What’s the idea: Tickets to the T20 Blast Finals Day
Who for: Anyone who likes cricket! Even if you don’t, it’s a real fun day out for all the family…
Cost: We went for The Experience Club hospitality which is £175 +VAT each
Where can I find out more:
Tickets: www.eticketing.co.uk/edgbaston/details/event.aspx?itemref=4105
Hospitality: www.edgbaston.com/t20-finals-day-2015
Where can I stay: As it was a special occasion I booked us into the most luxurious accommodation in Birmingham. We stayed at The Rotunda in a penthouse suite at the  Staying Cool apartments for £660 for 2 nights. If you want the WOW factor this is the place to go, we could even see the cricket ground in the distance.

TIGs review
TIG’s dad’s birthday treat was four tickets to the T20 blast finals day at Edgbaston Cricket Ground in Birmingham. We got there in good time as there is so much to do around the ground. We even managed to go on this game to see how fast we could bowl – TIG’s dad got a pretty impressive 47.9mph.

We also got our photo taken with the ICC Cricket World Cup trophy which was a great experience.

As it was a very special occasion I purchased hospitality tickets for The Experience Club. This included a top price category 1 ticket, complimentary bar, two course buffet lunch and cricketer’s afternoon tea. This hospitality experience was just fantastic – when we arrived we got told we had been upgraded to even better seats, which was a fabulous start to the day. The wide variety of food choices were displayed to perfection and tasted amazing, and some people were certainly ‘bowled over’ with the offer of unlimited free drinks! We even saw a few famous faces in the hospitality area which made the day extra special.

Despite our county team not making the final of the T20 blast competition the cricket was thrilling to watch, the matches were exciting and exhilarating and we had 12 hours of action packed hospitality and cricket. This was just an incredible experience, the atmosphere was electric and we had four of the best seats in the ground.

The day ended with the trophy presentation to the winners and a few fireworks to really finish the night on a high. This was a truly fantastic occasion and I would love to go back and experience it all again next year. A fabulous day of cricket…and wonderful hospitality.

For more photos on Idea #38: T20 Finals Day, visit my board on Pinterest

Have you been to T20 Finals Day?
Share your experiences below…

The post Idea #38: T20 Finals Day appeared first on That Ideas Girl.

Today the mystery of the birthday weekend started to unveil for TIG’s mum! There was a surprise delivery to her workplace. This was a beautiful bouquet of flowers thanks to Gerts Florist with a mysterious message and a poem on the reverse.

TIG’s mum knows she is going away for the weekend, but doesn’t know where, so I wanted to give her a few clues. Just enough to get her excited and to have a rough idea what to pack, but not enough to reveal all!

This special delivery was received with shock, and amazement, mainly that I was a poet and she didn’t even know it….!

As the birthday weekend surprise is revealed you can read all about it here! Stay tuned to find out where we are going on our mystery weekend away…

Have you ever surprised anyone?
Share your surprise ideas here…
 comments so far

The post Surprise weekend away appeared first on That Ideas Girl.

What’s the idea: An escape room adventure. A physical game in which people are locked in a room with their team and have to find clues, solve a series of puzzles, and crack the code within the time limit to escape.
Who for: 10 years +, ideal for team building, hen parties, stag parties, great gift idea for families and friends, and maybe even a first date!
Cost: At The Live Escape, Huddersfield; 2 people £35, 3 people £48, 4 people £60, 5 people £70 (ideal number in a team is 4)
Where can I find out more: We went to The Live Escape in Huddersfield, however, room escapes can now be found nationwide and are even a very popular activity on European city breaks.

TIGs review

For Father’s Day this year I wanted to surprise TIG’s dad with something different, something he’s never done before, and I think I certainly succeeded! I don’t want to say too much about the idea itself as the unknown of it all was part of the excitement! We arrived 15 minutes early at The Live Escape in Huddersfield and had a full brief on what was about to happen, the background prison story, and the fact that we had to escape before the warden did his rounds in 60 minutes. This briefing was the perfect introduction, but left us feeling slightly nervous!

It was then time to go into ‘the room’. We had no idea what to expect behind the door, but we went in and immediately started turning the place upside down for clues as the clocked started to count down. What a buzz, it was like being on an episode of Finders Keepers (a 1990’s CITV gameshow!). We kept finding random pieces of information that we had no idea what to do with. Gradually as we found other parts to the puzzle, we started piecing together the clues, cracking codes and unlocking padlocks.

