Living on next to nought - is that the key?

little_sweetie

Greying, why am I not surprised that your Bee Tee account page has still not been amended Mine still shows the last regular bill as outstanding almost 3 months since they took the DD...Grrr....

Last night's Biryani looks splendid! It's making me hungry already and so is the 'Manly Burger'. Unfortunately, DH refuses to eat any lettuce other than a plain 'rabbit food' one and I struggle to get him to eat any beans other than tinned baked ones. I do intend to try jack's 9p burgers though. I will have to make them when he is out so that he doesn't know what goes into them

On a happy note, my tatties are growing like the clappers and will need a third earthing up today. My bag full of carrots and parsnips is doing well too so we might be getting some 'Free' food in a couple of months :T Isn't it exciting... In addition, my Andr*x seeds have arrived and there are 14 packets of assorted salad leaf & basil seeds to try. A real bargain.

I didn't get to see the film 'Another Year' but I do so agree regarding the talent of the two actresses, wonderful they are.

Foodbank donation made yesterday (into Sainsbob's trolley) I managed to get 3 tins of fruit and a tin of 'savers' rice pud all for 95p. I'm not sure of the nutritional value of the rice pud but we have eaten it ourselves in the past and it makes an acceptable tummy filler. I will try to spend a bit more for them next week.

Have a lovely Sunday everyone x

Karmacat

Morning!

Dried beans for people living alone - I cook 3 or 4 portions at once, and use them in a different way each day, like having my own tins in the fridge :
- in a tomato sauce with onions
- with feta and pesto
- with peas, mint and balsamic vinegar
- veggie stew.

Tho feta and pesto is by far the most popular for me And a slow cooker doesn't steam like the hob does, honestly. Though you need to put herbs in so that your kitchen/living space doesn't smell vile :eek::rotfl:

satchmo1

And do remember that you can freeze cooked pulses which can then be used in small quantities. Best open frozen so that they are free flowing. Or use my trick of putting the frozen bagful into a carrier bag and dropping it on the floor to release a small quantity from a frozen lump

satchmo1

Oh, and my freezer is now almost empty, ahead of moving day in about 3 weeks (the moving date keeps moving, we must have the slowest cash buyers in the world). Thanks for all the ideas for using up the veggies.


Talking of free food, no-one around here wants free potatoes - I put a box of them on the doorstep with a sign, and they're still there after two days. I guess we'll be having mashed potatoes tonight.


Neither does anyone want free soil, despite putting a sign up at the nearby allotments. That means I have to bag it up and drive it over to my sister in law, which I was trying to avoid (not the visit, I didn't want my brother to try to lift heavy bags as he doesn't have the strength).

dreaming

Thanks Karmacat - mmmm-feta and pesto! I am still debating the slow cooker as I am worried it will end up as just another "thing" on the worktop (limited cupboard space for storage). I did think I might look for a cheap one (Wilkinsons or the like) to see how much use it gets.
I know some people open freeze their pulses after cooking and have thought about doing that. (Thanks Satchmo).


By the way Greying Pilgrim - that biryani looks very tempting (stop licking the screen Dreaming!).

Karmacat

dreaming wrote: »

Thanks Karmacat - mmmm-feta and pesto! I am still debating the slow cooker as I am worried it will end up as just another "thing" on the worktop (limited cupboard space for storage). I did think I might look for a cheap one (Wilkinsons or the like) to see how much use it gets.

Honestly, if you use pulses, and you're prepared for the extra 2 minutes to soak and rinse, you'll find things a lot cheaper. And they're not just used for pulses: http://www.channel4.com/4food/recipes/popular-dishes/slow-cooker

By the way Greying Pilgrim - that biryani looks very tempting (stop licking the screen Dreaming!).

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:Yep, your electrics won't be happy. And my screen is *way* too dusty to lick

Greying_Pilgrim

Karmacat wrote: »

And my screen is *way* too dusty to lick

MY thoughts exactly KC - same here at [STRIKE]Dusty Grey[/STRIKE] Greying Towers :o:o:o:o:o:o :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Greying

mothernerd

Shaking a tail feather always reminds me of John Belushi in Blues Brothers in which case this :cool::cool: is appropriate.

