Two Pennies Left

Fortune_Smiles

shala_moo wrote: »

Hi Fortune,

Congrats on getting rid of your CC debt.. :T

I made a banana and caramel cake the other day, although i cheated and bought the caramel. It was the nicest banana cake ever.. glad you enjoyed yours.

Loving all your harvests!!

Hi Shala_moo. I think I might have left my caramel chunks a bit big as they all sunk to the bottom of the cake and went really gooey - lovely as a pud though. Did your caramel stay crispy?

Fortune x

Fortune_Smiles

What a wonderful day it's been - I hope we get some more warm and sunny days like this before the winter sets in. Mr F and I made the most of it with a day out to the County Ploughing Match. It was fabulous wandering over the fields in the sunshine. We took a packed lunch which we ate at a table at the beer tent - 1 glass of Prosecco for me, several beers for Mr F (I usually drive if we go out at the weekend because Mr F does so much driving during the week). Also indulged in an ice cream - it is, of course, the law to buy an ice cream if you are on a day out and the sun is shining :rotfl:£30 out of the entertainment budget which is looking a bit depleted now. I think it should last until next pay day though as Mr F is away next Saturday at a reunion thingie and we're being taken out to dinner the following weekend by our neighbours as thanks for the work Mr F did on their E-type. Good thing really otherwise we'd be staying in and playing scrabble :rotfl:

Other MS activity:

• Smoked Haddock with Spinach and Pancetta served with Parmentier Potatoes from the meal plan for dinner tonight
• another portion of Banana and Caramel Sponge Pudding for afters - it was even better tonight
• my smaller size gym trousers have arrived from M&S but I haven't had a chance to try them on yet (perhaps I should have done that before pudding )
• reconciled the bank statements
• a small PAD to the savings account
• got a letter from NS&I to say that Mr F didn't have any Pr£mium B0nd$ after all He can't remember cashing them in but must have done at some point
• the Fortunate Hen is no longer broody so should start laying again soon :T

Mr F is threatening to use his new bike for the first time tomorrow - I think he may be trying to prove something.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend everyone

Fortune x

shala_moo

Fortune_Smiles wrote: »

Hi Shala_moo. I think I might have left my caramel chunks a bit big as they all sunk to the bottom of the cake and went really gooey - lovely as a pud though. Did your caramel stay crispy?

Fortune x

It was mixed into the cake mix so you couldn't really tell it was there from the texture, but the taste of it was divine :drool: it was a recipe card i picked up from Wa1trose.. i didn't have any nuts otherwise i'd have chucked them in as well.

Fortune_Smiles

Mr F went on a 20 mile bike ride today. The price to pay for proving his point - very sore knees :rotfl:I stayed at home and finished the ironing whilst catching up on the weeks TV.


Not much MS activity today:

• 2 litres of Rose Hip Syrup made and bottled. It's the first time I've made it so I tested it out on Mr F. He said it "took him back to his childhood" I'm going to keep it for the winter months to ward off colds.
• Lentil Chilli & Rice from the meal plan for dinner tonight. Plenty left for making tortillas tomorrow and a portion to freeze
• an NSD
• sneaked 10p from Mr F's change dish for Mr Marmite

I did a few loads of washing today and got very excited about trying out my new airer. It's brilliant! It holds as much as my two old airers put together and more. Plus it stays upright which is always a bonus. Think I need to get a life :rotfl:

Hope you all had a good weekend.

Fortune x

Fortune_Smiles

Poor Mr F. He had a mole removed from his head today - just a precaution. Came home with a huge white dressing strapped to his forehead covering two layers of stitches The anaesthetic has started to wear off now and he's getting grumpy. Fortunately he's gone out to potter in the garage for the minute but I might have to put him to bed early :rotfl:

A few MS things today:

• the remains of last night's Chilli in Tortillas with Guacamole and Sour Cream for dinner
• an NSD
• lots and lots of paperwork filed. I've been chipping away at this over the last weeks and got a big chunk done today. You couldn't tell from looking at the pile though - it still looks huuuuuge but I shall keep on a few pages a day. Don't hold your breath though - this is long haul filing :rotfl:

Lots of baking planned for tomorrow. I have a work meeting and it's my turn to take nibbles. I haven't bought in anything special so will just see what I can create from the store cupboard. Experimental cooking :rotfl:

Happy Monday.

