Getting my Old Style mojo back

Ilona

Good morning. Just popping in. Caterina, I can't chew hard food very well, due to lack of lower back teeth. I have a wonderful little gadget that does this for me, a kenwood mini chopper. I use it every morning to make a breakfast topping for my bran flakes, in it I put nuts, seeds, prunes, dried fruits, and porridge oats. I can now get enough of these good foods into me. I have a large kenwood processor as well, in this I make peanut butter, I like my nuts.

I would love to buy M & S food, but I just can't bring myself to do it. If my mum was here and she wanted it I would buy it for her. She went without many times to bring up three kids on little money, it's a shame I can't help her now. Love your mum while she is here.

Amanda, your holiday sounds good, I like self catering. Using Youth Hostels in the UK can work out quite cheap when you make your own food. I have got five nights booked in three different hostels for next month on the Norfolk coast, and shall be walking from one to the other. The pricey bit will be the petrol to drive to the first one, where I will leave my car, then drive back after four days of walking. Cost of five nights in hostels is £95. Out of season it's even cheaper.

Sunny outside so I'm off to walk the dog, and spend time in the garden. Think the rain is coming in the next couple of days.
Ilona

Caterina

Hi Ilona, thank you for your kind words about my mum, that's exactly what I am doing, loving her while she is here, not only in my home, but on this Earth.

I normally buy in marks only when it is YSd, even flowers, our local has some amazing reductions! But on this occasion I get mum whatever she wants, however I put my foot down the other day when she wanted a £12 bouquet of flower "because they are so pretty", when there was another YSd to £5, which even for me is quite extravagant. So I got the fiver one, to her disappointment, but next day went to see if the pretty flowers were reduced, and they were, to less than half price. So I got them and she is getting a lot of joy out of them, and the earlier nice big bouquet is in my bedroom!

So it worked out well. My mum never had to do without when we were little as we were quite well off, but she suffered hunger and cold very badly during her childhood in Rome during WW2 and the nazi occupation of Rome, when you could not even find a cat because they had all been eaten! In any case, she is my mum and has given me life so I can afford to stretch the budget for a month and I get a lot of pleasure at spoiling her and make her happy!

I second the idea of self catering, nobody cooks my favourite foods as well as I do and I make it at a tenth of the price that restaurants charge. On our honeymoon holiday I was planning a really posh dinner for our night in Paris but the restaurant has never bothered replying to my booking enquiry so they can get stuffed! Last time I was in Paris with a friend we happened on a lovely little typical restaurant run by a very pleasant and knowledgeable young man, right in the Marais, and that's where we will go, and s*d the pretentious restaurant!

I think we will have a few meals out in Spain as a treat but for the most part it will be self catering in the bungalow. Can't wait!

Ilona

Phew, it's hot outside, come inside for a cool off. I treated myself to an iced coffee, latte cappuccino, as they were on offer at 50p in Tesco. I wouldn't normally buy this sort of thing, I like my bog standard instant coffee and don't pay silly prices for the myriad of fancy names on offer. So what's my verdict on this iced coffee? It doesn't seem right to me to drink cold coffee, it was ok, but nothing special. I won't be rushing to the fridge next time I am in there to stock up. Might try another flavour but wouldn't pay full price for it. I'm more of a diluted fruit juice girl if I am thirsty.

Very occasionally I might get a bunch of reduced flowers, but they have to be very cheap, like ten or twenty p, ha ha. When I get home I pick a few stems from the evergreens in my garden and mix them all together in a nice vase. It can make a piddly small bunch look quite spectacular with a bit of nifty arranging. As I say, it's very occasionally I do that.

My friend has given me the key to her garden gate and said I could go in and pick a few tomatoes when I want to. I've got three big ones, to go with the yellow sticker salad leaves and cucumber. I shall steam some YS veg to go with it, that's my dinner sorted.

Tatty byes.
Ilona

amandaatnumber7

Morning all
The boys and I are still sick, looks like I wont be going to work tonight

I'm really looking forward to our holiday its been a while since we've been away anywhere
Caterina I find some of the best meals I've had are from the smaller restaurants

Our Mums are such blessing, I didn't really appreciate my Mum until I had children of my own

Hoping to get my stock take and meal plan done today, I went to the supermarket yesterday to get a few bits and a couple of easy meals so were not buying in, still expensive but cheaper than take away I guess. When I'm better definitely going to have a cook up for the freezer.

I also want to get my sewing machine out but we'll just see how that goes lol

Have a lovely day

Caterina

Good morning all,

Amandaatnumber7, poor you and children for still feeling unwell, I hope it passes soon. Who can blame you for getting easy meals when you are unwell? Good for you for treating yourself gently!

Ilona I also don't buy any of the fancy coffees with silly names and even sillier ingredients (mango caramel frappuccino, anyone? LOL). But occasionally I will treat myself to a pot of tea in w8rose, the tea comes free, what's not to like? But to take it in China cups in the cafe, as opposite to plastic cups standing up in the shop floor, one has to buy something to eat. I usually buy a 55p biscuit, or if I am flush a 1.50 choc brownie, which then go into DH's packed lunch. That little expense gives me a bit of luxury and a nice break in my day, maybe a couple of times a month.

Yesterday more fruit buying with my mum, first in sainbobs then in marks. Well, get this: the greengages in sainsbobs are more expensive than in marks! And so are the avocados, which incidentally are cheapest and best in w8rose, go figure! So it is really worth to compare prices before making assumptions.

Today I am going to a lovely workout class, circuits, that I have discovered recently, in a super mega expensive posh gym, they are offering free classes, twice a week, for the over 55s, how lovely is that, and it is never more than 10 people, in a great environment, excellent equipment, and shower and (if desired) sauna at the end of it, with complimentary towels and toiletries. I am so grateful and delighted. Today I won't go in the sauna though because I had a little op the other day, a cyst removed from my lower lip, and I don't want the stitches to be affected by too much heat and damp. But I have been in the past and it is such a luxury! Followed up by the free w8rose tea of course, which is just downstairs from the gym. Bliss. :T

Off to have breakfast now.

Hope you have a good day.

Ilona

Good morning. Free classes in a posh gym eh! Sounds fantastic. All we get are gentle workouts in a village hall, for seniors who are less mobile. for that there is a charge, and you have to take your own mat.

Sorry you are not well, Amanda. Take it easy today.

I must get my @rse into gear and go out today. I am not a homebird and like to have days out, that's why I save my pennies for the petrol and a decent car. Will make a pack up to take so I don't spend any money.
Catch you later
Ilona

Caterina

Ah, Ilona, that is the advantage of living in London I suppose. But you have the open spaces and the countryside on your doorstep! Have a good outing!

Ilona

My mojo will go out of the window today, got a poorly kittykat who will have to go and see the nice vet lady, who will relieve me of some cash. Got to be done. I self insure and there is money in the pot to pay for it.

In the meantime I won't stop off anywhere else and spend on frivolous stuff. I have to confess though that I did spend £4.25 yesterday on a magazine. Stitch comes out six times a year and it's a useful source for good ideas for sewing and crafting projects. Most of my inspiration comes from yoootooob vids, but I like to browse a real paper magazine, and I will keep these for years for reference.
Going to check on kitty who is in the isolation ward upstairs.
Ilona

Caterina

Hope your kitty gets better soon, poor thing! Re craft mag, if I had known I would have posted you my old Prima mags, but I have just given them to my dentist for the reception! Not sure how long my subscription goes (I get it for the clothes patterns) but if I get a few more I will send them to you.

amandaatnumber7

Morning, hope you all had a lovely weekend
Ilona I hope you cat is ok
Caterina free lessons sounds great, I was just saying to my hubby last night how I'd like to go back to the gym
As you know I worked so not a great deal got done around the house but I did make a start on a crochet blanket for my niece for her 1st birthday
Not much planned today, but I do need to get some wool and catch up on the housework, maybe some baking I'll see how I go