I always go out on New Year's Eve!

Hello Dear Reader,


Oh yeah! I always go out on New Year's Eve!!! To the supermarket! I bought no end of goodies to see the old year out and the new year in. I usually make pizza, and certainly don't run to flash of Pizza Express, nor do I usually have dips, or salami or shop bought hummous but hey! It's been the best of years and the worst of years in equal measure. My bill would have been £22 and was reduced to £7! Some will go into the freezer and some will be a treat for a two person party...............well! He is my most favourite person in all the world.

Aspects of my job and my personal life have brought me equal measures of strife and delight. My family have brought me great pride and also, heart break. There have been moments in this year that I will remember forever and moments I will need professional help to get over! Tonight, I'll put all that behind me and raise a glass to the passing of 2011 and say hello to 2012. This may we herald a new chapter in my life and you can all watch this space to see if it unfolds or not.

All my love,

Froogs xxxx

Keep and eye on prices and stock up when it's cheap!

These are on offer today and tomorrow only! Beware! This might be gone by the end of the day!

Hi everyone!

You will need to check with your local Lidl store and we'll have a look this weekend but here are some offers for your freezer and store cupboard that you shouldn't miss (unless you hate bacon and beans!). If I see an offer like this, I will buy as many as the store policy will allow me to buy. Sometimes, I'll go back out and in again on a separate transaction to over ride their policy or go to another store or get Dearly Beloved to have a separate trolley!

I'm signed up to all the supermarkets and look out for their 'lost leaders' and silly offers. I use 'My supermarket' to compare prices, which Lidl, Aldi and Netto are not on! They have their own websites and I can compare there too. I even check these out before we go on trips to France and look for their 'offers' worth stocking up on and bringing home in the boot of the car. I work on this basis, if I need it anyway, or I'm passing by anyway and I will need it later and it can be stored. Then, and only then, do I stock pile. I never buy anything because it's a good price unless I buy it any way.

Some of you commented on my mini oven, which saves me a whole heap of energy and costs. They have them in on sale in Lidl on the 5th of January. Again, they will be gone on the day.

You can go to the Lidl website and read about it there.

I would add, that I'm not endorsing this shop and I'm not paid to do so by anyone. If I need something, I will research it carefully and buy it at the best price from where ever I can. I've had my oven for well over two years and only paid £15 back then. I've taken it on holiday as the accommodation we rented only had a hob and I've used it as a second oven when I've had guests and it is the main oven we use for just the two of us.

Now my lovely frugal friends. What's on 'almost give away offer' that's caught your eye, where ever you are in the world - do tell, do share.

Over  to you,

Love Froogs xx

Life's too short to stuff a mushroom?

 Hello Dear Reader,

I thought I would share one of our favourite recipes. Stuffed Mushrooms. You can stuff them with just about anything. Butterbean and lentil pate, stilton, but today, as I had some, I used some chicken liver pate.

I pulled out the stalks of the mushrooms and squeezed in some pate. I then rolled them in beaten egg and then coated them in homemade bread crumbs.

 I put a shallow dish in the mini oven, with some oil in it and got it smoking hot. I carefully placed the mushrooms in, with the pate on the upper side. Every so often, I took the dish out of the oven and spooned some hot oil over the top to get them all crispy.

I served them with romaine lettuce, a tin of sweetcorn and some of my homemade spicy damson chutney. Be careful though, the pate will be really hot. I often make this as a dinner party starter but as I had the ingredients laying around we had this for lunch. I'm off now to do some bulk cooking and I'll share that with you later.

Love Froogs xxx

A glamorous morning

 Hello Dear Reader,

We went for a partially successful trip to the charity shops of Wadebridge. I often think, if you go somewhere 'posh' the charity shops will have generous donations. Oh how wrong I am. We visited Truro a while ago and the charity shops were too expensive, today,  Wadebridge was the same. The hospice shop wanted £15 for jackets! We had a mooch around the other charity shops which were equally expensive. We ended up in the Air Ambulance shop, where everything was expensive, except the Meakin utility ware dish that I found for £1.

