Living richly; simply and debt-freely

mcculloch29

Ramen noodles... yeah, hmm. In our house they are precooked in the micro and then shoved in a nicely sauced stir-fry for the last few minutes. They aren't that bad, but for the life of me, I can't find many other uses for them.

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning :hello:

Cheery_Daff wrote: »

(Mr Cheery's sister was throwing an unopened box into the bin!! :eek: Obviously we rescued it. Can't imagine that stuff ever goes out of date! :eek:

Agreed Cheery - I would have rescued it out of the bin too.

I'm glad that you had courgettes, grilling is a great way to treat them as a vegetable in their own right Your quinoa plate sounds wonderful I've just been reading about your Skegness sojourn - and :eek: in equal measure I assume that the sea was like a millpond in this weather? Sounds like it was just the ticket (on balance) though

rtandon - I haven't been to Niagra, but agree, I would go whatever time of the year to see it

mucculloch - lovely to *see* you - are you well? See, I've never really got into stir-fry as a cooking method. I'm sure that it is me that is missing out, and done properly, it's a healthy way of cooking, I know. But it's just never grabbed me I think the noodles will stay on the shelf in the shop, but I'll always keep an eye out for 'interesting' things to do with them (clearly not discovered any yet.....) - just in case

Dinner last night was a curry plate, but I ended up plucking 2 curries and a dhal from the freezer, rather than making from scratch. We got absorbed watching James Ward playing tennis, and so I wouldn't have had time to then start making curries. As it turned out, it meant that we could then watch Andy Murray's game whilst we ate. So good all round

We're off out adventurising later today, to an open garden. The link is that when I first started a diary on MSE (2013?), we really were scratting around for every penny, due to a load of unexpected expenses all landing around the same time. I wanted to go to this open garden that year (I think it was open in August) and talked myself out of it, because it was a want, not a need and we were struggling a bit. I promised myself, we'd get our finances straight and we'd go the next year. Well, of course, it didn't open in 2014 did it :rotfl: But they're opening this year, and so we are going It'll cost us £4 each to get in, but I know that there will be plenty to see, plus it is donating a chunk of the money to charity, so I don't mind. We're going to go a bit earlier and take a sort of picnic. I'll make some buns just now, and we'll have a couple of sangers (not HM bread unfortunately ) and a flask.

Right, I'm away to find a cup of coffee to start the day, and I'll get to baking

Thanks everso for popping by, reading and joining in (I hope it was Niagra too rtandon - perhaps greenbee will let us know). As ever, I appreciate it.

See y'all later.

Greying x

Cheery_Daff

Enjoy your open garden dear Greying - how exciting that you've waited all this time for it! :j

(i'm pleased to say we rescued the quinoa *before* it got as far as the bin )

Oh! all this talk of courgettes and noodles reminds me - have you ever tried making your own noodles out off courgettes?? Utterly lovely. Just slice them lengthways, really thinly, and massage in a bit of salt, and they go all floppy like noodles REALLY nice summery base for a meal, filling but light I've had them with chick peas etc and the tahini sauce I was waffling about a while back :j Got the idea from a whole foods course I did with the woman from the Beauty That Moves blog

Have a lovely day with your picnic! :j

Greying_Pilgrim

Cheery_Daff wrote: »

Oh! all this talk of courgettes and noodles reminds me - have you ever tried making your own noodles out off courgettes?? Utterly lovely. Just slice them lengthways, really thinly, and massage in a bit of salt, and they go all floppy like noodles REALLY nice summery base for a meal, filling but light

Thanks Cheery - I don't think that I've ever done it, but I do know exactly what you mean, and I heartily agree, just the sort of thing for a summer meal. Mmmm. I'll have a cogitate on that one

Greying x

Greying_Pilgrim

Just whipped up a batch of buns using the £1 chocolate fudge cake recipe. An indispensable recipe to have in your arsenal - especially if you've fractious children to entertain over the summer hols, or big kids to pacify at anytime..... Super easy to make, most likely you'll have most of the ingredients in store and if you have one of those other summer 'staples' a banana that has ripened too quickly, then mash it up well, and use it instead of ONE of the eggs in the recipe - you'll have super narnar choccy buns then The recipe makes 12 buns (muffin size) or one cake (whatever size the recipe stipulates) all for less than the price of one cupcake from the bakers

Greying x

Greying_Pilgrim

I made a small batch of chocolate ganache and topped 4 of the buns, then chopped up 2 brazil nuts and popped that on the ganache (those will be the buns we take with us today ). I left the other buns undecorated, as they'll go straight in the freezer now they've cooled. Buns for another day - decorated or left plain as needed

Greying x

mcculloch29

Greying_Pilgrim wrote: »

Good Morning :hello:


mucculloch - lovely to *see* you - are you well? See, I've never really got into stir-fry as a cooking method. I'm sure that it is me that is missing out, and done properly, it's a healthy way of cooking, I know. But it's just never grabbed me I think the noodles will stay on the shelf in the shop, but I'll always keep an eye out for 'interesting' things to do with them (clearly not discovered any yet.....) - just in case

Dinner last night was a curry plate, but I ended up plucking 2 curries and a dhal from the freezer, rather than making from scratch. We got absorbed watching James Ward playing tennis, and so I wouldn't have had time to then start making curries. As it turned out, it meant that we could then watch Andy Murray's game whilst we ate. So good all round

We're off out adventurising later today, to an open garden. The link is that when I first started a diary on MSE (2013?), we really were scratting around for every penny, due to a load of unexpected expenses all landing around the same time. I wanted to go to this open garden that year (I think it was open in August) and talked myself out of it, because it was a want, not a need and we were struggling a bit. I promised myself, we'd get our finances straight and we'd go the next year. Well, of course, it didn't open in 2014 did it :rotfl: But they're opening this year, and so we are going It'll cost us £4 each to get in, but I know that there will be plenty to see, plus it is donating a chunk of the money to charity, so I don't mind. We're going to go a bit earlier and take a sort of picnic. I'll make some buns just now, and we'll have a couple of sangers (not HM bread unfortunately ) and a flask.

