The Simple Bare Necessities feat. Gratitude & Recipes

Greying_Pilgrim · 15 September 2017 at 6:58AM

Good Morning :hello:

rtandon - little too much laughing - :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:;):D

beanie - it is, and with HG courgettes, it's fab & frugal, 2 of my watch-words

redofromstart - excellent choice, it'd make a good risotto too, if you like rice. You wouldn't need the cream, but could still use parmesan. Leanne Brown's recipes are good. Look out for her (freely downloadable) cookery book 'Good & Cheap', which she wrote specifically for people on food stamps in the US (she herself is Canadian :j), there are some great tasty yet frugal recipes in it. She also has another (freely downloadable) recipe book on line too - called 'From Scratch'. The gal is a marvel, a generous, talented marvel

Well, the weather was utterly pants yesterday. I got out of the house to the post box in between 2 severe downpours. I was pleased for the exercise (in blazing sunshine for 10 minutes), but frustrated at being cooped up all day

It wasn't a nsd, as DH got some bits and pieces from mrL.

Tea last night actually veered away from a 'buddha bowl', as I found reference to a recipe that I made for the first time last year, and made that again instead. I made Cypriot Vegetable Stew (Turlu) and served it with the last of the bulghar wheat from the jar. It used up 1 portion of gifted runner beans, the last gifted courgette and the remaining passata from the box in the fridge. It was easy to make, sat whilst DH was putting BG to bed, tasted nice and used gifted produce in an authentic fashion. Gets my vote

This evening, I plan on making pizza - hopefully 'Two tomato', to use up the yellow and red tomatoes that were gifted from the gardening parental

I'll have to check if I have sufficient potatoes for wedges, or may have to buy a bag from HB. According to their website, my favourite 'big bag tatties' aren't available until October, so I've got to hop from one foot to the other in anticipation for a while longer yet

*clutches unicorn tighter*.......:rotfl:

Right, best get to it. The washing machine is already on and there is snap to prep.

Ta for popping by. Appreciated. As ever.

Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim · 16 September 2017 at 7:20AM

Good Morning :hello:

I had a phone call yesterday afternoon. On my mobile. For 'normal' folk, this is no big deal. But for your friend 'Greying 'luddite' Pilgrim', this was a bit odd, as I rarely give out my telephone number for that phone. I answered this 'unknown' number to be speaking to someone 'purporting' to be from my energy supplier, telling me that they were rolling out smart meters in my area and wanted to know what date was good for me next month.

It's the first I've heard of it.

Yes, I know 'about' smart meters, I know there is a national roll-out plan. I know your energy supplier fit 'em. But I didn't know that Greying Towers was in line for fitment. I had no notification - just this call out of the blue........ As it was, I don't know if the individual was p1ssed off by my seeming indifference to them - or whether I moved my head slightly in the wrong direction, as the call ended at that point. But is this how companies go on?

I'm asking because I got a call, out of the blue, on a phone that I don't routinely give out my number - and I'm still pretty sure I've not given it to that company - from a stranger, wanting to gain access to my house. With no notification in any other format. Can you see why I find it odd? Or am I being an 'uber-luddite'? destined to live in a cave and wear tattie sacks for the rest of my life?

Tea last night was pizza and wedges. I did buy another bag of tatties from HB, simply because I was a bit light on 'wedges' sized tatties. I have some 'baker' size ones now, and several that are good for mash, so it all adds to the stock cupboard. The bakers will probably be used on Sunday, as it is only half way through the month and I'm two-thirds of the way through my grocery money :eek: I've decided to eschew buying my 'convenience' tea this week, and we'll make do with what we've got - I've got some ideas. Especially since I don't know whether we'll make it out anywhere for a trip, so.......

Anyhoo, the pizza was 2 tommie, to use up gifted tomatoes. I put some herbage on the wedges for a change, and to use to oven heat, I made a crumble with the apples that I got off a roadside stall, back in August. They were slightly underripe when I got them, they ripened and needed using. They weren't the best apples I've ever had, but were £1 for a big bag. DH says that they were sweet - I've not tried the crumble - so that is good enough for me. Picture of tea plus crumble here;

Tea tonight should be curry - utilising gifted produce. So it will feature runner beans, everything else is up for grabs.

Right, best greet the day and all.

Ta for popping in.

Greying X

Pippilongstocking · 16 September 2017 at 7:43AM

Morning lovely lady and family and virtual chums.

I'd be a bit off if someone did that to me - in fact it did happen a couple weeks ago with someone wanting me to sign up for the local new sooperdooper internet in me house (I'd actually signed up a few days before) so without asking any private account details they launched into a whole - so its here and its so cheap shall we sign you up. But, the call started odd - no please verify your address, he actually had all that and was confirming with me - most odd. Had I of found it odd if I hadn't have already signed up - I'M not sure. But, like you I don't give my number out to anyone house or mobile so it did seem perplexing. I'm glad you girded those loins and had your alert radar on.

Food looking lush as always - I've clicked on the Leanne Brown recipe pages - what a lovely resource thank you. Some incredibly wholehearted folks in the world.

Must do a tottle up on spends and a wee rally round the foodstuffs as its mid month and I was woefully lax last week.

I am AWASH with tommy's my gardening parental turned up at work with two baskets of apples and a kilo of tomatoes (I aint complaining) - the irony of our work orchards escaped her as it was TOO wet to walk around the garden, so she declined a tour. Quite right too.

