The Simple Bare Necessities feat. Gratitude & Recipes

rtandon27

Greying_Pilgrim wrote: »

...Friday already....Pizza and wedges for tea...

Dare I say it?....:D

*whispers*...

All is right with the world...

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning :hello:


How's your w/end going?


Ours is going pretty spiffy. We're nibbling away at chores in our own little fashion. DH woke up 'early' (not as early as he'd intended mind......) this morning, to get on with preps for more chores (moving toot around), and BG woke up and wanted to join in - so I got an earlier start than intended, as DH was doing something that wasn't safe to have a small underfoot 'supervising' :rotfl:


We trying to mix in pleasurable activities with chores, so hopefully a pit-stop at the play-park will be on the cards today. We'll pop to a nearby market town and hopefully re-stock the larder and cupboards. And DH wants to carry on with DIY.


Tea on Friday night was indeed black olive pizza and (YS'd M&$ tatties) wedges. Tea last night was lentil dhal, rice and a splodge of leftover sweet potato jalfrezi, from the freezer. Filled a gap and didn't break the bank. But BG has gone off lentil dhal which is a nuisance, and was just about the only 'exotic' food choice they would currently eat Although they still love black olives, I was happy that they were getting a different protein source.



Tea this evening should be something HM - but I'm leaning towards lazyness and using the stand-by of cardboard box fish, oven chips and mushy peas....... but it's what is contributing to my budget-bustedness on a regular basis :( so I really ought to pull my finger out and get creative!



Can't think of owt else particularly :money: to witter on about. Um, I've sorted thru BG's clothes and changed their 'wardrobe' around. Thank goodness for gifted clothes! As BG's outgrowing their current set of clothes virtually overnight! But with hand-me-downs and a couple of garments given as gifts plus a couple of chazzer finds, I think we'll be pretty much OK for the summer. But best get scouring for autumn/winter wear! Pity that children's clothing has all lent towards 'fashionable' pieces, away from functionality or practicality. Don't children get dirty anymore? Oh, a very kind friend DID pick up a pair of 'play' shoes from a store across the way, as our local one didn't have BG's size. They were going to a store in a different town, and luckily the right size was in stock. Not only did they do all the sourcing and carriage, but they wouldn't take any cash for them, and gifted them to BG! Gosh, folks are so incredibly, INCREDIBLY kind to us!! :) But it's true to say that BG has all but lived in them since they received them! :rotfl:


Right, BG and DH have breakfasted, I'm halfway thru my second coffee, so will go in search of a piece of toast I think. No avocados to pop atop it, until I've done a shop today :rotfl:


Ta for popping in. Appreciated greatly.


Greying X

beanielou

Hurrah for ‘play’ shoes for BG.

rtandon27

:rotfl:...I can just picture BG 'supervising' Papa - so cute

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Evening :hello:


Waves to beanie :wave:

rtandon27 wrote: »

:rotfl:...I can just picture BG 'supervising' Papa - so cute

It is very funny rtandon - although you're constantly looking for the string that attaches the pair of them - talk about 'me & my shadow'! DH is certainly a v. much 'beloved' Papa


Gosh, nigh on £40 later in expenditure in the local-ish market town...... All spent on groceries Parking was free. Entertainment for BG was free, so it was all 'reckless' spending on 'stuff' by mumma wot has unravelled the household budget And do you know, I didn't buy that much...................


I got 7 jars of peanut butter (various sizes) for a FB donation. The product is good, the price was right, and there is sufficient date on the jars to supply families with PB. It is one of the constants on local FB 'most wanted' lists. So I have no worries that it won't be well received and utilised quick smart. I am thinking of putting together a package of items for FB donation to commemorate something. I've decided the budget in my head (a huge amount as far as I'm concerned - but I know it will purchase very little in reality ), and i'm determined to work my butt orf to get the absolute bestest bang for my buck that I can, so that the maximum of assistance is given by the donation. One of our local FB's is now routinely running out of stock, due to increased demand. Whilst we have never been the 'wealthy' neighbourhood that everyone has painted us as, t'ain't right that folks lack. T'ain't right.


I bought some loo roll that was on special offer in £str3tcher. If it is 'good enough' it will save us £2 on our normal purchase - if it blocks the loo, the drains and the town sewer, then we must have a re-think....... :rotfl: I also picked up a couple of rolls of kitchen towel that saved me 20p on my usual purchase (but I have bought the brand before, and found it good enough).


I got a jar of 'luxury' plum jam to try for 49p. Not sure I've ever had plum jam. Damson, yes (with and without stones), but plum I dunna think so.


I dropped lucky in mrAl and got the white grapes on 'half price' (YS'd) so that I was able to select 2 punnets of grapes for less than HB (my preferred option, normally) charge for one :j I also bought 2x 4 packs of avos - from Israel, £1.50 per pack, so I'm gonna have to revive my instoryagram account............................ [jus' joshing! :rotfl:]


Lunch was egg mayo sangers :j, the cheapy version of pr1ngles and grapes DH got stuck into more toot shovelling, aggregate purchasing [rollseyessmiley] and DIY this arvo. I mostly tried toddler containment...........................................


Tea this evening was bean & lentil chilli (RKB's purchased in HB for 29p a tin x 2), rice and steamed green beans.



