Frugal February

Are you all still on track?
This is day 5 without chocolate,so far have not craved it.
Tonights' dinner is salmon fillet with bulghar wheat salad.
What are fellow frugaleers having?

MamsCaz I think the confusion arises because the European Protection Agency banned most residential uses of organophosphates in 2001. However, they are still used in UK agriculture. Nick Mole, policy officer, Pesticide Action Network UK, said: “OPs are still in use in the UK, albeit to a much smaller extent than they were.

However I agree growing our own is definitely best ????

Just off to M&S to stock up with their ready meals; the S.O. has got a £5 off voucher that I can use.

Back on it today, Ryvita, banana and yogurt for breakfast, soup for lunch. Trying to be alcohol free during the week but another ghastly meeting of the charity this afternoon so it may be head down in a bucket of wine later.

OldMeg

I remember us all being advised to peel carrots for the reasons you give. It was probably about the time of the research you mention (mid/late 90s), though I can't be sure, as you know how time flies. However, the topic was raised on a gardening forum in the last couple of years, and a very respected forum member said that this was no longer a problem, that the chemicals in question were no longer used, or something along those lines. I have no idea whether that was true or not, but at the time, I chose to believe it.
That said, my carrots are home-grown and chemical free, so a quick scrub is all they get.

MamaCaz there is much evidenced based reasearch to back up the claim that there is concentration of pesticides in the skins of root vegetables despite the claims to the contrary.

Foe example Sugibayashi et al. (1996) compared the effects of washing, peeling and cooking on the residue levels in white potatoes and carrots. Chlorfenvinphos-E, S-benzyl diisopropyl phosphorothiolate and monocrotophos-E were efficiently removed by washing alone. However, peeling was found to be the most effective way to remove the pesticide from the vegetables followed by frying. Boiling was effective in reducing the level of water-soluble pesticides.

And Lee and Lee (1997) revealed that 45% of organophosphorous pesticide (OP) residues were eliminated when root vegetables were washed in water, 56% with detergent washing, 91% with peeling 51% with blanching-boiling and 90% in milling and processing

Which I why I always buy organic carrots.

Free as well
No, I think they just chew away at a bit of carrot then go elsewhere. Actually, I think it is the maggots which nibble at the carrot, they could be quite nutritious.
They haven't been too bad this year - DH sowed them a bit later than usual.

Wouldn't they add a bit of protein....?

Our home-grown ones got a bit of carrot fly so I just cut those bits out.

'As mentioned above, one of the primary benefits of eating organic is lower levels of pesticides. However, despite popular belief, organic farms do use pesticides. The difference is that they only use naturally-derived pesticides, rather than the synthetic pesticides used on conventional commercial farms. Natural pesticides are believed to be less toxic, however, some have been found to have health risks. That said, your exposure to harmful pesticides will be lower when eating organic.' googled this but forgot to note the source...

To peel (carrots) or not to peel - it's hard to know what to believe!

The Carrot museum recommends you just need to scrub and rinse carrots really well to get rid of the dirt or blemishes. Some people think that pesticides are concentrated in the peel of conventional carrots, but that's not the case. Since carrots are grown underground, the chemicals get into the soil and can seep into the entire vegetable, so peeling won't necessarily prevent you from consuming pesticides.

www.carrotmuseum.co.uk/nutrition.html

I never knew that about carrots. They're one veg that won't grow in our allotment and I never peel them. You live and learn!

Diet not so good today. Breakfast was fine but then phone call to go to elderly mum, had no lunch. Everything ok until,evening meal but then I had a glass of wine after the stressful day and just finished a bowl of sugary cereal.

Oh dear.

Breakfast yoghurt
Lunch Slimfasr Cafe au Lait Milk Shake
Dinner at DD’s a small salmon steak and glass of ?

You should peel carrots unless their organic. Most of toxic residue in the skin and yes, they are sprayed against carrot fly.

I am taking note Tegan.
You're right, there is not much difference in cost, a few pence a week in fact.

I cooked some apples which we had stored - lovely, but DH wants custard with them

Corned beef hash and bread and butter for dinner, 460 calorie pizza and a huge salad with balsamic and olive oil for tea. Several teas, one coffee, 2 nectarines, 4 plums, 2 apples over the day. And for Call the Midwife I'm planning a large glass of the low alcohol wine. No breakfast today, and no exercise to speak of either. Could do better.

Jalima; the S.O.'s brother has been suffering from cancer and his oncologist told him to avoid non organic carrots, and a friend of mine who usually poo poo's my eating fads also agreed. Unlike a lot of things, they don't seem to be much more expensive than non organic. The dog likes them, too. I'm going to have a long hot bath and an early night after eating a bit more than I planned to tonight. Can't eat much in the bath...

On the subject of carrots both grandsons put me to shame, they both asked for a whole raw carrot each (peeled) for after their sandwiches
They love them cold out of the fridge

Evening OldMeg and Frugeleers

No breakfast.
Had to wait until 11.30am but we were out before to pick up grandsons (3 & 4yr old)
Then off to cinema, very exciting as the littlest ones first visit.

Only bought popcorn for DGS, but as they have lovely manners they insisted that Gran and Grandad shared

Back to our house for tuna and Mayo sandwiches.

Only saving grace, evening meal was slimming world's chicken curry and baked potato.

Having relaxing filter coffee and trying to avoid any desserts.

Next meal, Breakfast thankfully 10am.

I have discovered that having to have a much later breakfast has become quite a deterrent.
I now reason with myself that if I were to have a dessert or treat after 6pm then I have a longer wait until my next meal.

I am a breakfast person and if I don't have breakfast other forbidden foods find their way passed my lips (like popcorn) .

Hope others had a more frugel day than moi
Onwards and downwards!

Really? oh dear.

We ate some from the garden this weekend, they are the last though and they had so much more taste.
I would have thought that carrots were the least likely crop to be sprayed. Organic for us in future then.

I always buy organic carrots; don't bother with organic for most things but I've heard they spray carrots with some horrible stuff.

Like that idea too Norah

Thanks Norah Will certainly try it your way next time.
I did make a few pints the other day but peeled all the veg!
Hadn't thought of freezing leftover peelings.Excellent idea for frugal Feb.

cavewoman make veg stock using 2 carrots, 2 stalks celery, 2 onion, 1 head garlic, 8 litre water. Throw in carrot, onion peels saved in freezer, herb stems, and potato jackets. All veg scrubbed, not peeled, even onions and garlic not peeled, and all cut roughly. Boil, then simmer 3 hours or more, strain.