So close, we can smell mortgage freedom!

Baileys_Babe

I've only eaten Korean food a couple of times and I've always enjoyed it.

rtandon27

Wow Vix - what a great price for dinner AND drinks!  We spent that on a staycation dinner the other night and only had ginger lemonade!  I adore Korean food, but the nearest decent one is an hour away from us!

themadvix

Morning all,

Good to hear there are other fans of Korean food out there! Cheery, bibimbap is where it's at (no rhyme intended) as far as I'm concerned - it's rice, topped with shredded veg (usually in quarters, so very pretty - i.e. carrot, courgette, red cabbage and green cabbage), with protein on top - salmon in my case, usually, but I was tempted by the tofu. They also do lovely veggie sushi as a starter and leek and tofu dumplings... mmm.

Anyway... busy day yesterday. I started the day by collecting some gardening bits from someone on Freegle. They had a huge pile of items and a help yourself approach, so I did - various plant saucers (I resent how much these cost!), module trays, a hanging basket bracket, a bulb planter, a small trough and a bulb planter all picked up for free.

I sowed lots of flower seeds, mostly from the RHS member offer, but also some very old ones from my seed tin. I am now looking forward to erigeron, rudbeckia, verbena bonariensis, sunflowers (two types), california poppies, sweet peas and fried egg plant - variously in the modules or in the raised beds where they should flower. Am hoping that some of these will be able to be planted in the front garden where we're going for a cottage garden/wildlife friendly idea (which is still in our heads currently, but the plans are coming together slowly!). Also sowed lovage, in the seed tray alongside the summer savoury sowed last week.

I also vacuumed the pond (as yet, it's too early to tell how good a job or otherwise I did as the murk still hasn't setlled) so that we could empty the water butt, allowing Mr MV to pressure wash there, clear the ivy and get the start of the decking in place. Water butt has been moved to the front garden, but not plugged in yet. The plan is to get a wooden barrel butt for the decking that will double as a small table. He made good progress with the decking yesterday. He also listed my car for sale on a specialist forum. We are hoping it goes to a good home.

Today we have another long jobs list, although I think the decking will take a back seat, as Mr MV's back is aching. He wants to get his car listed for sale (which requires him to clean it properly first and take photos). I need to sow a few more bits (probably just courgettes and maybe some succession sowing - I'll leave squash, corn etc. for a couple more weeks, and beans not until beginning of May). I also want to get down to the allotment to pop in a random broad bean (I sowed Aguadulce and another variety - the other variety only produced one decent seedling (older seeds) and much slower than the Aguadulce, but I might as well pop it in the ground), earth up potatoes, which have started to show. I will also check on sowings under the mini polytunnel and saw up some rotten bits of wood, ready for the dump (which it would be good to get rid of this week, especially with the possibility that we might be without a car except the mini shortly!).

We're off to the pub quiz tonight, so tea might be a cheeky baked camembert and bread there. Their 'snacks' are very reasonable - I think the camembert might be £6, so a cheap treaty dinner (people have kept talking about baked camembert lately, so this seems an ideal opportunity to enjoy one - it's not something I like (or my hips can afford for me) to have too often, but occasionally it is yummy. Quiz is free to enter (also no prizes, as far as I'm aware), but a fun night out. BIL and SIL are coming, as well as a family friend.

MS things:
* Dinner was pizza, which used up a couple of bits
* Free stuff from Freegle
* Borrowed BIL's table saw for wood cutting

Gratitudes:
* GMIL is OK - had a call early this morning to say she'd had a fall
* The excitement of the potential plants sowed!
* Enjoyed last night's film - Cool Runnings. We're catching up on films we really should have seen but haven't!

Have a good day all!

themadvix

Morning all,

Well, in good news, we won the quiz! (There's no cost to enter and subsequently, no prizes, except the pride of winning!). In less good news, not a lot of my plans for yesterday came to fruition - I was just exhausted. I did eventually wander to the allotment and earthed up potatoes, and I potted on quite a few tomatoes and hopefully kick started my chillis into waking up by potting them up. I also tidied the shed and have Freegled a few bits (collection today), which has helped. Mr MV did get his car cleaned (it took him a good three hours with the clay bar) and took photos. He doesn't want to list it until it's had its (paid-for) service and MOT, which we've booked in for the 19th. I'll have to take it as he's away, which feels like a good excuse to go to the beauty salon at the local college as it's just up the road! Will take laptop and work from pub too if needed (am hoping they might not leave it until right at the end of the day).