Fortune x

Mortgage_Reduction_Novice

Experimental baking is the way forwards. I swapped the third egg from a recipe for an extra mashed banana at the weekend and it turned out fine.

Fortune_Smiles

Very busy day yesterday what with all the baking and meeting preparation. I managed to rustle up Mini Blue Cheese & Bacon Tarts, Cheddar & Black Pepper Nibbles, Peanut Butter Cookies and Sultana and Sunflower Seed Cookies - all from what I had in the cupboards. Mr F gets quite sulky when I bake nibbles - he says he never gets to eat any of the goodies :rotfl:Most years we go to our local School's Quiz Night. Everyone on the team brings some wine and something home-baked to eat. One year I made lots of cheesy nibbles and left them to cool on a tray in the kitchen. When I returned to put them in a tin I discovered Mr F standing in the kitchen, cheeks bulging and standing in a small pile of cheesy crumbs! :rotfl:Nibbles are never left unguarded in the kitchen now.

MS activity in addition to store cupboard baking:

• a few nibbles left over for Mr F's lunch box today
• 5 hours admin work yesterday plus there will be the time for typing up and circulating the minutes
• an NSD
• got an email to say that the log store will be arriving today so I'll contact my neighbour about ordering the logs
• one of my Fleabay items sold so a cheque should arrive soon for £29.99
• Mr F has given me the information I need to Fleabay the Project tomorrow

Mr F left some change on the dresser this morning but I've just gone up to find it and it's gone! Must be quicker with the sneaking next time.

Fortune x

Fortune_Smiles

Very grumpy man delivered the log store today. He went to my neighbours house by mistake, knocked but got no answer. I saw this but didn't twig he might be looking for me. He then went across the road to the farm and delivered the log store there. They must have told him the right address because I then saw him walking towards my door. Rushing down to answer I was surprised to see a 'We tried to deliver' note being pushed through the letter box. He was off back to the van by the time I opened the door but I shouted out and he came back. "I did knock" he said. "I did ring the door bell you know". "You didn't" I said. "I was watching you, I just didn't realise you were looking for me because you went next door". Anyway, he glared and glared and then glared some more when I made him go back to get the log store from the farm. He did get it but wouldn't speak to me and wouldn't put the parcels where I asked. I even had to help him carry them because he refused to get his trolley out. Karma will be visiting him later I'm sure :rotfl:Anyhooo...

• we now have the makings of a log store which Mr F can assemble at the weekend
• my neighbour has sourced some logs - £50 a load so the same price as we paid last year but a better variety. They are also from a local guy who is part of our community and we'd like to support him. We have one load already (donated by a kind neighbour in return for Mr F's car restoration advice and tools loan) so another two loads should do it. We usually have the heating on for an hour in the morning when we get up and that keeps the house warm until about 2.00. I then light the log burner which keeps things warm until bed time then the heating goes on for a quick 15 minute burst before we go up just to take the edge off. The thermostat is set for 18 degrees during the day and 17 at night and that seems to be enough for us. We have double attic insulation plus cavity wall insulation and the house is quite a warm house. Heating's not going on yet though
• cupboard meals today as Mr F is away now until Friday
• wrote to the builder asking for quotes for my wish lists of jobs in the house. Next pay day will cover the cost of the new fence and gates but we will need to shift the project first
• postal order arrived for my Fleabay item so I will have to pop to the Post Office tomorrow
• an NSD

May all your delivery men be happy ones :rotfl:

Fortune x

beanielou

I am loving reading your diary
Courgette carbonara sounds interesting.
I love love love courgettes and made courgette risotto last week for the first time~it was just amazing.

Fortune_Smiles

beanielou wrote: »

I am loving reading your diary
Courgette carbonara sounds interesting.
I love love love courgettes and made courgette risotto last week for the first time~it was just amazing.

Hi Beanielou. Lovely of you to drop by. Courgette carbonara is one of my absolute favourites - so quick to make and absolutely delicious. It's a Jamie recipe so you can probably find it on the net if you're interested. I love risotto too so will give that a go if my courgette plants keep producing.

Fortune x