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ItchyCat

Hello… I’ve just started reading your diary, and I’m aware that I am way back in 2017…but can I come to your house please? Home made bread, French onion soup, carrot cake, custard tarts, Bakewell tart, double choc muffins…. your cooking sounds delicious…  Even the “bolognaise thing” from one of the 12 packs of mince in the freezer! 😂 Hope life is good in 2023… 

redofromstart

lol, hello @ItchyCat
- great name.

Nothing much happens in the intervening years, several microwaves,( a general strike and a flock of seagulls...) and a minor obsession with carrot and cashew rice iirc.

actually a full time job that took over for a few years which ends this month, hurrah!

ItchyCat

I need to keep reading just for the flock of seagulls! I’m assuming you don’t mean the 80’s pop group…I ran so far away?! 😂 (Showing my age now 😕) Do you still cook, bake, do wondrous things in the kitchen? Obviously your boys are grown now. 

redofromstart

The boys are 19 and 18 now, both studying and at home. Yes I still cook a lot but it tends to be in batches at the weekends. Really looking forward to having time to play in the kitchen and the garden again.  Funnily enough I'd been reading back through my diary this week for motivation and to remind myself of recipes. I've got quite a list for food shopping tomorrow.  Want to do florentines, biscotti, mincemeat, another go at toffee and to make stem ginger in syrup again.

'General strike and a flock of seagulls' is an Austin Powers quote.  Used a lot in this house 'did I miss anything?' 'General strike and a flock of seagulls'.

redofromstart

Pay day shuffle done and unallocated money shifted to savings. One full month pay to go and some holiday pay. I've looked at the committed spends but there really is very little discretionary committed spend. 

Busy stockpiling baked beans (£8 for 12 tins of H on Azn) and laughing at myself for doing it. The freezer is fairly empty in anticipation of bargains in the next few weeks.

 Experiment of the week was an attempt at toffee. I was asked to make a hard toffee so I have been playing with carnation Easter toffee. Haven't quite got it right yet.

i was reading the batch lady cookbook today which has some interesting ideas. 

ItchyCat

Oh! Haha….I’m not familiar with Austin Powers 😳 I have sent myself down a 80s music memory lane though! Biscotti….can I come to your house please? 😂

redofromstart

Also managed to get back into my Prolifuc account, last used in 2019. Pleased to see I had a few pounds banked as well. 

EssexHebridean

You’ve just reminded me that my freezer was fairly empty a few weeks ago. Well, no, not “fairly empty” in fact but certainly in its way to thinking about it. Last week I popped the bargain charity shop bag of yarn in there in case of any nasties lurking, got it out this morning, and now there is barely any space in the freezer again - how on earth…?! (Answer - burgers and sausages bought at the food show last weekend, plus YS’d bread and some 3-for-£6 Christmas food nabbed in T’s this morning….sigh!)  I did for a moment wonder what strange effect the yarn had! 

redofromstart

Always amuses me that I should freeze my good jumpers to stop the moths but there just isn't room @EssexHebridean

Mr M had fresh turkey crown @£7.20 KG but only two out at 8.39am so not worth a special trip. Lidl had several long dated big gammon joints at £4.50kg, vague plan to cook ours on Christmas Eve so we have for visitors and soup once I'm inevitably tired and full of a cold.

you are more than welcome to join us @itchycat. Mince pies and Lancashire flips tomorrow I think. Might pick a celeriac from the tunnel as I don't think they will get any bigger now.

redofromstart

Snow overnight so the wood burner and fans have been in full flow today. I tidied the dining room so that it isn't the DRofDoom when I finish for Christmas.

i also made mince pies and jam tarts. A cheapish jar of co op mince padded out with fruit, almonds, and marzipan. Turkey brined and roasted so cold cuts for the next few days. Must remember to do the butcher's order tomorrow, or I'll regret cooking this turkey.