From Frugal Foundations to Fortified Family Future

Greying_Pilgrim

Just popped back in to amend my siggie further.  

I went to the next market town along yesterday to get a haircut.  Unfortunately my normal salon was closed at short notice for a few days, so I had to make the decision whether to go to the other salon in town (that I used to use) or come back another day.  As a quite reasonable hairdresser was working in the salon, I decided to take the £5 more in cost for a haircut with them, over the additional petrol and parking that would be required if I opted to come back another day.  There was nowt in the chazzers I bothered to wander into, but I am glad that I had a pokey around the independent book sellers, as I picked up a card which will be perfect for LG to express their thanks to their teacher for putting up with them teaching them this past year.  It was on the pricier side of what I would normally expect to pay for a card, but being honest, not much more than places like b00tz, whsmiffs or MrS charge for their greetings cards - and it's likely to be sufficiently 'different' from other cards that staff may receive.  Costs for this card, and the two I picked up in a chazzer (new, not preloved!) will be met from the celebrations fund.  

I returned my library books and paid my fine!  (50p deducted from the 'stupidity' fund 🙄), and bought a bookmark that was just perfect for LG - I'm not too sure whether it had been made to raise funds for charity, or by a group that meets in the library, but I was happy to pay £1 for it.  

The H3r0n f00ds in the town yielded nowt 🙁

I'm just simmering a pot of Jamaican Bean Curry (made with black beans rather than pinto beans) as I type and I shall be moving onto a lentil curry (using Jamaican spice mix) just now.  The bean curry will go into the freezer, as I am even more out of 'ready meals' than I thought.  The lentil curry will probably be for us tea with boiled basmati.

I had a teary-eyed DH on the phone at lunchtime. A colleague who is the same age as me, and is also a parent to a young child has just received a cancer diagnosis...... with complications.....

LG has an after  school club tonight so I best crack on with the lentil curry whilst I can avoid distractions.  Plus a relocation to the kitchen will be no bad thing, as I have just noticed our local MP and a gaggle of canvassers just walk past across the road.  I can't be arsed to be doorstopped at the best of times, so will feign being 'out'.  

Greying X

Watty1

No one has door stepped here at all - possibly because of the plans to put 5000 houses in the hamlet. I think they all know they would get an earful.  i don't particularly want the 5000 houses but a benefit has been no door steppers!

Greying_Pilgrim

Hey Watty - wow!  that's alot of houses in one area.  No wonder no-one wants to stand around discussing the finer points of planning policy.  

I don't know what our local lot were playing at - great big gaggle of people just to shove leaflets thru the door....

Jamaican Bean curry cooked (tastes nice).  Jamaican Lentil Curry on the boil.  

Siggie updated.  I feel significantly poorer and I forgot to get onions today 🙄 But we have tea putt, putt, putting away on the stove and meals for another day stashed in the freezer.  I haven't used scotch bonnet peppers in any of these curries, as LG would definitely 'no-likey' and we're not super into hot chilli - although I would love to try a peppered curry because done right, aren't scotch bonnets supposed to distribute a 'fruity warmth' rather than searing heat.  I have never been able to get it right, even pre-LG.

Ta for popping in.  Appreciated. 

Greying X

redofromstart

The last local ones here I had time to read, upside down, who of my  neighbours had bothered voting while they checked my ID. No slower than previous years tbh. 

Greying_Pilgrim

Thanks redo - that's good to know.  

Well, I can thoroughly recommend the Vegan Jamaican Lentil Curry recipe.  It made for a very tasty tea indeed.  I added in chopped coriander to my version, and didn't have any spinach, but it is a keeper of a recipe, for sure.  

I've just been listening to the 'New to 2' track on Owain's show, and it's some DJ's refreshing of Chris Norman & Suzi Quatro's 'Stumblin In' track from...... the 1970's???  Anyhoo, I tell ya, they were def. the Kylie & Orville of their day.  Listening to them, you'd have thought it was recorded last week.  Nowt new under the sun I guess.

DH's snap is made and I'll get onto LG's just now.  I need to get a wash on - two if I can rely on it not raining later.  Tea will need to be quick and easy as LG is out the door for club tonight.  


Can't think of owt else MSE relevant at the mo.  

Ta for dropping by.  Appreciated.

Greying X

rtandon27

Wow GP - you are an early bird this morning! ...and already sooooo productive - I'm envious of your example!

Looks sunny in our neck of the woods so I'm about to pop in the load with all my work gear. Stay cation this week meams I've been living in leggings and t-shirts, but best get ready to go back to the grind next week!

Work weeks, I struggle to get out of bed, but this week I've been up before 6 every morning!

We signed up for postal votes a few years back when we moved into a town. I didn't want to have to rush back from work to cast a vote.  When we were rural, the polling station was en route to home so it was easy. British queues are still something I can't get used to so am happy to have the option of popping our votes in the mail!

Greying_Pilgrim

Ay up RT.  DH woke me up at silly o'clock with a bathroom visit and I couldn't get back to sleep.  Heard the tawny owls for the first time in a while tho, so not all bad.  

Hope you are enjoying your staycation. 

Greying X  

themadvix

Morning GP, good to know I wasn't the only one up and productive early this morning (although your productivity definitely involved more energy than my sitting staring at a screen!).

That recipe looks very tasty, so will give it a go. Can't go wrong with recipes that include peanut butter! Thanks for sharing

Greying_Pilgrim

No problemo tmv - happy to provide links for recipes, although sometimes with all my substitutions what i cook doesn't really relate to what's written down......😕😉

I've for sure done my fair bit of being in front of the screen this morn, but woven in other things as I've passed or whatever.  I have been to vote.  I took LG with me, so that they could see what the gig is.  Annoyingly our bit of the estate wasn't on the list so I wasn't sure which table of officers to go to, every cul-de-sac or trio of cottages made it to the list, but us lot with well over 100 homesteads along the avenue didn't even warrant a mention 🙄 Thank heavens it was quite-ish, because I could ask the officers who weren't dealing with anyone (and they were the side I needed to go to).  

Right, pegging out and homework supervision to attend to...... 🙄

Greying X

themadvix

Oh, I know exactly what you mean about substitutions - but that's the sign of a confident cook! I too, don't have any spinach (nor plans to have any for a while), but the recipe involves carrot and potato, which I definitely do have, so it's a good start!