Five OS Pleasures in your day today

Reverbe

Good to see you back again Rainy. I am always saying to my flatmate I am sure we must know you or at least know of you as we used to go to every game home and away a few years back..Good luck with the OU course.

bellaquidsin

Yesterday's pleasures:-

1. The lovely sunshine which seemed to come from nowhere, it was warmer outside than in.

2. Unexpectedly drying a great load of towels, I get extra to our own use from an outside source.

3. Getting the geraniums up out of the garden, potting them up and bringing them into the front porch where they are making a lovely bank of colour.

4. Planting snowdrop bulbs in a little black cauldron I have, to make a nice welcome to spring.

5. The chicken pie I made for my family, it's always a hands down winner and yet it is probably the most economical meal I ever give them.

Today's pleasures:-

1. Sorting through my cupboards-

2. Determining to turn some of my trash, if not into treasure at least into something useful.

3. Displaying some of the 'stash' in baskets where I can see it so that it doesn't just slip my mind - again.

4. Planning dusters from old pygamas, crochet flowers from scaps of crochet thread (to make toppers for cards), a couple of skirts from materials in my stash and last but not least jumpers and cardigans to knit, should keep me busy through the winter, better get a wriggle on.

5. Taking a friend to hospital for her pre-op check prior to hand surgery, when she is coming to stay with me until she recovers. Not a pleasure as such but I am really happy to have the health, strength and wherewithal to be able to help, as she has no-one.

Bella.

Patchwork_Quilt

I hope your OH gets the job Sunflower. Fingers crossed!

1) Went for my first OU dayschool on Saturday. I wasn't sure about giving up my precious weekend time but met some lovely, talented people and got a bit of a boost for the course, too.
2) Tidied up the garden for Autumn. Pulled all the weeds out of the patio, regravelled the front, actually cut the lawn and put away the washing line. It looks so much better.
3) A friend at work brought in three empty jars. Lovely woman.
4) Bought four lampshades, including a small chandelier, for £60 in the DIY store sale. I thought I had done really well until I realised that the landing still has a bare bulb.

That's it for now. Hugs to everyone!

Kittikins

1. DD's childminder gave her a phonics storybook today
2. A freegle person gave me a gorgeous never been used set of KS1 books on maths, science, English for DD - handy presents for when she's being particularly lovely, don't want her to think that treats are always food!
3. Yay, back on the diet with a vengeance, I am now 104lb off what I was on 17th April, and the lowest weight I've been in about 12 years. Woo hoo!!
4. 2 more girlie nights out in my diary
5. have had great chats with 2 of my closest friends during the last 24 hours, we usually email whilst at work, and I'm fed up of being bored witless during the evenings, so very happy to have made real contact with them.

AlwaysHappy

My five for the day:
1. getting to sainsburys just as they were doing the final reductions and getting some super bargains.
2. Using the last £2.50 on my nectar card for the bargains.
3. Meeting with my M.E specialist and acknowledging aloud that its ok to have some time off to rest - though putting it into practice maybe different
4. Making some toffee and banana muffins with bananas that had seen better days in my fruit bowl
5. The smell of freshly baked bread wafting through the house when I went for a lie down.
Hope you are all having a lovely day and counting those blessings.......

Olliebeak

Ev'ning all :wave: - absolutely piddling down today - all day!!! Beautiful sunny day forecast for tomorrow BUT with northerly winds - brrrrrrrrrr!

sparrer - sorry to hear you're - hope you soon feel much better - get some honey and lemon down you .
sunflower - that sounds like a great shopping/dining trip and to your OH for the interview
Primrose - lol at your local heron - we have a very unpopular one around here that flies over from the local Safari Park. I think some people are almost ready to put a price on his head IF he's not careful!!!
helyg - ((((HUGS)))) for you. I didn't realise that the Book People had a website - thought they only went into workplaces - learn summat new everyday . Love the look of some of the titles on there so may be tempted to get a few for Christmas presents. :T for the 'jog' on that one .
newlywed - I know how you feel with your No.1 - love seeing all my dgk's but how I love the peace when they've all gone home again :rolleyes:.
Reverbe - you got some great whoopsies there .
jennyjelly - well done on potting up those herbs - great idea and wtg on the 'bottom of the bag' treasure hunt :rotfl:.
RachelW - :drool: ham shank soup - great favourite in this house too.
Louba - sounds like you're enjoying your trip to Germany :j.
RainyWednesday - well done you on finishing the last of your OU course - now good luck for your results .
bella - well done on managing to get some more gardening done - those snowdrops should look great in the new year. I have the same problem that you have, my 'stashed stuff' gets forgotten about because I don't see it most of the time - well not unless I'm looking for something else :rotfl:.
Patchwork - wow - one person finishing the OU and another one just starting - good luck with the course .
Kittikins - well done on dd's progress - and great news on your continued weightloss and improving 'social life'.
AlwaysHappy - well done on your bargain hunting and baking session :drool:.

Mine for yesterday and today:

1. Needed to give DD a 'verbal kick up the pants' yesterday to get her into action on a form that she needed to sort out!

2. Visit from DS1 in the morning for breakfast and a chat while he recharged his work drill using my electric - very money-saving of him :eek:.

3. Quiet day in work and managed to sort out most problems 'from my office'.

4. Planning a trip to Bury Market for my tenants - they've been asking for another day out and it will be good for christmas bargain hunting .

5. The 'kick up the pants' has worked - DD rang today to say that she's posted the required form now AND she'd also been to the local council to sort out her Housing Benefit/Council Tax Benefit Form that they'd asked for extra information on - about time too!!!

6. OH went shopping today and brought back some sirloin steak for evening meal - had it with salad and oven chips - real treat :drool:.

7. Phonecall from dgd1 to ask if she can come here from school tomorrow evening and stay overnight - think she enjoys some privacy from her younger brother who is very hard work.

8. Planning a pan of 'scouse' for evening meal tomorrow - dgd1 will love that :j.

9. Have also baked 2 Banana and Walnut loaves (well mixed nuts not actually walnuts - they're way too expensive!). One in the freezer and the other in the cake tin.

that's me done for tonight - hope we all get a good night's sleep. Nitey nite all - love Ollie xxx

mineallmine

Morning(!) all,

Must to bed soon.

1. Going out this evening, quite a buzz.
2. New furniture for bits of the house today, used a local company, so helpful, and prices were great too.
3. Spicing up some new pots (par-boiled, then roasted with chilli flakes and oil).
4. Making sandwiches for work. Spending £4 on wet soggy rubbish the other day that made my stomach turn, convinced me to pop to Lidl and buy supplies. So far so good.
5. Dishwasher on timer to use Economy7.

Night all.

PS: Bella please share your Chicken Pie recipe with your next OS blessings!

newlywed

Morning all - Ollie - do you have a recipe for the banana walnut loaf?

Hmmm thinking hard today.....

1. The £20 petrol lasting the amount of days I'd hoped - even though I'd done a few extra miles on a trip out to the fishmongers in a nearby village.

2. Yesterday being late home but dinner being sat there waiting for us - thanks to the Slow Cooker and my preparation early in the day

3. Day 3 of the diet and feeling fairly positive about it still (I've been a cake-aholic recently so 3 days is an achievement ).

4. The freezer still being stuffed full - must try and do a re-jig to shuffle it down a bit better

5. A joke email from a cousin I haven't seen or heard from in a while.

6. Our heating still being off

7. The rain saving me a job of watering the garden.

Olliebeak

Hi newlywed - this the recipe for Banana and Walnut Loaf that I use - courtesy of dear old Mrs Beeton :

BANANA AND WALNUT BREAD
Ingredients
Fat for greasing baking tin – if required
3 very ripe bananas
2ozs chopped walnuts (I use chopped mixed nuts)
7ozs self-raising flour
1tsp baking powder
¼tsp bicarbonate of soda
4½ozs caster sugar
3ozs soft margarine (I use Asda’s own sunflower margarine)
Finely grated rind of ½ lemon
2 medium eggs
2ozs seedless raisins

Method
· Pre-heat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas4 and grease/line a 2lb loaf tin.
· Mash the bananas in a large bowl.
· Add all the other ingredients into the bowl and beat for about 3 minutes by hand with a wooden spoon, or for 2 minutes in a food processor.
· Put the mixture into the prepared loaf tin.
· Bake for approx 1hr 10mins – or until firm to the touch.

Check how the cake is browning after around 45mins. If it looks a good colour but still not cooked in the middle, cover with a piece of tinfoil to prevent getting any darker, until the time is up.

· Leave in the tin for a few minutes and then finish cooling on a wire rack.

Hope your family like this as much as we do .

Reverbe

MMM Bury Market... love their black pud stall..