Oops I Did It Again

CRANKY40

NSD today hopefully. The HT and I have agreed what is for dinner and I'm gardening so there shouldn't be anything needed. There's also plenty of snacks in and there's still cake and home made biscuits in the tins. All the daft ebay stuff is bought and paid for (bulbs for the HT's lava lamp for instance) so unless he thinks of anything else we should be ok. 

I'm having a 10 minute rest from fighting the weeds. All the things that are supposed to be growing like raspberries, cucumbers, courgettes, rhubarb and tomatoes are growing well but so are the things that aren't supposed to be growing. I need to remember to put the moth balls in the borders when I'm done. Next door's cat can literally pee off somewhere else. 

CRANKY40

Teabreak time. I've half filled the garden bin, given the mint a haircut and cut the grass. I've picked a large bowl of raspberries and rinsed them in the sink and I'll need to cut some rhubarb in the next couple of days - there's a lot of it. 

Need to put some things in larger pots next. 

peb

I struggle with gluten free flour so tend to use recipes with no substitute flour.

This one worked well for me

https://www.theguardian.com/food/2020/jan/08/how-make-perfect-gluten-free-chocolate-brownies-recipe

CRANKY40

Thanks @peb. If anyone is thinking of making this for coeliacs remember to check that they are able to process dairy. The longer that coeliacs are undiagnosed the more likely it is that the part of their gut that processes dairy has been damaged. 

dawnybabes

If you wanted to do a cheap GF brownie  - the Jane Asher mix from the pound shop is actually gf ! 

I’ve a coeliac here so only cook GF so if anyone wants tips / recipes etc shout away 

BalanceBy50

Just catching up! Well done on all your small financial wins - you are a true inspiration in life! Thanks for the brownie recipe - I stocked up on baking ingredients as I have some black bananas to use up so will make your brownies tomorrow along with Paul Hollywood’s banana loaf xx

CRANKY40

Good afternoon. Today is a jam making and biscuit making day. Rhubarb and extra ginger jam as the best friend and I like ginger. Everyone else moans if I put too much in so this batch will be just for us two. I was down the bottom of the garden at 7am this morning picking raspberries, fetching the rhubarb and hoping that I was waking the dog up that woke me up by yapping for 15 minutes yesterday when I didn't need to be up.

I'm making ginger biscuits too as a change from the home made hobnobs. It's a recipe for gingerbread men really, but I have a nice little flower shaped cutter that makes the biscuits just the right size to have one or two with a cuppa. 

I'm never sure if making my own home made jam, cakes and biscuits is money saving but on the plus side I know what's in them and there's no extra chemicals or dodgy stuff like high fructose corn syrup. They're also surprisingly popular. 

CRANKY40

Good evening. Sundays aren't usually spendy days here but I had to drop the HT at his friend's house this morning so I ventured into the supermarket beginning with S as I was passing on my way home. I wanted a few things that can't be bought in my usual place for food shopping so I thought I may as well get it over with seeing as it was early. They also had the 11+ cat food that I've had trouble finding so I bought some of that too.

I came home, put the pressure washer together that's been sat in a box in the shed for 3 months and jet washed the patio - well I had moved all the patio furniture out of the way and was a third of the way through when best friend appeared with a large bag of compost for me and he  stayed for coffee and ginger biscuits. He left with a book, a jar of jam and some biscuits - a fairish swap for the compost. I finished the patio and jet washed the chairs and table too once he'd headed home. Another friend has offered me some gooseberries, some salad potatoes and some onions from his allotment. I'll collect those tomorrow and make him some chocolate fairy cakes in return. I've promised a jar of jam to another friend who won't give me anything physical back but who always has time for me which is often more important and the HT will come with me to call as he thinks she is wonderful.

Two pounds of rhubarb (in addition to the four pounds that I picked yesterday) left this morning for the HT's best friend's house along with a large bunch of fresh mint. In return the HT's best friend took him for brunch in the cafe where she works. Ye olde system of barter is alive and well here. It's amazing what is passed around without any money changing hands. 

CRANKY40

Good afternoon. I'm back to work later after my unplanned and unexpected week off. Planned grocery shop done earlyish today. It could have waited until tomorrow but I wanted it over and done with - it's not my favourite thing. It was within budget anyway and I put petrol in the car on the way back home so that's another job done. 

Two people for lunch and three for dinner today. I still have £30 in the pot on the shelf - it wasn't added to as I didn't have to cook for Looked after Person last week. It's raining so I'm pleased that I did so many garden jobs in the last few days. The back fence and the small fence in the front garden are supposed to be replaced tomorrow so fingers crossed that the rain stops by then. 

Blackcats

Great bartering - what an amazing selection of items to move around.  Not much like that happens round here but last year a few of my neighbours came in and picked their own apples from my trees and returned some home made chutney and fresh tomatoes as well as some home made cup cakes.