Sister's V5 came through, so we are booked on a ferry on Saturday for the day - quite exciting really - normally these things have a longer lead time!😂 Am slowly putting together a hypermarket shopping list - not a lot of stuff, but a few bits (cheese, fish soup, rhum agricole). Have ordered Niece a copy of i-spy on a ferry journey

I have a long to-do list, not helped by getting home to find a cat had puked on our bed, so there's more washing to do than expected. Fortunately the sun is out, so hoping to get plenty done and dry here. Will get down to allotment to do the sawing and planting I didn't do yesterday. The list will keep for the most part if stuff doesn't get done today - I do need to do some work too.

themadvix

Progress has been made - wood at the allotment sorted into keep, rubbish (rotten - and therefore sawn into chunks suitable to take to the dump) and good but don't need - hoping someone collects it - it's been put on the FB group (slightly peeved that message I received was 'yes please, put it on my plot' - they can get as I'm not there any more!). Peas are in, set up round the bit of plastic mesh I collected on Saturday, so hopefully they'll cling onto that and grow nicely (they are under scaffold net, not insect mesh, but hoping this will reduce the moth infestations at least. I have celery coming up (in heated propagator) as well as cabbage and calabrese (in mini greenhouse).

Have also finally invoiced my main client for last month - wow, that was a busy one, especially given we were away for 5 days! Not so worried about the quiet month from other clients now, especially as I've also done some work for an American client today (and some on Friday too). This afternoon I've been cracking on with a report for Cambridge, so that should be good to discuss tomorrow when I have meeting with the report-boss. 

Dinner tonight is going to be roasted veg, pasta and gochujang - should use up the gochujang and the cauliflower and roasted BNS that's in the fridge and be suitably tasty. Mr MV won't be home for a while though as he's going to his parents' to take photos of my car to go with its sale listing. 

I need to get the washing in now though.Three loads done and bread cooked and we've only used a tiny bit of grid power all day - have generated 3.28 kWh. Longer, lighter days make such a difference!

MS things:
* Free washing and drying
* S&S submitted (and FOTG last night)
* TV survey
* Signed up for local venue discount card to get discount off of venue event we're attending for a friend's birthday - and got discount for another friend too.

Gratitudes:
* A mid-day break for allotmenting - although it's definitely meant I've struggled to get back into work this afternoon
* Dry weather
* A nice chat with FIL (partly to warn him to expect Mr MV)

Have a good evening all!

themadvix

Morning all,

Well Mr MV didn't get to take the photos - a bit of a misunderstanding between him and his dad, so he'll have to go back another day (tomorrow?) to do that. Dinner was yummy though and as expected largely cleared us out of veg. I also made a batch of biscuits - mostly to make the bar of chocolate in it go further! Tonight will either be leeky soupy rice or a veg lasagne (using up some mince from the freezer and the last of a jar of passata). It might be the latter as I think I've got time to do it today, which is unexpected. 

My work is quiet, although I do have some queries for UK client to deal with. However, I've got a meeting with report-boss at 12.30 and I've spent all morning on the report I'm working on, so hopefully it is nearly done (first draft), which she will be pleased to hear. We are meant to be going through the upcoming reports needed, so plenty more to do there. I also have some data entry to do, so I'm not short of work - just feeling less like I'm trying to manage expectations all round! A project that my UK client and I quoted for has been postponed, so that won't happen now until the autumn (probably). Cambridge bosses will both be on leave for a week after today, so that will also take the pressure off a bit.

If the weather improves later (it is currently raining), I will either go to the dump via the allotment with all my rotting wood, or cycle to get cat chicken, tea leaves (becoming an urgent issue!) and return a couple of books to the library. 

MS things:
* Clicks and HW done
* PA surveys - finally broke the hiatus here, which is good. Nothing major but it's a start.
* I tried stewed rhubarb on my porridge earlier in the week in the hope that it would be nice as a topping given we have so much of it. Sadly, it's definitely not for me - back to bananas until the berries come in!