We did have an enjoyable hour or so, we bought a book each (£1 each from another charity shop) and I got to add a lovely dish to my utility ware collection. Open message to charity shops. We the people without enough money to go to Marksies, but more ethics than to buy sweatshop shit - would buy lots in charity shops but we can't afford what you're selling. I would love to know who can afford to buy what you sell. Here's an open message to anyone in Cornwall!!!! In Liskeard, the charity shops are cheap, and the cheapest are the Woodside Charity shop and the Salvation Army shop, where everything is cheap - they need your business and you need their prices so get to them and spend your pennies!!!

Until tomorrow,

Love Froogs xxx

Christmas leftovers

 Hello Dear Reader,

A turkey, though expensive, is so versatile. Here's my version of minestrone soup with turkey as a chunky addition. You will need: One large carrot, one large onion, 2 sticks of celery, one leek, the outside leaves of a savoy cabbage, a good squirt of tomato puree,  2 chicken stock cubes in 1 litre of boiling water, a small amount of spaghetti cut into little pieces and a good handful of cooked, chopped turkey. Here's the how to:

1. Chop and sweat off all the veggies in a little olive oil.
2. Dissolve the stock cubes in a litre of boiling water.

 3. Add the spaghetti and chopped turkey and cook for 30 minutes on a low heat.

 4. I serve the soup or chunky broth with a dollop of pesto. I don't add it before as the garlic can lose its flavour.

 We'll have a couple of bowls each tonight and some for lunch tomorrow. There's still plenty of turkey left so you'll just have to wait and see what I do with that.

Until tomorrow,

Love Froogs xxxx

Food, glorious food

 Hello Dear Reader,

A quiet day with my offspring today. I thought I would share a few recipes with you.

First of all - Key Lime Pie. You will need 1 pack or Oreos, 50g of marg or butter, 3 eggs, 50g of caster sugar, 3 limes, 1 400g tin of  condensed milk. I bought the Oreo's in Poundland, 2 packs for £1. The limes were 3 for £1 and the eggs are 85p for half a dozen free range. It's very rich and will cut easily into 10 and works out at 32p per portion. Here's the how to:
1. Melt the butter in a microwave.
2.Blitz the biscuits in the food processor.
3.Mix melted butter and biscuit mix together and press into a loose bottomed baking tin. Smooth some biscuit mix up the sides of the tin.
4. Separate three eggs.
5. Zest three limes, squeeze the juice and combine with the egg yolks and tin of condensed milk.
6. Use an electric whisk (I use my Kenwood chef for everything - similar to a Kitchen Aid - mine's retro and bought it second hand) to blend until pale and fluffy and add on top of the biscuit base.
7. Whisk the egg whites to a stiff meringue and then whisk in the caster sugar.
8. Smooth the meringue mix on top of the lime custard.
9.Bake at 180 degrees for 25 - 30 minutes until the meringue is golden.

I made mine the day before and it will keep a couple of days in the fridge.

 Turkey Paella.

This is a great way to use up all the bits of meat you can pull off a turkey carcass. I stripped it today and it will make a good few meals. I bought a 4 kilo turkey, which was suggested for six people and there was plenty left.

You will need: left over turkey chopped into cubes, left over ham slices cut into small chunks, some prawns if you have any, left over peas, an onion, two garlic cloves, paprika or paella spices (thanks for Foster  Mummy) 100g rice, chicken stock cube. Here's the how to:

1. Chop and fry the onion and garlic in some oil.
2.When soft, add the rice, paella spice mix and 750ml of chicken stock (I use the 10p a pack cubes from Tesco) and cook for however long it takes to absorb the water.
3. Just before all of the water is absorbed, with about 15minutes left, add the cooked turkey, ham, peas or left over vegetables and prawns. You could add any left overs to be honest!
4. Cook for another 30 minutes until all ingredients are piping hot.

