Living on next to nought - is that the key?

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Evening :hello:

Ay up EH - na love, I'm afraid that my spinach is frozen and my reason for using it is much more prosaic - I need the room in the freezer

So, that's Monday done and dusted

I won't claim a NSD, as I pressed 'submit' and have joined the NT. Whilst the payment won't actually leave Greying Towers for a while, I might as well 'count it' whilst I'm thinking about it

Can't wait to see what various places are doing for the WWI centenary now

I did manage to drop some items off at the charity shop - so some more decluttering has taken place It is actually starting to show (with regards to space) in certain parts of the house now. But I'm sure more stuff will go before we're down to 'essentials only'

I got 'chugged' on the high street. Well, some chap - all of about 16 (he was probably 271/2 ), tried to engage my attention by greeting me with, 'Hello Darling' He really didn't pick up on my death stare and continued with, 'like to have a little chat with me today about....' at this point, I think he began to recognise that I wasn't impressed with his opening gambit. I didn't hear the rest of his spiel, as I carried on walking by. How come chuggers can approach you, and charity collectors aren't even allowed to as much as shake their tins anymore. I wonder if the charities know that people are being annoying in their name? I'm sure he's not employed directly by the charity - probably an agency. But I'm afraid he had the charity logo emblazoned all over his shirt. And whilst they have received donations from me before, there is no way I'm being chugged into giving more to them. I do not like being addressed as 'darling' by a complete stranger, who may, or may not have been young enough to ........ humpf! :rotfl:

DP and I haven't had our meeting tonight. DP wanted to watch the MotoGP that was on yesterday whilst we were out. So it's made everything all a little bit later, and I think my 'get up and go' has 'got up and went now' :rotfl:Never mind. We'll definitely need to plan things out for the BH weekend.

Dinner this evening was egg and spinach Buddha bowl. Tasted nice, but not the most exciting......... Pic here;



It was minted coarse bulghar with broad beans (used up the last of the frozen ones), spinach with red onion and grilled aubergine (antipasti), topped with a 1 egg omelette and a sliced tomato with lemon basil vinaigrette dressing. All perfectly 'nice', things used up, but nothing to really tantilise the tastebuds. Either that or the heat's got to me a bit today

Today I am grateful for these 3 things;

that the BBC still has coverage from Chelsea Flower Show - I'm away to watch it just now

that I don't have to go up the high street very often - different day, different set of chuggers........

that the storecupboard provided *tea* - edging toward cba'd

Right, I'm away to be a crotchety auld bag by meself. I do genuinely hope that you have had a wonderful day, and have a good evening.

Normal service will be resumed shortly

Greying

Ellidee

The VERY last thing that you are is a 'crotchety auld bag'

I hate chuggers too - on a par with unsolicited phone calls :mad:

Love reading your updates xx

beanielou

Cant abide chuggers & people that come to door and people that phone me in my home & disturb me. :mad: :mad: :mad:

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning :hello:

Ellidee - Thank you for such a supportive comment :D I wasn't overly impressed with the Chelsea coverage to cap it all - too much nattering and not enough looking at the gardens/plants! I'm afraid MrD is not a natural for live TV, not that I'm a huge fan of Bonnie AlanT, but I guess he just got more polished over the years. I did chance, however, on mrD's 'crafts' programme over on more4 - it was about weaving. I loved the final project that they had to do - produce contemporary tweed suitable for a *man bag* for high-end retailers Hack3tt. Very good.

Beanie - SNAP! to your list How you doing anyway, I hope you are well?

So, after a good night's sleep, here we are to greet Tuesday I think I've dispensed with my silly grump

We will need milk and bananas today, so I'll get the TV guide as well and then that should be spending for a while

Dinner this evening is actually one of the 'salads'. Taking a peek out of the window - the weather could go either way today, so what appears on the table at 'tea-time' may well be subject to change

Well, I've started packing up the snap, better finish it off I guess

Thank you so much for dropping in, reading and commenting. It is appreciated. Always

See y'all later.

Greying

starnac

Morning.

Must admit I've never heard the phrase "chuggers" before.

Must dash. Have to get DD to school x

satchmo1

Greying, I thought the Chelsea coverage was repeatedly going back to the same gardens, particularly the sponsor's garden. I loved the garden that inspired the sponsor's garden, though, especially the tortoise sculpture. What I'd really like is if the cameras took us along the path as if we were walking through Chelsea without the crowds.


Have a great day; I hope the sunshine breaks through later.

EssexHebridean

Charity collectors ARE allowed to shake their tins - it's an absolute myth that they can't. What they can't do is make a direct approach to you to give to them, unless they're on private property - so tin shaking, generic "Any donations for...." and lots of smiling is all fine - shoving the tin at someone and saying "Any donations for the Sick kiddies/little fluffy animals/insert other cause here" is not.

