The Simple Bare Necessities feat. Gratitude & Recipes

rtandon27

GP - another lovely inspiration! - I'm sure we have some yellow stickered pastry in the freezer - must investigate...

OH was inspired by your homemade wedges so produced us some lightly spiced ones to go with dinner last night - he even made some of them just for me of the sweet potato variety - who says romance is dead? :D

Upsidedown_Bear

Greying_Pilgrim wrote: »

Hi Bear :wave: Hi Smilie :wave: Long time no-see, hope all well

Hello

We moved house in March :T so have been busy
I have been reading but didn't realise until yesterday that I hadn't thanked any of the posts :doh: I know where I've read on a thread by how far I've thanked. Which works if you remember to hit the thanks button :rotfl:

Fabulous food as always. I can only dream of being so creative :cool:

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning :hello:

rtandon - I'm convinced 'love' is in the little things, not in overpriced boquets on days of someone else's (usually big business) choosing! Bravo to OH for making wedges from scratch

Upsidedown Bear - you do make me larf

Well, the account book is finally up to date and the receipt pile is back to zero! It got me to thinking about receipts and how so many shops ask you now if you want a receipt. I realise that folk paying by card and/or contactless have some sort of record, but it does amaze me how - in h3ron for example - many folk, paying with cash, don't require their receipt when asked. If receipts become a thing of the past, how will we return things? I know it's perhaps a bit old-fashioned to return a pot of yoghurt that has turned, and want your 45p back, but what about more costly items?

Well, tea last night was a mix of left-over curries out of the freezer with some leftover dhal and steamed basmati. None of the pots was really a meal for one - well, the black-eye bean would have been enough I think - but little bits put together made a good meal for 2.

Tonight we will be having a buddha bowl using the tofu that I didn't use last week. We need more frozen veg, so I'll get some more today and it may well end up in the mix. I must remember to press the tofu.

We had a lovely day out yesterday, all for the cost of a bit of fuel in the car. We saw lots of nice birds, and farm animals and had a good auld natter, so it was a very pleasant way to spend time.

I don't think I'll be rushing to mrL for the PoTW. 49p isn't super cheap for an aubergine. After the silly 'panic' earlier in the year, I suppose the supermarkets think that we'll think prices have been 'slashed'. I'll wait it out for a YS'd one. There are other vegetables in the rainbow, in the meantime.

Can't think of owt else MS, so I had better get on and do a bit more. I'm setting myself the target of clearing all the 'carp' off the table. That will keep me out of mischief!

Ta for popping in and being supportive. Appreciated, as always.

Greying X

mcculloch29

I always ask for my receipt in Heron and if there isn't a queue - there usually is - I explain that it is for the Heron thread on here that I started. I don't think I've ever taken anything back to Heron. Many years ago I put the fact that the Heron kebab meat was inedible grey cardboard down to my own stupidity in thinking it would be anything remotely resembling an edible product at that price.
I had a similar conversation with my DD yesterday regarding kebab meat. Our conclusions were somewhat judgemental so I won't repeat them here.

My second Elisabeth Luard book, Recipes and Ramblings has arrived and it is a joy, a painting on every page. Less in the way of 'must try that recipes' - I won't be trying the venison, grouse or whole salmon any time soon - but lots of interesting facts to absorb and ponder and a few useful bits and pieces. Including a recipe for Anzac biscuits. I love those.

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Afternoon :hello:

Had good intentions of making it (just) a morning post, but been loading pics up onto p'bucket. Need I say more.

mcculloch - I always ask for my receipt, and tie our heron staff up in knots, as they are so used to asking 'do you want a bag', 'do you want a receipt' that when I normally decline a bag (unless i'm buying them to give donations to the FB in), and ask for my receipt, they forget I've said it and forget to ask me do I want a receipt and forget to print it off Luckily the tills have memories, and can print off the receipt even if they've given me the change etc. Our heron staff are really nice, so helpful and friendly. I got advance warning that the oven chips I buy have gone up to £1.09 in price, as the gal put them through and when i said that the SEL still said £1 (this was last week), she didn't hesitate to put them through as a £1, as the error was on their part.

I don't normally wish that i was 'on' any type of social media - but I wish I was on tw1tt3r, to reply to Martin's :money: bit about finding a credit card today. In doing the right thing HE had to make a call to the credit card company (presumably at his own expense), just like I had to PAY FOR A STAMP to return the cut-up card to the company when I found someone's lost card. In doing the RIGHT thing, the good samaritan has to foot the bill!!! How about the card companies make it 'freecall' and 'freepost' to report lost cards? - especially if you're reporting that you have found someone else's.

*rant over*

We zoomed up the high street this morn, as I had a parcel delivery and I knew that it would be likely to be spit spot on the dot if I dared be a moment late. I copied out recipes from a library book and have returned that. And purchased some lemons and some walnuts halves. How exciting my life eh? Oh, and I bought a lott3ry ticket for tonight, as it'd be a pleasure to have the opportunity to spend a 'little something extra' :rotfl:Returned home with 26 minutes to spare, and the parcel turned up 28 minutes later Well chuffed.

Tea last night was a tofu inspired buddha bowl. I marinated the pressed tofu in; leftover lemon and lime juice (as ib half a lemon and half a lime were leftover), oil, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. I then coated the slices in ground hemp, sunflower, chia and pumpkin seeds. The hemp doesn't grind down easily so I 'cut' it with some cornmeal. This made the coating crunchy, but not stick in your teeth, so I was rather glad I did it - phew!

It got served up with brown basmati, grated carrot, steamed broccoli, and a citrus (leftover marinade) tahini, miso dressing and some more seeds and sumac scattered over. Picture here;



Tea tonight will be black olive pizza and wedges from the vast array of 'odds and ends' of tatties that have gathered in the fridge.

Don't think I've owt else MS or money wasting to report, so best get on with summat constructive. I did manage to clear-ish the table yesterday :j And i've got better at clearing out the toot in the kitchen. Need to try to sort that, so that I have more counter space. 1 square inch to do everything on is getting me down......:rotfl:

Right, ta for popping in. Appreciated.

Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Evening :hello:

We've not yet had 'us tea'. BG is deciding that playing up/with Daddy is far more important than snoozing.... they might miss something :rotfl:

I'm aware that I'm down on expressing my gratitude for the great, good, small and significant things that have happened or are going on in my life and I thought it was about time that I rectified that.

I am grateful that I have the love and support of friends who are 'looking out' for me and have my back covered. They stand for me. I stand for them. I am grateful to have them in my life.

I am grateful for the coupons that came through the post from mrT yesterday. They were earnt with no sweat from us, and were associated with purchases that we needed. They are the last piece in the jigsaw and mean that we have sufficient to renew our breakdown cover. I realise, from reading elsewhere on MSE that the days of 'loyalty' cards are possibly numbered, but the awareness of that means that we can put a savings system in place, so that in future years, if we don't have sufficient vouchers/the system is pulled, we will be able to afford the breakdown service - which gives us peace of mind, especially with a 'small' now in the car more often than not.

I am grateful that someone stopped me on the high street today to check if I was 'who they thought I was' and then proceeded to ask after my parentals and wished to be remembered to them. In a world that sometimes gets smaller as you age, it is nice to know that others are thinking of you and send their best wishes. It is a small thing, but can make the difference to a older person's day.

Thanks very much for popping by, reading and joining in conversations. It means a great deal to me. And keeps me on the spending straight and narrow. Thank you.

Greying X

mcculloch29

Lovely post. Meanwhile, I have my third Elisabeth Luard book en route. Having bought one brand new and one for 1p, I now have a reasonably priced SH copy of European Festival Food that still comes in at under a tenner with postage.
The book has a recipe for home made lebkuchen. I love lebkuchen. I can see some being made well before December.

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Afternoon :hello:

mcculloch - love hearing all about your book purchases. I just looked which EL books our library still has - they must have been having a clear out, as they've less than half a dozen listed, and they don't even list the one that I had out of the library from the next market town across.... :huh: So it would appear that I borrowed, and read, a book that doesn't exist.... copied recipes from it too :rotfl:

Time is just a whizzing. Can't believe that we've only a week-ish of May left :eek: Sorry to not get on yesterday. I wasn't at 'the' wedding Just got busy hither and yon.

