Simplify

Some like it hot!

Ann - It's our final week of Simplify and the cheap recipes are rolling in.    Last night I cooked one sent in by Jey and his wife Kalai.   Jey works at the Evangelical Alliance and his wife has obviously heard about Steve and the jam sandwiches he's been taking to work.    The recipe is delicious and I can thoroughly recommend it. It reminded me of eating in Malaysia when Steve and I were visiting a church there.   Enjoy.

Recipe for a noodles meal (believe me, it’s tasty and economical!).

Take quite a bit of ginger, take the skin off, cut into pieces and crush manually. Take 1 or 2 Bombay onions, peel and cut into small pieces. Add some green chillies - only if you want to make it hot – otherwise, don’t put chillies in. Boil crushed ginger, cut onions, (cut chillies) and some salt in one litre of water. Boil it for 10 to 15 minutes (until ginger is cooked). Add cut (into small pieces) tomatoes 3 or 4 into the boiling saucepan. Then add a few vegetable, such as sweet corn, chick peas and broccoli. If you’re adding easily cooked vegetable like broccoli, add much later. You can also add prawns if you like. Cook it for another 10 minutes Then add 2 small packets of Instant Noodles along with a packet of ‘soup base powder’ that comes inside the packet  You can use any flavour you want. The average cost of this packet is only 25 pence. Boil it for another 5 minutes. Add 2 raw eggs into the saucepan. Add pepper and any other herbs you like and mix it. Boil it for another 1 minutes or so. Serve it hot. (It should look like a soup i.e. not thick) –enough for 2.

Steve - I think Jey must have taken pity on me.  It has become a bit of a habit now.  I walk into the staff kitchen and am accosted by these amazing smells as Jey is warming yet another wonderful meal provided by his 'obviously' deeply loving wife.   Somehow my jam sandwiches, or occasional cheese and ham sandwich don't match up.  So the recipe arrived - we just had to try it.  Jey laid down the challenge to have the extra hot chilli or not.   Little did he know I was brought up in Bradford and curries were a compulsory part of my adolescent development.

A thankful heart.

Ann - Our lovely German friends have been with us for the past week.  It has been a pleasure to have them and yes, the John Lewis vouchers have been plenty.  We've eaten well.  For me Simplify has given me a chance to re-evaluate and appreciate the kindness of friends who turn up with extra eggs, extra food and on Friday this week, the wonderful offer to take us out to our favourite restaurant in the area.    I am so grateful for the church community that God has placed us in.   It is never easy to change churches, find a new community where you can put down roots and contribute.   When we moved from Surrey a couple of years ago it was a huge upheaval after 29 years in the same place, but over these few weeks I realise I have found a home and I am full of thankfulness.   So there are many things we haven't been able to do this month, but a rediscovery of what is truly important, sharing my home and my life with others, seeing prayers answered, rediscovering life's not about money but about relationship, glorifies my Father in heaven and brings deep joy to my heart.

Novelty wearing off?

Steve and Ann Clifford report to Premier Radio on week 3 of Simplify challenge.  Struggles are increasing on day 20 but they tell us how much they have learned despite the difficulties.  Hear how they are getting on and how they are being enriched and gaining more gratittude.

Listen to Steve & Ann Premier audio blog 3

Check out www.simplify.org.uk for information, stories, tips, recipes and guidelines. Can you get involved and join us in October?

Steve and Ann reflect on Simplify so far for Premier Radio

Steve and Ann Clifford speak for the second time to Premier Radio about their experiences.

Download Premier 2 Steve and Ann Simplify the challenges they have faced and how they adapted their life so they could be more generous. Hear their story so far as they encounter some of the challenges that many face as a daily reality.

Even more interviews - Simplify is catching on!

Steve - I am so encouraged by the number of people that are catching the vision of Simplify.  On Sunday I had a further 13 BBC regional interviews with several wanting to do Simplify themselves.   We want to see as many churches and individuals get involved as possible.   This means signing up to the Simplify website to let us know that you're going to take the challenge on.  The website includes everything from tips, stories, recipes, budget sheets and even an "ask Danny" section.   Let me take this opportunity to tell you Danny is real and is waiting expectantly for all your questions.   On the website we want you to write in all your experiences and things you have learnt just like us and we'll post them up.   

Ann - I had a radio interview this week with Stuart Sharkey of Hope FM in Bournemouth.   He got so excited about it he has since said that he and his wife want to do Simplify in September.  He also wants me to interview him in weekly 5 min spot about their experiences.   Today the German family comes and I feel ready for them.   Steve and I did a shop on our bikes.  One of his bags broke so he was reduced to riding with a backpack, two carrier bags on each handle and clutching another to his chest.   You'll be pleased to know we made it home with all our shopping intact.  I hate shopping without a car.  For me I think the shopping is the worst thing on Simplify. I know I could do it online, but on benefit you couldn't as you mightn't have a card.  Where we shop they don't deliver.   So its bike time.   Of course there is always a silver lining - I'm probably getting fitter!

A painful conversation

Steve - it was all going so well. One of those everyday conversations that take place regularly around the office and then Marine arrived asking Helen whether she wanted some sandwiches to be collected from the local shop. If so, what delightful flavours would Helen choose? As the conversation developed, my gastric juices began to flow as I remembered that waiting for me in my sandwich box was a jam sandwich and a marmalade sandwich. Simplify was taking its toll on my lunch provision! A conversation ensued where I reflected on the good old days, when I could choose a sandwich from Tesco's. A BLT would be my usual choice, although occasionally a prawn sandwich with mayonnaise.  If I felt in need of a little luxury - salmon with cream cheese!   Those were the days. Of course, if I chose a sandwich today it would be almost half of my Simplify budget.

