From Frugal Foundations to Fortified Family Future

redofromstart

It's clearly curry weather, I did an all in one rice thing because the lentil dhal I made earlier tastes of nothing but tomato. I don't actually like cooked tomatoes very much and neither boy will eat it for reasons of fresh coriander and spinach. I suspect it just needs to leave the building rather than try to rescue it. Hate wasting food. Not a recipe to make again! 

Glad you found the soups. 

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Evening MFW'rs,

redo - I'm sorry that your dhal didn't hit the spot, but sometimes it is better to quit - and not repeat the recipe than try to soldier on.  I've done it, and I hate food waste too.  My goto lentil dhal recipe doesn't feature tomatoes, but we're OK with tinned tommies mostly - although I draw the line at having plum tomatoes on a 'cooked breakfast' plate - who the heck came up with that idea?

As it happens, I didn't do curry as I'd totally not factored in that it was parents evening.  LG is well thought of and bobbling along OK academically.

Tea ended up being baked potato for DH and I, rice for LG with left over Quorn paprika stew and microwaved mixed veg.  There were peas in the mixed veg, so it took LG a bit longer to eat, but eventually we had 3 clean plates.  Yoghurt for pud.

Can't believe Tilly is back 😁 Sooooo pleased 😁Now we need gally and muddywhitechicken ........

The DFW and MFW boards are so full of absolutely wonderful people.  I wish I had a tribe in RL that came close to being as spiffy as you guys - you have been so helpful, so supportive, so kind..... I could go on, but I won't.  You all rock at being wonderful humans.  Thank you.

Greying X

Cheery_Daff

Well thank YOU too Greying! 😊 You are an integral part of these forums and altogether I agree we are all an extra special gang 😊

rtandon27

You are not to shabby a human bean yourself dearest GP!

BookWorm

Greying_Pilgrim said:

The DFW and MFW boards are so full of absolutely wonderful people.  I wish I had a tribe in RL that came close to being as spiffy as you guys - you have been so helpful, so supportive, so kind..... I could go on, but I won't. 

That is exactly what I have said before!

Totally agree there are many wonderful people around these parts. It's one reason I've been here so long and continue to come back (even though I post less than I once did)

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning MFW'rs

Cold, damp (as in masses of dew) start for us today.  I have a wash on as I type.  At the moment we don't have the reasonable breeze that was forecast 😬so hopefully I have made the right decision 😬

I really need to get to it and prep some food things today, as components and meals.  I am well aware that half-term is advancing and I will help myself immensely if there are more options in the freezer (than there are currently).  

I will need some stillness time today as there is a funeral that I can't attend.  

At the moment there seems to be a lot going on that has connections in someway. Threads (invisible) stretching forward and stretching back to people, events, activities..... is it the time of life, just 'one of those things' or cosmic soup-stirring....... [there's probably no answer to that, I'm not seeking a solution, I've just noticed it, is all]

I need to work out what i actually need from MrL tomorrow.  As from next week I am going to have to work out how to do the shopping - whether to utilise the other branches of MrL/Al in Greying Town, or whether to up sticks and combine shopping with trips to nearby market towns across the way, or go for the glitz and glamour of the cosmopolitan town one-stop along..... decisions, decisions 😘

Right, snap is prepped, spellings are spelled and the washing is on.  Today is gonna be a good day....... 🤣

Greying X

rtandon27

Greying_Pilgrim said:

...cosmic soup-stirring...

I love this expression GP! - I'm going to steal it to say I've had a morning (nay week) of cosmic soup-stirring!

Now off to scare up a cheap meal-deal for a late lunch as the past 24 hours have not been conducive sticking to plans & saving the pennies!

Cherryfudge

I do hope you get (or have had) your stillness time.

I think the soup keeps bubbling and sometimes things bubble up and the temperature needs adjusting, so turning down the heat can be a good response when other things are in flux. Talking of which, how is the cooking going?

redofromstart

Hope you got some still time?  Mr Redo had recently told me about 'forest bathing' because he (quite rightly) thought I would like the idea. It fits with the 'go for a walk, be quiet and feel better' thing. 

Greying_Pilgrim

rt - hope all is well with you?  'cosmic soup stirring', well yes.  Perhaps it is just the time of year, or the after-effects of the recent full moon or something, but at activity on Monday the instructor was having a hard time of it with some participants, and apparently classes didn't get anymore forgiving as the evening went on 😕  Every sort of thought I've had lately triggers off a thought or memory of something else, which then makes me think of something or someone else.  Perhaps it's leftover energy from the stormy weather that's found nowhere yet to earth.  Dunno.

Cherryfudge - i did manage to find some still.  Thank you.  The lap-top got closed and the phone set aside, although left on in case of emergency.  The birds didn't get the memo about shushing, but then how can anyone not been delighted at a gaggle of chiriping house sparrows, or a zoomy cheep-fest of long-tailed t1ts?

I did manage some cookery.  I made a big vat of bell pepper & tomato sauce.  I used a portion to make up some burrito filling, with more bell peppers chopped up and some black beans added and then left the other 3 pots 'plain' for use in pasta sauces etc.  I 'quick soaked' some chickpeas and cooked them up in the PC.  I made a big pot of Anjum Anand's Lemony spinach hot-pot in the PC and a saucepan of lentil dhal.  Tea was some of the hot pot, a splodge of lentil dhal and boiled basmati.  I think I forgot to put salt in the rice tho 😕 I set aside a portion of rice for burrito filling, and there were 2 pots of hot pot for the freezer and 1.5 pots of lentil dhal.  There was also a pot of chickpeas left over - enough to put in a curry.  LG ate the hot pot nae bother, didn't even comment on the spinach, the chickpeas, the consistency......  They were more adamant that the rice tasted of pasta - but as I say, I think it was blander than usual because i didn't salt the cooking water.

Did anyone hear the chap on R2 providing 'Din-speration for the Nation'?  He was from..... did he say Paisley??  Anyhoo, he was having Chicken Chasni Pie and Mashed potato....... I love that now Scotland has put it's curry creation.... into a pie!  Fantastic.  I have only ever made a veggie version of Chasni - chickpea.  Bit too sweet for my tastebuds, but funnily enough I was looking at the recipe today as I contemplated what to do with my cooked chickpeas.  

I brought the washing in at about 4pm, and it was pretty much dry.  I have put it out on the airer, just to round it off.  It does smell lovely and 'freshly laundered' though.  I'm ever so glad I've almost caught up again.  

My list for MrL is suspiciously short.. 🤔  Roadworks around and about the store and other key routes will mean that it probably will be best to avoid that area, from next week, for the duration - about 4 weeks I think it's forecast.  But we're lucky that we can get to other MrL's.  Although I suspect it will probably always be less hassle to go to the various nearby towns, rather than try to negotiate through/around Greying Town.....  Still, no sense in adding stuff to the list for the sake of it.  And I did spent £30 yesterday, so it's about right.

Today I am grateful to have had the quiet time to remember the family member we've lost.  

Ta for popping in.

Greying X