresh apples. And I had been a little worried that there might not be enough food, but as it turns out I have still got some food leftover, and a new week starts tomorrow, so quantity-wise I've been fine. It has been a little boring though, so I'm looking forward to a new shopping basket tomorrow, hopefully some new flavours.

To sponsor the clean water project in Meru, Kenya, go to  http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=stopcocks

Eat & Drink for £1 a day - 28 Day Challenge - Day 6

After sleeping in and then reading my book in bed for a while, I finally got up in the early afternoon. Having had such a relaxing morning I wasn't really hungry, so I decided to just have a mug of hot bouillon at that point, and do the eating later. The rest of the day was spent reading and playing with my kittens, and before I knew it it was early evening.

I've felt that the last few days' food has been quite bland-looking, so I tried to make it look a bit more exciting today. It still contains my few staple ingredients, but at least I've managed to make it look a little bit more inviting than before.

I used 1 potato, 2 broccoli florets, 5 bits of carrots, and a tablespoon of boiled yellow peas. There's also a squirt of tomato purée mixed with a little water, which the broccoli rest on. The potato was sliced julienne style and baked in the oven to make it a bit different from previous days. The tips got a little brown, but were perfectly edible. What the whole thing could have done with was some gravy, but alas that was not to be had today.

To sponsor the clean water project in Meru, Kenya, go to  http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=stopcocks

Eat & Drink for £1 a day - 28 Day Challenge - Day 5

Because I got out of bed a bit late today, and I was meeting a friend in town; I decided to have my breakfast on the go. I do realise that some people may think I'm slightly loopy, but it seemed like a good idea, and it also seemed to work quite well; I microwaved a potato while getting my boots and jacket on, then stuck the burning hot potato in my mitten, and set off for town (had lovely warm hands while walking). It's only a 20 minute walk, so by the time I got there the potato was just the right temperature for eating. And as it happened I arrived before my friend did, so I had time to start munching my potato while waiting for him to arrive. Of course when he arrived he looked at me as if I was completely crazy, standing there munching away at my potato, but never mind....

When I got home I was quite cold and a bit tired, so decided to have a little nap. And lovely it was too. Upon waking I had a huge mug of steaming hot bouillon and a couple of baked potatoes - not much variety in my food today, but will do better tomorrow.

To sponsor the clean water project in Meru, Kenya, go to  http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=stopcocks

Eat & Drink for £1 a day - 28 Day Challenge - Day 4

Today was definitely a better day than yesterday. Not sure why, but it was just so much easier to stick to the plan. I managed to resist temptation yesterday as well, but it was really hard work. 

This morning flew by, I had a few glasses of water, and I was intending to have some bouillon, but all of a sudden it was nearly 2pm and I decided to have my lunch instead. Lunch was a bowl of warm sweetcorn and ready-boiled yellow peas, with a tablespoon of tomato purée for taste. It was tasty and filling, but looked pretty much like most of the other meals I've had so far these last few days, which is to say - bland.

Again the afternoon was so busy I didn't have time to miss having a snack. 

My dinner will be some broccoli and cauliflower from the freezer, boiled in water with some bouillon. 

Eat & Drink for £1 a day - 28 Day Challenge - Day 3

I have to admit that I've struggled a bit today. It's been one of those miserable days when nothing has been achieved, I've felt horrible, the weather turned bad again, and to top it all off a bird fell down my chimney and traumatised both me and my kittens. Not sure that poor bird had such a good day either. Normally I would have made myself a cup of hot chocolate to comfort myself, but that was not an option today. Although I have to say I was sorely tempted. But I was good and I resisted. Instead I microwaved a potato (I figured I was allowed since I hadn't had my lunch yet, and my only refreshment had been a mug of bouillon earlier in the morning) and gnawed my way though it while watching a film.I felt a bit better after having my potato, and watching a film that was really a bit too scary for my whimpish self, and I got on with the day for a while, until I realised it was dinnertime.

I enjoyed a bowl of baked potatoes topped with a tablespoon of tomato purée and a good helping of ready cooked yellow peas for my dinner. Not very exciting, I know, but still tasty and filling. I have to say that that tomato purée has proved to be a saviour so far. Not sure the food would have been very satisfactory without it.

