Sweet Potato Soup Recipe

I bought a stick blender recently and it is quite simply brilliant. If you have kids that moan about 'lumpy bits' or homemade soup that 'isn't like the shop one' it's a must have.

As it's September I decided to make a soup for Saturday lunch and it's a nice quick one, sweet potato is such a soft root vegetable which makes it great for soup.

So I grabbed

• two onions
• 3 sweet potatoes
• 2 garlic cloves
• tablespoon oil
• vegetable stock cube

and I set to work, peeled and chopped the vegetables to about 2 cm cubes. Lightly fried the onion and garlic in the oil while I dissolved the stock cube in just over a pint of boiling water, and set the potato to simmer in a lidded saucepan.

After the onion was softened I added it to the saucepan and waited. 30 minutes was about long enough to ensure the sweet potato was soft enough to squash with a spoon, so I removed the pan from the heat and used the stick blender to blend down the vegetables into a super thick and tasty soup.

There was enough to serve 2 (or 3 not so hungry people) and served with thickly buttered crusty bread it was delicious. I love a simple soup.

First soup image with title Copyright: somegirl / 123RF Stock Photo all other photos my own

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Teaching a teen to drive with minimal screaming

As the lovely DD has turned 17 her thoughts naturally turned to...nope not marriage, driving.

The first thing I discovered was that adding a new driver (even just a learner) to your insurance makes the price go up. I'm not talking a tiny bit either, my insurance company told me that they don't want to insure young drivers so my quote went from £300 a year to over £800 a year. Obviously I high tailed it to Compare the Meerkat to get another opinion! I am now with a different company, insured for £300 ish again. What a weird world. (oh and I get a free meerkat toy, so win win)

I have a Fiat Panda so it's a nice small car to practice in, has a great driving position with excellent visibility, and DD isn't scared of it, of course my fear factor when she takes the driving seat is on another level all together.


What I can't offer DD is a driving lesson. I'm not a qualified driving instructor and I passed my test (first time, *proud face*) way back when I was young (25 years ago) so I have no idea how much of what I was taught is still in the test, and of course there is a theory test now that I didn't have to worry about.
But I can offer DD some basic pointers and time to practice. And so after a few tense minutes talking about clutch control and braking we went out for a drive.

As the 'reponsible' driver in charge of a learner (I know!) I had to behave exactly as I would when driving. So no tweeting, no having a glass of cava to steady my nerves, in the eyes of the law, *I* am in charge of the car.

But so that you could enjoy the mayhem fun, we set my phone up on the satnav holder, out of the way, and set it to record before we set off. Note my calm and relaxed posture, the lack of screaming, the smiling...I think I did pretty well.

Of course we have invested in 'proper' lessons too. And after a hunt around for someone that
   a) had availability (many teachers are booked up months in advance) 
   b) we could afford (prices ranged from £15 - £30 an hour and some could only be purchased as a bulk booking of ten or more)
   c) DD got on with OK (a 'trial' lesson should be possible with most instructors as teaching styles should ideally be matched to the pupil's learning style)
we settled on a teacher. He is taking DD out once a week in a dual controlled car so that his blood pressure hopefully won't rival mine after an hour in the car with her.

Have you taught a teen to drive? Will you be allowing your child to drive your car? Share your horror stories below.

Christmas Cards

If you look around you at this time of year you cannot escape being told it's the season to send cards to everyone you know, actually you may even find you are being told to make cards with your toddlers, to create and to send a Christmas masterpiece.

When I was small I took delight is giving out cards or sending them (via the battered cardboard and cottonwool-adorned school postbox) to all the other kids I knew. I would not enjoy the writing of them so much, you were probably lucky to just get my name scribbled inside, maybe your name too if I really liked you but certainly no personal message of cheer. The choosing of the card design was always important, some years I favoured a mixed box, other years all the cards needed to be the same size and theme. Once written that stack of cards felt magical, and the joy of getting a similar stack of my own with my name on was equally delightful. Decorating the house with cards on ribbons or strings was part of Christmas.

