The Simple Bare Necessities feat. Gratitude & Recipes

System

I always find fresh air is the best medicine for a cold or snuffles! Hopefully it gets better soon and you and BG get some good weather to enjoy. The sunrise this morning where I live was beautiful and it immediately started raining afterwards so I hope you have better weather than us down South!

apple_muncher

I have just seen an advert for the 6 nations that start on 3rd Feb. Thought I'd mention it because I think that you are a rugby fan?

apple x

Moneywhizz

You are not being negative at all. I am amazed at how well people on here do with surveys, I gave it a try and got screened out so much I gave up. I assumed it was because of the answers I gave. I perfectly understand why you wouldn't want to do them. I was just trying to think of a way for you to increase your income a little so that you wouldn't be trying to achieve the impossible by stretching that food budget even more than you do. It sounds like you have a lovely life with your little family and that you manage (just) to cover all your costs. You need to do what works for you and your family to maintain the lifestyle that you enjoy. I hope that you can continue to do that.

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Evening :hello:

Cumbria lass - when we went to see my aunty, last summer, she was waiting on the 'veg van', to buy her bananas. He'd apparently had a grocery shop, but had been forced to close due to high rents, so had gone 'on the road'. I don't know how his prices compared - we were in the house - but the stock looked spiffing. My aunty lives in a teeny town in a very rural area. All the local shops had closed down - with the exception of the spAr - so other than trek 20 miles+ to either of the larger market towns to the south, there wasn't much option for F&V. Mobile shops were very much a 'thing' when I was young.

sauceoclock - we didn't have any rain today - and even had a speck of sunshine!

apple muncher - you betcha! I think the opening match is Wales v Scotland iirc. England are playing on the Sunday, in Rome. Very much looking forward to seeing the games. I reckon Scotland are going to be very strong contenders this year...............

Moneywhizz - I'm pretty sure alot of people would think our life pants, but with regard to the aspects that we can control, I would agree, we have a splendid life, we're very lucky.


So, that's Tuesday done and dusted. BG was actually worse (healthwise) today, but I think that's just the natural progression of a cold. They no longer have a nose in the middle of their face, they have swapped it for a running tap - and it is making them most miserable But we've had smiles too We did go out and about eventually, and we saw lots of interesting things - including a lovely assistance dawgy in M&$ that was wonderfully calm and a beautiful dog to boot. We even got to share the lift with it - which BG really enjoyed (can't speak for the dog on what they thought about it......:rotfl:) We also dropped on a load of toys in a chazzer that are amongst some of BG's favourite characters. 6 toys for £7 is pretty good in my book (and they are no cheaper on the bay ofE, especially when postage is added in), and once they were thoroughly washed (little dusty) BG spent the rest of the afternoon playing with them I'm quite impressed with the build quality of these toys and what they do. And they are obviously on their umpty-tumptyeth owner, as there were the sticker marks from previous chazzers

This morning BG actually had quite a long nap - due to them being under the weather I think - and so I made whoopee and sorted out my food storage. I now think that I have about 50% of my food/ingredients/herbs and spices with me in the kitchen. The other 50% is in one location, together with the freezer. And of that 50%, much of it is multi-packs of the same thing, or big packets (ie what is left of the 10kg basmati rice), so I know what is there, pretty much, as although there's a bit of it, it's only actually 10 or so individual foodstuffs. I've been ruthless with what I'm keeping and what I'm ditching, and going forward, whilst I'm not necessarily going to shy away from trying new things, I'm going to try to avoid purchasing 'niche' products, particularly if it's only for one recipe, for example.

I was however, very good and in the spirit of 'EAT ALL THE THINGS!' ate - for lunch - the very last of the cous cous that I made up with salt, pepper, parsley and a splodge of the lemon grain seasoning (from m&$) and ate the tin of sardines (in tommy sauce) that has been in the cupboard for ages. The sardines were still in date, but I know for a fact that I bought them when pregnant, and hadn't eaten them, because although I tried to be good in pregnancy and eat oily fish, it was a bit hard going, and I think I had a tin of sardines that were in...... oh, oil and lemon juice or something like that, and whilst I think they were probably fine, I felt queasy after eating them, and it kinda put me off. No probs today - although the taste reminded me of childhood teas of mackrel in tomato sauce..... but 2 things gone out of the larder, and I was fed :j

Tea was as slated. I made sure I had a relatively modest portion of soup, and I had a bit of bread and butter to go with. The bread was fancy stuff from M&$ that was YS'd (but still expensive), but I got it to try to avoid having DH go to the supermercado, just for bread, on his way home, but he didn't get my text............