Now all I have to do is manage until bedtime without caving in and having chocolate. (There's a petrol station very (un)conveniently located across the street.)

Eat & Drink for £1 a day - 28 Day Challenge - Day 2

Day two of my fundraising challenge was decidedly easier than the first one. Not that yesterday was bad, but  I did have time to reflect on my lack of afternoon snack yesterday, something that did not happen today. Work was so busy I only just had time for lunch, (vegetable soup, same as on day 1 but with the addition of 2 tablespoons of ready cooked yellow peas) and the afternoon flew by. When I finally got to sit down I realised I was absolutely starving, and I hurried home.

I had intended to bake my potatoes in the oven, but being very very hungry I microwaved them instead, and had instant food, which I was very grateful for. I added a couple of tablespoons each of ready cooked yellow peas and of sweetcorn, and a tablespoon of tomato purée for colour. It was delicious. The topping went in the microwave for the last minute with my 3 potatoes. 

I now feel quite content and sleepy, will just have a mug of hot water before bedtime. Hopefully tomorrow will be just as easy. 

Eat & Drink for £1 a day - 28 Day Challenge - Day 1

Right. So the day is finally here. I’d been racking my brains for a challenge I could do to help raise money for the clean water project in Meru, and was very relieved when I finally thought of something. I’ve read a few accounts of people doing this sort of challenge lately, although most people seem to do it for a week only. But I thought I might as well do it for a while, to make it more of a challenge. We’ll see how it goes. 

I started preparing yesterday by going shopping. Armed with my £7 and a calculator, I headed for the local supermarket. I did have a shopping list, but soon realised that this had been written with just too much optimism. You really don’t get a lot for £7. It felt like I was there for absolute ages, adding an item, taking one away because I was over my quota, then adding another because I had money left, swapping around to make better use of the money…. Finally I had something that resembled a decent selection of food, and it was even within the limits of my budget! 
 

What I got for my money was:

1kg bag og frozen mixed vegetables (carrots, cauliflower and broccoli)
907g bag of frozen sweet-corn
200g tube of tomato purée
150g (1 box) vegetable bouillon
2,5kg Potatoes
500g bag of dried yellow split peas

The total cost of my shopping basket was £6.80, which means that I have 20 pence extra to play with next week. YAY!! Sadly I couldn’t afford any teabags this week, so it will be a very boring week drinks-wise, but maybe I’ll manage to get some next week. The bouillon was quite expensive, so I’m hoping it will last me a couple of weeks, but I felt that I would need something that would serve both as a drink and to enhance the taste of my food. 

This morning, before setting off for work I measured out my frozen veg ration for breakfast and lunch, and also took with me the box of bouillon. As soon as I got to the office I made myself a cup of bouillon, which I enjoyed while reading through the emails that had accumulated over the weekend. And I have to admit that this was a nice start to the day. I didn’t feel the need for any more fodder right then, so saved my sweet-corn ration (100g frozen sweet-corn heated in the microwave) for later on in the day and had it as an afternoon snack instead. 

For lunch I had vegetable soup, which was tastier than I had dared hope for; 

200g mixed vegetables
1 tablespoon tomato purée
1 teaspoon bouillon
Water (enough to cover the vegetables)

I heated it on full power in the microwave oven for 5 minutes, stirred it, and then waited for it to cool down a bit before tasting it. For something so simple it was surprisingly nice – and it made me wonder why I haven’t done this as a quick alternative for lunch before. Although I do think that maybe I overcooked it a little. Will try again tomorrow. 

The afternoon was spent wistfully longing for a snack, until 3.30pm when I gave in and had the sweet-corn that should have been my breakfast. And it was a life-saver. I think I will have to arrange my food in such a way that there is something to eat in the afternoon, otherwise I’ll be just too hungry before it’s even near dinner time.

When I got home I boiled some peas ready for tomorrow, and baked 3 of my potatoes for my dinner. So far I'm doing ok, but we'll see how long it lasts.