Living on next to nought - is that the key?

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning :hello:

Well, I hope that you are all doing great, with no damage from this storm round. Touch wood, we're alright, but I've not checked the roof yet.....

Karma - DP is just ditzy for ice-cream, but it is an occasional treat in this house. But even I had to admit that the serendipitydoodah meal planning gods had aligned when I saw chocolate ice-cream for 44p for 500ml :rotfl: so yummy :money: yummy:money:yummy :money: indeed :rotfl:

MWC - you're ace! Thanks for checking for me :A

And no, to Sally Butcher's recipe - but I'll definitely try it Ta everso for the link Our library hasn't got her first cook book, only her second. Which is OK, but wasn't as useful for me, as there are meat and fish recipes in it. I know libraries only have limited funds, but ours is a little funny about not having 'firsts' but having follow ups.


Well, we're supposed to be out and about with chores today. We've only just got up. I must admit to being about until almost dawn, the wind kept me awake, but on the plus side, I've declutterred and sorted all the photos on the computer (mostly food-related, I have to admit ) and emptied the computer recycling bin, so I am feeling very virtuous and an MSE ace to boot :rotfl::rotfl:

It is still quite blustery, so I'm not too sure that I want to rush to be outside, especially as we were proposing to walk to our destination....

Dinner last night was lovely. I am so glad that we decided to go ahead, and the weather really didn't deteriorate until after we'd gone to bed (to sleep ) so we would of had 'beans on toast' for nothing......

The recipe was Tricolour Avocado - which is something I cooked back in the summer. The only problem is that it is difficult to plate it up 'tidily' so the presentation leaves a bit to be desired (but doesn't affect taste ). I did toy with the idea of only putting up the picture of the dish of baked avocados, but I figured that would miss the point of seeing our whole meal. And besides which, I was ridiculously pleased to have used Memorygirl's tip to make hassleback potatoes with a chop stick
and wanted to show y'all :rotfl:

Picture of dinner here;



The haas avocados (bought 2) were 69p each from l*dl, the feta was 1/2 a pack of valoo, 32p, tomato marinara sauce HM, but about 20p for what was used, carrots 8p from a YS'd bag, beans 15p from a frozen 1kg bag, potatoes 10p from a 25kg sack. Plus 44p for dessert. So about £2.70 for 2 portions - excluding cooking costs. Our wine was £4.99 for the bottle. Mmmm, valentine dinner for 2 for less than £8. Happy with that -:kisses2:

Plus I will be using the top potato tip again :j THANKS Memorygirl

Today we are on the start of 'Freshers Week' for dinners I'm currently debating whether to have a little switcherooney around with the planner. But I am looking forward to the challenge

Right, best get up and at 'em. Not sure I want to seize the 'great outdoors' today (#coward :rotfl:), but I'm pumped full of vitamin E and need to do something - if only admire my smooth skin in the mirror :rotfl:

Thank you so much for popping by, reading, supporting me, answering my questions and providing me with recipes. It is all appreciated

See y'all later.

Greying

Greying_Pilgrim

And I am officially a plank, I had meant to include the link to the Tricolour Avocado recipe that I use ...... :rotfl:

Greying

satchmo1

Mmm, that avocado dish sounds yummy. I've shared it on another diary, and will be trying it as soon as I get an avocado. Ta x

Karmacat

It does look yummy - and I'm glad you got to bed to sleep before the storm kicked off - it was ferocious here, and things have been moved about, but no actual damage to my house or garden that I can see - I'm due out soon, and I'm not *really* looking forward to the journey

Greying_Pilgrim

Thanks satchmo1 - *Robin* is ace isn't she? I was thinking of her the other day when my eye fell upon haas avocados in marksandspensives at £2.09 each. *Robin* had been talking about CD picking up windfalls and them taking them home to ripen

Actually, that has reminded me. I am always minded that *Robin* 'pays forward' when a disaster is avoided, or good fortune arrives at the nest or for its inhabitants. I was thinking that we need to 'pay forward' for the good fortune of DP's glasses being repaired. Mmmm, will think on for a beneficiary....

Oh, and lovely to *see* you satchmo1 - ta for popping by

Karma - in the words of Phil, from 'Hill Street Blues'.... 'Let's be careful out there....'

Greying

satchmo1

It was Robin's diary where I shared the recipe :-)

Igamogam

*delurk*
Loving those hassleback potatoes - if you dont have chopsticks then putting them on the bowl part of wooden spoon also works and I guess if you have 2 wooden spoons you can use chopsticks method!