Banoffee pie.

I can assure you, it looked much better yesterday! I followed a recipe but think it's better with a thinner biscuit base. Here's what you need. 2 large bananas - buy the ripe ones, usually sold cheaper and even better if they've got dark. A tin of

this is expensive!!!! Not frugal at all and I can't find this cheaper than £1.50 any where! 3/4 of a pack of digestive biscuits and 100g of butter! I would use less butter in future as the base was hard to cut and less butter would have resulted in a crumblier lighter base. 1 small pot of whipping cream - again! the cheapest I could get was 65p. You will need a few cubes of dark chocolate. You can buy perfectly good dark chocolate for cooking in Tesco or Asda for 30p a bar.

Here's the - how to:

1. Melt the butter in a bowl in the microwave.

2. Crush the biscuits in the food processor.

3. Mix butter and biscuits together and press into the bottom of a loose bottomed tin.

4. Bake in the oven (180) for ten minutes - leave to cool for an hour.

5. Spread caramel on top.

6.Slice bananas and arrange on top of the caramel.

7.Whip the cream - you can buy whipped cream in a can, sometimes on offer but I don't like it as they sweeten it and cream is sweet enough.

8. Break 4 cubes of chocolate into a small jug and microwave, a few seconds at a time until soft.

9.Drizzle over the top of the whipped cream.

Serves 10 - it will also last in the fridge for a couple of days - this again worked out at 32p a portion

I fed six people yesterday and four people today and my son and daughter have 'tupperware' (old margarine tubs!) full of paella to heat when they get home and more dessert to eat later. We'll take them home later. Apologies that the dessert recipes are not frugal, but each is the favourite dessert of either my son or daughter and it was lovely to spoil them.

Until tomorrow,

Love Froogs 

Frugal Queen's message to you all!

Just a small message from me to everyone and anyone who reads this today.

As ever,

See you tomorrow,

Love Froogs

Frugal Hotpot on a cold night

Hello Dear Reader,

Let's see what we can make with this lot? A few spuds, a couple of onions, four slices of bacon, some almost on the turn cherry toms, a tin of chopped tomatoes and a tin of carrots! Just watch this.

First of all, I cut the tomatoes in half, threw away the mouldy ones and layered some thinly sliced potato on top.

I have then layered sliced onions, the finely chopped bacon and sliced tinned carrots, I've then poured a tin of chopped tomatoes on top.

I then mixed up 400 ml of instant cheese sauce and poured that over the top. I buy mine in a sachet from Asda, 4 for £1, it seems to keep for years. I then baked it on the highest setting in my mini oven for one hour.

The potatoes absorb the tomatoes and the cheese sauce and it's rich and yet tangy with the tomatoes and not too stodgy as there isn't much bacon.

The end result was lovely. We didn't have anything with it, it's full of carrots and tomatoes, so enough vitamins there, enough protein from the few slices of bacon and the cheese sauce became sort of crunchy but permeated the hot pot.

It was full of flavour and just what we needed on a cold night. Now the cost £1 for the bacon, 25p for the cheese sauce, 30p for the tinned toms, 20p for the carrots, 60p for the cherry toms, 20p for the spuds and 10p for the onions. There's enough for 4 portions, so approx 61p per portion. It's getting increasingly difficult to put a nutritious meal on a plate for under £1, what are you having for supper and how are you managing with costs?

Until tomorrow,

Froogs xx

We will never forget you.

Hello Dear Reader,

Thirty years ago, in a hurricane which measured force 12, in winds that measured 90 knots and seas that reached 60 feet high, the crew of the Solomon Browne, all unpaid RNLI volunteers answered the may day call from the coaster The Union Star.

More than a dozen men answered the call and Trevelyan Richards, the coxwain, picked the best eight man crew for the job. He made sure he didn't take more than one man from any one family. He knew how treacherous the sea conditions were; he knew they might not return.

The helicopter from RNAS Culdrose, with an American pilot called Russell Smith was scrambled and they did everything they could. The Union Star had already lost one anchor and had four shackles of cable out, they couldn't in any way steady the ship enough for a winchman (Steve Marlow) to be able to get any one off the ship. It wasn't until the helicopter was above the ship and Russell Smith checked three times in disbelief when he heard there was a woman and two children aboard the coaster. Unable to affect a rescue, it was left the Solomon Browne to try and rescue to crew and passengers.

The Solomon Brown was a 47 feet long Watson Class wooden boat. I want you to look down at your feet and pace out the 47 feet. It's the size of an average yatch and yet there it was, in a force 12, in 60 feet waves, being thrown around, under the sea most of the time, pitching and rolling, now with her crew on deck with grappling irons trying to get alongside the Union Star.

The helicopter stood down. There was nothing more they could do. The Solomon Brown had managed to get four people off the ship. It looked as if they were about to head for sea and head home............they didn't. There were four souls left on that ship and they turned back and tried to get alongside again............it was then  that Falmouth Coast guard lost contact with the Penlee Lifeboat. The maritime call continued "Penlee Lifeboat, Penlee Lifeboat, Falmouth Coastguard. over". They continued to call for 45 minutes. That call was never answered.

On the 21st December, at 20.12, the Penlee Lifeboat, with an eight man crew, all local men from Mousehole, put to sea. She never returned and all lives of those on the Union Star and the Solomon Brown were lost. To this day, the lifeboat station at Penlee Point stands, untouched as it did that night as a memorial to

Trevelyan Richards, Stephen Madron, Nigel Brockman, John Blewett, Charlie Greenhaugh, Kevin Smith, Barrie Torrie and Gary Wallis.

Their incredible bravery and ultimate sacrifice will never be forgotten.

Postscript - You can listen to the news report and the radio contact between Falmouth Coastguard and the Penlee Lifeboat on the links on this page - it's haunting and, once listened to, will never leave you. Here's the link to the RNLI


 Froogs xxxxxxxxxxx

Hopelessly addicted to stew!

Hello Dear Reader,

Firstly, thank fully Foster Mummy rescued me today from the depths of feeling miserable and I am so grateful that I am blessed with a friend who will drop what she is doing, cross counties and come and see me. xxxxxxxxxxxxx!!!! X 10 Million !

Tonight, we are mainly eating chicken stew. Here's how I do it! Firstly, use the cheapest part of the chicken, the thigh. I have a pan full for £2.25. It will feed us for two day. I get the griddle pan smoking hot, I drop the thighs in, skin side down until the fat start to render. I keep turning until it's cooked.

Now I get the oven on, I drop the peeled and sliced carrots into boiling water and leave to cook, whilst I chop an onion and a pepper.

I add the onion and pepper into the cooking chicken and cook in the chicken fat.

I add the whole lot, chicken, carrots, one large spud peeled and cut into pieces. I threw in a punnet of cherry tomatoes as they were going soft. I mixed up an Aldi chicken chasseur mix with water and poured that over the top.

I then made dumplings. 200g of SR flour, a pinch of salt and 100g of beef suet with enough water to make a dough. I spooned out dollops and rested that on top of the chicken stew. I have a domed lidded casserole dish, usually used for roasting poultry, but great for making stews or casseroles in the oven.

The finished result, an hour later, was an unctuous and rich stew with fluffy dumplings on top.

No good at all for the waist line but good for the soul on a grey and drizzly winter's day. We'll have the same again tomorrow. The cost? 75p per person, per meal.

Until tomorrow,

Love Froogs xxxx

Why I am frugal #2

 Hello Dear Reader,

 In answer to a query, why is someone 'middle class' with a good job and plenty of money frugal? I'll try and explain.

I grew up in the council house my parents still live in, where we seldom had enough of anything. My fantastic and loving parents are resourceful people who grew veg, made clothes, caught fish and could bring us up on next to nothing.  We often didn't have enough food, heat or clothing and sometimes hid behind the furniture in the dark to stay out of sight of the rent man. Mum and dad did their very very best and are struggling to this day.  I know what it's like to be skint.

