Living on next to nought - is that the key?

EssexHebridean

Morning! As ever your recipes look fab!

Forgiveness is required here too - a Wonka bar jumped into my hand at the petrol Station last night. Probably won't bother again though - wasn't that impressed. (Which might be a good thing!)

Right - I'm off to investigate that soup...

dreaming

Greying_Pilgrim wrote: »

Ash-e-sholeh qalamkar (beggars soup recipe) - I love the folklore behind this recipe - very like the eastern European 'Stone soup' tradition. It is also a store cupboard wonder - I thought dreaming might like the recipe too. I served it with flatbread and topped it with HM yoghurt, sumac and mint - although that isn't in the original recipe. I used a recipe out of a library book that I am afraid I haven't got reference for - but the recipe given is a very close match to the one I used. It is very filling, using relatively inexpensive ingredients. Greying

Oooh I got a mention:j thank you.
I'm not usually a soup person as it always seems - not quite a drink, not quite a meal - but this looks nice and chunky. I am emptying the freezer at the moment so it can be defrosted ahead of the Christmas stock up. I am aiming to cut down meat consumption - partly because of health, partly because of cost - but still want to make "flavourful" food. I made a sweet potato and bean (and chickpeas - love, love, love chickpeas) stew this week but it lacked something. Was out of chilli powder but used some chilli flakes but was still too "sweet" - need to experiment a bit more with spices etc. as I prefer a spicier, saltier taste.
Also need to reduce carbs. Doctor's words were "Cast your mind back to stone age diets". I thought "blimey, I'm not that old!":rotfl:He meant that we should eat more unrefined food apparently.

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Evening :hello:

Hey, visitors - how spiffing :D

Pippi - I got a 'nod' of approval this morning. DP went through the door this morning and stopped, pulled a face and then said, 'have you WD40'd this?' When I replied that I had - I got a 'nod', like 'I approve' :j :rotfl::rotfl:Promise I shan't get it near the pooter - although the fan makes such a racket, I'm tempted.........

Oooo, EH I saw an advert for those bars t'other day.... may well keep me pennies in me pocket then. Still, I'm not choccy mad, but ever so occasionally, I get the urge, but I like 'what I like' so if the occasional indulgence was ruined by a 'not so special' product, then I'd be doubly disappointed.

dreaming - :rotfl:at the 'stone age diets' misunderstanding. Actually, you've just given me a thought..... mmmm. There are 3 Persian 'soups' that I've committed to my recipes book now, as we liked them and they use the type of ingredients that I have in store - Ash-E-Jo (barley soup), Ash-e-Reshteh (noodle soup) and then the Ash-e-sholeh qalamkar (beggars soup). There is a fourth that I copied down the recipe for (I wonder if I still have it?) that contained prunes. NOW, I know that prunes aren't to everyone's liking, but actually, in casseroles and savoury dishes, they add a real 'depth' of taste and I have found them good in veggie dishes that sometimes lack the savouriness of meat. Mmm, I think I'll have to have a trawl through my notebooks and see if I still have it. Thanks dreaming

So today was a spends day as predicted 'Peter Barlow' and some hapless bride-not-to-be are on the front of the TV guide..... wasn't there a 'non-wedding' in t'other soap too? *sigh*

Still, I am hopeful that I have spent up for the rest of the month - the only thing that might scupper it is milk for DP we'll see.

Despite your good wishes Pippi I found no *roadkill*. I'm not the least bit surprised. Folks just ain't got the cash or they are swishing the plastic round in these parts.