There was a large TV screen on the wall with the clock ticking down. We were also being watched by a staff member, and if we were struggling, a clue would appear on the screen. There were points in the game where we felt like we were at a dead end, but the clues kept us engaged, interested and motivated to get out in time. We were often overthinking the puzzles and went off on a tangent but the clues certainly didn’t hinder the experience, we definitely needed them! After struggling with the last puzzle for about 5 minutes, we managed to unlock the final padlock and make it out with one minute to spare – talk about cutting it fine!

This has to be one of my favourite ideas. It was certainly challenging and involved great team work and a lot of patience with team members, to get out in time! I absolutely love solving problems so this interative and very cryptic adventure was right up my street.

The owner who took us on the journey was absolutely brilliant, really welcoming and reassuring. It was well thought out and put together, and I cannot recommend it highly enough – you just have to try it! This would make a great Hen/Stag party idea and you could even embrace the theme in fancy dress! We will be talking about it for weeks to come, so if you try just one of my ideas, I recommend this is the one you do!

Any bad points?

• This idea is pretty faultless, we absolutely loved the experience. It’s unfortunate at The Live Escape that they don’t have a number of different rooms with different themes to try, so we could go back sooner or compete with a different team at the same time. This might be something they are aiming to do as they expand.
• We were loving the activity so much it would be great if the experience lasted a little longer. We were so immersed in the theme we were not ready to leave our prison cell, and wanted more puzzles to solve!

Would I go again?
Obviously you can’t do the same one again as you know how to solve the clues, however, I would love to do a different escape adventure. The Live Escape in Huddersfield are working on a new themed concept so I’m really looking forward to trying that out soon!

Have you been to The Live Escape?
Or have you experienced a different escape room adventure?
Share you experiences below…

The post Idea #36: The Live Escape appeared first on That Ideas Girl.

What’s the idea: TV audience tickets
Who for: Mainly adults, but does depend on the programme!
Cost: Free (apart from the travel to and from the studio)
Where can I find out more: I got my Pointless tickets from SRO Audiences. There is also the Applause Store that do some of the bigger shows.

TIGs review
I receive the SRO Audience email newsletters every month and they usually just end up in my deleted folder. A couple of months ago however, the subject line caught my eye. ‘Pointless tickets now available’ – I couldn’t open the email fast enough! The dates were perfect for Father’s Day, the ideal gift idea for a Pointless addict! I filled out the registration form and selected my three preferred dates. Then I completely forgot all about it, never thinking that I would actually get tickets. A month or two later an email appears in my inbox ‘Pointless priority tickets’ – well it was in black and white, I had 3 Pointless audience tickets to my name!

Despite Elstree Studios being 3 hours drive away I couldn’t let this opportunity pass us by. I told TIG’s dad what was in store for him and he couldn’t believe it, he was so excited, as we all were! After a very early start we arrived at the studios 45 minutes early. We thought we would easily be the first ones in the queue, how wrong could we be, some had already been there for over an hour!

Whilst waiting to go in we met a wide range of people who were clearly huge fans of the show, coming from Ireland, California and the Netherlands. And we thought we’d travelled far!

We were then ushered around the outside of the studios to stage 8, where they opened the stage door and I was so excited to see the set, the podiums, Richard’s desk, all the cameras – wow! There were about 40 seats set out for the audience, and I’m not sure how, but we managed to end up in the centre of the front row!

We were then greeted by a compere whose sole responsibility was to keep us in line and entertained. For the next 15 minutes we had to practice our clapping techniques, our cheering, our groans for when the contestant guessed an incorrect answer…who would have thought there was so much training involved!

After the contestants emerged and took up their positions on the podiums, Alexander Armstrong and Richard Osman walked onto the set – a moment to remember for all Pointless fans!  Right from the start you could tell this was a slick procedure, no time is wasted and they got straight into the filming. It was great to watch, although it did take Alexander a few takes to get warmed up! There were some 5 minute breaks whilst they changed the set around, when we just sat and observed (or stood due to the very uncomfortable plastic chairs!). The compere did ask if anyone had a Pointless book they wanted signing, which was a nice touch.

