The Simple Bare Necessities feat. Gratitude & Recipes

Greying_Pilgrim

hex2 wrote: »

M&S delivery came with a free mini hamper, nice timing as DS1 wants some bits to take for his reverse advent. His class are collecting for FB, I was quite pleasantly surprised that he was so keen on the idea of a reverse advent given his grumpy teenage hormonal stage.

That's just wonderful hex - well done DS1 for seeing the wider picture - despite raging hormones (and we know how powerful those little things can be!) and bravo to whoever the instigator - beit class teacher, form head, head or third party influencer - of the reverse advent collection was :T cracking idea And thank you for mentioning it on my thread. Love it when young folks, doing good things, get the recognition that they deserve

Hope the coffee is hot, the walk wonderful and the run-around rigorous! Fantastic way to spend a Saturday

Greying X

joeyjimbles

Reverse advent calendars must be the thing this year - both my boys' schools are doing them and all with a list of what type of thing to be included, one is for a foodbank and the other is a refuge shelter. They have both been at great pains to explain that it must only be something from the list as that is what is needed. I like this very much.
Called into TesKo today and their FB collection is this weekend, so I have dipped into next week's budget early and bought/brought a few more items for their efforts. I'm away from tomorrow for a few days and then working for the end of the week, so it will actually suit my constrained time better - and still achieve the end result.
I'm binge watching Rick Stein on the Home tv channel at the moment, he's just done Christmas and has moved onto a Spanish round-up. It's nice to watch whilst trying to fight the ironing mountain.

hex2

Ooh, must check if mine has a list joeyjimbles, it's the kind of detail he would neglect to mention.

Made 4oz pea and Avacado and lime juice and salt guacamole tonight, was lovely. Greenbee will be impressed, she has been trying to get me to eat green veg for years. I'm glad I've got all those frozen avocados now, and we always have frozen peas. I think I'd happily eat it as lunch on its own - it's hard avoiding gluten at lunch when you are lazy and uninspired.

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Evening :hello:

Well, after a good start, the day stalled somewhat. I did make a start on my project, but after 9 gazillion aborted attempts, I'm not much further forward. However, I've found out a way to start it off that suits me, and I know that in *trying* to actually get it to work, I forgot to *really* read the instructions and I ended up going wrong. In much better light, on another day, I may well make better progress.

Tea was a curry plate. Can't say I was that enthused I tried a new recipe for Black Curry with beetroot and spinach - from Vegan Street food by Jackie Kearney. I like beetroot, I like spinach. I didn't think that this recipe improved them in the slightest. I realise that those are two very 'earthy' ingredients, but the 'curry' element of it was just lost. Not a keeper for me that one There isn't a link to it anywhere on the web........... The dhal was l/o from the other week - I didn't like that much either :rotfl: and the rice boiled white basmati. Picture here;



I think I might away to my bed. I think I might be getting a dose of grumpy-i-tis, and there really is no need.........

Today I am grateful for these 3 things;

my legs and relative fitness to walk up the high street - beat sitting in a car, in a queue for an equal amount of time.....

for DH's help and support in our 'domestic' life - there are times when you can't do it all, and it helps mightily to share the burden

for your charitable contribution examples :T - if we all carry on doing and giving that.which.we.can. the world may just be a bit of a better place, for it

Ta for popping in, reading and contributing. It's appreciated. It really is.

A significantly less grumpy Greying than I may appear in print....... X

beanielou

Great idea to be thankful for your legs & being able to walk distances.

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Evening :hello:

beanielou wrote: »

Great idea to be thankful for your legs & being able to walk distances.

Health maintenance is even more of a priority for us now beanie than it ever was - and its always been pretty high, as I'm not banking on there being much of a 'free at the point of delivery' assistance with illness service left when I may need it......

Well, today has been fab. Ably assisted by glorious sunshine.

Today has been very much a family day, and I hope that we all enjoyed it - I definitely did

Amongst other things, we went to 'munch our lunch' at a natty trusty property. There was an activity on at the venue, which I didn't know about. But it was plain to see that someone had been very hard at work - most likely volunteers, although I think that there may be some paid staff at this venue - to make everything just dandy for the visitors. It clearly paid off, as all we could hear, whilst we sat in the garden, was the excited shrieks of children 'discovering'

I also noted that as part of their chrimbo celebrations, the venue was holding a 'reverse' santas grotto - I'll give you three guesses as to the beneficiary...... yep, the local FB :T

