The Simple Bare Necessities feat. Gratitude & Recipes

beanielou

Always good to be in credit so be proud.
Happy Tuesday.

rtandon27

In the black is a wonderful thing BG - something to be thankful for every day that the colour red does not make itself known!

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Evening :hello:

beanie & rtandon - you are both, of course, quite, quite right. I was trying not to appear flippant about things. But I too am grateful that i am in the black to the tune of 46p. It makes the process worthwhile. I don't think - I really don't think - that there is any 'excess' to trim on our budget. I think that £160 a month for food items is about as 'low' as this family can go (not that it is a competition for a race to the 'bottom' anyway.....). But to come within that budget - even by a gnat's whisker is a great thing

We pootled up the high street. Had a lovely chat with an inspirational lady who lives life to the fullest. She has to put up with more than many of us could cope with, but soldiers on regardless. Always smiling, or finding the humour in situations. I genuinely wish that more people were like her. Although life would be rocky and chaotic, it'd also be a h*ll of a ride :rotfl:

I also got chatting to someone who was earnestly telling me about eating 'whole foods' for health. I don't think they know I'm vegetarian and try to (mostly) cook from scratch. Still, they were enthused, and that's a plus. It's entirely up to them how they live their life. I can absolutely see where convenience and 'treats' and grabbing 'carp' on the go wends itself into modern living, so I'm sure as heck not going to judge. They are masters/mistresses of their own fate, so can only make meaningful change if they so desire.

Tea was bean and vegetable soup. Very simple, and at least one ingredient light, as I thought I had frozen green beans, but it turns out I didn't, so they weren't in the finished dish! It did, however, mean that I was able to semi-blitz the soup so that it was a little thicker. Tasted nice, filled a gap and used things that I already had - nothing new bought.

Today I am grateful for these 3 things;

inspirational people who share with others

that the food budget provided us with everything that we needed

support - in it's many and varied forms and from all quarters.

Ta for popping in, reading and reminding me that a win is a win, is a win

Greying X

Hiddenidenity

Greying_Pilgrim wrote: »

I do account for it all, so BG isn't funding mama's prosecco life-style on the QT :rotfl:
[/B]Greying X

You mean I've been getting it wrong all this time and it isn't to pay for the alcohol needed to get through the day with smalls ...

Just joking I think :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Love your posts and it makes me happy reading them x

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning :hello:

Ha ha Hiddenidentity - have you ever thought that it is me who misread the instruction manual......................... :rotfl:Although I have only had one glass of prosecco this year, and none the year before, so I think I'm definitely going wrong somewhere..........:think:

Lots of things to do today. Even if I have a list, I can't ever get things started, let alone finished. I'm struggling with that one, as days are flying by and important admin is getting overlooked. Where can I buy extra 'oomph'? Anyone know?

Tea this evening will be lentil Bobotie and baked potato. We will try and get our first FB donation of the month purchased and dropped off. Please let the other donations have been picked up and distributed...... For one thing, I don't need another 'to chase' item on my notional 'to do' list

Right, best jump up and seize the day.

Ta for popping in. Appreciated.

Greying X

Hiddenidenity

Have a lovely day x

EssexHebridean

Surely it's gin not prosecco that mum's resort to to cope with the smalls?! :rotfl:

All sounding under control there Greying - Bobotie is something I've debated about making many a time but never *quite* got round to. There is something about it that just doesn't quite sit right in my head - and so each time I consider it, I put it off again... I'm having a "sorta-Buddha bowl" tonight as MrEH is out - so it'll be brown basmati rice with whatever I have to throw in with it. lentils, for one, as I got a pot of those from the freezer this morning... and broccoli, for another, as the rest of the head of it is in the fridge and "himself" will not use it unprompted... :rotfl:

System

Pleased to hear you're in the black this month!

Tonight for my dinner I'm having risotto made with home-made vegetable stock (topped up with an oxo cube) and green vegetables all from the freezer. Think I will also throw in some of the diced butternut squash I got from farmfoods (it was 50p a bag on an offer).... Now to find some pesky soya cream (vegan OH), perhaps when I pick up my prescription on my way home.....

Hope the bobotie is delicious!

Greying_Pilgrim

YAY!! :j:j The FB box had been emptied, and there were 'new' donations in there :j Perhaps it was a temporary blip, or maybe the packaging didn't show up in the box, and people thought it empty. Anyway, the donations are hopefully now with the people who need them, that is all that matters We reverted to buying a couple of litres of UHT milk for today's donation (on the 'most wanted' list).

We got gifted more garden produce - YAY! Gave a donation for some windfalls and 'bought' a knitted poppy (donation to the RBL). So all in all, a successful morning Long may it continue into the afternoon

EH - I am led to believe that gin is, indeed, 'mother's ruin'. I don't drink it myself, haven't for a long, long time. I actually quite liked it, but never knew what to pair it with, as the quinine in tonic water doesn't agree with me. Lemonade is ok, but often too sweet - orange, ugh! It's a shame, but keeps the bank balance on an even keel I guess....... Mind, we don't do 'spirits' at all at Greying Towers, now, they are apt to make us niggly, rather than hung over, so there seems little point in imbibing. We stick to a little wine, mostly red and the occasional RA :beer: I'm assuming that you would cook the meat fest version of bobotie, as per the S. African classic. I wonder if it would do in a slow cooker? Basically, it is just curry - with optional fruit

Right, best crack on. BG has finally gone down for a well earned snoozette. I've cake, crumble and potatoes to bake!

Greying X

in_need_of_direction

hope that some custard will also be made. when I drank gin, i paired it with bitter lemon.