I didn't have a 'proper job' until I was thirty seven and it took me years to pay off debts accumulated  and now I'm able to save. I can only do so by living carefully. If I ran a bath every day, if I had the central heating on every day, if I shopped without budgeting, then I wouldn't be able to save money. Un-metered water costs £1400 a year in Cornwall (so I save money with a meter and rationing what we use) Our local tax is £1800! I still have to be careful.(I have to pay this and I save up for it annually) I don't have that many working years left in me as my profession is not for the old. You can't slow down but have to keep going at a rapid pace, keep up to date, keep changing and moving forward and that will not be that easy when I'm in my 50's.  I need to be ready to downsize and do a different job, which will pay less, which means I have to save every penny I earn now and to do that, I have to be frugal.

I'm also disheartened by consumerism. There are more important issues to worry about. No one needs to worry about a new sofa or TV. Let's just focus on looking after our friends and family and those around us in our local communities. We are constantly bombarded with advertising that tries to convince us to consume. Day time TV talks about the 'must have look for the party season'. We must all go on a diet to get into the 'LBD' and get the 'smoky eyes' that look 'oh so seductive'.

We save all we can and pay off as much mortgage capital as we can as I'd rather do that than waste it. I do buy what I need. Last year I bought sensible flat shoes and a waterproof coat of good quality which will last for years. I also bought new work clothes that will equally last a few years. When we've bought white goods in the past, we've bough AAA rated goods and we still have them and they have lasted years.

I was a mum at 19 and my son was 18 before I got a 'proper job' so I brought two children up on minimum wage. At one stage, to get by I worked in a school as a teaching assistant, evenings in telesales and weekends in care work and fitted in university, just to get by. I've worked as a cook, cleaner, bar maid, care worker, nanny, farm labourer, shop assistant, beach cleaner as well as fitting in being a mum. I've always had to budget, to save, to put money by for school uniforms and shoes, school trips, kid's hair cuts and birthdays, for camping weekends and books. It was only very recently that I've been able to put away money for out future.  We've just faced DB's salary being cut by 10% and we're both public sector workers who will have to put more money into our pensions and will get less at the end, meaning we have to more than double our own contributions to get what we originally hoped for. We will have to be even more frugal in the future!

We all have our own reasons for being frugal and I appreciate it isn't what most people would have chosen. I always thought that I would have holidays, posh clothes, hair dos and meals out when I got a 'proper job' but in reality, I can't do that and save for the future. We all have our reasons.

Fishcakes and a message for Sara

Hello Dear Reader,

Thanks again for the lovely comments.

I made the cheaper than chips fish cakes today and here is how. Firstly boil the kettle and add the required water and milk 550mls into the pan, I add a dash of marg and then swirl in the instant mash 20p from Tesco and beat furiously until smooth, I then add a liberal sprinkle of dried parsley and keep stirring - whilst I was doing this, I microwave two pieces of pollack, which cost £1 for the two from the value range, again from Tesco. Flake with a fork and stir through the mash and parsley. I also add a good wallop of pepper and stir through.

Get a pan on, get it smoking hot and throw in some oil. Gently form the spud and fish mix into cake, roll in flour to make a coating and then gently drop into the oil. Turn the heat down once a crispy skin is formed and cook through.

I served three each, with salad of gem lettuce, grated carrot and sliced red onion and a dollop of coleslaw on top. I don't think it's a meagre serving or that our portions are small, just sensible. We're both 45, over weight and under active so the last thing we need is more food! 

Now, to Sara, below is the message to you!

 Now go and write what you like on your own blog because I'm just going to delete what you write here. Enough said!

Love Froogs xxxxx

Now here's a challenge!

Hello Dear Reader,

In a week, I shall have a house full of people to feed. I'm about to start cooking the extras to keep people fed for four days. I shall make sausage rolls (these are a bit different and almost a meal in themselves and something of a family tradition), quiche, mince pies, some desserts and of course a roast lunch. I have set myself the budget of £30 for the day and that'll include all food and drink.

