The Simple Bare Necessities feat. Gratitude & Recipes

Greying_Pilgrim · 5 July 2017 at 7:17AM

Good Morning :hello:

Looks like it might be a nice day - weatherwise today

I've some bits of shopping to pick up, bits for tea tonight and some more 'general' groceries. I'm incorporating 'exercise' into this chore too - to get some fresh air and work on the wobbly bits.....

Must get going though, before it gets too hot. I've made my list and got the budget sorted.

I've research to do today, which will involve several phone calls, as well as moving some money about to pay bills - that were 'budgetted for' expenditure.

Tea this evening is a 'new to me' recipe, which can be summery, but even I'll admit it isn't very exciting...... Actually, come to think of it, I had better check that I have actually got the main ingredient - a store cupboard one - otherwise if I have to 'buy' it, I'm busting my 'frugal' bubble ain't I? :doh:

I was looking through a 'cookery' book yesterday, and it occured to me that we are moving away from actually processing ingredients, amalgamating them and turning into something 'new'. This 'cookery book' had, as 'names' for dishes, just lists of their component ingredients. I was wondering whether that, in fact, made it harder to make those kind of dishes on a budget. For example, you may have cous cous or pasta in your storecupboard, but do you routinely have (making this up); mango, fresh pomegranate seeds, purple sprouting brocolli, nectarines and golden beetroot hanging about, just waiting to be used? I'm sure there are some folk, with access to wonderful grocers and markets that could readily answer yes to that question. But I wouldn't be able to. It was interesting that actually, I (for possibly the first time with this particular author) thought that the food didn't really look that attractive, didn't inspire me to cook it/eat it. But then I'm a luddite, and I don't think they are cooking to appeal to me.... :rotfl:

Right, daylight is burning. Best get on with the rest of the day!

Ta for popping by. Greatly appreciated. Always.

Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim · 5 July 2017 at 4:33PM

I had reason to be vexed with m&$ over a customer care issue. I sent in my letter of complaint/observation - noting my own failings in the matter, and I'm delighted to be able to report back that M&$ have taken the matter entirely seriously. They been very, very kind, thoughtful and 'human' in their considered response. I'm genuinely impressed with their response - it's been from a human-being, to a human being, not a knee-jerk policy/procedure response to 'another moaner'. The difference is palpable. :j

Greying X

beanielou · 5 July 2017 at 5:37PM

:j :j :j

rtandon27 · 5 July 2017 at 5:46PM

Good on M&$ - heartening to hear they responded in a humane manner. :T

On the days that I am reduced to buying lunch :eek: I've been stopping off at their little food market near work for the simply reason that the staff are just plain and simple 'nice'!

Greying_Pilgrim · 6 July 2017 at 9:15AM

Good Morning :hello:

rtandon - I think as a 'team' her0n f00ds staff get the top prize for excellence of service in Greying Town. M&$ come second, although not as a 'team'.... but certainly there are a good percentage of individuals who are so kind, friendly and helpful

MrW and MrL languish in 3rd spot, with only one or two kind helpful and knowledgeable assistants in each store, in my experience

MrAl doesn't even make the list - they are all about the thru put and the £. (which is fine - what you see is what you get - and I chose to limit my shopping there, as it's not what I need in my life). Thinking about it, there appears to be a correlation between the attitude (good, bad or indifferent) of the managers and the excellence of service. But that's probably true of any organisation/business I suppose.

Right, I've a busy day ahead today. I want to get out and about but avoid the sun/heat - although I don't know if we're in for rain/storms? I thought I heard something on the radio.

Tea this evening will be a buddha bowl - definitely of the 'use up' variety, so it may get a bit weird!

Tea last night was Greek Barley salad, a recipe that I picked up in the Really Hungry Student Cookbook. Can't find the exact recipe online, but THIS is very similar, my version didn't have salad leaves in it, but I did serve it with salad leaves, as I was gifted some

I used one of my organick avocadoes too - blissfully ripe, a sheer pleasure to eat for 33p!

If I'm lucky, I can post a pic:

046 by Greying Pilgrim, on Flickr

Right, best get to it - time's ticking!

Greying X

in_need_of_direction · 6 July 2017 at 10:02AM

Such a pretty dish.

Verbatim · 6 July 2017 at 10:48AM

I love nasturtium leaves and flowers in a salad. Borage flowers are great too and once you've grown borage you'll have it every year.
Very impressive frugalism GP. I hope you get to your savings goal soon. You certainly deserve to.

Greying_Pilgrim · 6 July 2017 at 8:44PM

Good Evening :hello:

Verbatim - I have grown borage - both for the pollinating insects and for the flowers for salad. Love the 'cucumber' taste of the flowers. I'm not setting myself a 'savings' target as such under the UFM. It's more about a mindset shift for me, aligning actions with goals.

I made some YS'd purchases in m&$ today - coriander and sweet potatoes. The coriander was OK apart from a couple of yellow leaves, so they got picked out, the rest washed, chopped and stuck in the freezer. The SP's were only down to 90p - a penny dearer than mrAl (if memory serves me correctly), but I'm willing to pay that to avoid trundling over to mrAl......

Tea this evening definitely met the 'use up' brief, and I can categorically say that I bought nothing new 'for' it :j A genuine 'buddha bowl'

I used some YS'd mushroms I had got on Tuesday - I got 2 punnets, and have used one to make mushroom and chickpea 'sausages' and then used the other to make 'mushroom pilaf' tonight. I used the last of the 10p YS'd organick leeks from mrS, some 'pink' onion that I got in mrT - 49p for a kilo bag, grown in Suffolk :j, and brown basmati from the store cupboard. I used the last of the gifted salad leaves, make a 1 egg omlette each and made a tomato 'vinagrette' Picture, hopefully here;

095 by Greying Pilgrim, on Flickr

I loved the savouriness of the mushroom and leek combo, and the lemony hit of the sorrel. Really nice and inexpensive too :j

Today I am grateful for these 3 things;

DH willingly helping with a task that'll help us in the medium term

gifts of produce

progress

Ta for dropping in, reading and joining in the conversation. Appreciated.

Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim · 7 July 2017 at 6:21AM

Good Morning :hello:

Looks like we might have more sunshine again today. Luckily it didn't get too sticky/humid last night, although it was forecast to. I got plenty of sleep - soooo grateful

Tea this evening will avoid using the oven, due to the heat and energy saving, so I shall use pizza I already have in the freezer and team it with a salad that I have made before - must check I've a goodly proportion of the ingredients. I also have some rocket leaves in the fridge (mrL - not gifted

), so will use some of those too.

I've household chores to complete today, and hopefully, we will be taking a load of good quality stuff to our local chazza tomorrow, so I need to make sure that everything that can go 'this time' is parcelled up.

If I'm bored, I can always flick a duster around......... :rotfl:

Can't think of owt else MS relevant, so better vamoose.

Ta for popping in and reading. Very, very much appreciated.

Greying X

rtandon27 · 7 July 2017 at 8:09AM

Greying_Pilgrim wrote: »

... If I'm bored, I can always flick a duster around......... :rotfl:...

Shock! :eek:
Horror!:eek:
No! :eek:
GP I'm sure you can find something better to do with your time! :rotfl:

The Simple Bare Necessities feat. Gratitude & Recipes

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