Loving all the recipes but not doing much at the moment - overdid the diy and have been mostly confined to bed (on doctors orders, with strong painkillers) for the last three weeks. Going back to the doctors tomorrow - much less painful but still not doing much 3 x 15 minute sessions on my feet on my most productive day last week.

Someone didn't put the freezer drawers back in all the way and there is a build up of ice, so want to completely empty it and start from scratch (usually done before Christmas, but DS1 was in residence and every time I cleared a space he filled it). Both of these -limited standing time and iced up freezer - are limiting my cooking at the moment, so enjoying vicarious pleasure of your column.

With heartfelt thanks.

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Evening :hello:

Well, I'm not entirely sure that we will bother eating dinner this evening, we are both stuffed full still from lunch and celebratory cake

The 'do' went mucho mucho better than I anticipated, and in fact, I have to say, 3 hours flew, and it was no hardship given that we were fed, watered and the annoying relative was on their best behaviour.

brizzle - no gardening for me - I've pretty much dug 3/4 of the gardening parental's allotment, and they have picked up the baton on the rest. Not too sure if they are really back up to par, or whether they are too stubborn to rely on any more help........ As they have also been out mowing lawns and generally doing stuff of a horticultural nature, I have to conclude that DP and I are not currently needed.......

little_sweetie - our computers, TV's and radios are able to update themselves when BST arrives, yet Bee T computers are able to only update at 3 monthly intervals...... and this organisation is supplying the support for 'Red Button' scenarios...... (and no, for younger viewers, I'm not talking about the BBC's additional digital service streams :rotfl:) Worried? Moi??? :rotfl:

Ha! Was so thinking of you on Friday watching Monty - when he said that he was only planting his tatties because of them being in raised beds.... :rotfl:3rd earthing up - bravo!

Right, so I'll put me order in now for a tray of living salad everyweek - and make sure that you put an interesting mix in for us - none of this iceberg monoculture - I want 'frizzy' and 'purple' and 'blotchy' and, and..... :rotfl:

Said it before, happy to say it again - YAY to food bank donators :T:T

satchmo - 'tis a pity I'm no-where near you - I'd of not passed up *free to good home* tatties! Well done you for trying. Nowt so weird as folk eh?

dreaming - I cook 500g of beans a time and freeze what we don't need. I'd love to open freeze, but my freezer is too small, but I batch the beans up into *useful* sizes, like 450g cooked for a curry or stew. Less, if say for example I need mixed beans for something.... like a Ms Munroe recipe...........perhaps.......;)

Edit - mothernerd - cross-posted. Lovely to *see* you. Sorry that you are still in pain, and sorry there is no tea on t'table at *ours* tonight!!! I know, hopeless ain't I????? Argh to ice-build up in the freezer. Not an easy task; de-frosting. Be careful and I'll definitely try to do better tomorrow night with my dinner post - as we begin Back to Back Jack week

Well, for a day that started well, went severely down hill mid-morning - neighbourhood issues, I'll gloss over as not MSE related - and forgive me for not elaborating, but frankly, just when I'd begun to hope we could sell this place.................. It has picked up again and is definitely earning just praise as a 'good' day

Today I am grateful for these 3 things;

for DP gently reminding me to paste on a smile

for a few miles, at a strategic time, putting 1,000 miles between us and a problem

for good food, well cooked and well presented - with no bill and no washing up :T

Thank you so much for popping in, reading, commenting and joining in. Mucho, mucho appreciated.

See y'all later.

Greying :cool: [who is v. much liking the Blues Brothers reference ]

Busymumofthreeplusdog

greying I'm torn between getting DS2 to help or not as he might 'revolt' when he sees what I'm putting in! Might try when they are off over the next couple of weeks. I'll let you know how it goes.....