Lunch was all homemade, but we did spend a nominal amount of cash in the gift shop. We paid for an activity (elsewhere) and I bought several items in mrAl on the way home - notably 2 bags of oranges from the S6. They are Spanish navellinas (I think that is what it said on the label) and are lovely and juicy. Thank goodness this offer is on for 3 weeks, can see some more of those being purchased! I also bought some lancastrian mushrooms

We also called in on the parentals on the way home. We got given some HG wilja potatoes, some HG garlic and some HG onions We also had a cuppa tea and a kittykatty

Tea was slated as 'bake' so with the mushrooms bought in mrAl, I made a Red Lentil & Pepper bake from my student cookbook. I have made it before (it's very tasty given its realtively simple ingredients), but unfortunately, the link to the recipe in the relevant cookbook, only gives half the ingredients, so I can't share I'm afraid. I stuck a couple of the 'bought' wilja potatoes in with the bake in the oven - they are definitely nice as baked tatties. Served with green beans, carrots, broad beans and half a tomato, picture here;



To think that we've spent relatively little money (excluding fuel costs to get from a to b), today has been incredibly rich. We had a wonderful time bird watching in the garden. A friendly robin came right up to our feet to check us out whilst we were lunching - it was rewarded with some cake crumbs We also spent time watching some little birds - the filter will !!! them....... on some feeders in another part of the garden.

I had a reassuring conversation with a stranger. It was actually about BG - so pardon me for not going into detail, but they were able to show a positive side to something, that they had first hand experience of. I'm never to old to learn new things.

Today I am grateful for these 3 things;

the hard work and dedication of volunteers - I hope that they get to see the enjoyment of others due to their efforts.

kindness and sharing

smiles and laugher - seeing them and hearing them added so much to our already pretty spiffing day. Although, I'm biased, and found BG's the best..........

Ta for popping in and reading. Much appreciated.

EDIT: Only because I have heard it a gazilliom times on the radio today, and it did prompt us to do it when we got home....

PLEASE TEST YOUR SMOKE ALARM. Thank you :D

Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning :hello:

Tested your smoke alarms? Good :D

Lots to shoe horn in today. Looks like the weather will be ok for a wander around to the community hub to drop off a donation to the FB. We're back to our usual donation today.

I've got something to pick up for BG, but it's the same end of the high street as the community hub, so I'll do that at the same time. Rembering to re turn the same route, to avoid getting mown down by the students from the community college, who always practice safety in numbers and walk 3 abreast on the pavement. It's your look out to avoid getting bashed by a rucksack or a boat of a handbag.......

Tea this evening will be Hungarian Casserole with boil in the bag buckwheat - a product that i hadn't seen, let alone used before. But I saw it in the polish deli I went into last week and decided to give it a whirl.

Right, best shift a tail feather.

Greying X

Cheery_Daff

Morning greying and chums love reading about your adventures and your gratitude lists I've been rather gloomy myself lately and they always cheer me up I might start doing the same thing if you don't mind me stealing your idea

Thought of you yesterday - nipped into the supermarket and the FB people were there again so I was able to replace the packet of biscuits that I accidentally "stole" last week added another one for good measure too. Phew! :rotfl:

Greying_Pilgrim

Cheery_Daff wrote: »

Morning greying and chums love reading about your adventures and your gratitude lists I've been rather gloomy myself lately and they always cheer me up I might start doing the same thing if you don't mind me stealing your idea

Thought of you yesterday - nipped into the supermarket and the FB people were there again so I was able to replace the packet of biscuits that I accidentally "stole" last week added another one for good measure too. Phew! :rotfl:

Go for it Daffs I've no *ownership* over gratitude - list away, dear heart, list away

Ha ha, that *missing* pack o'biscuits has been getting to you, hasn't it? What a kind and thoughtful person you are for making sure there was no shortfall :T I'm sure it was appreciated by the collectors - who must have had some idea of the quantities of donations needed, and it'll help make someone's day that bit sweeter in the future too. Bravo!

Greying X

rtandon27

mmm - Hungarian Casserole looks like just the thing for this cold weather!

Just the very word casserole has triggered my mind into thinking that a slow-cooker offering will work for us today. Baby mushrooms, carrots, onions & from the freezer mystery poultry remnants from a long ago sunday roast! Will yield a tasty stew - along with some freshly steamed greens.:T

I'm have a 'not at work & not working from home' day - otherwise known as catch up on the chores day! - So far have folded oodles of laundry & put it away, hauled out the ironing board & am attacking the pile of things that seem to multiply when I turn my back! Binge watching JO's Money Saving Meals to see if there are any good ideas for using up the bits of this & that that live in the freezer!:D

Thinking that the washing machine & dishwasher need emptying too so will pootle off for now....