Copyright: markaumark / 123RF Stock Photo

But a lot has changed in the 40 years or so since little me wrote 40 cards a year. For a start I have a smaller circle of friends (I'm not including the thousands of oddballs I chat with on twitter of course - not being a stalker, I don't know where you live) and the friends I do have I see regularly, or if not I chat to via Facebook, twitter, email or text...or even phone! So the urge to send cards is less. Postage is expensive too - sending 40 cards even 2nd class and UK only would cost £21.20 on top of the cost of the cards! Hardly surprising then, that fewer and fewer people send cards.

Many people prefer to spend that sort of money on something more meaningful such as a charity donation or a gift for someone that normally wouldn't get anything.

This year I'm wondering whether to send any cards at all. Part of me feels mean, and how do you tell people? I'm sure to offend someone who won't know why they don't hear from me. I suppose that, like last year, I will restrict my card sending to the extremely tiny number of people and relatives that are not on Facebook, Twitter, Email, Text and that I don't see in person from one year to the next...but a tiny part of me wonders why I bother with a card at all if it's a once a year thing?

Do you send cards? And if so who to?

Where do you buy clothes?

I'm a frugal woman. (like the Peter Sellers' wife in the Pink Panther! though without the mink coat - a ref for film buffs there)

I shop in charity shops, on ebay, where ever I think I can get a  bargain really. And unless you are rolling in money you probably do too. I sometimes pop into M&S or Next but not often, Primark is more my style.

One of my loves is the website EVERYTHING FIVE POUNDS and the clue is in the name there! They do charge postage so it's not strictly £5, and unless you buy a few items that does bump up the cost but they have some great stuff. Just this last week I bought 3 new tunic tops to wear with leggings (for work) and they are the same as a top I previously bought in Top Shop for £19.99 and one I bought at Glastonbury (name drop) for £20. They arrived quickly and are great.

Saving money? Save a Pound? No Problem!

When I read Inside The Wendy House's Blog post on saving cash I knew I could add a few top tips myself! Then when I saw it could help me save a few pounds myself with MoneySuperMarket, well I was off and running!

So without further ado here are my ways to save some money, starting with my fabulous new thing....

1. Buy a SmartCafe cafetiere/mug - you can still have real coffee at work (or on the move if you are brave) without paying coffee shop prices.
2. Buy a multipack bag of crisps (or other snack of your choice!) I work and I'm a dreadful snacker - if I buy a bag a day singly it cost 60p a time, but a multibag takes the price down to less than 25p
3. Cancel expensive TV subscriptions. I know not many people will do this, but there is lots of free TV and you don't really NEED it do you? oh ok just check you are getting the best deal...
4. Ensure you are using the best mobile phone deal. Contracts might get you a new phone but they cost more in the long run. A Pay as you go sim (like Giffgaff see my sidebar link) is very cheap, from £5 a month!
5. Check that you really need that paper bill, loads of companies (phone, electricity, gas etc) will reduce your bill if you get only online invoices.
6. Really penny pinchers among you could cut open the end of the toothpaste tube to get the last un-squeezable bit out...
7. But even the less keen should rinse shampoo bottles, bubble bath, washing up liquid, liquid washing detergent etc with water to get the last bits out.
8. Use your washing line if you have one, not a tumble drier
9. Use the internet to compare prices and ensure you are getting the best deal
10. Repair things! In an age of disposable this and that I think we forget things can be repaired! Check out your local cobbler to keep shoes going longer! and invest in a glue gun, lots of toys can be 'saved' that way.
11. Do home baking and use the whole oven, plan ahead, make your own cakes and fill the oven up!
12. Buy cheap food that keeps when it's on special offer. Pasta, rice, lentils etc can bulk out a meal and last a long time in the larder
13. Only eat meat a few times a week. Meat is more pricey that vege food. Try and plan a few meat free days
14. Find out what you can freeze and utilise your freezer, keep sliced bread in it and only defrost what you need to safe mouldy bread. You can freeze milk, butter and cheese too
15. Buy local, avoid paying petrol to drive to a big store and buy fresh produce in small amounts more frequently.
16. Organise clothes swaps with friends of a similar size! (or with kids of similar ages) get 'new to you' clothes for free and clear your cupboards at the same time.
17. Use Caustic Soda to clean drains (not those fancy expensive drain cleaning products) follow the instructions, it's cheaper and more effective.
18. Blog! Enter online competitions and join in, it's fun and you might win things, anything will help from a free book to actual money!
19. Check your washing machine, can you turn the temp down or use an eco wash? that will save time and money.
20. Don't be too proud to use Lidl or other cut price Supermarkets
21. Use ebay to buy things. Lots of nearly new bargains and cheap deals.
22. Use ebay to sell things! Why give things away if they are nearly new? Someone may want it - try ebay or the local free paper
23. Always check online for discount vouchers/codes before you buy something online.
24. Sign up to voucher mailing lists. Pizza Express send me discount vouchers almost weekly!
25. Plan ahead, taking kids out for the day, take drinks, snacks and refillable water bottles.
26. Find free stuff to do with your children so a fun day is not an expensive one! baking, mini treasure hunts, walks in the coutry or local park can all be fun.
27. Use a Kindle or Kobo app on your phone or PC (assuming you don't have an ereader!) and you can download hundreds of free books to read. For all ages
28. Use the library! Not only for books but to read the paper, see magazines and even story times with the kids
29. Don't buy a news paper, so much news is available on the television and online you will save a small fortune (and not miss much to be honest!)
30. Wash your own car. Saving mone on hand washes and car washes, and get some exercise at the same time! (or get the kids to do it!)

 And if you want to enter your own money saving ideas for a chance to win £1000, visit www.moneysupermarket.com/30-ways-to-save-1-pound/ for full details, terms and conditions.

(Picture Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos )

Mooncup

It's going to get all TMI for many of you from this point in....you have been warned

The one where I share money saving tips and then lose the plot

Today I listened to The Jeremy Vine show. Sadly I often have to listen to his inane ramblings and tedious subjects as I share an office, and democracy dictates the majority rule the radio waves. Often his callers are as misinformed and as odd in their ideas as he seems to be (I fervently hope he is just pretending to be as stupid as he sometimes appears) any way today took the biscuit with some top money saving tips…

Now I don’t know about you but I do try and save money. Most of the way we do that is fairly obvious, we buy cheap unbranded stuff, we switch off lights we are not using, we don't buy newspapers, we turn off electrical appliances, etc

So I was a little surprised to hear the advice “Buy dresses in the sale to save money” Wow, I thought, how lucky he told us that! Who knew! Sale items are cheaper than full price! Great tip!

And to be fair I tuned out as much as I could after that, but still stupid money saving tops, from the glaringly obvious to the blatantly stupid began to pop into my head and so, without further ado I share them. I hope you don’t need to instigate any because either you already do them or you can see that they are plainly ridiculous.

My thanks to several tweeters for joining in with my idiocity.

• Buy things that are a bit cheaper than you usually buy
• Eat a bit less
• Ask the green grocer if he has any old vegetables ‘for your rabbit’ – eat these (My MIL actually used to do this)
• Try the above tip with bones for the ‘dog’ from the butcher – make soup
• Read your neighbours’ newspapers the day after they are printed, they can be easily rescued from the recycling bin under cover of darkness
• When a mate visits, ask them to bring their own tea bag, or batter yet, a flask of tea.
• Ask your neighbour if you can ‘borrow’ a cup of sugar. Do this weekly, never give any back
• Don’t buy any clothes at all for at least a year, you have too many anyway.
• Switch off your car engine when going down hill.
• Use a head torch powered by cheap pound shop batteries rather than turn lights on in the home
• Get rid of your TV and save on the licence fee
• Ditto telephone
• And also electricity…and your car
• Drip hot wax onto your head and stick a candle on it, even cheaper than a head torch!

 And it was at that very point I realised I needed a lie down, or a cup of tea…

   

Can you spare a cup of sugar?  

Please add more tips below, serious or silly, all appreciated