God's not on a budget.

 Ann - Something very exciting has happened since starting Simplify.  On Saturday 1st August I was introduced, through a friend, to a lady from South Africa called Bev.  In 2000 on the north coast near Esenbe, South Africa, Ntombephi Ntombela was doing beadwork which was being sold on the Durban beach front. All she was being paid was R50 per month, which was not nearly enough to feed her or her children. In October 2000, Ntombephi Ntombela and Bev Gibson founded Ubuhle, creating beaded jewelry which was sold to friends. Through word of mouth the business blossomed. More than 200 women have now been trained in beadwork and creating jewelry turned into creating wonderful pieces of art.   Somehow Bev had managed to bring a piece of art, a stunning African interpretation of The Crucifixion, 7metres by 4 metres to the UK to hang at an exhibition in Oxford.    She was leaving August the 2nd to go back to South Africa could I find a place for the artwork?  www.ubuhlebeads.co.za

How could I resist?  A magnificent piece of art created by HIV widows, many with HIV themselves caring for their children and orphans and working so hard to uplift their community.  I hesitated, I had £25.  What would God do?   Remarkably I found a wonderful church in Brentford willing to hang it called St Faith's.  Asking for help I managed to find enough money to have it delivered to the church on the Friday.   Then we tried to hang it!   It soon became obvious a structure would have to be built to hang it safely.

Three wonderful men offered to help all I had to do was find £500 and I was down to my last £20.   Would God help me?  Amazingly as I prayed I realised what I had to do.   I contacted the person I had thought of and without hesitating they sent me the money.   How exciting!   It seemed impossible and yet God helped me find just the right people.   Hopefully when it is hung many people will come and see it and support these lovely ladies in South Africa.  I might be on a budget but God certainly isn't. 

Waste not want not - how to make lovely leftovers

Bread, meat, fish, rice potatoes - if you're all too used to throwing these leftovers in the bin, a new website from the Mayor of London could help you whip up a delicous meal instead.

Mayor Boris Johnson has joined forces with Gary Rhodes, Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall, Oliver Rowe and other top chefs to urge people to use tasty leftovers for great recipes, rather than throw away perfectly edible food.

The expert chefs have contributed mouth watering and imaginative recipes – including a lemon potato mash cake - to the Recycle for London campaign. The recipes are designed to help use up the food we are most likely to chuck in the bin.

These recipes are featured on the Recycle for London website, which will be updated with the best recipes and top tips submitted by Londoners in the coming months.

Have a look at http://www.recycleforlondon.com/reduce-reuse/recipes/index.jsp.

Top Tips

Ann:  I've been given so many money saving tips that I thought I should share some of them.   My sister Carol gave me several tips as to how to find out things that are free.  Google 'free attractions London' and discover how many London trips can be free.  Particularly useful as we have a family of five from Germany arriving next week for 10 days. 'Coupons' yields a number that will give savings in many shops.  I'm sure most of you know about 'Freecycle' where you can give stuff away and ask for what you need. Another site, www.yours.co.uk, provides advice and deals for the over 50's.  Of course, many pensioners are past masters at saving money and living on a strict budget.  They are full of tips. And my friend Phil loves the site www.moneysavingexpert.com. 

When I spoke to my mum, she remembered all about rationing in the war.  When I looked it up, it seemed impossible that people could live on so little. For example, in 1945, they were living on 113g bacon & ham, 230g sugar, 57g loose tea, 1s 2p worth of meat, 57g cheese and one egg per week!  No wonder people grew their own vegetables.  Interestingly, near my sister, a field has just been divided into allotments - a sign of the times.

Sara told me after my bike riding escapade that many supermarkets will deliver for free.  You can go and do your shopping and leave it for them.  For transport, Theresa suggests the cheapest is a weekly bus pass which on benefit is £6.50 for 7 days.  

Oh yes, the German family. They've got three teenage boys, and  I was really worried about how I was going to feed them.  I prayed, then I started hunting round the house.  Imagine my delight when I discovered some John Lewis/Waitrose vouchers stashed away.   If I'm careful we'll be fine.   I find myself praying a lot for very simple things.   Things I normally took for granted.   I really wanted to find God in all this.  He is a faithful friend.

The illegal journey?

Steve : It was just the other night, some friends rang for us to pick something up from their house.  Under normal circumstances we would have jumped in the car for a 10 minute drive, but of course, no car.  So out came the bikes and 30 mins later we arrived at their house.   After a tour of their renovations and a chat in the garden with a glass of wine, we decided it was time to go home.  But it was dark and realised we had no lights for the bikes.  Thus ensued a somewhat precarious and probably at times illegal journey along the pavements and parks of Ealing.   (We were surprised the parks were still open)   It’s amazing what slowing down does for you.  How you see things you wouldn’t have seen otherwise.  And so it was that we were accosted by the most amazing scene, a full moon across a London sky.   We had to stop.  It felt like a gift from God just for us.

Ann : How many moons have we missed because we’ve rushed by in a car?   What would we have done with the extra 40 minutes gained?  How productive would we have been?  Are we really saving time or failing to value the time we have and missing what God has graciously displayed for us?

Steve: “God’s glory is on tour in the skies, God-craft on exhibit across the horizon.”

The Message Psalm 19.1