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redofromstart

Payday, and mortgage round up day.  A little larger OP than usual as it took us to the next 5K. Interest now under £8 per day and a quarter paid off since Dec 18.  
Its otherwise an expensive month, my car tax, his insurance, bike tax, autoaid renewal and the delayed start to the boys driving lessons.  Hurrah for a plan and savings.

redofromstart

Every so often MSE logs me out and I spend a week trying to remember my password.  Anyway, I'm back in now.
Tonight as part of dinner we had my favourite frugal recipe ever, a 2008 MSE special.   My printed copy is yellow with age and random splashes.  I don't think I have ever made the same version twice, but it remains a family favourite, lentil dhal.  If we had to choose something cheap and filling to eat once a week forever..
Tonight I diced onions, heated some oil and gave it a few minutes on low.  Added some frozen cubes of garlic and ginger.  Added spices.  Swirled the lentils and added chicken stock and half a pack of coconut cream.  Thick, tasty, filling.  Sometimes I add green peas or spinach for the colour.  Glorious on its own or as a side dish, and it freezes well.

DancingInTheRain

Love lentil dhal too, also delicious with a couple of spoons of Thai curry paste 😋

Seasidegal58

Another coconut dahl fan here. So easy and cheap to make. Been a staple since I went the plant based diet route!👍

redofromstart

A week away, we cancelled the snowdonia cottage but managed to book a replacement cottage by the seaside near Whitby.  A (much needed) change of location meant that a lovely time was had by all.  A trip to the seaside is a real treat when you are a landlocked 2.5 hours away from the nearest beach.  
Payday while we were away but can't currently log on to move money and clear credit card which is rather frustrating.
Rapturous greetings from my furry friends although madam fat pants is now sulking, having absent mindedly greeted me with enthusiasm.  She sits with her back to me in a suitably pointed fashion.  Everyone else purrs and asks for food as my house sitting sibling Did Not feed Them, and actually just binned a weeks worth of cat food.  

juliejim

Pleased you had a good holiday redo

HairyHandofDartmoor

I had a lovely holiday in Whitby once. I'm glad you managed to get away for a break.

sashybo

😂 redo madam fat pants sounds like a cat we used to have, she took the proper huff with us if we went away and would pointedly look away and then turn her back on us when we returned. The other two cats would be over like a shot wanting a fuss but she would sulk for a few hours at the very least before acknowledging us. 😂 

redofromstart

Thanks JJ and HHOD.  I feel much better for it.
Sashybo, it'll be at least a week before she forgives us, she is spending a lot of time just sat on the edge of my eye range with her back to me.

The bank stuff went back up and running so money was shuffled.  It had been a very expensive month with the holiday cottage, car and bike insurances and car and bike tax but we are now in the discipline of start of the month regular savers go out, rounding payment to the mortgage etc so even when I think we haven't added to savings we actually have.

Made a chocolate cake for the boys yesterday, had to check the flour and the cocoa for extra protein as it was so long since they had been used.  Happily none present.  I then had to whizz the icing sugar in the blender as that had set solid.  End result is apparently nice, but I think I will stick with the popular and cheap basic chocolate rice crispy cakes going forward.  

astrocytic_kitten

I used to have a cat that did that and it was so funny, she’d sit right in front of me with her back turned to make sure there could be no doubt she was most displeased. She didn’t manage to keep it up as long as yours though!

Glad you had a good break. Being by the sea is so restorative, no matter what the weather.