I already have all the meals I need for the two of us for the following week and some! So, I'm hoping to entertain the family in relative style and on a very tight budget. How do I do it? Well, here's what I won't be buying this year. Crackers............what the bleep is the point of them any way! Cheese. Who needs more than a pound of cheddar in the house? I'm not making cake or pudding as, we ate it into January last year and we all prefer a mince pie. Sweets. We never eat sweets or choccies so why eat them in the middle of December?

Also, you need to take care of portion control so you are not eating turkey for a week, even though I will use up all the meat that I will pull off the carcass. In my days in catering, we knew exactly what constituted a plateful for a roast, so why any more on Christmas day. Here's how I portion the meal

Per person: 1 large carrot, cut in batons, 1 large potato cut into 4, 1 large parsnip again cut into 4, 1 tablespoon of peas, 5 sprouts, 1 tablespoon of stuffing, 6oz turkey (2 good slices) 2 sausages each wrapped with a slice of bacon. When you have that, you can multiply it by how many people you have for lunch. The shopping list looks like this: oven ready 4kg turkey, 1 bag of carrots, 1 bag of spuds, 1 bag of frozen peas, 30 sprouts, 2 packs of sausages, 2 packs of bacon, 1 bag of parsnips, 1 large box of stuffing, 1 tub of gravy granules, 1 pack of butter.

Again, look at what we don't do: Yorkshire puddings, bread sauce, cranberry sauce (I have sloe and damson jelly which is fantastic with poultry). I make gravy from the frozen giblets, add the fat from the roasted turkey, the boiling water from the veg and thicken with value gravy granules. For dessert, I'm going to make Key Lime pie (here's the recipe I use but I omit the expensive bits)and Treacle tart, (again, here's the recipe I use, but I don't make the custard as I use instant) both really cheap to make, will be hoovered by the household. I will, of course, share the  frugal but delicious recipes I have for them.

As we eat our lunch at 1 pm and we won't leave the table until 2pm, we really won't need an evening meal. We might have a mince pie with a cuppa, but that's it! The question is dear reader, can I feed six on the day, for £30! I have stuffing already and gravy mix, some store cupboard ingredients for the dessert, but I will have to buy everything else.

Are you frugal at Christmas? I consider what I'm doing to be splashing out, most of the world's population will be as hungry on the 25th as they are every other day, so in comparison, we're having a feast! What will your table look like? Do you understand/do portion control so you cook what you need and don't waste? Over to you........

As ever,

Love Froogs

Get it sorted!

 Hello Dear Reader,

Another earth shattering day here in Frugal Towers! The house is getting cleaned and tidied. I've started on the kitchen cupboards. I knew it was time to clean out the shelves as things were getting 'icky'! The next jobs is to sort out the larder cupboard, do a stock check, rotate, check dates (eat the oldest first!) and rotate if needed. I've also put lots of 'stuffage' on freecycle and being ruthless about anything that can go to good use some where else. I always amazes me how fast anything goes on Freecycle.

I actually enjoy having the time to sort the house, it's not a chore, but I actually enjoy it. Ah well, off now to have an adventure with bicarb and an old toothbrush and go to war on the grimy grout in the bathroom! Oh the joy of it! What 'odd' things do you do around the house that you really enjoy?

Love Froogs xxxx

'tis different yer!

Hello Dear Readers or as we'm zay yer - 'ello m'ansom

I'm shattered today. It's the first day of the school holiday and I've cleaned the house and chopped lots of wood. I also bought a few presents (mostly from charity shops, for family members who do not share my views about Christmas) I thought I would share 'while shepherds watch their flocks' but sung with tune we sing it in Cornwall. My dad was raised in the austere Cornish Methodist tradition and we were, as they say here, 'brought up chapel'. Sundays were about 'socials' and the 'tea'.