The audience isn’t generally shown during the televised show, so I was quite dismayed when the cameras were pointed at us during one of the breaks! They then proceeded to do numerous takes of every plausible situation and recorded our reactions – this was slightly uncomfortable as acting is certainly not one of my finer skills!

Overall, despite the very uncomfortable seats, this was a fabulous day out, we were fully immersed into the whole Pointless experience, and loved every second. When we were leaving we noticed they were filming The Chase next door – timing it perfectly to bump into Bradley Walsh on the way out, which made the day even better! TV audience tickets certainly make a great low-budget gift idea that any TV fan would love to receive.

Top tips

• Take a cushion – the chairs were so uncomfortable, not great when you are sitting down for 4 hours!
• The email instructions stated ‘Refreshments – please be aware that food and drinks other than screw-top drinks in plastic bottles cannot be consumed in the studio itself.’  I read that as in no food at all, and I assumed there would be at least a catering van within the vicinity. As soon as we sat down, the compere said that there were no catering facilities, so I hope you’ve brought lots of snacks! The email instructions should have been a lot clearer – 4 hours is a long time to go without any food!

Spoiler Alert!

• For all the Pointless fans out there, the trophy is a lot smaller than it looks on the TV – about 15cm high and approximately £7.50 to produce!
• In the head-to-head round on Pointless it appears the contestants answer almost immediately after a couple of seconds thinking time. In reality they get at least a minute or two to come up with their answers!
• The laptop that appears on Richard’s desk is FAKE – it’s just a prop!

Any bad points?

• We were sitting next to a couple who were clearly Pointless’ biggest fans and should have really had a podium to themselves. Despite being told not to shout or discuss the answers in the audience, they proceeded to loudly give answers to everything – unfortunately you can’t choose who you sit next to – we were just very unlucky!
• We felt that there could have been more personal interaction with the presenters. There were only 40 of us in the audience and it would have been great if they could have taken time out at the end, or during a break, to have a mini meet and greet, to sign autographs and allow selfies.
• We don’t know when the episode will be aired – they said anytime between October – March which means my Sky+ box is going to be very full!
• No photos allowed in the studio – I’m not entirely sure why this is. It certainly would have made the day extra special to have a photo taken behind one of the podiums.

Would I go again?
I wouldn’t get tickets to be in the Pointless audience again, however, I might be tempted to go to a different show. Strictly Come Dancing is filmed in the same studio and I can imagine that would be a great live experience – but tickets may be slightly harder to get!

Have you been in a TV audience?
Share your experiences below…

The post Idea #35: TV audience tickets appeared first on That Ideas Girl.

I think I have watched every episode of the epic 1990’s game show Crystal Maze at least twice and I used to make the TIG family play the board game (very much against their will!) at least once a week until they sold it at a car boot sale without me knowing!!

If you are too young to remember, Crystal Maze was a cult British adventure game show where contestants attempted to complete physical and mental challenges across four themed zones in order to collect crystals, then attempt to win a prize from the Crystal Dome!

This time however, Crystal Maze is coming back with a difference. The organisers are keeping the finer details very much under wraps, however, this illustration teaser  was released yesterday by the very talented illustrator  Dan Evans (@Dan_Draws).

The organisers have said ‘The legendary game show is back! But this time we all get to play!’ Instead of the Channel 4 show each week hosted by the flamboyant Richard O’Brien in his large leopard skin fur coats and leather boots the new Crystal Maze is being described as a ‘live and immersive interactive experience’ in the centre of London.

Interested? You can register here. I have already registered and today I received an email saying that the response they have had is astounding! From midnight this Saturday they will be launching their crowdfunding campaign on IndieGoGo. This will be our opportunity to help make The Crystal Maze a reality and get our tickets to enter the maze!

What are you waiting for? Get your fluorescent 90’s tracksuits out from the back of your wardrobe and register your interest for the chance to have your experience in the Crystal Dome!

Register your interest here: Crystal Maze Sign Up
Follow updates on Twitter: Crystal Maze HQ

Update 20/06/15: The Crowdfunding is now live! Find out more and the different tickets you can purchase here.

Share your likes and dislikes of Crystal Maze here…
 comments so far

The post Crystal Maze is Back appeared first on That Ideas Girl.

Sentebale – Hope in Vulnerability Garden

What’s the idea: Tickets to The RHS Chelsea Flower Show
Who for: Mainly adults – they do stipulate no children under 5
Cost: The cost all depends on which day you visit and how far in advance you purchase your ticket. I paid £59 for a full day public ticket for the Saturday.
Where can I find out more: www.rhs.org.uk/shows-events/rhs-chelsea-flower-show

TIGs review
We arrived for opening at 8am Saturday morning and there were already huge crowds of people waiting for the garden gates to open for the final time of 2015. There was an incredible buzz about the place, with many people really dressing up for the occasion!

I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect from a Saturday ‘plant sell-off’ day at The Chelsea Flower Show. I have been to the show once previously for a preview evening, which was relatively quiet, with un-obstructed views to any garden we wanted to see. It soon became apparent as we entered the show that this was going to be a very different experience!

Getting there early is definitely a good idea, and we headed straight to the show gardens so that we could view them without too many people crowding around. All 15 show gardens were spectacular, each telling their own inspirational story, with an amazing array of colours and fragrances.

The Morgan Stanley Healthy Cities Garden

Royal Bank of Canada Garden

The judges favourite was the Laurent-Perrier and Chatsworth triangular shaped garden which was absolutely breathtaking.  This was Chatsworth’s first time exhibiting at the Chelsea Flower Show and with one of the most difficult shaped gardens they certainly had a debut to remember.

The Laurent-Perrier Chatsworth Garden

The 8 smaller artisan gardens took us a while to discover as they were off the beaten track through the woodland, and rather difficult to view with the now crowded pathways. However they were really beautiful, and the colours, textures and smells were just out of this world. This ‘Trug Workshop’ was one of my absolute favourites. These gardens are much more intimate than the larger show gardens, and that’s what I loved about them – each one was so natural that you felt they had been there for years!

The Trug Workshop Artisan Garden

The free live music on the Ranelagh Gardens bandstand was an added bonus, whenever our feet were getting weary we took ourselves to the bandstand and enjoyed listening to the talented swing bands performing.

The food stalls sold a wide variety of produce with everything from fish & chips, pizza and chicken to incredible cakes…which I just had to try! The food was expensive – probably what you would expect from being in Chelsea and at a flower show! If I went again I would definitely pack a few snacks and drinks in my bag to keep me going. Many people appeared to bring their own posh picnics which was a great idea.

After lunch we ventured into the Great Pavilion which was deceptively huge – it did provide great shelter from the rain later in the afternoon though! In here were the specialist nurseries and plant breeders with unique plant and flower displays, each lovingly tended and artfully created by their passionate owners. Fun fact for you; there is enough room in this pavilion for either 500 London buses or two football pitches – it was big!

Next we explored the Fresh Gardens – branded the ‘cutting-edge’ of the Chelsea Flower Show. These gardens are uniquely different using the latest in contemporary materials, incorporating innovative, and unusual designs.

The Breakthrough Breast Cancer Garden

Thinking of Peace by Lace Landscapes

We then queued for about 15 minutes to get in to the Floral Design Studio, but it was worth the wait to see the most exquisite works of art by 32 amateur floral arrangers – definitely a ‘wow’ time!

After exhausting all the gardens at least three times each, we finished off looking around the streets of boutique stalls selling unusual and unique garden related products. From grand summer houses and garden furniture, to hand-crafted gifts, cosmetics and accessories. This was a unique and fun shopping experience to end the day and by this point some of the crowds had dispersed which was an added bonus!

I didn’t have a particular passion for plants before the show, however, these gardens were truly inspiring and I now can’t wait to get to work on my flower box! I was truly immersed in this floral heaven – the Chelsea Flower Show is a real feast for the eyes. I watch the Chelsea Flower Show programmes every year on TV but there is just something quite magical about being there and definitely something that you need to experience at least once!

TIG’s mum says…
“I had just the most wonderful day – the gardens were absolutely beautiful, and I only wish I could transplant them into mine – I definitely came away with serious ‘garden envy’ and the compulsion to dig up my garden, plant up myriads of seed trays and spend a fortune at the garden centre – be warned, a £59 ticket to the Chelsea Flower Show is just the start……!”