Gratitudes:
* Currently being flanked by cats on my desk - not sure this is a good thing really as they'll likely kick off/push everything off my desk, but at least it shows they love me 😻
* Radishes are coming up - I've intersown them among my garlic
* Am getting to grips with my allotment society role

Have a good day all!

LadyWithAPlan

I am also a bibimbap and kochujang paste lover  
I have actually eaten in Seoul - fabulous food but v spicy - loved it but you need a spice loving tongue 

well done on all these raises! 

You can make a decent rhubarb juice that’s good for you as long as you go easy on the sugar ! 

Or add to an apple pie .. 

Or I eat it raw dipped in sugar (you see a theme here ) 

themadvix

I am pretty expert at the many uses of rhubarb LaPlan - we've long had a triffid-like plant in the garden! I make a mean rhubarb and ginger vodka, but a cordial is definitely on my to-find list for this year. Not sure about eating it raw - would be concerned about the oxalic acid in that 😬 Crumble is generally our preferred option, or with salmon and a balsamic glaze. I'm too lazy to make pastry (and won't buy it ready made because of the UP ingredients and palm oil) - can't beat a pie though really!

Have made excellent progress with report this morning and had meeting. Have fired off a couple of emails re work, done the tiny bit for UK client and the sun is thinking about coming out, so I think I'm psyching myself up to pick up the allotment wood and take it to the dump. Then I can go to Costco for chicken in the car and not feel guilty that I haven't cycled there. Just eurgh - mouldy wood in the nice clean car... (and the allotment gates - they're a pain with the car too, and Mr MV is in meetings so no chance of his help... yes, I'm procrastinating... but the sun is coming out more and more as I type!).

themadvix

Morning all,

Not a lot to report here - dinner was as planned last night and I've got the veggie mince out defrosting for tonight's lasagne. I did get to the dump with the rotten wood, and buy and cook the cats' chicken yesterday. I was very pleased to get both of these jobs done. The good wood had mysteriously moved by the time I got down there yesterday - it's good ol' Bermuda triangle for stuff!

Have had an eclectic selection of work to do this morning, which is good. I've done the only Cambridge meeting I've got today and will probably spend a couple of hours this afternoon doing the data entry bits and some more report stuff (I have a firm deadline for this now, so need to make sure it's ready for then - which isn't entirely in my hands). 

I may pop out later on my bike (have just noticed it's started raining 🙄) - I desperately need loose leaf tea. Alternatively, I may see Mum - depending on what she decides to do. I also have tomatoes to pot on (weather dependent).

Mr MV and I are off tomorrow and going into London to enjoy two birthday/Christmas gifts - a Vietnamese meal (never had Vietnamese food before) and a vintage cinema thing. It should be good. We've got a bit of flexibility in the morning, so I may do a little bit of work beforehand, but if all is quiet, then we'll find something else to do before our 4pm dinner.

MS things:
* A few tiny PA surveys
* Clicks and HW - won £1.30 today
* All food being used up sensibly
* Work from a variety of clients

Gratitudes:
* Radishes are coming up
* Enjoyed my breakfast and a cuppa in the garden this morning - while it was dry and sunny
* Have postponed a social event I wasn't looking forward to this weekend and there's a possibility I won't be needed for something I was volunteered for next weekend - suddenly April is looking less full of things I'd rather not be doing, hooray!
* Day off having fun tomorrow and France on Saturday (Sis texted earlier... 'I've just realised something' - I panic, thinking it'll be something major that means we can't go... nope, just that I have a posh suburb of London as my place of birth and she's gone with the more generic version and she wasn't happy! 😂 As she's done the booking she's got copies of our passports for the API)

Have a good day all!

EssexHebridean

If you have a food processor then pastry is a doddle. Flour & butter in, pulse to crumbs, then add a mix of cold water/milk (or just milk for a shorter pastry) dribbled in a little at a time until it turns to coarser clumps - check it as soon as it even looks like it's starting to clump - if it holds together when pinched lightly between finger and thumb then you're there. Scoop out, bring it together into a ball and rest in the fridge for a short while before use.  Completely foolproof, and even I can be bothered to do it that way. Frankly the washing of the processor bowl is the most time consuming bit of the process! 

I think we might pot on our toms this evening - they are looking like they might want a bit more space than their current halved loo-roll inners gives them!