The Simple Bare Necessities feat. Gratitude & Recipes

Greying_Pilgrim

Today I am already grateful for these 3 things;

For all our Emergency Response Services - everyone who ran towards danger to help, comfort, care, protect........

For our free at the point of delivery National Health Service - that doesn't check at the door if you've adequate insurance cover before you receive treatment

For kindness

_______________________________

I decided to get active and channel energy in a positive manner this morning. I got my arris into gear and took the final box of UHT milk around to the food bank. I should have done it ages ago, but a combination of bad weather, appointments and 'things other' seems to have led it going by the way. So I reckoned I would rectify that today. The nice receptionist was on at the community hub, which was nice I was on the right side of the High Street to be near enough to mrA's to pick up something for BG and I also got a bag of YS'd sweet potatoes. Only a 13p saving on what mrAl sell them for normally, but it's 13p in my pocket......

I wandered back through the municipal park, partly to avoid the tertiary college students walking 3 abreast on the pavement, and partly to immerse myself in nature and birdsong to remember what life is about. It also involved pushing BG up a significant slope, so I got even more of a work-out than my extended walk to take in the community hub and mrA's!

I called in at the market 'all. Picked up 4 avocados for a pand again, but left everything else at that stall, as they have raised their prices - significantly. Went to another little stall that is only there one day a week and got some really nice Spanish lemons, nicer than the m&$ offering and cheaper too :j I did call into m&$ as we needed bananas and i picked up a YS'd cuc too, along with the TV guide.

I was pondering yesterday - prior to the Manchester atrocity - about whether there was any relevance to my diary. As it is getting increasingly hard to shave a penny off costs hither and yon, and we are somewhat stuck in limbo with the house. The catalyst for my thinking, was as much the 'general economic situation' as it was a realisation that I have some riduculous amount of notebooks that are filled with recipes that I am not using/trying out. And also, a recognition of the way I cook, which is certainly in the spirit of 'cucina povera' which means using what I have to hand, and time being as much an important constituent of dishes as the ingredients are. Looking through some of my more recent notebooks, I have begun to wonder whether in order to claim 'new' recipes, folk just add in more and more ingredients in order to differentiate them from recipes that have gone before, rather than to add to the overall taste, texture or indeed, enjoyment of the dish. I always admonish myself for 'buying' ingredients to make a buddha bowl - that is not what the concept is supposed to be about!

The thing is, when do I know that I have sufficient recipes, when do ich habe genug? Do I miss out on corkers (the vegan breakfast sausage springs to mind) to dispense with the umpteenth variation of a marinated lentil recipe? I'm not quite sure what the answer is. But there are only so many meals in a day, week, month........

I'm going to make a concerted effort to make a difference to our situation. I'm setting myself a challenge. I've only the bare-bones of it at present, but it will be starting on 1st June, 2017. It will cover a 13 week period, until the 31st August, 2017. It will be my 'Try (much) Harder Trimester'. If I cannot make some sort of difference to our situation in this time period, then I think that the diary will probably need to be wound up, as I would be nowt but a fraud. I will try and flesh out some of the details as the occur to me, and try to report on progress - I can't guarantee I shall be as good as apple-muncher at doing that! I've not talked to DH about this challenge per se. But he's a good sort, wants to move on, but does tend to prefer if I lead, so I'll take my bit of leverage and see where it gets us.

I made bread rolls for the HM falafel burgers for tea last night. I forgot what pleasure I get from making and baking bread, particulalry slow-rise bread. The baps contained hemp, sunflower, pumpkin and sesame seed and the top was browned using a light brushing of honeyed water, and then a sprinkle of sesame seeds. Nice.



Greying X

EssexHebridean

Your diary doesn't HAVE to be anything at all to anyone other than you. If YOU enjoy writing it - then write it for yourself. The only person you are accountable to on here is yourself.

Personally, I'd say if you want to carry on writing it, then I will happily carry on reading it, and commenting occasionally - if it's no longer a pleasure and has become a chore, then there you have your answer, though.

ps - Nice baps!

Greying_Pilgrim

EssexHebridean wrote: »

Your diary doesn't HAVE to be anything at all to anyone other than you. If YOU enjoy writing it - then write it for yourself. The only person you are accountable to on here is yourself.

Personally, I'd say if you want to carry on writing it, then I will happily carry on reading it, and commenting occasionally - if it's no longer a pleasure and has become a chore, then there you have your answer, though.

ps - Nice baps!

Mmm, I know, but I'm quite fixed on 'relevance' and whilst I am trying to remain debt-free, I'm struggling (like everyone else) with rising prices, and so even without bringing any 'new' tips to the table, we're just floating along, trying to absorb the increases along with everyone else. I've done all the obvious 'down-shift' things, I'm not sure where else there is to trim. I enjoy writing the diary - most of the time, after all, I am not contracted to produce X posts in Y days, but it just concerns me regarding the relevance. I was trying to put 'nice' food on the table, which I could by prepping it myself, but even this is getting harder. And even if I'm willing to write my 400th post about 'beans on toast for us tea' would anyone really want to read it?...........:p

I forgot to post a pic of last night's tea (not beans on toast!)



HM falafel burgers on a HM bap, with carrot dip, mixed salad leaves (mrL), garlic mayo, pickled onion rings; tzatsiki, spiced lentils (nigel slater from Kitchen Diaries II - no link avail. I'm afraid) and a mixed cherry tomato salad.

Greying X

Upsidedown_Bear

Smilie and I are always happy to read whatever you write but as EssexHebridean said the only person you are accountable to is yourself.

You, Mr GP and BG hold a special place in our hearts and we will always enjoy reading about your adventures but don't feel you have to continue writing either now or in the future.
We do like the sound of a challenge though

Greying_Pilgrim

Upsidedown_Bear wrote: »

Smilie and I are always happy to read whatever you write but as EssexHebridean said the only person you are accountable to is yourself.

You, Mr GP and BG hold a special place in our hearts and we will always enjoy reading about your adventures but don't feel you have to continue writing either now or in the future.
We do like the sound of a challenge though

Well, 'hard luck' Bear - you're stuck with me until at least until the end of August, and if we manage to achieve things under the challenge, it might be alot longer, who knows? :rotfl::rotfl:

You have the best 'gifs' - E.V.A!!!

Greying X

apple_muncher

Have you factored bg into the financial (and therefore culinary) situation? Much as we love 'em to bits, even the cheap versions require money being spent on them...

Greying_Pilgrim

apple_muncher wrote: »

Have you factored bg into the financial (and therefore culinary) situation? Much as we love 'em to bits, even the cheap versions require money being spent on them...

'Sort of'. Is the answer to that. I've not got absolute figures, but I know what costs are/can be absorbed into the bigger budget, and I know what costs need to be accounted for/covered separately if that makes sense. You can appreciate that this is a changing picture as BG grows.

I think in 'broad terms' I have stabilised my £150pm budget, but it is just the fact that prices are rising, what seems like weekly. I'm incredulous as to 'why' - OK, OK, I know, brexit, weak pound, oil prices, wage changes, fat-cat pension pots etc etc But that doesn't really explain why I can get lemons cheaper in m&$ than I can from (one stall in) our local market (it's not a big market, and there aren't that many produce stalls......) It doesn't explain why mrA still only knock a few pence off the price of black/rotten bananas - I could have had 44p worth of bananas for 30p today. wowsers.

In terms of consumption, I don't think BG is currently having an impact on costs - the price rises are what is thwarting me, I think.

But, I think my 'Try (much) harder Trimester' will have to look at all this, as well as trying to do more DIY etc round the house, so it's all 'up for grabs' to analyse.

Greying X

Tilly_MFW_in_6_YRS

I visited a beautiful market today but.......£1.22 for one courgette- seriously the world has gone mad :mad:

A lady in front of me bought it - I had to stop myself from saying "put it back". She had a 50p piece in her hand. I bought two punnets of British strawberries for £2 - how can a courgette cost that much :mad:

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning :hello:

Tilly_MFW_in_6_YRS wrote: »

I visited a beautiful market today but.......£1.22 for one courgette- seriously the world has gone mad :mad:

I am so glad it is not just me that thinks that sort of thing is outrageous. I even thought a packet of 'baby' courgettes, YS'd to £1.40 in m&$ was still far too expensive yesterday, and left them on the shelf.

I noticed that a couple of ladies of an older generation were watching and commenting (have no idea what they said) whilst I was weighing my bananas in M&$ and doing 'the math' to work out how much they'd cost, in my head - I possibly looked in pain as my brain cell ticked over :rotfl:Still, I thought £1.21, and they went through the till at £1.20, and I had sufficient money in my purse to cover my purchases :cool:

I am trying a 'new to me' recipe for tea. Not too sure if it's a keeper, it may be better as an accompaniment dish, but we'll feel like we're in Spain, eating 'Spanish' food, if the weather holds

We'll need 'building block' essential groceries today, bread, milk etc. DH will be tasked with getting them from one of the discounters on the way home.

Right, snap is packed, breakfast underway and I'd better vamoose.

Ta for popping in. Appreciated.

Greying X

Verbatim

Is "progress" still about being able to move GP?

I know you fiercely guard yours and BG's anonymity on here so of course you don't say anything which might ID you, but I wondered if you could give a clue about what the challenge is?