The Simple Bare Necessities feat. Gratitude & Recipes

in_need_of_direction

so sorry to hear of another victim of that dreadful illness. the only comfort that your cousin could have was knowing that the family circle contains people like you. look after yourself

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Evening :hello:

People are just so kind.

I wish we heard more in the news about kindness. And less about hatred and fear.

I wish we heard more about the things that people are doing to make life better for their fellow human-beings; about the 6 year olds, raising 50p in a sponsored silence for their local hospice, the pensioners running 'friendship' clubs so that the 'old folks' have light in their days, the scouts and guides collecting at the supermercado for donations to the food bank......

But no.

Anyhoo, people are kind, and MSE'rs are very most probably the kindest of the population, all gathered together in one cosy place

Tea this evening was.......... mmm, possibly not to be repeated. The new recipe didn't excite, BG was somewhat underwhelmed, and spat out more than they ate There are 2 small pots of leftovers, i'll try BG with again, with different accompaniments, but I'm not hopeful. I know that you don't give up at the first hurdle, but I'm also of the opinion that sometimes the ingredients might be OK, but the recipe isn't necessarily presenting them in the best way. BG did try and did eat some of our soup last night, so spices aren't necessarily the problem, but perhaps the way the BNS was presented tonight was. Summat to ponder on, anyhoo. Our tea was rice, the BNS dhal, and a *mix* of chickpeas and chilli that was in the freezer as 2 small pots, so I scrambled them together and dished them up! A cheap tea and we're stuffed. My kinda cuisine.

We have been gifted some runner beans :j Possibly and probably the last of the season So will think of something nice to make with them. Since that may be it until next year.

In a day that has been blessed by much kindness, goodwill and support, it is difficult to pick out just three things. However. Today I am grateful for these 3 things;

friendship - for the support, for the learning new things, for the connection, for the laughter........

growing confidence - for babe...... and mum?

for all that I have.

Ta for popping in. You know that I appreciate it. And you know I'll never stop telling you that I do

Greying XX

Cheery_Daff

Well it's nice to be appreciated, so thank YOU :kisses3:

I can't remember where I heard it, or saw it, but someone once said, when you see something horrid on the news, look for the helpers. They're always there, giving someone a hug, picking someone up off the floor or handing out tea or whatever. Always someone being kind. Helps me if I catch some kind of disaster or grimness on the news
xx

Greying_Pilgrim

Cheery_Daff wrote: »

I can't remember where I heard it, or saw it, but someone once said, when you see something horrid on the news, look for the helpers. They're always there, giving someone a hug, picking someone up off the floor or handing out tea or whatever. Always someone being kind. Helps me if I catch some kind of disaster or grimness on the news
xx

Wow, I have never heard that - but it does make sense. Yes, yes of course, there are always people helping. Oh I shall bear that in mind in future Cheery - because it is true, whether they are passers-by, neighbours in the vicinity, or have official uniforms and hi-vis on, there are always helpers. What a fantastic tip - thanks Cheery

Well, Good Morning :hello:

Can't believe that we are at Thursday again. How the week's whizz. It is apparently the autumn equinox tomorrow - can't remember the official name - is that one Samain? Must look it up...... Nope, apparently this one is Mabon.

Today's tea will be a buddha bowl - sorta. 2 key ingredients will be tofu and spinach. All else is up for grabs and chucking in when the time comes :rotfl: I sincerely hope that no-one ever comes to this thread looking for planning and precision :rotfl: I've a marinade recipe that i got from a book - it is supposed to be for chicken, but I'm sticking my tofu in it, instead.

We will need a few supplies today. Mostly from mrL. So DH will be charged with getting those.

I've started another (very small) pile for the chazzer. Amazing how stuff multiples when you're not looking. Mind, one or two bits are things that we bought ages ago for BG and have since discovered that small people don't always use toys in the way in which they were intended :rotfl: and therefore they quickly become hazards to fall off/slip on/bash themselves with. Never a dull moment at the Towers :rotfl:

Can't think of anything specifically :money: to add at present, so best shuffle orf.

Thanks for popping by and for leaving top tips. Appreciated.

ETA: The British produced cauliflowers in the mrL PoTW might be worth a punt for 59p - depending on their size, but their garlic is (iirc) dearer than mrAl's offering at 59p - I'm sure mrAl are retailing them at 45p in their S6.

Greying X

EssexHebridean

Cauliflower and spinach for me from the POTW I think - I will combine the two in the rather tasty traybake recipe from the other week!

The "Look for the helpers" thing was on twitter I believe - when the attacks on London's Borough Market etc happened. I'm afraid I'm not in favour of bad news being hidden because it's distressing or the news being "fluffied up" - life is not fluffy, sad but true, and it's important that folk don't get an impression of a world that is other than Real Life, IMO. (For reference I also dislike seeing "so called celebrity "news" in the main bulletins - it's NOT news for goodness sake - it's gossip!) I do agree that it's usually possible to find good in a situation that at first glance appears to be tragic though - and the "helpers" thing is definitely ticking that box.

