Living richly; simply and debt-freely

Upsidedown_Bear

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Evening :hello:

Well we've ended up achieving quite a bit today, and the day is not over yet

As a result of making one phone call, I've got to make another, and I'm going to have to do it all again in the next few days, but..... well, it's only once in a while. But coralling cats is not my favourite pasttime

I tried to push the boat out for 'us tea' as it is a BH. We've not barbequed an ox in honour of it being a holiday, but I was in THE W0rx yesterday, and picked up (and put down once I'd had a look ) The Hungry Vegetarian Student by Charlotte Pike. Not an author i was aware of, but apparently a blogger and former student of Exeter Uni. Anyway, a 'recipe' for halloumi with caper and lemon dressing caught my eye - and Pippi had mentioned halloumi the other day.... and it gave me an idea for a Buddha bowl.



I boiled up some brown basmati - l love brown rice, and ate quite a bit whilst pregnant to 'up the fibre content' But it does require planning as it takes more time to cook. That was on the bottom, them i topped it with some wild rocket (from mrl 69p a bag), and then a salsa of chopped cherry tomatoes (assorted colours) from our greengrocer 60p 250g, with some chopped fine green beans (frozen), and a lemon/oil dressing. I added in some toasted chopped hazelnuts (from mrL last week, they were on special, but I can't remember how much), then topped that with some grilled halloumi slices (mrL £1.39 a packet) and then drizzled a lemon/caper dressing on top. The basil leaf is from a YS'd pot from mrT (yesterday) 62p.

Bit different and right for the warmer weather

Today I am grateful for these 3 things;

- we timed our shopping trip right - the shops were empty :j

- for family - when its good, its good...............................

- for DH being such a hands on Dad, its important, plus it means I can do a little bit more two-handed

Right, i'm going to love you and leave you. Make a phone call and try to squeeze in some admin, whilst setting the washing machine to go too. Wish me luck ...... :rotfl:

Greying XX

Upsidedown_Bear

Food looks yumtastic (< if it's not a word it should be for your amazing food)
Smilie is going to have a go making something similar

Maybe you could write a book like Jack Monroe :think: Did you know Jack's next book is being self published? It was funded
via Kickstarter.
It will also be published by Bluebird after Christmas.

Upsidedown_Bear

Greying_Pilgrim

Upsidedown Bear - I did know Jack Monroe had raised the dosh to publish the next book in the series, but I'll admit to losing touch with the blog etc when it went through a quiet spell. But I know that it has been reincarnated now and is updated more often, so I'll perhaps take to looking in more often. I think Jack has a particular knack of true budget recipes - not sure I'm in the same league. I tend to work better with food *ideas* - like the lemon caper dressing. I had some capers in because I had bought some for the 'mediterranean style' pasta dish that i had done the other evening - but i got them because h0me bargins had them in stock - they don't always. So there were some left that need using - hence the dressing. I'm definitely a *splodge*, *dash*, *pinch* and improvise type of cook. Not too sure how you write a recipe for that...... Hmmmmm ponders :think:

Well, the washing is just spinning out. I've typed up the first draft of the admin document (should have done it weeks ago ) and I made the necessary phone call. I am really, really ready for my bed and grateful for the 'teamwork' mentality that we have going here at Greying Towers DH is a star And BG has been safely cared for at all times

Right, gonna try to get some shuteye, before it's time to wake up again...............................

Greying XX

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning :hello:

Humpf, just lost another post because i pressed the wrong key! Grr to one handed typing! (just got BG off to sleep on my arm).

Today has started with a fizz. Baby Greying has had a bath because various bodily fluids had leaked out and about and, frankly it was a bit whiffy........ i have had a shower (tmi? :rotfl:) so i'm not whiffy neither We have put up another set of blackout linings, so BG can have a choice of nap locations throughout the day. All that and breakfasted too

Today won't be a nsd as DH is at the dentist so he can look I have got to finish up my admin and get things sent off, and will need some more stamps. And as it is Tuesday i'll try and get the TV guide to top off my spending.

Not too sure what we'll have for tea. I really must try to get back into meal planning, even if i cut myself some slack and rely a little more on convenience foods to help me out for a little while. We still have a high proportion of fresh fruit & veg, so it shouldn't wreck our daily nutritional intake. I was thinking how lucky i have been with food in pregnancy and beyond. I had no cravings, but didn't go off anything either. Although i am veggie, i did try my utmost to incorporate some fish into my diet, but i began to dislike the thought of the good 'oily' stuff and eventually gave up on white fish too I really didn't eat enough, but my body kinda told me it didn't like it either, and the last thing i wanted to do was to make myself vomit when I didn't need to.

