Living on next to nought - is that the key?

dreaming

Yum, another fab-looking chickpea recipe. Thanks for your encouraging words GP when I was moaning the other day. I know I have a pretty decent life (and I am grateful as it wasn't always) but every now and then I get to focussing on stuff I can't do anything about (family members) instead of getting on with things I can change. I'd be really good at procrastinating if I didn't keep putting it off!
Making carrot cake today for daughter's birthday tomorrow, and will cook curried chickpeas for weekend (hope I don't get the ingredients mixed up!). I use a recipe for chick peas by Anthony W-T, which is a bit long-winded but really delicious. Then I will probably move the basket of "stuff" to another room until I get round to taking it to charity shop (what did I say about procrastinating?).:rotfl:

beanielou

Toodles to GP's for tea.
I love puddings

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Evening :hello:

little_sweetie - thanks for dropping in - and for leaving such a lovely comment Yup, have a go at that porridge cake, it's simple and keeps well in the tin - if you need cake to keep that is

dreaming wrote: »

I'd be really good at procrastinating if I didn't keep putting it off!

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl: dreaming - come, join our club! :rotfl::rotfl:

Lucky daught having ma make her a cake Are you going to do frosting on it as it is for a special occasion? I hope you get to share in the spoils and have a wonderful time celebrating her birthday

Beanie - grab a spoon and pull up a chair luv!

Well, today started slowly and time stood still, and then it began to speed up and frankly, where'd the afternoon go?

I can claim a NSD today :T Plus I found 1p *roadkill* :j So I'm financially *up* on the day (isn't that how all them uber rich city types talk??? :rotfl:)

I decided not to make the soup I was intending for dinner. It was parsnip and apple and I'm aware that because I'm going *hardcore* this month, we're getting more repetition of ingredients than we normally do. And what I don't want to happen is that we turn our palates off parsnips, pearl barley, chickpeas etc. Luckily, I was flicking through one of my notebooks and came across a recipe from Anissa Helou's book 'Levant'. It is called Makhluta and is a mixed grain and bean soup. And as I had my cooking mojo on, and it actually just uses storecupboard items (plus, in my case frozen beans ), I figured I would give it a whizz. If you object to *brown* foodstuffs, you may wish to look away now, but for everyone else, a picture is here;



I'm afraid that I can't find Anissa's actual recipe on the web, and of the versions I can find, everyone seems to use a different combination of pulses and grains However, if you used equal quantities of beans (I used black-eyed), chickpeas and brown or green lentils..... say 150g each? and equal quantities of bulghar (coarse) and rice... say 30g each? You would have the basis of the soup. You would just need 2 medium onions, some Lebanese 7 spice mix - about 2 teaspoons would be right and some salt and pepper and 500ml of water/stock and you'd be about there. The beans/chickpeas need to be tinned/precooked, everything else cooks in the broth. So, fry onions, add spices, stir in rice, lentils and bulghar. Add water/stock - bring to boil then reduce to simmer. Cook until lentils done (about 25 minutes, less if you've pre-soaked them) Add in the beans/chickpeas to warm through. Season. Serve. And yes, I did the *poncy* spoon of HM yoghurt and sumac sprinkle

It wouldn't be to everyone's taste - the 7 spice is quite fragrant and at the forefront of the dish. But it was our *cup of tea*. Pudding will follow - but DP has already been enquiring now the washing up is done........

I also made the parsnip & apple soup and have set that aside to freeze. It used the last of the L*dl parsnips, so I'll wait a week or so and we'll relish the taste of parsnips again.

Just need to make bread dough and yoghurt tonight and I'm on course for *Frugal February*

Today I am grateful for these 3 things;

for the serenade from a thrush as I walked alongside a community woodland - easier to spot whilst there is no foliage

that I have choices, alternatives and substitutions to consider - it is making my *challenge* so much easier, but plenty of people have no such alternatives, no such choices........

for being *decisive* - not all the time, and not in all matters, but I decided to let some more *stuff* go today. I've not used it for years - and it probably won't be needed in our 'new' life - so why is it cluttering up my cupboards now! :rotfl:(mind you, I've still got to get it out of the house yet....)

Thank you so very much for taking the time to pop onto this thread, read and comment. I greatly appreciate your support and enjoy your company

See y'all later.

Greying

Tilly_MFW_in_6_YRS

You have inspired me to have a go at making yoghurt. I keep thinking about it but not doing it. That's a job for Saturday morning

I'm also making up the Lebanese 7 spice mix and will give Makhluta a go.

Thanks, Tilly x

dreaming

Greying_Pilgrim wrote: »

Lucky daught having ma make her a cake Are you going to do frosting on it as it is for a special occasion? I hope you get to share in the spoils and have a wonderful time celebrating her birthday
Greying

She may not be so lucky as I'm not generally known for making cakes. She was always the cake maker of the family. I used to say it was because she did gymnastics and had very strong shoulders and upper arms so she could beat really hard and get huge victoria sponges. Mine were more like biscuits:rotfl:
But I am trying to step out of my comfort zone a bit (although I often scuttle back very quickly) so I am trying not to do the same old same old. Yes there will be frosting, and yes I will be helping her demolish (er, I mean, sample) it.
I'm also knitting her a cable knit throw as I got some lovely wool really cheaply in a closing down sale (sad news for our town) but I have only done about a tenth of it, so she will have to have an iou for that.

Karmacat

I love being able to catch sight of a bird in the trees while its singing. I'm glad you managed it

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning :hello:

:bdaycake: HAPPY BIRTHDAY to dreaming's dear daughter. Hope the cake is wonderful and you have fun celebrating together

Ay up Karma - you were around and about in the wee small hours. Hope all is well.

Urgh, well I woke up at about 3.30am, had difficulty going back to sleep - then did, seemingly two seconds before it was time to get up again - bleurgh :rotfl:

Never mind. What has Friday in store for us? Well, I just heard on the radio that Jack Monroe is on 'Any Questions' tonight. Should be interesting. May be more likely to catch it tomorrow afternoon though, when it is repeated.

I'm aiming for a NSD. I'm pretty sure that there nothing that we need.

Dinner is easy - pizza and wedges tonight Black olive according to the planner - YUM! And I'm pretty sure there will be a cheeky glass of red to go with it

I made bread dough last night, but didn't get around to yoghurt. Still there was yoghurt for this morning, and still a portion left, so I can make that tonight or tomorrow. I am pleased with all the beans cooked/soup made and stuff that I did do last night though.

Right, well, best get a wiggle on.

Thanks for dropping in, reading and commenting. I continue to appreciate it.

See y'all later.

Greying

Tilly_MFW_in_6_YRS

Morning Greying, are you able to share a recipe for yoghurt pleased. I've been g@@gling and there are loads. Given it's my first time, is there one you'd recommend please?

Sorry to hear you we're awake in the middle of the night. It's such a pain to get going in the morning after being disturbed.

However it's Friday and soon be the weekend

Best wishes Tilly x

Greying_Pilgrim

For Tilly recipe HERE - based on the Hugh F-W Guardian recipe.

Sorry, gotta dash.

Greying

Tilly_MFW_in_6_YRS

Thanks Greying, very much appreciated

Tilly x