Right, I'm away to find a cup of coffee to start the day, and I'll get to baking

Thanks everso for popping by, reading and joining in (I hope it was Niagra too rtandon - perhaps greenbee will let us know). As ever, I appreciate it.

See y'all later.

Greying x

I am not so bad, thanks GP. I am just about to get around to re-start taking the other GP, the Golden Paste, for my arthritis. The actual arthritis isn't too bad atm but GPaste is so beneficial all round, that I should get back to it. I shall have to find a better source than 50g jars though!

Stir-fries are a standby in this house. We love them.
I have various devices to chop and slice veg quickly - I have just been sent this one to review by the seller http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00X66ISKO?ref_=cm_cr-mr-title
and it is brilliant.
Its praises were being sung on Come Dine with Me last night, I noticed, as a lady from Llanelli used it to chop onions.
I wish it had been invented years ago. Actually 'they' probably did invent it, as the 'slice' bit is essentially an egg slicer and the 'dice' bit is the grid for a potato chipper.
No need to get the food processor out to batch chop onions for freezing now, or for slicing potatoes and onions for Jocasta's bacon, onion and potato bake.
Bacon can be omitted for this one for vegetarians and replaced with extra cheese, do you all know of this deliciousness?
Here is a version, Jocasta's is better as it uses cheese sauce.
http://allrecipes.co.uk/recipe/8975/easy-peasy-potato--onion-and-bacon-bake.aspx

Greying_Pilgrim

And still I've not been to that garden! :rotfl: I should have spotted the tell-tale signs before we set out. DP had his grumpy pants well and truly welded on today *sigh*.

We set off from the carpark for our walk/picnic and all he did was moan. We had choice of 2 routes (not been there before) and we started off on one, and I said, about 100 feet in, that perhaps we ought to have picked the other route, as it was more likely to have somewhere (no benches) for us to stop to have lunch. Oh no, we were on this path now and this path was where we were going to walk *sigh*. The rain came. Luckily, summer shower stuff - you know, biggish droplets, but the minute it hits the earth it has dried - and same on the clothing, but that set off more moaning. Anyway, we got to the point where we could get back to the 'middle path'. Thankfully, after a few hundred yards, we came across a fallen tree trunk at a clearing that had a view. DP got the flattest bit (to avoid further moans - I sat on the uncomfortable bit) and we set down our waterproof sheets (actually 2 sides of a shopping bag from w1lkinsons, that say 'Do more of what makes you happy' ) and cracked open the picnic. It was gorgeous. We had a lovely view, and despite some walkers having been around, no-one passed the entire time we were there (no rescuing of sangers/cake from hoovering Labradors either!:D) and it was so quiet! Considering in was in woodland, the birds weren't that vocal either. Which should have provided a clue. We just finished our lunch (egg and tomato sangers on wholemeal, a brazil choocy narnar bun and a cup of coffee - just in case you are interested ), when..... the heavens opened! We didn't get mega drenched - our coats were in the car - as we were in woodland and then a Holloway, so we had some protection. But we did get wet DP's mood didn't improve Natch, by the time we got back to the car, it had stopped raining :rotfl: Still, the highlight of the walk, as we approached the last section of lane before the car park, was to see a pair of bull finches - we saw the male first, and DP reckons he has never seen one, so he did acknowledge that that was pretty special

Anyway, the rain was headed off in the direction of the garden we were going to go to. DP was insistent that we went, but I figured we were better off calling it a day - his mood wasn't going to improve, and I'd hate to have spent £8 and have to come home early because he was moaning. As it was, our walk cost a little bit of diesel - and we did have a nice time, even DP mentioned as much when we got home :T Our damp, mudspattered trousers are in the wash and DP is watching the GP. All is well

Nature notes;



These pyramid orchids were in abundance. I only know their name because we looked at the interpretation board as we set out. But wiki reckons whilst they are common across Europe, they are more common in some places than others. Still, a beautiful, unassuming little flower, and I love that we actually have orchids as native plants in the UK. You see those exotic ones in the supermercados and m&$, sold as houseplants and it's easy to assume that they are a plant of the tropics.

Anyway, i'm off to see what all the hooting and shouting at the TV is about <rollseyes>

Greying x

rtandon27

GP - you had me very confused with all the talk of buns & not being able to make sarnies without HM bread - lol - until I realized that your 'buns' were yummy chocy muffins (cakes)!:D

We've somehow mistakenly bought two bunches of bananas this week (don't ask how this happened) so visions of a few batches of your buns may just be in our future! - freezer will be stocked with desserts for a month!:D

(in the confusion that gifted us with extra bananasa, we forgot fresh milk, but luckily the stores that are unpacked yielded an emergency litre of uht milk! - one day I will be organized again!)

Your orchid pic is so beautiful - what a lovely day you've had - sorry you had to keep company with the grumps - hopefully the sports have cheered him right up!

satchmo1

I was the grump in our household this afternoon, brought on by a valid observation couched as an accusation.