Today I am grateful for these 3 things;


a car to take us from a to b and toot from here to t'tip............


that BG loves the simple things in life


paving slabs reclaimed off a skip (we did ask) are being put to new life at the towers


Thanks for popping in. Appreciated.


Greying X

beanielou

Our Fb is the same sadly.
Now regularaly running out of staples
Such a sad sign of the times.
Donations are dropping too.
As I think more & more people are feeling the pinch.

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning :hello:


beanie, I think you are right about folk feeling the pinch generally. I also think that one of our local FB's (not the one that has done the urgent appeal), had taken a mis-step in not informing the public as to what is needed - or asking at times for 'just' non-food items. I know these cost, and I know - from my own household expenditure - that it's difficult to afford loo paper/deodrant/sanitary products/shampoo/nappies on top of a basic grocery shop. But given where I live, and the mindset of some, the FB were unfortunately (and inadvertently) re-inforcing the belief of some local people that foodbanks provide 'everything' (in vast quantities) for clients. An incorrect notion, I know, but I have had that much flack from acquaintances (or complete strangers seeing me put items in collection boxes!) and family, for supporting the FB, that it's a charitable donation that people have very strong feelings about - and some extraordinarily entrenched views...........



Meanwhile I just keep on doing what I can. Which isn't much





I forgot to say that last night's chilli yielded enough for a 'second tea' portion for us, and a dollop for a baked tattie topping, lunch-type portion for one of us. I must get better at sort-of batch cooking. Not necessarily taking a morning to make X amount of dishes, but making a big vat full for tea and then storing the excess. I always find that more difficult in the warmer months though, as salad-y type things don't necessarily keep - and I'm not a fan of repeating teas throughout the week. And yes, if I had to live on lentils, to pay the bills, I would have to pull my horns in, wouldn't I?


We will be having another day of pootling and fettling today. There is mucho to pootle and fettle


Lunch will be sangers of some description. I bought neither fresh tomatoes, nor cucumber yesterday which was remiss of me (love a cheese & tommy sanger ). But the m&$ salad tommy 6-packs were still the 'petit' offering from Poland (different store too), so stayed on the shelf as not offering good value for money, and the cherry tommys that I saw in mrL were so 'not red' - as in nowhere near - that they looked thoroughly unattractive to eat. From experience these type of tomatoes go soft and wrinkly before they ever get a shade of deep red MrA has a habit of stocking them And even when bought YS'd they've not 'ripened'.



I shall try very hard to do a 'proper' tea and not resort to my 'cheat' tea I did get some oven chips yesterday, as the h3r0n I went into actually had the oven chips that we like :j So I have now got all the components of a HM 'chipper tea'. But I shall challenge myself to try to hold out to only use it when it's really needed to be - not because I'm being a lazy lump! :rotfl:


It could be a nsd today - which would be good. We shall see.


Can't think of owt else :money: to mention. So best vamoose I guess.



Ta for popping by. Appreciate it, greatly.


Greying X

Cheery_Daff

Oh tis lovely to have you back posting regularly greying! :j

All this talk of cooking actually inspired me to cook yesterday - I've been mostly eating toast or cereal or omelettes it feels like for weeks but yesterday i made a nice lasagne with butter beans and some sun dried tomatoes that i had part of a birthday present and it was lovely :j and there's enough left for another three portions, so I'll have one today and stick the others in t the freezer :j

People really do feel strongly about food banks don't they? Can't believe people challenging you when you're putting in a donation though - the cheek! :eek: i confess i have no idea where our local one even is round here, must investigate

Good to see DIY progress being made too :j i know how these things day on and seem to take forever :eek: but you WILL get there eventually :j

Have a good bank holiday :j

Greying_Pilgrim

Cheery_Daff wrote: »

People really do feel strongly about food banks don't they? Can't believe people challenging you when you're putting in a donation though - the cheek! :eek: i confess i have no idea where our local one even is round here, must investigate

Oh, people always, 'know what they know' - don't they? They've always know of a friend of a friend's aunty's next door neighbour's cat-sitter's fiance who once lived down the road from someone that visited their foodbank in their rollersroyce and had the staff load up the boot whilst they sat and waited...... :rotfl: But yes, folk have made THEIR opinions of FB's very well known at any opportunity. It hasn't put me off donating, it won't put me off donating. I trust FB volunteers and staff to do their best for everyone that needs a helping hand at a given moment in time. If people actually learnt more about FB's rather than spouting off, they would know that the remit often includes advice, guidance and educational opportunities - they are not all about providing 'fish for the day', but include help in casting the fishing rod.......


I hope someone is there with a fishing net, should I ever need a little support.......................

Cheery_Daff wrote: »

Have a good bank holiday :j

You too lovely lass


Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

Well, I'm delighted to report that the 49p of Plum jam ('conserve') that I picked up in p0und$tr3tch3r is delish! It's labelled as 'Taylors'. But a quick goggle didn't reveal nowt. Then I had a look on the label, and 340g 'hexagonal' type jar is apparently packed for 'PS' with a Huddersfield postcode......... OK, so it's specially packed for...... p0und$tr3tch3r?



If you read the online reviews for a plum[STRIKE] jam[/STRIKE] conserve sold by the orange supermercado, you will see that folks say it is nice, but the lumps of plum are too big....... There are loads of plums in this jam


For 49p, I'll take cast-offs from supermercados putting smaller bits of fruit in their products It tastes like HM jam Although clearly not to WI standard.......



Greying X