Finally I have a mortgage I can start to pay off!

Kittenkirst

Happy New Year MadVix
We’ve recently looked on Olio a lot more recently and a found it great for reducing our grocery spend, whilst also preventing unnecessary food waste We got some parsnips last week that are looking at me guiltily from the fridge so I’m tempted to give your parsnip quinoa recipe a go- will let you know if we do!

themadvix

I had a feeling it wasn’t just me on the food front Busy Mee - it was definitely hard to keep on top of it from a lots of different angles, including the ‘want’ one. Anything to keep the sanity! But in true MSE style, i think focusing on it will also help with sanity for me and let’s face it, we’re all inured to this way of life now, it’s not new anymore. Fortunately pastries figure often on Olio, so there can be treats too.

Suffolk_lass

I keep looking on Olio to see what is listed in either of the two closest towns but there has been just one thing we eat and the 10 miles away makes it just silly for us. So we will stick with wonky supermarket, home grown and a bit of outdoor market shopping.

We watched a program on tv last night with Dr Hannah Fry and Greg Wallace about environmentally assessing meals - there was a lot of what I thought but also a couple of surprises in the analysis (mussels for carbon capture, for instance). Reassuringly for us, sun-ripened frozen in season fruit was better than the more expensive fresh-flown-in-out of season berries I have all but stopped buying. Basically if you go for seasonal, local predominantly veg based choices, you can treat yourself to less ecologically friendly choices occasionally. 

Like you, I want to reduce stocks a bit, and pare back. I am trying to keep this month's spend under half the average of £200. We have eggs and milk delivered and I foresee a market trip to replenish the fruit bowl that is nearly empty, maybe on Friday

themadvix

Morning all,

Kittenkirst, we must have cross posted - hope you enjoy the parsnips. I think Olio has improved massively since the tie-up with Tesco - it's given it the critical mass to work in less urban environments (although I don't know how well it worked in those before). I can see your point though SL - not worth a 10 mile drive (financially or ecologically). Didn't catch the programme you mention, but think the research by Mike Berners-Lee may have informed it and did see that article last night on the BBC website. It made for some very interesting reading, although not all of it surprising. Definitely in season is key, even if that's the season on the other side of the world - apples from NZ came out quite well (when English ones aren't in season). 

Flakes of snow are gently falling past the window as I type.... I doubt these ones will stick, but more is forecast overnight, so we'll see what happens. Apart from cancelling walks arranged for next week with friends, the announcement last night doesn't really affect us - more of the same. I can't promise that I'll stick to once a day for exercise all the time though - I see little difference in going for a couple of shorter walks/a run than going for a longer one, but they will all be from home. Additional outside time can be spent in the garden - weeding and preparing for spring. I'm glad that the restrictions will be reviewed in Feb half term. When the media kept saying they'd be imposed until Easter it felt much harder to deal with. Even if they're actually in place until then, at least knowing there's a chance things will change before then helps. Actually, I *am* peeved - was looking forward to some takeaway cocktails for my birthday on Thursday - we had some before for DH's birthday and they were lovely and very affordable (£2.99 each, freshly mixed). Now we can't do that!

I've been spendy this morning and ordered an Instant Pot (combination pressure cooker, slow cooker, yoghurt maker, porridge maker, saute function, etc. etc. - 13 functions, I think). This is a Christmas present, so won't affect day-to-day spending (which stands at £2.20 currently, for eggs yesterday). It should help us to increase the protein in our diet by making beans and pulses quicker to cook (and literally everything quicker to cook, by the looks of it - loads of resources online for how to make the most of it). It should hopefully reduce spending too - if we eat more beans, we'll eat less meat-substitutes probably, which are expensive. 

Tiny bit of work received from America, so that's done. A small list of jobs to do, but some of these are outside, so I may wait until it's stopped precipitating. 

MS things:
* TCB on Instant Pot order
* £9.80 TCB claimed - for the moment only the odds and sods (as Busy Mee would call them) will go off the mortgage, so it's nice to have a contribution to this!
* Clicks done
* Work done

Gratitudes:
* Snow is pretty but unlikely to be disruptive
* Evening class resumes tonight (but I am looking forward to being able to return in person!)
* Video calls

Have a good day all!

Karmacat

My word, you have snow!  I hope it doesn't stick, as you say - it does seem to make walking for the sake of exercise more difficult (or just wet! ).  
What a shame about your cocktails - and your walks.  I was thinking that about my walk with my sister - it's allowable to walk with one other person, outside your household or your bubble, but you can't *drive* to go on that walk?  That's where we fall down.  Ah well.  We'll get buy - and like you wrote, there are still plenty of things to be grateful for.

themadvix

That's the problem I have too Karma - not being able to leave the local area. My plan is to arrange to walk and talk on the phone with at least a couple of them (one will now have children to school though). The cocktails certainly aren't the end of the world, but I can't really see what the issue with takeaway drinks is - it's not like in the summer when people would hang around outside the pub with their takeaway booze - it's far too cold for that!

Definitely lots to be grateful for though. This too shall pass and I might even finish the bunting I started in lockdown 1!

Just had notification that I've received my SEISS grant money. At least I'll have some income for this month.

themadvix

Afternoon all,

 Went for a walk and talk (on the phone) with a friend this morning, so have done my exercise (10k steps done). Typically the weather is brightening up out there now! Have come back to a couple of small bits of work so have done one and will save the other for after lunch. Another small project lined up for next week too.

Excited to discover that my Instant Pot should arrive tomorrow, on my birthday - so at least that'll be something exciting to play with! We've not had any post for three days now, so I'm not sure I'm even going to receive any cards tomorrow. I'm guessing Royal Mail are very short on staff at the moment - both people off sick and people self-isolating.

MS things:
* Clicks done
* Work
* More swede gnocchi tonight to use up the last of the swede
* Free exercise (did I mention I ran for 25 mins yesterday - week 6 of C25K done!)

Gratitudes:
* A nice chat with a friend
* Ducks and birds by the lake on my walk
* Text conversation with another friend whose birthday is today - nice to hear from her (really beginning to miss seeing people!)

Have a good day all!

Karmacat

Have a lovely birthday tomorrow, madvix - and your Instant Pot sounds *so* interesting, let us know how it goes.

newgirly

Hi Vix, wishing you a happy birthday today 😊 🥳🎂 I hope you manage to have a lovely day despite lockdown x 

Kittenkirst

Happy Birthday!!! Have fun playing with your instapot!