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Wednesday, 26 June 2013

Make your own crisps, it's cheaper than buying them

I fancied some crisps today, but I didn't want to spend any money. I am trying to keep out of shops at the moment, to give my battered bank balance time to recover. I'm eating what I already have, and tonight for dinner was the third portion of a three day veggie curry stew. So, I had three meals out of five potatoes, three small onions, a handfull of frozen peas, and sweetcorn, and a tin of red kidney beans. Lunch was two cheese rolls, the wholemeal bread was bought for 25p on a yellow sticker. Breakfast was cereals and a banana. I have to confess though I dip into the peanut butter and the ground brazil nuts when I open the fridge door. Just to fill a little hole and keep me going, ha ha. 
Anyway, I posted about how to make home made crisps in October 2010, it's worth another mention as people may not have seen it, and it will save you money. It's dead easy. Take one potato, the glass plate from the microwave, and a gadget to slice the potato very thinly.   
Put a few spots of oil on the plate and smear it all over with your fingers. Spread the sliced potato over the whole plate.
Microwave until brown and crispy. It takes about eight minutes. I do mine in short bursts, opening the door to check how they are doing. Once they start turning brown you need to be carefull not to leave them in too long, get them out quickly before they burn. Use a knife with a large flexible blade to scrape them off, I use the bread knife. You can sprinkle salt on them if you like, I don't because I never add salt to anything I cook. Easy peasy crisps.
It was a bit windy in the garden today, so I have rigged up a plastic cover for the sunflowers. I cut a clear plastic sheet the right size and clipped it to the edge of the garage roof at the top, and along the rims of the boxes at the bottom. They have their own greenhouse now. Other garden news, I am hopefull that I will have a good crop of broad beans, all the plants are in flower with some bean pods starting to appear. Some of the runner beans have flowers, but the courgettes are a little slow to grow. The potatoes look great, lots of greenery, so I am hoping there will be a lot growing underneath as well.

I'm not sure if I can hold off the food shopping until after the weekend, I am a bit limited to what I can make with what I have. I am not going to go to the extreme I did before when I ate everything I had. As long as I use up some of the tins and packets that will be enough. I have a few mushrooms left, so it will be mushroom omlette for lunch tomorrow I think. Then maybe pasta for dinner. We'll see. No meal planning here, I'll just have whatever.
Toodle pip.
PS, I've had some very nice emails from my lovely readers, thank you very much. I am chuffed that you like my blog, I like writing it. Love and kisses xxx

25 comments:

  1. Who would have thought you can do that in a microwave? Must dash off and give it try ;)

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  2. Of course we like your blog. It is easy to see from your writings what a nice, kind person you are.
    An animal lover like me too.
    And of course, thanks to you my partner an I no longer smoke 40 fags a day!

    Just to let you know, still fag free!

    Much love
    Sarah x

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    1. Sarah, you are a star. Well done to you both. May you have many more smoke free days, weeks, years, the rest of your life. You must be quite rich now, and healthy.

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  3. Just dashed back...... It works perfect crisps or chips as we call them here ;)

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    1. Good for you, home made chips whenever you want them.

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  4. I must try that myself, never would have thought to make them in a Micro wave, your full of great ideas! Xx

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  5. I have just made you're crisps and they were so good. Thank you :)

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  6. I love, love, love microwave crips and have been making them for years, Ive even had a couple of those m/wave crisp tray thingies with the slots you stand the potato up in. OH isnt so keen, he reckons they sound like you're eating glass. Silly OH, but its his loss as theres more for me. :o)

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  7. The crisp look very nice and at a fraction of the extortionate price they are in the shops. Walkers must be making a fortune. How about potatocakes, they'd cost a bit more with having to make mash potato first but you can add cheese etc. to make them tasty.
    I don't think running your foodstocks down completely would be wise because restocking would be costly so good luck with the yellow sticker hunting.
    Dave

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  8. Oh, this looks so easy and fun to make without the mess of deep frying. Thank you, Iona!!!

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  9. never thought of the microwave, only the oven, must give it a go.
    enjoying your blog very much!!

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  10. I'm definitely going to try making some crisps (potato chips) this way...thanks Ilona.

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  11. We are eating up odds and ends here too in an attempt to build up a little pot of savings for emergencies. Must admit its working well and the freezers will be empty soon. My veggies are doing very well this year (touch wood) despite the fact its quite cold here somedays. Managed to pick up some broad bean plants for 10p each that were surplus to requirements and they are in flower so lots of broad beans to keep us going. The only ys stuff I get nowadays is bread but that better than nothing, went late to supermarket last night and was 5 minutes too late for the bargains - shucks!

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  12. Like that potato crisp idea a lot!!! Might try that after my holiday abroad.

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  13. Cheers for that, I am off to make some Chris, brilliant blog x x

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  14. Must try the crisps as I have a microwave in the 'van and try not to use the oven as it uses far more gas than the hob. I have had to give in and go shopping far earlier than I had hoped, but now have quite a lot of food - so it should last at least until the week after next. We had an unexpected bill for the 'van this month, so know what you are going through - blooming vehicles!!

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  15. Thanks for the comment on the book cover, but its been made for exactly that size book as a removeable cover and the beading etc has been put in to fit, it would mess the design up on a smaller book Ilona.
    I am over it now and using the removal of the tatting etc as therapy. lol
    Will be giving the crisps a go though, they look yummy
    Briony
    x

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  16. Hello, Ilona. The taller your sunflowers grow, the more top-heavy they will become. They develop HUGE root systems -- wide and deep. You may find that your growing boxes cannot adequately contain them. Also, they positively "EAT" water. If they lack it, their heads bend over and never return to upright even after water, so you can never let them dry out even a little bit. I'm speaking from experience. I did once have seeds for me and the birds for a long time, eventually, however. Some of the stalks grew to seven feet tall. Their stems were thicker than broomsticks. Take care. Elaine near Philly.

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  17. They look more healthy too.

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  18. I didn't know making your own crisps could be so easy!

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  19. I've made homemade chips in the electric oven and dried flower petals in the microwave for homemade potpourri, but never made the connection that I could also cook potatoes into chips too! I'm gonna have to try this!

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  20. Beverley here in Calif. I have some large sweet potatos and one of those microwave thingy potato trays. I am going to try making sweet potato chips. I have such a weakness for chips which does not bode well for trying to lose weight. If I can make this work I will be in chip ecstasy.

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