Pippilongstocking

Greying_Pilgrim wrote: »

Actually, that has reminded me. I am always minded that *Robin* 'pays forward' when a disaster is avoided, or good fortune arrives at the nest or for its inhabitants. I was thinking that we need to 'pay forward' for the good fortune of DP's glasses being repaired. Mmmm, will think on for a beneficiary....

Totters in and coughs quietly........

Um, dear lady, You often pay it forward before there's a hope of helping you. And, I'm sure you'll think of someone which as always is so kind.......:A

I can name several occasions whereby you've helped me and the womble lands abundantly without any way of repaying you. (and I refold my napkins abundantly when I can - some of which are bound to new homes soon as well as a thank you):A and I'm sure there are several others who can claim to have had a wee note from you that's just cheered up our lives.

So, forgive me if I say that its VERY nice to see someone somewhere who's done you a goodly favour and helped DP to see properly again and mend his glasses for you.

Heaven knows you send so much good karma out in the universe, its nice to see you gain some of it back.

Just saying. You, your diary and the detailed and eversohelpful posting you do is a real joy to read and inspires, thank you for that as always.

Totters off again, quietly borrowing a chop stick to make those hasselhoff-hedgehog tatties later in the weekend.

:T

little_sweetie

Eloquently put Pippi :T I was so pleased to hear about the repaired specs too GP It just proves that it pays to be persistent but pleasantly so. Well done
Thanks are due from me as I didn't realise that I could look for books on the library website :eek: After a bit of head scratching I've logged in online and reserved the said Jamie O's book for when it's back in (hopefully) at the end of the month :j OH will think I've been swapped for an alien being when I produce some interesting meals at last :rotfl: :rotfl:
I did show him the pic of tattie cakes and he was drooling, poor man.....
You were not alone in not being able to sleep for the wind. It kept me awake for ages too although, thankfully, no damage here just a tree down in the lane which has been swiftly dealt with.
Stay safe everyone x

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Evening :hello:

Igamogam - that is a great tip too - thanks so much :D

Pippi - I'm so glad that little_sweetie expressed the phrase *eloquently put* because I can say I agree with little_sweetie, wholeheartedly, without seeming like a swellhead. Thank you so much for your incredibly kind comment. Do you know, I had not even considered it like that? I had immediately thought, how can we pay it forward. In RL, DP does so much for other people - often they have not a Scooby how much he has done for them.. so, actually, is he deserving of a little goodwill? Yep, hot damn he is However, given the recent bad weather conditions, and how we have a lot to be grateful for that we have not been caught up in it.... think I may look for an *insurance policy* of a little bit of 'pay it forward'......just in case :rotfl:

And *Dave Hasslehoff Hedgehog* potatoes sound epic - borrow 2 chopsticks if it will help hun,

little_sweetie - go you with library connection online too :T

Hope you and your DH are impressed with inventive grub - from Mr Jaymee or anyone else that your library has on the shelves Are you going to have a go at the potato cakes? Super easy you know........

Yes, damage to Greying Towers has been minimal (fence panel wonkiness) so we too are greatful, as there is evidence of damage very, very close to here, yet we were spared.......

Well, very predictably, my eyelids are already drooping....

However, we did go out for a walk in the sunshine this afternoon. The wind had dropped substantially, the sun was out and it felt good to be moving around in (relative) safety. The heavens did open about 300 yards from home, so we got a little damp (seriously no more than a shower) - the compensation being that we saw a double-rainbow.

I'm going to scoff dinner and then have an early night I think. I don't know if there is anything on TV - or we might watch something on tape. We watched 'Romance and Cigarettes' last night, with Susan Sarandon, Kate Winslet and the late James Gandolfini. Very good - particularly the soundtrack. A couple of 'adult' scenes, if that sort of thing offends, but OK on the whole. And if you've ever watched the Sopranos, you'll find yourself character *spotting* :rotfl: I think the 'Dustbin men scene' stole the show We then watched the Neil Sedaka documentary on BBC4 - how retro are we

Dinner is Pumpkin Goulash with Rice. My recipe is from 'The Student Vegetarian Cookbook' (Hamlyn). But there are any number of recipes on the net for pumpkin goulash - and I know that Memorygirl made the dish on her blog a couple of days ago.

Right, I'm going to sign off for the evening, so today my 3 gratefuls are;

for the Robin and Blackbird who were singing away in the park - impossible to not feel uplifted by such sounds.

that the storm has passed and we are still here on the other side - there are many people who are not so lucky as us, and we are conscious of their ongoing ordeal.

for kind words and for kind deeds - what a difference they make each day..........

Thank you so much for popping by, reading and commenting. I do appreciate it.

I'm away to steam rice, see y'all tomorrow.

Edit: Totally forgot - I can legitimately claim a NSD today, so I will!! :rotfl:

Greying