Dinner this evening was really nice - I managed to make 'toad in the hole' with 3 veggie sausages (cut them up to make them stretch further), with roasted pots, roasted parsnips, mash, peas and sweetcorn topped with gravy. I didn't take a pic, as it just looked very ordinary But it did taste nice, and the best bit was the parsnip - it was one from the gardening parental and it must of got a bit of frost or something, as the taste was wonderful - not overly sweet, but you definitely knew you were eating parsnip if that doesn't sound too daft a thing to say. However, I also whipped up an eve's pudding (with blackberries added in with the apples too). I will take a pic of that and post it - as I don't think that I've made it before? But I'm away to watch the footy in a minute, so it'll be later

I was listening to R4 whilst finishing off dinner, and there is a new advert for TV licences (ie that it is easy to keep one if you move) they have devised a witty poem - made me think of Piq - I do so very much hope that it has all gone well for her and the family today. So stressful moving isn't it? Too many variables really.

So, today I am grateful for these 3 things;

Good customer service - I received some today. Straightforward, to the point, helpful and useful. Why does it make all the difference??

Birdsong - although I couldn't see it, a Robin was singing it's heart out today high up in a tree. You could clearly hear it over the traffic, and it was wonderful

for my life as it is and privacy - not too sure everyone knowing all the ins and outs, ups and downs of a life in the spotlight is really ever worth it.........

Thank you so much for popping in, reading and contributing - and making me think today. I greatly appreciate it.

See y'all in a bit.

Greying

Pippilongstocking

I do like a good frog in a bog.

Or as its veggie should it be grass in the ditch?

glad you got a nod. Most pleasing.

There's nowt ordinary about yorkshire puds - they are the only food I'd take on my dessert island.

Well those and bread and cheese.

Greying_Pilgrim

Pippilongstocking wrote: »

I do like a good frog in a bog.

Or as its veggie should it be grass in the ditch? I should have put lots of fresh herbs in - could of called it that then

glad you got a nod. Most pleasing.

There's nowt ordinary about yorkshire puds - they are the only food I'd take on my dessert island.

Well those and bread and cheese. - and sushi, don't forget sushi

Promised pud, so here goes......



Without custard, and.........



With custard. And yes, the eagle-eyed amongst you will spot 'lumps' on the top of the sponge. Pesky cornflour - I 'slaked' the first lot and it didn't thicken, tried to sprinkle in some more and it just clumped. No amount of whisking of red-hot liquid would get them to 'declump'. DP ate it anyway

And just in case anyone is wondering how this counts as 'moneysaving'. The apples were donated the blackberries foraged (2012 - last of, starting the 2013 batch next ), the custard was made (rather unsuccessfully this time ) from store cupboards essentials, the oven was on cooking the rest of dinner and I also cooked 4 baked potatoes for meals later in the week

When I mixed in the frozen berries with the apple pulp, the mix was light red - amazing the colour difference with cooking

Oh, I have an early start in the morning, so if I am not here, I have not 'disappeared', just not had time to post, so I'll catch up later

Thanks for dropping in, reading and commenting. I still greatly appreciate it.

See y'all later.

Greying

greenbee

Thanks for the link to the 'beggars soup' recipe. I was wondering what to do for tomorrow when hordes of people may or may not descend, as I've only just got back from an exhausting week away. Various pulses, rice, onions, garlic and turmeric and now gently cooking away in the SC with lots of water. Hopefully by lunchtime they'll have magically turned into delicious soup

brizzledfw

Sounds luscious green bee.

Great to have you back GP. Don't leave us cos of nasty thoughtless folk elsewhere .

Still on use ups..the pie leftovers from Sunday got used today and DD1 got very proactive and made her sis and herself pasta with pesto and cheese this evening, before OH and I got home...:j.... It's great when they get more sufficient! Not sure about tomorrow..need to consult OH's meal planner

cocalls

The eves pudding looks yum! I'm presuming you have an active job as your portion sizes are um......quite healthy.

Amazingly I found £10.51 in roadkill yesterday a £10 note was on the side of the road and I actually stopped and got off my bike to grab it.