Don't mistake that for a pot with a spout full of an oriental fluid, 'tea' in Cornwall is a grand affair with rivalry of which chapel can put on the best 'tea'. Our local chapel 'Well Street' in Tywardreath is huge, with an upstairs and downs stairs, only to be upstaged by Leek seed in St Blazey, Bethel and St. John's in the neighbouring district of St. Austell.

Christmas in Cornwall, for those of use who hold it to it's true traditions is simple, plain, certainly not about the mid-winter feast or anything to do with Yule. Choirs are huge in Cornwall, carols are three, four or five part harmonies and the singing is male led and boomy and baritoney in quality, with ladies holding the descant. Voices are always lifted to God here, at Christmas, the real Christmas, which has nothing to do with garish street decorations or over indulgence but are about Jesus.

Christmas in Cornwall is also about 'brave tales' and poetry and in particular the spine chilling tale by Charles Causley, where the imagery of the St. Nicholas is merged with that of Herod and the slaughter of the innocents.

Innocents' Song
by Charles Causley

Who's that knocking on the window? Who's that standing at the door?
What are all those presents lying on the kitchen floor?
Who is the smiling stranger with his hair as white as gin?
What is he doing with the children? Who can have let him in?
Why has he rubies on his fingers, a cold, cold crown on his head?
Why, when he caws his carol, does the salty snow run red?

Why does he ferry my fireside like a spider on a thread,
His fingers made of fuses and his tongue of gingerbread?
Why does the world before him melt in a million suns?
Why do his yellow, yearning eyes burn like saffron buns?
Watch where he comes walking out of the Christmas flame,
Dancing, double-talking, and Herod is his name.

Here it is wonderfully put to music by Cornishman Phil Beer with help from the rest of his ensemble 'Show of Hands'.



As I said - 'tis different 'yer!

I'll be seeing y'dreckly!

Love Froogs xxxxxx

Blowing in the wind

Hello Dear Reader,

Thanks to everyone who left such cheery birthday greetings. I don't celebrate it and keep it quietly in my own way but I was truly appreciative of the kind remarks you all left for me. I'm so grateful that you read, and even more so that you would think to leave a comment for me. As ever, it would be lovely if readers would become followers so I'd know who you all are. It's just so lovely that you drop by.

Today's blog is in answer to some of your questions about the eco-fan on top of my wood stove. We did buy it, when we bought the stove itself as we were convinced it would make the stove more efficient by pushing the air out in to the room. I only realise what a good job it does when I hang washing in front of the fire. You can't see this, but the fan will move wet washing so it looks as if the washing is hanging in a gentle breeze. I swear it helps to soften the towels and linen. You see, I only use the cheapest laundry liquid, I don't go to the trouble and expense of softener as I think that work shirts look smarter with a stiffness about them, also towels that are crispy have a sloughing effect which I'm sure keeps our skin in good condition.

Is the eco fan any good? Well, it helps to dry our laundry and all I know is that when I come down in the morning, all the laundry will be ready to fold up and put away and that's good enough for me. It's the nearest thing I own to a tumble drier. Does anyone else own an eco fan? I think it makes a difference and moves the air around so making the stove more efficient....what does every one else think?





Until tomorrow,

Love Froogs xxxx

You know me so well!

I know you read this every day, so this is just for you x x x

You know that the most precious and beautiful thing to me is the written word. You know I love to cook and I also love history. You know that I love nothing better than poetry and for you to whisper John Donne to me!

You also know that the best gifts are from charity shops, that you've browsed around, that you've re-visited and taken time to choose gifts from. You know that I want any spare money we have to go somewhere meaningful and to go where it's needed and not simply to the board of directors!

You know one of the many things I love is chocolate, which needs to be ethical and fairly traded or it sticks in my throat. You know me so well and that's one of the many many reasons that I truly adore you.

Thank you for spoiling me, for knowing me so well and making my birthday so very lovely x x x x x

To most people, from Froogs, but to you my darling..................from Jane xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx