The Simple Bare Necessities feat. Gratitude & Recipes

Greying_Pilgrim · 7 January 2018 at 9:07PM

WannabeFree wrote: »

Thank you for not laughing too x

I would never do that.

Greying X

Pippilongstocking · 8 January 2018 at 5:11AM

Aw lovely chat on here - what a nice read that was, sounds like a lovely day GP.

WBF great question - I've always found shallots a bit fiddlesome, and had myself wondered WHY we used them at all, except they are a bit earlier in the garden. And, so many recipes do have them in.

I'm with greying an ingin is and ingin
(as me grannie would say, ingin=onion).

On behalf of any federation of shallot growers and marketers

I feel I must say, in their defence, despite their fiddliness, I do actually grow them {choughs}, they're very bonnie to grow, super quick and use them earlier than proper onions, or even whole like giant spring onions. It's not their fault they're smaller and fiddly, they do fill a garden gap, which is what I tell myself every year I do grow them, and then wonder why, as I'm in the kitchen cursing their very existence.........never did think they tasted any different, I shall look out for their sweetness.

Stick with real onions when shopping I say to myself.

and anyway, maybe shallots should be less expensive due to the fiddle-factor.

*hides the shallot packets in the seed box and whistles, I do love the way they grow, despite all, its not their fault*

Greying_Pilgrim · 8 January 2018 at 9:37AM

Good Morning :hello:

Pippi - what the heckington's wellingtons are you doing posting on my thread at 4.11AM! I'm not infecting everyone with my insomnia am I? I hadn't wanted to put you off growing shallots - I was answering as a buyer and cook. I'm pretty sure that shallots are supposed to be milder/sweeter (depending on variety/growing conditions, surely?). Although I think it no co-incidence that as the popularity of shallots in recipes has grown - so has the prevalence of 'banana shallots' - easier to peel! But I agree, the shallots that the gardening parental always grow are wee and fiddly to peel!

Ah, so the night was definitely a night of 2 halves. A good sleep up to midnight, awake until at least 2am, then BG woke, so we ended up cwthching together and getting fitful sleep (did I mention BG is a wriggle bum?) until 6am. Luckily DH took over and i had another little while back in bed. Ho hum. Not the best, but I'm not exhausted as such, so maybe the *valerie* is starting to work for me.......

There should be no expenditure today, I must remember to sort out my library books so that I avoid fines.

I can begin to sort out moving some money, I will need to complete a form, so can do that quick smart. And I really ought to sort out my complaint about CPP to the ombudsman. I let it slide before Christmas,but I can get on with it now.

Tea has not been sorted, it's the one gap on my planner. But we've plenty in stores and i can concoct summat.

Ta for popping in. Appreciated.

Greying X

in_need_of_direction · 8 January 2018 at 11:17AM

Late to the party as always but, a few comments.
Greying doesn't laugh publicly at draft cookery questions, she gives muppets like me really good advice.
My mother still introduces the soon to be 50 year old me as her baby!
Greying, keeping a notebook by the bed and noting down things that trouble me when I waken can help me get back to sleep.
Re the peri / meno issue, can anyone who believes they are impacted please try to get the right help. I was having sweats, flushes, insomnia, etc that were all dismissed by a male gp who told me to come back when I was 50. This was while continuing to prescribe a contraceptive pill for reasons other than contraception. In desperation, I attended a female GP who commissioned the necessary blood tests, etc. it was such a relief to get an explanation for my symptoms.

mcculloch29 · 8 January 2018 at 11:52AM

I never use shallots in any recipe that calls for them. They are a quicker crop, as stated, so growers like them, I know.

Being a very encouraging English tutor and instructor, I am very reluctant to identify written hiccups, unless asked to do so, but this one, I want to mention, to spread the use of the correct word.

The very good word for a snuggly cuddle, in Welsh, where you hold someone into you, Greying, is cwtch, I love the use of it, it is perfect. 'Cuddle' doesn't have the same meaning as a cwtch.

Greying_Pilgrim · 8 January 2018 at 1:59PM

mcculloch29 wrote: »

Being a very encouraging English tutor and instructor, I am very reluctant to identify written hiccups, unless asked to do so, but this one, I want to mention, to spread the use of the correct word.

The very good word for a snuggly cuddle, in Welsh, where you hold someone into you, Greying, is cwtch, I love the use of it, it is perfect. 'Cuddle' doesn't have the same meaning as a cwtch.

Ah ha! The perils of trying to type a post when you've a baby sat on your lap, trying to emulate mumma's typing........ we were indeed cwtching, and not wot I wrote

Greying X

starnac · 8 January 2018 at 2:40PM

You can not beat a cwtch, especially one with your mam.

I've just been catching up and although I am not able to add to the peri/menapause conversation, I will add to the "other" female issue that Greying mentioned and that is not talked about. I had a miscarriage at 12 weeks before DD and I was shocked by how many women (who I've known for years and thought I knew quite well) said they had experienced miscarriage. :eek: It's shocking how it gets brushed under the table.

Greying I truly sympathise with having to share the bed with a wriggle bum. How can someone so small take up sooooo much room??

Greying_Pilgrim · 8 January 2018 at 9:18PM

Good Evening :hello:

starnac wrote: »

...... I was shocked by how many women (who I've known for years and thought I knew quite well) said they had experienced miscarriage. :eek: It's shocking how it gets brushed under the table.

Wholly agree with you love. And whilst many people will want to keep matters private and personal, many want to talk about their experiences, or know that they are not alone.

Well, I've had a busy day. Lots achieved, but some of it more.... 'lifestyle' than 'business'. I did pick up a bunch of bananas, as we were down to our last two, and I actually fancied one for a change, and BG was in a banana eating mood today, so we would have been out of them, and DH would have had a snap box devoid of ba-nar-nar-ery goodness tomorrow

We then went pottering about the place. BG had a little toddle time and I made sure we went the long way round when I was pushing the perambulator, so that I could claim (legitimately) to have exercised today

It certainly kept me warm and toasty on a cold, cold day

I managed to submit meter readings to my energy company. After first trying to submit them to a company with which I don't have an account........ :rotfl:Why do they have to have such similar names? I'm a woman of a certain age........ :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:Anyhoo, we were still in credit, but I've popped a bit 'on account' so that they don't get all hysterical and go upping my DD all over the place. I'd also rather be in credit in case I chose to move provider for any reason.

I sorted out my library books. No fines, but one had been requested so I dropped that back in on my way past, so that the next reader can have it soonest.

Tea this evening, morphed into something different from what I had planned, as my pal texted me to say that they were having 'toad in the hole'. I then wanted batter pudding! So instead of stew & dumplings, we had black-eye beans added into a vegetable tomato sauce (the sauce was blitzed up, so that I could use the excess to make sauce to go with BG's pasta meals. BG isn't really keen on 'lumps' of veg, yet.......) A slab of batter pudding and some green beans that were lurking at the bottom of the freezer - and I got 'green' on the plate - Yay! :j It also used up the last of the eggs that were approaching their use by date. Winner, winner, filling frugal dinner

I also cooked some lumps of butternut squash in the oven whilst I had it on. It will be the basis of tomorrow night's soup. It is the BNS I bought for £1 on our long weekend in Cornwall, before Christmas, so we'll have fond memories as we are tucking in. There is about a third of the BNS left (uncooked) and I may or may not use all the BNS (cooked) in the soup tomorrow. I'm making the BNS chowder out of 'Economy Gastronomy'.

Today I am grateful for these 3 things;

Teamwork with my DH

friendly recipe sparring at teatime

the ability to get moving.

Ta for popping in. Appreciated. Greatly.

Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim · 9 January 2018 at 7:51AM

Good Morning :hello:

Well, I had a reasonable sleep. Woke once, went to check on BG and then returned to bed and got back to sleep reasonably quickly. I've woken up feeling OK - not with a 'hangover effect' (no alcohol consumed at all this January). So either the cycle has moved on or *valerie* is having some effect for me

I've admin to attend to again today. Trying to complete bits each day. I've a very important phone call to make, which will need BG to be away napping or something. I'm going to have a hard time keeping my composure as it is, without having a (lovely) small, milling in and around my legs......

Tea this evening will be pumpkin chowder, using the cooked BNS and the 'Economy Gastronomy' recipe.

There are several bits and pieces that will need to be bought. Once I have made up the snap, there will be not bread left, for a start.

I am back up to date with my spending diary, having got out of the habit of updating it straight away. I am a bit amazed as to how much I have already spent, 1 week in. Particularly as we don't really appear to have bought much - no 'shopping trolley full' shops anyway

Mind, I've had to make substitutions (coffee) which have cost more, and also several bits are just more expensive to purchase - peanut butter & mArm1te (or it's equivalent) are two things that spring to mind. But then we saved a bit on teabags - £3.49 rather than £3.99 by getting them from mrAl rather than HB, and bread flour is cheaper at 65p in mrL, but then plain flour has gone up to 49p. Swings and roundabouts, swings and roundabouts.................

Right, I'm away to make snap. Hope y'all have a great day. At least it seems a bit warmer in these 'ere parts - no obvious frost.

Greying X

mcculloch29 · 9 January 2018 at 9:35AM

I second Economy Gastronomy. Used copies available from this link.
I think I saw plain flour reduced in Mr Al.
Have a good day, Greying!

The Simple Bare Necessities feat. Gratitude & Recipes

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