EH - Essex > Hebrides...the next step of the adventure?

EssexHebridean

FREEEEEEEZING here again! Not *quite* literally, but the car did tell me it was only 2 degrees C when I left this morning, so I'm guessing the windchill accounts for extra nip in the air. Winter coat is out and heating is now on at home - being storage heaters they will take a few days to reach full heat-production, but it already felt lovely and toasty when I got home last night!

Thanks to all who've asked whether I'm feeling better. Started to I think, although still coughing a lot. Always takes me forever to shift a cough, though! definitely feeling as though I have a bit more energy today though, which is fab!

Got the car back last night - SO nice to have the handbrake behaving as it should again! Minor panic when I realised I couldn't find the garage key that is stashed away in there, but it lives on one of those rubber wristband things and it turns out they'd hung it over the steering wheel! :rotfl: Also got home to find the reminder for renewal of my road tax - good job that's only £30 eh else I might have been tempted to say she wasn't worth all the cost! :rotfl:

Dinner was a straight repeat of one day last week - except this time I emulated Greying and it was "From the Freezer" - for the stew at least! The last of the plain yogurt went into flatbreads again, and as last time I added a sprinkling of nigella seeds. 'Twas yum! :T

Got my own car with me today so no waiting around for MrEH after I've finished work thank goodness. Now I'm regaining some energy though I do need to make use of the time I get free at home though - and I think tonight's "use" of it will be:
- Construct the lasagne for tomorrow night's dinner
- Hoover (or, as it's a bagless, "Suction based dust rearrangement")
- S & S Kitchen

Food tonight is risotto - got the scraps of a few weeks back's roast chicken out of the freezer, and I'll probably do it with mushrooms (obviously! :rotfl:) and frozen peas. Just occurred to me that I have NO idea if I have any risotto rice...but heck, if I haven't, it'll be more of a pilaff instead, no doubt! :rotfl: One way or the other, it'll work.

Today ought *not* be a NSD, but I can get away with leaving that pesky car tax for a few days yet...don't really see why the DVLA should have the benefit of my dosh before they need it, so maybe I'll just make a reminder to pay that next week..on a spend day, natch!

MrsTinks

It was minus 2 here this morning :eek

I've never got the hang of the whole NSD thing LOL Either it needs paying or it doesn't LOL

bugslet

fru-girl wrote: »

I'm very young just turned 40. I'm not from the UK though, that might explain it...

@Essex: we're keeping your thread warm.

A mere babe in arms;)

I can't have an NSD. I need chocolate. If I buy 5 bars one day, I eat 5 bars. Stick to buying it as I go, otherwise I could do it.

MrsTinks

bugslet wrote: »

A mere babe in arms;)

I can't have an NSD. I need chocolate. If I buy 5 bars one day, I eat 5 bars. Stick to buying it as I go, otherwise I could do it.

Mmmmm now I want chocolate...

and if 40 is a mere babe in arms then what is 36??? (for a few more days at least!)

MistyMountainTop

I'm the same with a cough after a cold. They say if it lasts more than three weeks to see your Dr but mine can go on for a month or more and there is nothing to be done about it. So irritating!

It's cold here too, well it's cold everywhere isn't it? The CH has been on more than I'd like but no amount of clothes and socks have been able to warm me up today, especially as I've spent most of it on my backside trying to get to grips with the budget. Luckily the humidity levels outside have dropped so they have dropped a bit inside too and I've only run the dehumidifiers for a couple of hours.

I've still not done a meal plan but your posts about what you are having have inspired me. I should probably take a look on the forum to see if there is a thread about them somewhere, we tend to get in the habit of having the same things over and over.

I want chocolate too. Now. Lots of it. Thank goodness there is none in the house, or there would be none left after I got my hands on it.

bugslet

MrsTinks wrote: »

Mmmmm now I want chocolate...

and if 40 is a mere babe in arms then what is 36??? (for a few more days at least!)

Sorry for mentioning chocolate peeps...ooops, did it again:o

Mrs Tinks, you must be a twinkle in someone's eye.:D

EssexHebridean

MrsTinks wrote: »

Mmmmm now I want chocolate...

and if 40 is a mere babe in arms then what is 36??? (for a few more days at least!)

Younger than me - so don't rub it in! :rotfl::p

MistyMountainTop wrote: »

I'm the same with a cough after a cold. They say if it lasts more than three weeks to see your Dr but mine can go on for a month or more and there is nothing to be done about it. So irritating!

It's cold here too, well it's cold everywhere isn't it? The CH has been on more than I'd like but no amount of clothes and socks have been able to warm me up today, especially as I've spent most of it on my backside trying to get to grips with the budget. Luckily the humidity levels outside have dropped so they have dropped a bit inside too and I've only run the dehumidifiers for a couple of hours.

I've still not done a meal plan but your posts about what you are having have inspired me. I should probably take a look on the forum to see if there is a thread about them somewhere, we tend to get in the habit of having the same things over and over.

I want chocolate too. Now. Lots of it. Thank goodness there is none in the house, or there would be none left after I got my hands on it.