Charity shop bag being added too gently at our house too Greying...and probably more to go in tomorrow when I've taken my wardrobe by the scruff of the neck...

Greying_Pilgrim

Oh, EH, don't get me started on 'celebritee' news - the beebeecee is particularly bad at dressing up programme promotion as 'news' I think.

No, I don't think we should hide bad news as such - but there are times when it does reach saturation point. I don't know what the answer is - as it is important to know of 'bad things' that happen all over the world, not just on our own doorstep. Perhaps it is just more about balance - but then good news doesn't, apparently, 'sell' and it's all about consumerism...

Ho hum.

Greying

Greying_Pilgrim

OK, knowledgeable folk. I have just had an 'invitation' through the post to take out a *flexible* loan from a sunshiney loan company........

I'm pretty sure I know where they've got my address from - there is a mistake in my name consistent with company who I didn't *think* passed on address details of their clients....... Anyhoo, I do not want to be pestered by the sunshiney loan company, so I looked on the letter for ways to contact them to say 'please do not send me material like this, I do not wish to partake in your services'. According to them, if I don't want to be contacted by them, I have to register with the mail preference service (MPS) and 'select your preferences'.

Am I being cynical - am I wrong to think that no company will retrospectively delete your details from their mailing list and stop sending you cr*p you never reqested, and furthermore, they will never sell your details onto any other company that you've no wish to be contacted by....... just becasue you registered with MPS after receiveing guff from them?

Anybody got any ideas?

Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

Mmm, it appears I may well be wrong in my assumptions. Whilst the MPS site doesn't explicitly say that a company that has previously used your addy can't once you're on the MPS list, it talks about stopping mailings - for example - in the event of bereavement. So..... erm, there can't be a *fixed* time for companies to check you're not on the MPS - should it be before each mailing?

It doesn't say how companies prove you are or indeed are not a customer though? I've never had dealings with this company - nor any company like them, but how do I prove that?

I know that I can simply *ignore* the mailing, and that's what I'm doing - but there is the issue of ID theft, possibly if I move house in the future and companies still send this type of material here? I don't know how vulnerable we all are to this sort of issue. I know there is one high street bank that I've never, ever dealt with, routinely send me CC application forms. I have asked them to stop in branch, by letter to their returns dept, and to the CEO - they still send one application at least once a year.......We're up to about year 9...........I know you can purchase 're-direction' services from RM - but do you really have to do it for life?

Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Evening :hello:

Well, we've achieved a little bit today. I collected a library book that I had ordered. Took a bit of a punt on it, as it was by an author I *know* of, but don't know IYSWIM. Anyhoo, it was a bit of a waste of 70p, as I can't see myself making any recipes from the book - the only one that would vaguely interest me, I have a version of already. Ah well, no worries, better 70p than £25 or whatever the cover price was originally. It can go back into the system quick smart - no wonder it hasn't been 'borrowed' in a while......

DH got some bits and pieces from mrL and I got some bits from HB & h3ron f00ds, so a relatively low spend day.

Tea this evening was a 'sort of' buddha bowl. I combined things that I had, with some recipes that I had copied out of several cookbooks and hoped for the best....... :rotfl: I went with bhuna marinated tofu - using the bhuna marinade recipe from Economy Gastronomy - a link to the recipe in full (it was for chicken, not tofu ) can be found HERE. I teamed this up with brown basmati rice, a spinach dal recipe, which I'm afraid I have no link for, but I did it without the lentils, and just pureed the spinach with the spices, onion, chilli, garlic and ginger and then added in the yoghurt (recipe said double cream) and the kidney beans. To finish off and add a bit of colour I did grated raw carrot to which I added orange zest, coriander and a bit of the dressing that I made for the dish, which I haven't a link for (sadly ) but was the grilled citrus dressing from 'Nourish' by Amber Locke. It all got shoved in a bowl, the dressing poured over and a few sesame seeds sprinkled over. Picture here;



It worked well together. The recipe for the dressing is definitely a keeper. I wish I could have kept more marinade on the tofu, but my pan isn't very non-stick and I suspect I overcrowded it, I should have either cut the tofu thicker or cooked it in batches. I'll try the spinach dhal actually with lentils one time. It was different - nothing to :j about, but OK. The carrot salad was a good 'cooling' bit against the chilli in the spinach bit though, so that was a serendipitous bonus

Today I am grateful for these three things;

baby giggles - peek-a-boo is such fun with Daddy..........

time to glance through a book

for MSE'rs -

Ta for popping in and reading. Appreciated.

Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning :hello:

Cleaning and more tidying on the agenda today. Return a library book and make pizza. Enough to keep me outta mischief?

So here we are at the autumn equinox. Gee the year is whizzing.

Fortune was talking about swallows on her thread, and their probable preparations for returning south. We saw a single swallow on a telegraph wire last Sunday, and I commented to DH that was the way we'd seen our 'first' swallow of the season, only 5 months ago. And yes, it did seem like yesterday

Right, best get to it. Snap to prep.

Ta for popping in. Appreciated.

Greying X