Well, i'm going to move BG to their crib to get the blood flowing in my arm again........

Laters...............

Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Evening :hello:

Just a quick update from me

Spent a little bit of dosh today - pretty much all necessary expenditure, although i forgot to get the TV mag :wall: Did quite a bit of 'domestrickery' today - not much compared to some, but more than i have managed of late

I made 'Pilgrim Stew' for us tea. And before you think that i made the name up, you can find the 'bona fide' recipe HERE I used spinach as we had green beans last night (veggie sausages, mash, green beans and gravy). It was all ingredients that i had it, and was quick and simple to prepare. The butternut squash was part of one that I got from mrA in the S6 this week. It's very similar to a made-up recipe that I already have, but I think that it is different enough to warrant a place in the recipe card index The apples were a nice touch



Today I am grateful for these 3 things;

- that the cyclist who came out of nowhere, at speed, onto the pavement did not slice BG in two...... it was a close call.................

- that DH and I have made peace in our hearts and our minds about our decision regarding an onerous issue. Singing from the same hymnal................

- that I've the time to make yet another phone call, as DH has done some clearing up .................... #teamworkworking

Thanks for popping in and say howdy. As ever, i remain grateful.

Greying X

brizzledfw

Loving the posts GP..you're doing brilliantly

mcculloch29

Have I inadvertently christened Baby GP Baby Heron? Hmm...
Good to hear things are going well GP.
I love, love, love Jack Monroe's Peach & Chickpea Curry. I will try it without the syrup, thanks for the tip.

I am one of the funders for Jack's new book, and I also coughed up for one for a school or library.

I bought a copy of A Girl Called Jack for the local library when it first came out, as it was the sort of book I would have wanted to come across when I was really on my uppers. I have the second one too. That one was a bit too expensive for me to buy for the library at the time.

Tonight I defrosted some of Jack's kale pesto which had lingered in the freezer for a longish time in an ice cube tray. I had it with Ald! tortelloni. Lovely and hard to tell the difference between this and standard pesto, as the chilli and cheese are such strong flavours.

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Evening :hello:

Just a quick update from me as I am about fit to flag.

mcculloch - I know you are a great supporter of JM - and bravo! It's ironic, all the 'budget' cookbooks in our library are hardly ever out on loan........ And yet it isn't as if we're all rolling in dosh..... I guess you can lead a horse to water......

It has been a couple of busy couple of days out and about. Money has been spent - we're entertaining relatives from far flung corners of the countryside on the weekend, so figured we'd better feed them I have cheated royally, and bought pre-prepared food, where I would otherwise have made from scratch...... However, I have to say, it is cheaper, sometimes to buy the preprepared stuff. For example, they are all meat eaters, so I want to have some meat sandwiches on offer. Now, do I buy a joint of beef for ££'s and cook it and try to slice it nicely for sandwiches? or do i buy a couple of packs of 4/5 slices of beef silverside from hEr0n foods for £1.69? Uniform slices that will make sufficient sandwiches to contribute to the selection of fillings that I'm planning......... I was almost tempted to buy both quiches too. As it is i got a Quiche Lorraine from m&$, because by the time you'd bought all the bits......... i did wonder about getting a crustless quiche from mrW, but I think that I will try to make the little individual quiches that I had planned - there has got to be an element of HM!

We were entertained today. What an absolute luxury to have lunch made for you! I could sit down at a table, use both my knife and fork and enjoy my food - bliss! BG slept through the whole thing! :j

We got given some garden produce too. Can you beat freshly cut lettuce in a sandwich - which is what we had for our tea; cheese, tomato (bought from a greengrocers and produce of Yorkshire, 50p a net. 'Seconds' I would say, but cheaper than the SM, and actually tasted of tomato!) and HG lettuce sandwiches with a smattering of mayo. Reminiscent of 'Sunday teas' of my youth...........(apart from the fact the bread would have been M0thersPrid3 white sliced, not wholemeal & the mayo would have been salad cream....... )

A combination of the warm sunshine and rushing about hither and yon over the past couple of days means I'm shattered, so I'm away to my bed.......

Today I am grateful for these 3 things;

- family members who are helpful and supportive...........

- simple pleasures of a lovely lunch and birdsong.

- that there were sufficient nappies in the changing bag...... _pale_:rotfl:

Right, I'm 'orf. Thank you for popping in and offering support. Mucho, mucho appreciated, as ever.

Greying XX