Meal planning is more of an art than a science I always feel - I started out by simply brainstorming with MrEH and putting together headings for the kind of meals we eat regularly - so for example Pasta, rice based, meat based, "easy", egg based, veggie. Then under each of the headings we added every possible meal we could think of so essentially we have a "master list" which we can go to either when we have ingredients and can't think what to make from them, or simply when we want ideas for what to eat the following week. I also keep a rolling list of "things that need using up" in my journal.
When it comes to actually planning meals for the week ahead, my first port of call is the fridge, cupboards, larder and freezer. I pretty much never cook a single portion of casserole, curry or bolognese sauce - so usually for nights when I need something quick there is something in the freezer that fits the bill - which is the key to avoiding the takeaway trap, for us.

All chocolate chat is most welcome (Sorry - did I mention it again!) - I'm currently working my way through the seemingly bottomless box of truffles my friend gave me as a thank you for helping her with something. I also have a Toblerone in the larder I've remembered - but I might just save that now and wait for it to become a collector's item! :rotfl:

EssexHebridean

Well, it's been quite a day out there in the world hasn't it! :eek:

Lasagne tonight - and I used some of the tomatoes, the third red pepper from last week's "Pick of the week" deal, and some of the bunch of parsley I bought the other night to make a sort of salsa to go with it. The other half of the ragu sauce went into the freezer so will probably make an appearance next week or the one after. Tomorrow is meant to be a butternut squash and chickpea curry, so that's an easy one to throw together when I get home.

Heating has been tweaked up another notch for the front room as it was chilly in here when I got home - now the storage heaters have been on a few days they're using less electric to heat up anyway.

Need to plan how we're budgeting for some planned-for work (belt change and new water pump) that my car needs - I'm aiming to get that sorted early part of next year I think as it's due on mileage now, and I definitely want it done and dusted before we take her on holiday. The garage has quoted £473.

I want to do a repeat visit to Imperial War Museum Duxford at some stage. I'll almost certainly go on a friday when it will be quieter, which will in turn make it better for photography. I'll get my ticket via Clubcard points though - £5.50 in clubcard points is far better value than £18 cash! I must remember to ask when I get there whether I can still add the £5 extra to allow me to make return visits - I suspect not, but it will be worth asking.

NSD netted here today - and can't think why tomorrow can't be one as well. There's absolutely nothing we need, and nothing that needs booking or ordering that can't wait. Mrs T I totally get what you mean about NSD's though - sometimes I can go days at a time without needing anything, but if for example the car needs diesel I don't have the luxury of putting it off for a day or so and walking to work!

MistyMountainTop

Thank you for the meal planning advice, I had no idea how to even start. I think we will follow what you did and sit down and make a list of everything we like to eat, then out of those meals pick ones from the food we already have in the house.

CH on here, it seems like the minute it turns off, the house temp plummets to freezing. I'm keeping doors shut and using blankets but it's still so cold! We had storage heaters in the last few houses we lived in, I must admit I much prefer having CH. Our heaters were very old and always smelled like something was burning when they were on. My next house/flat/shed will have a solid fuel stove, it's one of my top priorities!

I ate some chocolate today. I blame you.

EssexHebridean

Ahh with you on the stove idea Misty - definitely right up there on our list for the future too! :T

The water company have written to us telling us they are going to install a mater meter. Now this is interesting - we approached them a few years ago and asked about getting one fitted - they came and visited, and told us that while we *could* have one, it would require a lot of work to get the pipe accessible to take it (The main comes into ours, then branches run off to the upstairs properties) so really we weren't suitable. Since then of course we've had the work done for the bathroom (meaning there is now a pipe obstructing where they'd put the meter too) and we've had the airing cupboard refitted. Now they are more than welcome to come and look, but any alterations they need to make will be at their cost, and will NOT leave us with less storage than we currently have in that cupboard! :mad: (Nor will destroy the work we've just paid out for!). Essentially, I suspect they will take one look and state that we are not suitable - which means they will put us onto an "assessed charge" apparently - and so far as I can see, that "assessed charge" should be less than we are currently paying for our non-metered supply...I suspect they have other ideas - this could prove entertaining!

Meal plan is being adjusted for tonight. Firstly I have no idea whether MrEH will be in for dinner, or not. He has work meetings all day, and then if finished in time his company want him to travel to their South Coast office for a "marketing event" which is scheduled to run until around 9.30pm. Considering that leaves him not getting back to London until at the earliest 11pm, after which he then has to travel back home (another hour and a half travelling at least) I'm rather unimpressed. When you consider that he was in the office at 8.30am this morning, thusb this will mean a 14 hour plus day, I'm even less impressed. However, as a result it seems more sensible for me to leave the curry for another time - possibly even for tomorrow - and assume that if he IS in to eat, he will have an omelette (so using up some of the eggs) and I will have a buddha bowl of the same style I did on saturday. (thus using up some of the butternut squash). :T

*bows graciously and accepts blame on chocolate eating* - never been blamed for making people eat chocolate before. Cheese, yes... :rotfl: :rotfl:

No spendy-type plans for the weekend, so wondering if I can go another week without visiting the "hole in the wall" for personal spends? Can't see why I couldn't, to be honest - tomorrow my main plan is some pottering about at home, general houseworky stuff, the shopping and possibly a walk somewhere depending on how I feel and what the weather is doing. Saturday I'm assuming MrEH has a rugby match somewhere....Sunday, no idea! There is still £10 in my purse though, I'm pretty sure of that.

Might need a list for tomorrow...:eek: