The Simple Bare Necessities feat. Gratitude & Recipes

Upsidedown_Bear

Greying_Pilgrim wrote: »

Y'all twigged that was the link in 'Fall apart in my backyard' in my OP - right?

Exactly the inspiration for the title of the diary

Sorry to give you all an earworm though! But it is rather a good one, isn't it?

Thank you Upsidedown Bear - who needs pics of pizza, when we've great gifs supplied by your good self :D :T

Greying X

Nom

greenbee

You see... we need those frozen avocados

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning :hello:

Upsidedown Bear - so who knew? In-pool pizza delivery is a *Thing* now???? Phew, you go to the best resorts......... :rotfl:

Helllllloooo the weekend. But tinged with sadness, as the clocks go back. And whether you benefit from an 'extra hour' or not, we all get to spend more time in the darkness Roll on winter solstice..........

So Saturday night is curry night, according to the planner We will definitely be having Mugg (Mung bean curry), as I have put the very last of my YS'd mung beans (umpteetumpty years out of date ) on to soak. I think I might have to come up with something constructive to utilise the parsnips that i bought from mrL. They are lingering, and I can't have waste!

Today will be a pottery day. As in pottering about, not creating some marvellous graysonperryesque creations on me potters wheel out back...... Best get on and get to it I guess.

Thanks for popping in, singing and sharing your holiday pictures. All good

Greying X

greenbee

ooh... the recipe looks yummy... I must see whether I have any ancient mung beans hanging around (They were an approved food 'bargain' that has lasted a long time, and I have aduki beans of the same vintage!). I might have cooked and frozen them already, but I'm sure it'll still work.

If you could just share your menu plan and shopping list in advance every week that would solve all my organisational problems

I'm off out today with a friend to an amazing health food shop, so I'm hoping to come back with lots of exciting grains and pulses. And then I'll need to meal plan (and also go and buy some vegetables as I seem to be low on fresh veg).

I was in Venice last week (holiday rather than work for a change, very lucky to be given the opportunity to stay in a friend's apartment and use my airline miles for the flights) and love the way the Italians make such a feature of their vegetables. Lots of delicious aubergine, peppers, artichokes, fennel etc.

have a lovely weekend - looking forward to seeing your curry later!

Greying_Pilgrim

greenbee wrote: »

ooh... the recipe looks yummy... I must see whether I have any ancient mung beans hanging around (They were an approved food 'bargain' that has lasted a long time, and I have aduki beans of the same vintage!). I might have cooked and frozen them already, but I'm sure it'll still work.

Lawks greenbee -that means your beans are older than mine I think - as i had aduki beans from 'that' offer - and i've not bothered with AF for yonks!

greenbee wrote: »

If you could just share your menu plan and shopping list in advance every week that would solve all my organisational problems .

Ha ha - do you want all the red pen crossings out too, due to *CBA'd* or we didn't have oven chips coz i forgot to buy them....... :rotfl:

greenbee wrote: »

I'm off out today with a friend to an amazing health food shop, so I'm hoping to come back with lots of exciting grains and pulses. .

Well jel.

greenbee wrote: »

I was in Venice last week ........... and love the way the Italians make such a feature of their vegetables. Lots of delicious aubergine, peppers, artichokes, fennel etc.

Wellier jellier ^ And yes, agree. I've only Keith Floyd, Jamie, Rick and Nigella cookery progs to draw on (never been to Italy myself), but I'd agree about the veg dishes. Mind, food in general is treated with such respect in much of southern europe, full stop.

It's funny you should mention Italy, greenbee - I was looking out of the window earlier, at the leaf colours (we've one of those funny gloomy days, that makes colours 'pop' iyswim) and I was thinking about the prog jamieO did with boar hunters in........ was it Piedmont? Lovely, misty autumnal day anyway. Just right for a boar stew and more vino at the end of it Love Autumn. Autumn and spring are my favourite seasons I think. Right temperatures, right clothing, right food choices

i'm just having a 5 minute coffee break, and then I must crack on.

Greying X

apple_muncher

Peeking around the door to say, 'Could you use the parsnips in a curried parsnip soup?' And meandering off again to lurk...

greenbee

Health food shop was fab. As was the cafe in the independent bookshop nearby. I really must do more of my shopping in this town as it's no farther than anywhere else I go, and MUCH nicer. (OK, just checked, it's 8 minutes further than Evil Tesco, 3 minutes further than sainsburys, 3 minutes closer than Waitrose, 15 minutes further than the Coop BUT it has the health food shop, bookshop, greengrocer, butcher, tesco, waitrose, coop, lidl and lots of lovely independent shops as well as the usual chain ones).

I've heard through a friend that her Tesco has frozen avocados available to order online, so as I need to stock up on bottled water (I know it's extravagant, but I can manage the filtered water boiled in coffee, but not on it's own - our water is VILE) I might nip up there and see whether ours has them back in. If not I'll try an online order. I must also remember to get LL milk for making yogurt...

greenbee

They're back

http://www.tesco.com/groceries/product/details/?id=289890009

Apparently they were out of stock due to demand earlier this year...

I've just stocked up. If anyone else wants them from Tesco in Winchester I did leave a few packs And I can tell you where to find them.

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Evening :hello:

Visitors, how luverly

apple_muncher wrote: »

Peeking around the door to say, 'Could you use the parsnips in a curried parsnip soup?' And meandering off again to lurk...

apple muncher - hello! :wave: Spiffing suggestion, I just can't seem to shoehorn soup in for a meal - ideally lunch - anywhere. The soup pencilled in for next Tuesday has already started to make me hop from one foot to another, in anticipation, because I've not made it before (daft brush!). Plus, because I am an awkward thing, I wanted to do something I've not made before But, curried parsnip soup - definitely yum worthy

greenbee - sounds like you've had a blast, and I agree, the extra bit of mileage sounds as though it is repaid in spades in 'different town'. Huzzah about the avocados! I shall buy a bag myself if I can track them down in our store - and shall make noises if I can't find them!

So, we went along to the high street this arvo, bit of life admin to attend to and a few bits and pieces to be purchased. I was contemplating buying some brushed cotton bed linen - a duvet cover, specifically, as we have v good sheets (now discontinued I think ). I wandered into an independent bed store the other day, when i spotted a set. The lady was very good and said they were ok for the money, but that a dearer set were better quality. Anyway, as it happened, I noticed m&$ did a set - for not much more than the expensive set, and in a better colourway. I left it, as it wasn't an absolutely essential purchase. Anyway, I noticed yesterday that they have their homewares sale on. So i've picked them up for 20% off. I'm sure i could probably shaved a bit more off buying online etc, but I've got them now, no waiting in for a postie, or whoever delivers for m&$. I'm just pleased I waited, it's kept money in my pocket and I've similiar quality to the other bed store at a lower price :j

Tea this evening was a curry plate, as billed :rotfl: I made Mugg (Mung bean curry) as detailed earlier. I have cooked all the remaining mung beans and have some curry left, probably enough for 2 small portions. Those bags of mung beans YS'd in mrT were very good value for money - 2 or 3 years ago, when I bought them I was inspired by (but didn't follow slavishly) THIS recipe for utilising some of the parsnips. We did have to buy some sweet potatoes, but they were on the list for next week anyway, so i've loaned one off November for October........ I used sweet potatoes and parsnips - chopped and 'parboiled' (actually did mine in the microwave). Then made a paste of onion, garlic, chilli and ginger. Fried this off in a saucepan in some oil, added in some sri lankan curry powder (curry powder ingredients listed first, rather than the whole recipe!) and then added the veg. Stirred it all together, added lime zest and juice and then added in the coconut milk. Warmed it all through and then stirred in some chopped coriander at the end. Served up with lemon basmati rice. Picture here;



The picture colour is a little off - it's on the bluest setting. The curry was a little 'warmer' in actuality, but the next camera setting up had it looking like a madras! Jolly nice though. And we savoured the mugg, as it will possibly be a long time before we have it again, unless i drop on some cheap beans.......

Not a combo you would find in any takeaway, nor restaurant, but satisfying and I was really pleased with the parsnip curry - they worked well with the sweet potatoes - earthy, robust and yet with a hint of sweetness.

Today I am grateful for these 3 things;

reflection - I thought I wasn't doing something 'right'. On reflection, I'm doing it 'well enough'.

for nice food, which hasn't bust the budget

for mild weather and a nice walk this afternoon - restorative

Ta for popping in and chatting. Always appreciated. Always.

Greying X

greenbee

Actually, don't bother with the meal plan, I'll just move in

Looks yummy!