I am not even thinking of the mountain of runner beans at work - I'm sure you can see it from where you are.

Have a great day I'm going to have a wee read back and catch up on myself and the boards

XOXO

Greying_Pilgrim · 16 September 2017 at 8:39AM

Aw, thanks Pippi - I'm glad it's not just me that thought it all a bit odd.

I mean, I know that eventually most properties will have these meters. And I know that they have some plus points - although presumably the job of 'meter reader' will be defunct, which, on the basis of the extremely low-calibre individuals that we've had try to shuffle into Greying Towers over the years with their dirty/smelly clothing and their *goodnessonlyknowswhatthatis* encrusted on the bottom of their shoes, is, not such a bad thing........... But *if* we are to believe that it could allow companies to monitor your usage, and *ration*?????? supplies, well then.......Do we really need to walk, zombie-like into accepting them, at the first opportunity?

I feel I don't know enough about them - I don't mind if someone tells me that the companies can't 'ration' supply, the smart meter can't turn off the gas - I really don't, but I don't know if they can or they can't and the energy company just wants to bang one in my house, without a by nor leave.

Yes, I'd thoroughly endorse Leanne's recipes. Not all of them will be to folks tastes, but I rather think that there is 'something' in her books for most people.

Pippi - I am not in the least bit a-jellymouse of your tommie mountain, of your apple monro or of your runner bean corbett........much

Have a great day hun

Greying X

Cheery_Daff · 16 September 2017 at 9:06AM

I must confess that I actually signed up for a smart meter when I first switched to this company

I hate people coming in to read the meter

and I always forget myself.

My meter has been no bother, I can't see how it'd be able to shut off the supply from looking at it (although I'm no expert of course!). Never had trouble with it at all and I don't think about it from one minute to the next. Displays how muh you're using but we just keep our display unplugged in a drawer which I'm sure wasn't the idea :rotfl:

Our house buyers weren't too pleased that we had it I don't think as they hate them :rotfl: No idea if you can switch back once you've got one - might be like a water meter and you can switch back, but once you sell the house the mew person is stuck with it.

Having said that, a random phone call sounds dodgy and I'd be expecting at least an email first!

Greying_Pilgrim · 16 September 2017 at 9:53AM

Cheery - I think that's it. I'm not against smart meters per se - i'm sure they have there plus points and minus points, and it's just 'progress'. But I think that I would rather my energy supplier had contacted me in a different fashion. I mean, it was nearly tea-time when they rang, I had no forewarning they were considering October, had Baby Greying with me, so couldn't go off pootling to look at calendars etc. I would have preferred a letter/email to say what they were contemplating, and a little bit of warning that, 'we'll be ringing you up to set a date' etc etc. Or, 'we need to do this, and will be in your area in October, when can we fit yours?'.

How do the meters work if your electricity and gas come into the house at different points? Do you have 2 meters? Does anyone know?

Greying X

apple_muncher · 16 September 2017 at 10:10AM

We bought ourselves a smart meter before the companies gave them out for free and much prefer it to the official one. We prefer the way it reads, the way it doesn't default to a certain 'page' of readings - the one we never want.

So dh disconnected their one!

in_need_of_direction · 16 September 2017 at 11:16AM

I'd contact your power company and ask if they have engaged in the purported rollout. There's a data protection issue if your details are being shared without your consent.

redofromstart · 16 September 2017 at 11:30AM

Our gas and electric meters are separate - they had to fit smart things in both areas, but we have one plug in thingy that shows the spends. What I didn't realise was that the automatic transmission might not work if we move supplier, and the whole point was that I hate having people in the house.

Greying_Pilgrim · 16 September 2017 at 11:40AM

That's a very good point INOD.

Coincidentally, I have just come out of my energy supplier account, and whilst there is mention of the roll-out, I have received no notification via letter/nor e-mail, and there is no message to me 'sitting' on my account (to be fair, they send e-mails, but tell you that they've sent them on the account - if that makes sense?).

All I saw on my account was, 'there's a roll-out', 'more about smart meters' and 'call us (a general message, not for me personally) to find out more/book an installation'.

There's a difference between general information sitting on an account site that you may or may not visit frequently, and some random, out of the blue phone call. There's a difference between them inviting you to call them to find out more information/make an appointment and some random, out of the blue phone call.

apple - I think the parentals have some sort of meter, got as a freebie from..... ageconcern? or somesuch organisation. It sits on the side, pootling away. I think at first, it was checked every 2 minutes and everything got switched off! Now it just sits on the side, and pootles away.......:) I can see that if they work how you want/need them too, they are a good idea. I'm just narked about unexpected phonecalls I think. Unprofessional.

Baby Greying has finally gone down for a nap. They have eaten me out of house and home already this morning :eek:

I've crossed off the last thing that needed to be done in the living room (on my Try harder Trimester list), so that is 2 rooms completed. OK, not within the target time, but it does mean that 3 rooms in the house are as 'finished' as they need to be. Of course, the time it's taking, it'll be time to repaint them etc when we come to sell/rent out:rotfl:

We've more chance of winning the lottery than leaving this place, and we don't even do the lottery..... :rotfl:

Greying X

The Simple Bare Necessities feat. Gratitude & Recipes

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