We did have pizza and wedges for tea on Friday night, but we ate late and I didn't take a pic. The pizza was fine - black olive - the wedges, which were made up of various tatties, cooked at different paces, and were everything from 'justaboutcooked' through to hazelnut brown all over :rotfl: They were all edible though and all eaten Tea last night was curry. I was determined to use what I had, so ended up with my 'goto' dhal, basmati rice and a new-to-me recipe for the aduki beans that I had in the freezer, (which I had bought 'buy 1 get one free' and had cooked 1 bag in the pressure cooker.) I had used some for a zesty aduki bean salad and froze the rest. I used a Maddhur Jaffrey recipe for the aduki bean curry



I used some coconut milk (the solid bit) in place of the coconut called for in the recipe, but liked it and would make it again. It tasted nice and used items that i had in the freezer or in the storecupboard.

Tea this evening, despite us not having got out visiting for the day, will be 'convenience' freezer fish & chips with tinned mushy peas I cannot say how much pleasure it gives me, knowing that one night each week I have this meal up my sleeve and can have something on the table within about half an hour from packet opening to plating up

I have written up the meal-planner for next week, I'm going to try to make some new-to-me recipes from the plethora that i have copied out of cookbooks of late! And I shall try to keep shopping to a minimum this week. I have food budget left, but I would like to try to finish the month with something in my purse, even if it's only 5p!!! Having said that I did spend money today, I bought weetybicks (36) from heron for £2.50, which I think is pretty competitive, and I got some YS'd bits in M&$ - including 335g of Portugese produced cherry tomatoes for 35p :j bargain - even cheaper than the mrAl offering (350g pack) in the S6 :j I also picked up some tins and a few bits and pieces in mrL - I have finally got some red kidney beans, as they have been OOS in HB for aaaggggeeeeessssss!!! I also braved mrAl (awful carpark to get into and out of at this particular - newish - store), and picked up some nappies and mushrooms. Haven't beetroot (vac-pac) gone dear? What's the story? They are sooooooo easy to grow and sooooooo can grow in this country. I've still one pack of beets left from the time they were 29p in mrAl S6. But I'm not paying 99p for a packet going forward. Oh, and talking of 'stores' that reminds me, I forgot to mention that last Friday's pizza (mozarella) used the last of the frozen, grated m&$ cheese that I picked up in....... January? YS'd to £2 a 750g block. We have some of the mrL £1.99 stuff in the fridge, but that is our butty sanger staple fair, but I did use some on the pizza topping this Friday night.

Right, best go and do a bit of tidying up. Today is just flying.

Ta for popping in, reading and chatting about EL - I'm enjoying reading her, and reading about her!

Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning :hello:

Here we go again!

The weather looks like it is going to be reasonable. We shall pop out and about, to get a breathe of fresh air if nowt else. Not too sure if it is half-term in these parts or not, or whether it is next week. Won't be long until I have to be all over this sort of thing (a few years, but the way time is whizzing, 'not long' )

We are breakfasted, and some of us are showered, clothed and have put a brush through our hair :rotfl:

Tea this evening will be falafel burgers and salad. I made the bread dough last night and I have just got it out of the fridge to bring it back to room temp before I shape it into rolls. I have the falafel burgers in the freezer, and will make at least one salad to go with - we have some other bits and pieces too. I will have to check my recipe index to see if I have a version of a salad that won't need bits to be bought, the salad I was going to try needs a couple of things, and I'm being determindley tight!

Managed to have a quick discussion with DH yesterday about trying to move things forward house-wise. He's engaged with one of my suggestions, so I need to do some research.

Dh has a list to get several things from mrL. So we're not got going for a NSD today, but it will be a considered LSD.

Nowt else to add, I don't think.

Ta for popping in. Appreciated.

Greying X

Verbatim

Good luck with speeding up your house stuff.