Top tips

Any bad points?
It was ever so slightly too busy, especially when it started to rain, as everyone ran for shelter in the Great Pavilion and it became a little uncomfortable with all the crowds.

Would I go again?
I wouldn’t go again on the Saturday as it was just too crowded for my liking, however, I would certainly go midweek or to a preview evening.

Have you been to The Chelsea Flower Show?
What were your best bits?
Was there anything you didn’t like?

For more photos on Idea #34: Chelsea Flower Show, visit my board on Pinterest

The post Idea #34: Chelsea Flower Show appeared first on That Ideas Girl.

What’s the idea: A ‘This Good Box’ subscription gift
Who for: All women
Cost: One box £20, three months £48, six months £90 (includes postage)
*Get £10 off when you enter the TIG exclusive coupon code ‘IDEAS’*
Where can I buy one: This Good Box website 

TIGs review
This seems like a great gift idea that is certainly unique – so when the guys at This Good Box sent me one of their boxes I was quite excited to see what goodies would be inside. It’s a bit like an adult’s version of a lucky dip – and I’ve always loved surprises!

I opened the box and inside was just a plain white bag – not the most inviting gift I’ve ever received, but as we all know, it is what’s on the inside that counts!

Underneath the bag was a card, that on one side said ‘Create Change’ – a reminder to channel your creativity for positive change – then on the reverse is the list of contents and the meaning behind each product.

I delved into the drawstring bag and pulled out my first gift…

1. A felt works kit from Amica Accessories. This is a lovely little kit to make your very own flower ring. The note on the card said ‘Why not brew yourself a cup of tea and really enjoy the experience of making something? Wear your creation until you get an opportunity to pass it on and cheer someone up’.
2. The next gift was a Little Book of Craftivism from Craftivist Collective written by the very inspiring writer Sarah Corbett. In this book Sarah introduces some of the ideas behind her approach to craftivism, alongside how-to instructions for a selection of craftivist projects and hints and tips for beginners. On the card it states ‘Make something to display in your area and get your community talking.’
   
3. Fabric pens were next out of the bag. On the card they have written ‘We’ve made this month’s bag white so you can get started straight away’. Which explains the plain white bag that at first I thought looked a little uninteresting, but now I see it as a very clever idea. It’s definitely time to get creative, to brighten up this bag!
   
4. The next gift to emerge was certainly one of my favourites, it was the Filberts of Dorset cuticle butter. This luxurious Cuticle Butter is an intense moisturising salve rich in shea and coconut butters, Vitamin E and propolis. With delicate rose essential oil and uplifting bergamot it smells amazing! The note on the card says ‘Give a friend a manicure – spend some quality time and leave them feeling pampered’ – TIG’s mum will certainly be looking forward to that!
   
5. Chocolate and Love came out of the bag next! I don’t think I’ve seen a more attractive chocolate bar before, with such pretty packaging – dark chocolate & orange has to be one of my favourite flavours. This chocolate bar is organic, fairly traded, and on the inside of the wrapper you can read all about the positive impact that is made through the purchase of this product.
   
6. Finally, This Good Box included a sticker featuring a great quote that is highlighted in Sarah Corbett’s book. ‘Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.’
   

After speaking to the team at This Good Box I’ve found out that this months’ box was on the “Create” theme. They always keep the exact contents a surprise, however they have a different theme each month and they do promise to include the following:

• 1 delicious snack (matched to your dietary requirements)
• 1 natural health and beauty item
• 1 piece of stationery 
• 1-3 other gorgeous items such as jewellery, accessories and homeware.

‘This Good Box’ company promote positive, fair trade values and encourage plenty of creative inspiration. These boxes are a lovely gift idea with a difference, and certainly one that I would be happy to receive and give to others. Initially, I felt that the packaging could be made more attractive, but the simplicity of the plain white bag offers the receiver the opportunity to really explore their inner creativity!

This is the gift that keeps on giving – I now have a ring to create, a new bag to design, manicures to offer, and chocolate to enjoy.

A box full of tricks, ‘This Good Box’ makes a fabulous, unique, gift idea for any occasion, it could be a thank you, a birthday, a congratulations – a lovely surprise to make someone smile. Unfortunately, these exclusive boxes are just for women….however, I hear on the grapevine that men’s and children’s versions may be coming soon.