Karmacat

That pudding looks fabulous :j

I'm another one that finds soup "not quite there" - it should be a stew which we'd call scouse

Ouchie, I hadn't thought of increased use of plastic lessening the amount of road kill to be found! Bother

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Evening :hello:

Visitors, how lovely.

greenbee - nice to see you here I do hope the soup turned out well and fed the (possible) hungry hoards. Let me know what you think - bit worried now that I may of endorsed something everyone else thinks is yukky <worried smiley>

brizzle - what with your self-sufficient DD's and the culinary wizard of a lodger, you may never have to pick up a saucepan again :T:j (writes an envious Greying.......;))

Karma - what then is 'Lob' scouse? Is it just the longhand version - or are different meats used?

cocalls wrote: »

The eves pudding looks yum! I'm presuming you have an active job as your portion sizes are um......quite healthy.

Hi cocalls - my you are an early bird - or is it the end of the day for you? I'm glad you have raised the point about portion sizes as I do realise that we do eat quite 'heartily'.

May I offer these thoughts?? - not meant defensively, it is just that you raise a very valid point, and it's going to be different for different folk.

Firstly, you are correct. Both DP and I do have active roles, which means that we are both within the 'parameters' for our height/weight ratio. And I found out recently, as a by-product of having to be prodded, poked, measured, tested, monitored, scanned, timed and goodness knows what else by the local hospital, that my BMI is all but spot on - I shan't tell you what the nurse said, because it contains a rude word :rotfl:But the first 2 were 'You lucky.......'

Secondly - I do wish I had read your post earlier in the day - I had time off this afternoon......... I spent a couple of hours digging over the next 1/4 of the gardening parental's allotment. It's official. In my 'leisure' time, I do 'manual activity' for fun :rotfl:Still, at least 1/2 the allotment is now dug over and looking shipshape!

Last night's dinner was a little bit of an oddity, as we don't routinely have pudding and the main course was more like something we would eat on a Sunday. However, I must of subconsciously been building up for today But also, I do wonder if the pics are distorting the size of the portion? In terms of the pudding, both pics are actually of the same portion, but even I admit that the one with custard looks like a bigger portion than the one without. All that was added was a drizzle of 'thin' custard Perhaps in trying to focus in close so that the ingredients can be seen, it skews perspective and looks bigger than it is?

Normally, the pics of food are more likely to be DP's plate than mine. I do eat less.

And the final irony? Both DP and I weren't particularly hungry this evening - so dinner tonight was THIS SOUP I had a small bowlful and DP had 1 and a half bowlfuls.

I hope that doesn't come across as defensive - it is actually a point that has worried me a little before. I hope above all we achieve balance in our food. We do eat much more 'whole' foods (back to 'Stone Age' diets again ), than junk. Whilst DP has a sweeter tooth than me, sweet is a treat, rather than the norm. Portion size/control is not only an issue about health - it does also impact on the Grocery budget, so it is something that I try to be mindful of. Perhaps we manage to eat well on a small budget because we eat more ordinary foods than Junk?

cocalls wrote: »

Amazingly I found £10.51 in roadkill yesterday a £10 note was on the side of the road and I actually stopped and got off my bike to grab it.

Wow! Well done you - a tenner! I would of got off my bike too Keep coming back to us cocalls - we need your *roadkill* luck to rub off on us all

I am ever so glad that cocalls raised that point. I do enjoy being made to think about things that I do

No *roadkill* today, but I did achieve a NSD :j Must update siggie Also got some free firewood (for in 2017 or somesuch)as the gardening parental had sawn up the fruits of Sunday's labour into manageable chunks

dreaming the soup ^^^ mentioned above may well be you type of thing - features chickpeas and is hearty enough to not really seem like you are eating soup?

Well, I'm a little bit tired, so I may well toddle off for a quick read of my library book (a cooking tome ) and thence to Bedfordshire I think.

Today I am grateful for these 3 things;

Timeout - it's sometimes great to be around people, but sometimes better to be surrounded by nature.

for conversation - but I hope I don't bore.........

for my health and well-being - may I never take it for granted, and may I always try my utmost to maintain mine and DP's health - it is worth more than any amount of money.......

As ever, thank you so much for popping in, reading, commenting and joining in. I really appreciate it.

See y'all later.

Greying