Cooking for one (Mark Three)

moneyistooshorttomention

I get where you're all coming from. Kittie - I know I frequently tell myself "Count blessings..." and start reeling off to myself:
- own my own home (detached at last)
- got some friends here
- nice countryside to get out to nearby (albeit on the not-very-frequent buses here)
- an income that is low - but could be worse - so I eat, for instance, as I decide I will

MeandO - hope things start working out better for you soon.

I know, right now, I've had a couple of complaints about my not speaking Welsh, I've had the "sweetly smiling persuasion" attempts as well. Now I'm gearing myself up mentally in case someone comes to where I do voluntary work, speaks to me in Welsh, when they find I don't speak Welsh carries right on speaking to me in Welsh (ie rather than changing to English) - as I'm concerned they'd go off and there'd be A Complaint:cool::mad:. So I'm working out strategy in case that happens to me - and think the best one I can think of to date to prevent them doing A (unjustified) Complaint would be to indicate anything in Welsh to them with sign language (in case they genuinely can't speak English - doubtful...:cool:). If they're still talking to me in Welsh - I'll turn round and smile sweetly and say "Hang on a minute - I'll just go and ask someone elsewhere nearby if they speak Welsh and see if I can get them to come and translate for you" - and do just that.

I can't see how they could put in A Complaint after that - even if they were particularly determined to do so. So - I've got that thing up my sleeve in case of need...

PasturesNew

Today's food is identical to yesterday's. Once packs/tins are open you do have to do that Groundhog Day food for a few days.

Farway

Reading some of the above I count myself lucky, I've not experienced any hostility or stand offish behaviour here, possibly because being fairly close [50+ miles] from London, with a large number of people either in or ex military there is not a "native" population to speak of

I know Southerners have a bit of a standoffish reputation, but minding your own business can sometimes be a blessing in disguise

Onto CFO

I ran out of milk,so the breakfast porridge was water only, it is just not the same, normally I make 50/50
Then forgot to pick raspberries for adding in the porridge:(
Then found my latest batch of yoghurt has not "set":(:( I've bunged it back in heater to see if it recovers, if not then I guess it will be OK mixed in or poured over cereal

I've rediscovered Marmite, had a couple of free sample arrive, with a 50p coupon, bought a jar in W/r this morning. I did check, and W/r + L's are the cheapest & same price for Marmite, odd that

Lunch was the last of the Heck bangers, in a sarnie with English mustard

Dinner will be nuked L's YS veggie chilli

Kittie, I do prune my goosegogs, but mucked it up this year, they were chomped by sawfly last year, and the bush was straggly & forever catching on my washing, so i gave the bush a very severe haircut, which with hindsight was at the wrong time of year

TBH with my new grape I'm thinking of removing the old bush, fitting supports& wires along the back wall and train my vine along there in place of the gooseberry. But I may not, plenty of time for me to [STRIKE][STRIKE]procrastinate[/STRIKE][/STRIKE] think about it before action is really needed

moneyistooshorttomention

I'm a Southerner Farway - but I've come to the conclusion that I don't think we're stand-offish. I think we're more "being polite and non-intrusive" imo.

People do come running to pick me up/dust me down if I take a tumble in the street for instance etc and I'll do the same in reverse. Where I'm from there is a "native" population (including me) - but one basically expects that a lot of people won't be.

For instance - I will wait to see if I spot signals that look like someone wants to chat to A.N. Other person - and, then if I spot them, I'll start chatting away. But if I don't spot the signals - eyes down/up/wherever and "go about my business". I think it is a form of politeness/not "crowding people" that we tend to go in for/giving people "room" to make their own decisions imo. I don't think we're being stand-offish - we're basically thinking "I'll make my own decision and you'll make your own decision and, if we're lucky they'll coincide. If not - oh well....". I would say it's a form of respect basically - we expect to give it and get it.

It is rather different to "What does the group want (or to be more accurate the one or two people that have set themselves up as group 'deciders') and I'll go along with that?". Well that's how it feels to me personally anyway - and we're set straight on collision course if someone is trying to tell me what to think - as I'm there thinking "That's not very polite....hmmm... and there's no 'room' for that anyway - as I've already made my own decision for myself, as I'm used to doing". Some people might like that/probably do - but I'm not used to it personally and find it offputting.

EDIT; Just remembering my reaction to a comment from someone about a relative that has gone off elsewhere for a high-flying type career. The comment being to the effect of giving them a lowly task to do when they come back here - so they "don't forget where they came from". My reaction was probably pure Southerner - as my thoughts were along the lines of "Good for them for getting a good career together - be pleased they've done well for themselves". I didn't say a word of what I was thinking - but I may just have had a gobsmacked expression on my face (as I expect someone to be "an individual" and not "a member of a group").

caronc

Good evening everyone,

Like Farway I count myself lucky that while my community is not without it's flaws I'm happy and settled here and have the social networks I want.
Today is a positive day in the town with the annual Glasgow Taxi outing visiting. Hundreds of cabbies give up a day's earnings to bring sick, disabled and disadvantaged youngsters to the seaside for a day. The taxis are all decorated and the cabbies in fancy dress. Local businesses decorate their windows and locals dress up too. Fundraising goes on throughout the year in a variety of guises to provide catering and activities for the kids and drivers. It's real spectacle and really good for the town's mood. I didn't manage to get to see them come in but from the photos etc.online it was as always well supported with lots going on and the local pipe band leading the convoy. It's been running since 1945 so a longstanding tradition.
Lurgy persists so another quiet day and no gardening done. I did manage to rescue a huge, exhausted, very brightly coloured bee that had got stuck in my conservatory. Popped in a hanging basket with a drink of sugared water, after a rest it recovered and promptly tried to come back in house! After a lot of buzzing about it gave up and flew off. I know bees are declining so I'm glad my garden has loads with a large cotoneaster seemims to be the current favourite. I could really do with giving a severe prune but I'll wait until the bees have stopped visiting it.
Dinner tonight is still tbc but I do need to get some veggies roasted. I had a late lunch and then a decent snooze so happy to get these prepped and cooked tonight. There are some tomatoes needing used too so will roast these separately. I've no real plans for either but will have some tonight probably with eggs and freeze the rest as they are a handy go to for CBA days.

I've a grocery shop coming tomorrow as I'm running short or am already out of my "essentials" - milk, bread, tea bags, fruit etc. but I haven't ordered as much veg as usual as between what I currently have and salad leaves, pak choi ready in the garden I should have enough to last me for the next week anyway.

Brambling

Like a Farway and Caronc I also consider myself lucky where I live it's a small town (approx population 40k) in the South East when I moved here 30 years ago :eek: I worked for one of the largest employers in town so most people you met in town worked for them. We're close enough to London to be commuter distance which means a lot of new houses being built and new people coming in. There's still the occasional grumble from 'local' people that's it's not what it use to be but other than house prices :eek::eek: it's a nice market town where the crime rate is still low and you can count the number of murders in 30.years on one hand

I grew up in a large village where everyone knew who you were I was old Mrs R....'s youngest granddaughter, news of what you had been up to got home before you did :rotfl: my gran lived at the end of our road, 2 of my dads' brothers and my mums' 2 sisters lived within walking distance as well as my brother and eldest sister. When I first moved to a city as a student it was really strange not living somewhere where you knew everybody at least by sight and they knew you. City living isn't for me and I'm not sure if village life is either now, here suites me just fine

Lunch today was another beef wrap with salad and LO coleslaw, feeling a bit blah over the wraps but will probably have them for the rest of the week for lunch. Dinner was the LO lamb meatballs and braised fennel and it reheated really well and maybe tasted even better than it did on Monday definitely a keeper recipe I going to look at more of Yotams recipes thanks Caronc :T

caronc

I'm definitely a "townie" though happy in a small one. Lived in both York & London in the 1980s but while I would move back to York happily (if I could afford to:eek:) as it seems to, despite it's city status, be more town like. I also enjoyed my time in London as it suited my age & stage in life but wouldn't want to live in a big city again. I love the countryside and being outdoors especially on the coast but rural life wouldn't suit me. I'm the type of person that wants to have amenities close to hand more or less 24/7 so a small town beside the sea works for me:D.
Dinner ended up being roasted veg with lightly fried eggs & pitta for dinner. There's enough veg left for lunch tomorrow - it's always amazes me how a large tray cooks down - so I don't reckon I'll need to freeze any. A dish of toms are finishing the oven, I slit them across the top and shoved a piece of garlic in them,.sprinkled with a little olive oil & oregano and left them to roast. I'll either make passatta with them or freeze as is.:)

PasturesNew

Managed to find a packet of crisps and finished off the chocolate
As you do.

bouicca21

Money, learn the Welsh for 'sadly I do not speak your lovely language' and smile sweetly.

It's a hard one. I do feel totally irritated by some people I met recently who had retired to France some 20 odd years ago but never learned french. Now as they hit serious age related problems, they can't explain their needs/aches and pains to the local medical staff. But French is a major world language, spoken universally in France, whereas Welsh just isn't. Plus it has dialects - you should have heard my (north) Welsh colleague on the subject of the dreadfulness of the Welsh spoken in other parts of the principality. And there are plenty of Welsh people who are proud of the heritage but don't speak a word of the language.

But the fact that it isn't a major world language contributes to the resentment of incomers and a justifiable fear that their culture will be overwhelmed.

[Deleted User]

a sausage is cooking, one fat sausage cooking in a pan, plus some beans and a piece of toast ready to toast. It has to be a salad for lunch with maybe some veggie thing or other as I will have had one lot of meat. I want to be getting through some ready food so will bear that in mind for a few days
Am pleased with myself this week, have managed not to spend anything other than sending parcels and have been eating what I have and what I grew. I have been reading a fantastic and very attractive book that I bought a couple of weeks ago, called nom nom paleo, I may well make a sauce or two or a base of something or other to portion and keep in the freezer