Top tip:

• Follow This Good Box on Twitter and Facebook to keep up-to-date with their latest news
• I highly recommend you follow their blog – a really insightful read on all that is ethical and eco-friendly

TIG’s Treat:

Get £10 off your next order with the coupon code ‘IDEAS’. Buy your box now >

Have you received a ‘This Good Box’?
What did you get in yours?
Share your experiences below…

For more photos on Idea #33: This Good Box, visit my board on Pinterest

The post Idea #33: This Good Box appeared first on That Ideas Girl.

Pudding was Apple and Blackberry Crumble with natural yoghurt once again, but it is still really tasty, – definitely one of my more successful ideas!

So, at the end of day 3 I have no fruit or vegetables left and the only main ingredient I have is pasta, which will now be my lunch and dinner for the next two days. This is not going to be easy.

 

Day 4:

Day 4 and my body had just about adjusted to the lack of nutrients…and chocolate! The headaches had gone, but I was still struggling to stay awake. Breakfast was once again one of the highlights of the week – natural yoghurt and warm blackberry compote.

 

For lunch I finished off last night’s pizza, which was pretty tasty considering. However, for dinner I had pasta and tomato sauce which was probably by far the least satisfying main course, and the thought of that being my lunch and dinner for the next day really hit me hard.

The worst part of day 4 had to be the weekly pub quiz. Tap water in one hand and quiz sheet in the other! It was not until half time when the challenge really began…they brought out the free chip butties! Despite these being free I didn’t feel it would have been in the spirit of the challenge to have any – so I painfully watched team mates eat my share. I think the lack of chip butties must have affected my quiz performance as we were a long way from winning!

 

Day 5:

 

I made it! Day 5 has arrived. What better way  to end the challenge than going back to basics for breakfast…porridge. This was followed by pasta and tomato sauce for lunch and for dinner, tomato sauce and pasta! Psychologically, today was by far the hardest, but it was in fact the first day that I felt hungry, and actually had an appetite, yet I struggled to eat all of the pasta as it was just so bland. Friday night is often ‘dine out’ night, which may have had something to do with my appetite coming back! I have approximately 3.5 digestive biscuits left, 1 apple and a little bit of porridge and flour…not sure what I can do with that but I’ll figure something out!

 

This week has been particularly hard because of the headaches, the tiredness even more so, and the lack of food choices that I definitely take for granted. Poverty traps people, it has controlled the quality and quantity of the food I’ve eaten. Not only that, this challenge has also dictated my social life – I didn’t have the energy to go to  the gym, I couldn’t eat out with my friends and family and I’ve really struggled to stay focused enough to write about this challenge – let alone do it! I’m so glad to have completed it though – it has been quite a tough lesson, but I have certainly learnt a lot about the struggles that face those who live below the poverty line. I only had to get through 5 days – for others it’s just a way of life….

 

This week I have been raising money and awareness for the great work that Farm Africa does. What I love about Farm Africa is that it is very different to most charities. They don’t give handouts, or quick fixes, they help farmers grow their families out of hunger permanently. Farm Africa believes that Africa has the power to feed itself, they work directly with farmers to help them unleash their potential to feed Africa’s people. They offer pioneering techniques that boost harvests, reduce poverty, sustain natural resources and help end Africa’s need for aid.

 

Please give generously to help put an end to extreme poverty. I’ll leave you with this video taken in Uganda. Farm Africa taught Robinah and her group new ways to farm their land and provided them with disease-resistant seeds to help their farms flourish. Robinah and her fellow farmers were so thankful to Farm Africa, they greeted the Farm Africa staff with this song which translates to ‘Thank you Farm Africa’. Show your support and help more people like Robinah escape from a life of poverty.

You can follow my Live Below the Line updates on Twitter, Facebook or stay tuned on thatideasgirl.com.

Are you Living Below the Line this year?
How is it going for you? Any side effects yet?
Why not share your experiences below…
 comments so far

The post Live Below the Line Challenge Diary appeared first on That Ideas Girl.

Jam tarts

Cost: 36p (3p each)
Serves: 12
Ingredients:

• 12 teaspoons of jam, 8p (28p from Lidl)
• 255g plain flour, 7p (45p Lidl)
• 140g baking fat, 21p (39p Lidl)

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 5
2. Sieve the flour into a mixing bowl and rub in the margarine until it resembles fine breadcrumbs
3. Add the water tablespoon by table spoon until it is a moist dough
4. Roll out the dough on a floured surface and cut the pastry out into circles
5. Grease a bun tray and press the pastry into the tray
6. Spoon the jam into the pastry
7. If you have enough excess pastry make smaller pastry lids and place on top
8. Bake on Gas Mark 5 for 12-15 mins
9. Take out of the oven and leave to cool

Apple & Blackberry Crumble

Cost: 42p (7p per serving)
Serves: 6
Ingredients:

• 3 apples, 21p (Small donation, Greengrocers)
• 100g plain flour, 9p (45p Lidl)
• 50g baking fat, 8p (39p Lidl)
• 50g oats, 4p (39p Lidl)
• Blackberries (Free, picked wild)

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas 4
2. First, you need to prepare the apples. Half fill a large saucepan with water, and peel, core and chop the apples into 1-2cm chunks. Place them in the saucepan to stop them from ruining.
3. Drain all of the water from the saucepan, add another 2 tbsp of water, and place on a medium heat on the hob. Stew until the apples become mushy. Once mushy, put the apples into an ovenproof dish.
4. Place the flour and oats in a mixing bowl. Add the butter and use your hands to mix everything together until the mixture resembles large breadcrumbs. Pour this evenly on top of the stewed apple.
5. Place the crumble in the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes. Don’t worry if the crumble doesn’t looked cooked properly, it most likely is!  

Roasted Vegetable Curry

Cost: 57p (19p per serving)
Serves: 3
Ingredients:

Curry:

• ‘Not so fresh’ vegetables, 28p (Local greengrocers)
• 1 x 500g jar of curry sauce, 20p (Premier Discounts, small shop in Holmfirth!)
• 1 tbsp oil, 1p

Tortillas (makes 4):

• 200g flour, 6p (45p Lidl)
• 150ml warm water
• 3tbsp olive oil, 1p
• 1 tsp salt, 1p

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 7
2. Prepare the ‘Not so fresh’ vegetables and place into a roasting tin, add the oil, then toss the vegetables to coat.
3. Put the prepared vegetables into the oven for approx. 45minutes, until the vegetables are soft and slightly browned.
4. Warm the curry sauce in a pan, then add the roasted vegetables and stir until fully coated.
5. For the tortillas combine the flour and salt in a large bowl.
6. In a measuring jug mix the (luke) warm water and oil together and add to the flour.
7. Stir together until all ingredients are well combined and form a dough. On a floured surface, knead the dough for 2-3 minutes.
8. Divide the dough into 8 balls and roll each one out individually. Aim for each tortilla to be a similar size to a dinner plate, the dough will shrink back a bit when it is resting.
9. In a large frying pan warm a teaspoon of oil and cook each tortilla for 1 minute each side on a medium heat. Each side should just start to brown on any raised areas.
10. Relax and enjoy this very tasty and cheap curry!

Roasted Vegetable Pizza

Cost: 36p (18p per serving)
Serves: 2

Ingredients:

• 225g flour, 6p (45p Lidl)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1p
• 60g butter, 9p (39p Lidl)
• 150ml water
• ‘Not so fresh’ vegetables, 14p (Local greengrocers)
• 100g Ragu sauce, 4p (20p, Premier Discounts, small shop in Holmfirth!)
• 1 tbsp oil, 2p

Method:

• Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 5
• Sieve the flour and salt into a bowl. Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Pour the milk into the bowl and mix to a soft dough.
• Knead the dough and roll out into a large circle about 1cm thick. Place on oiled/buttered baking tray.
• Add whatever toppings you like.
• Bake the pizza in the preheated oven until the crust is golden, about 20 minutes.

P.S. I am putting myself through this challenge to support the great work that Farm Africa do. What I love about Farm Africa is that it is very different to most charities. They don’t give handouts, or quick fixes, they help farmers grow their families out of hunger permanently. Farm Africa believes that Africa has the power to feed itself, they work directly with farmers to help them unleash their potential to feed Africa’s people. They offer pioneering techniques that boost harvests, reduce poverty, sustain natural resources and help end Africa’s need for aid. Please give generously to help put an end to extreme poverty. 

You can follow my Live Below the Line updates on Twitter, Facebook or stay tuned on thatideasgirl.com.

Do you have any Live Below the Line ideas and recipes?
Why not share them below…
 comments so far

The post Live Below the Line Challenge – Recipes appeared first on That Ideas Girl.

I have been planning this for the last couple of weeks, doing Supermarket price comparisons and earmarking the lowest, ready to spend a morning driving round and picking up all the bargains! However, on second thoughts, how relevant would these methods be to those who really do live below the line? I decided to challenge myself and try and buy everything I needed within walking distance of my home. So off I set, with my shopping bag in one hand and £5 in the other, to see if this would be possible.

The small country town of Holmfirth is about 25 minutes away from where I live, and has several small businesses, including bakers, butchers, a discount store, a Coop, recently a Lidl, and a market – but would their prices be low enough for me to be able to eke out my £5? Fortunately I don’t like tea, coffee or alcohol, but I definitely have a craving for sweet things – particularly chocolate!

My first port of call was to the Saturday market, hoping that as it was nearly the end of the day, there may be some bargains to be found on the fruit and veg stall. When I found that it wasn’t there at all, my heart sank! This was not a good time for the fruit and veg man to go on holiday!

I then ventured to the bakery, where I discovered that they had a half price bread section of yesterdays bread – it felt like I had hit the jackpot! However, the prices were still too much for me to afford. As I was leaving, I saw a bin liner full of bread rolls, fruit scones, olive and sunflower breads. I asked the lady behind the counter what this bread was for….and she replied “for the pigs” – she then went on to say “if you want any, just help yourself”. This was two day old baking, that was going to be fed to the pigs. I had absolutely no idea that there was so much perfectly edible bread going to waste, when there are so many people struggling to pay for food on a daily basis. I took a modest sized sunflower loaf and a bread roll, but felt that I should still make a small donation of 20p.

I then carried on to Andrews the greengrocers. Looking at the produce I knew that I wouldn’t be able to afford very much, and thought that maybe I should wait until I got to Lidl. However, I asked Andrew, the greengrocer if he had any damaged or old stock that he could let me have at cheaper prices. I was surprised to find that he is not actually allowed to sell goods that are not up to a required standard – even if sold at a lower price. The stock that he can’t sell, that is out of date, or damaged, generally has to be thrown away. How sad to see so much food wasted, when there are many people who would be glad to have even that. Andrew proceeded to fill 2 bags with a mixture of fruit and veg, and I had to stop him from giving me more! Saying that, a lot of the fruit and vegetables had clearly passed their best and anyone who knows me will know that I rarely eat anything a day past it’s best before date, so this will still be a challenge! I gave the greengrocer a donation of £1.50 for the two bags of ‘goodies’.

So far, so good – although I will officially be eating food that should have gone to the pigs – sorry pigs!

It was then on to ‘Premier discounts’ – this shop has probably been open for the last 10 years in Holmfirth and I have never ventured in. It has now become my NBF! Digestive biscuits for 19p – that is less than 1p per biscuit, and well-known brands of ragu and curry sauce for 20p a jar – an absolute bargain! Although perhaps best if I don’t think too much about the date of 2014 stamped on them!

Finally a short walk to the Lidl store to stock up on some much needed staples. This was my first shopping experience in Lidl and I couldn’t believe the low prices. Here’s a run down of my total shop…

I am going  to use the remaining 23p to factor in smaller items such as salt, pepper, oil, and spices. I will work out the cost of each item per gram and budget proportionally…sadly probably not enough left for a chocolate bar!

P.S. I am putting myself through this challenge to support the great work that Farm Africa do. What I love about Farm Africa is that it is very different to most charities. They don’t give handouts, or quick fixes, they help farmers grow their families out of hunger permanently. Farm Africa believes that Africa has the power to feed itself, they work directly with farmers to help them unleash their potential to feed Africa’s people. They offer pioneering techniques that boost harvests, reduce poverty, sustain natural resources and help end Africa’s need for aid. Please give generously to help put an end to extreme poverty. 

You can follow my Live Below the Line updates on Twitter, Facebook or stay tuned on thatideasgirl.com.

What would you spend £5 on?
Are you taking on the challenge this year?
I’d love to hear about your experiences.

Share below…
 comments so far

The post Live Below the Line Challenge – 1 Day to go… appeared first on That Ideas Girl.