I'd waited in until past lunchtime, as I was expecting a parcel. It didn't arrive, so I went out on my planned perambulation with BG as I wanted us both to get some fresh air, and as mentioned above, we had a pretty spiffy time. We'd got back, settled in, washed the toys and were busy playing with them, when there was a knock at the door and a postie was there with my parcel. Shipping was free with this particular company (an independent trader!), so I was a little suprised it was sent out 1st class, but relieved get my delivery so promptly...... in the end........ So we got our walk and fresh air, and were actually in when the parcel arrived - having made good use of time this morning to sort out stuff. All round, a pretty spiffy day!

Today I am grateful for these 3 things;

dropping on a bargain that has delighted BG - and will continue to delight for a goodly time to come, I am sure

Prompt sending out of orders by a small, independent trader :T

for getting my food stocks organised - it feels good to be regaining control of space, spending and stock

Today has been all about the 'little things' that make up a life, and they have made our day spiffing. We may feel a little under the weather - BG more so, as they can't tell us, what's hurty or achey, so there have been quite alot of tears. But there have been smiles, giggles and some horrendous snoring too :eek: So all in all, a brilliant day.

Thanks for popping by and sharing it with me.

Greying X

apple_muncher

The snoring! How can such tiny critters make so much noise???

And I have (rather proudly) just worked out what 'iirc' means. Go me!

pinkypig

Hiya Greying, another disaffected AF deserter here! They used to be brilliant but every time I've looked recently its been mainly sugary or salty rubbish:(
I've also been doing the Frugalwoods UFM ( my second go) and it does make you think doesn't it? I too am 'eating all things', my freezer is a batch cooking black hole:rotfl:

Hope your little one has a good night's sleep and feels a bit brighter tomorrow, it horrible seeing them feeling so poorly.

PP xx

gallygirl

Hope BG and you both make quick recoveries GP, I do love reading of your adventures

Can I pick your brains please - we are trying to eat less meat and have managed 10 days at home and out with just a few fish dishes, the rest has been veggie (obviously any tapas with red meat we've been given don't count ). We've had some lovely new recipes, especially from the Happy Pear cookbook - these beetroot burgers were gorgeous :T (though I had to 'water down' the hummus with yogurt ). I've now bought some tofu. And I'm a bit scared of it . Can you recommend a really tasty recipe using it, preferably where it's been marinaded so much you don't know what it is :rotfl:. What's the one dish you would make to 'sell' tofu to others?

Thanks .

Greying_Pilgrim

gallygirl wrote: »

What's the one dish you would make to 'sell' tofu to others?

Have a go at the one I made the other night. The recipe is HERE. I think you may like it because it's marinated in orange juice. Read the recipe and substitute like mad if you want to - don't follow it verbatim, I didn't. And you don't have to do all the kale and 'ancient' grains with it. I served it over brown basmati rice and had some savoy cabbage (steamed) on the side. I outline what substitutions I made in THIS post. So honey for agave nectar, cider vinegar for rice wine vinegar etc.

Remember only one thing with tofu gally, PRESS it before you marinate it (hopefully you've got the firm stuff? not silken tofu?). I put it on kitchen towel on a plate and put my pestle and mortar (weighty lump o'granite or somesuch stone) on top for at least an hour (changing towel and turning it over in that time). You'll see how much water comes out - but all the more marinade goes in, in return, so it's worth it

Let me know how you get on.

Greying X

gallygirl

That sounds lovely GP

Greying_Pilgrim wrote: »

Read the recipe and substitute like mad if you want to - don't follow it verbatim, I didn't.

Can I substitute chicken for the tofu ? Will certainly need to substitute the pomegranate seeds - we can pick them in the wild in autumn but like many fruit and veg out here you can only get what is grown locally and seasonal. Which broadly speaking I agree with - but if they can grow peas and broadbeans (which are both on sale now :drool::drool::drool:) you'd think they could manage some sugar snap peas and mange tout .

Yes it is the firm tofu - and very heavy it feels too. Will squash the living daylights out of it :rotfl:.

Thanks

Silver_Queen

My favourite way to cook tofu is to coat it in flour and then pan fry it with a good deal of oil - not the healthiest but very versatile! Can then use it with basically any sauce. Personal fave is Lee Kum Kee brand teriyaki sauce for a quick easy cheaty meal but I hear marmite and sesame oil marinade with a dash of cider vinegar is pretty excellent too.