Beanie - ANYONE coming to the door or phoning me for charitable donations gets VERY short shrift. Don't like having my space invaded at all.

Greying your Buddha Bowl looks delicious - and I can almost taste that dressing - what a shame it didn't *quite* do it for you though. Do you think maybe the dressing had enough punch to lift the dish without the mint in the bulghar too?

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Evening :hello:

starnac - it's an amalgam of 'Charity' and 'Muggers' as some individuals are less than scrupulous - but then they are paid to get people signed up to donate to charity, so...... Oh, and it is a bona-fide phrase by the way, not summat I made up

satchmo - that is a really swell idea - especially now they have those 'stedicams' - you would feel like you were really there. And frankly, if Ben Cumberbatch and his ma can stomp all over the gardens, then why can't a BBC camera person??? See now, I would have liked the tortoise more if his head was raised up, but that would probably be an engineering/structural/sculpture nighmare feat to pull off Still, I liked that Cleve had incorporated tortoise heads into his fountain

EH - ah ha! Well, I wish 'chuggers' would stand like statues and wait for you to approach them, instead of all this false and frankly patronising - to a woman of a certain age - 'bonhomie'.

Now, I was going to say that the reason the Buddha bowl didn't do anything for me last night, was probably down, entirely, to the grumps. But I actually stopped, had a little think about it, and do you know, I think that the problem was that the lemon wasn't very 'lemony'. It could have pulled the whole dish together, but because it wasn't 'zesty', the flavours were ok, but not 'singing' if you see what I mean. The flavours were flat and individual, rather than working with the lemon to sparkle

Typical that the half lemon I found at the back of the fridge and used in tonight's meal, was far better and a lovely lemony hit <rolls eyes smilie>

So today I got the TV listing guide and issued DP with some pennies to pick up milk and bananas - which he duly did Fingers crossed for a few NSD's now

Thankfully I missed the two torrential downpours that we had today - good timing

DP and I have just had our committee meeting and sorted out what is priority for the weekend. I'm enjoying these meetings again, and they have really contributed to us making progress in the chores that we have set ourselves. I think that they have also made DP more confident to suggest things as we bumble along life's road. We're currently singing from the same hymn sheet anyway - whilst retaining our unique individual quirkiness, natch

Dinner this evening was not the salad planned. I went, instead for a stove top biriyani incorporating the last of the fresh asparagus (the rest has been 'souped' or grilled and frozen). It really was quite a frugal dish, as the asparagus was free, the rice was a leftover portion that had been frozen, the veg in the biriyani was out of the mrS basiks frozen veg bag - with an additional handful of cauliflower out of the 'separated' bag, and I used a little bit of tomato sauce that had been made previously and frozen. Yes, yoghurt would have been a mucho better choice, but I had none And the dish was topped with black onion seeds - which actually, on hitting the warm sauce, really let out their aroma - delish Pic here;



I tried Rick Stein's asparagus curry last year, but I wouldn't make it again, a real waste of asparagus - but I think that the subtle spicing in a biriyani actually allowed the asparagus to maintain its flavour in the dish. The onion seed worked well with the asparagus, as did the cardamom in the spice blend.

Today I am grateful for these 3 things;

progress - Team Greying is back in harness

having a weekend of work and play to look forward to - which hopefully will include meeting up with a friend for a natter

the English asparagus season - possible the last taste of the fresh stuff for us for another year, but golly it is worth the wait

Thank you so much for popping by, reading, commenting and joining in. I still continue to appreciate it, greatly

See y'all later.

Greying

Greying_Pilgrim

Good morning :hello:

Well, totally different weather that we are waking up to again this morning

I'm running a bit late, but the plans for today.......

I was going to aim for a NSD, but then we've no salad (leaves) and I'll be near L*Dl......... :think: If the weather is anything approaching pleasant on the weekend, there ain't gonna be so much as a leaf, a radish nor a tom-ar-tee to be had mmmm. Well, I've enough tomatoes, but might plump for some leaves and a cucumber. I have to say though, all this 'good food' is busting my budget One of these days I shall live somewhere with a useable little garden that will contribute to the pantry....

So, the make-up of dinner will be dependent on what I can 'snag' or, should I keep my purse snapped shut, it will be a Buddha bowl...... :rotfl::rotfl:

Oh, and I forgot to mention, in last nights dinner, there were lentils in with the veg/rice mix, if you were all wondering where the protein element was

Right, I'd best shift a tail feather, and get a wiggle on - as I haven't in a while......

Have a super day.

See y'all later.

Greying

EssexHebridean

Quick thought Greying - T35c0 are now selling cucumbers for 49p, is that cheaper than L1dl?

Your dinner last night looked tres posh - nobody would ever have imagined that the tag "frugal" could be applied! Love it when ingredients come together like that and enable some "using up to happen" on their way to making a harmonious whole.