Moving on

Cherryfudge

dawnybabes said:

Ooh have you the microwave instructions please 

I mixed the recipe I found in a book with some instructions I found online. Zest and juice of 3 lemons, 9oz sugar and 3oz butter or margarine melted together by short bursts in the microwave, stir between melts, then when thoroughly mixed, beat in 3 eggs and return to the microwave for further short bursts. The recipe said 45 seconds at a time but mine isn't a subtle microwave so that was guess work. The important thing is to take it out and whisk it thoroughly in between times. It probably takes around five minutes but you have to get it to thicken to a spreading consistency. If you don't mix, you get lemon scrambled eggs.  

Once it's thick enough, give it another whisk and allow to cool slightly before pouring into warm, sterile jars (dishwasher gets them clean enough, or wash thoroughly and dry over a radiator or in a low oven). Leave the lids off till cool, and store in the fridge.

Thanks for visiting by the way, @dawnybabes!  

Honeysucklelou2

Love homemade lemon curd. It always amazes me how different the colour is to many of the shop ones.

Cherryfudge

Honeysucklelou2 said:

Love homemade lemon curd. It always amazes me how different the colour is to many of the shop ones.

And the flavour! Completely un-ignorable!

I have a recipe for lemon curd cake somewhere. Really nice...

I'm thinking of making orange curd too, but not for while - we have plenty to be going on with.

Cherryfudge

I was too tired last night to write, but I had a good day.

The morning was the last session with the Maths class as the person I supported (originally they booked me till the end of March, which doesn't make complete sense as most students would be doing their exams before then, but this particular exam was then brought forward). This week, I not only remembered how to do the work I'd been set to support but was able to make up examples and give the person more practise as well as feed back a couple of insights to the teacher in charge. The teacher is really nice and has asked if I'd be willing to help in the future, to which I've said yes, but she will probably need to show me some of the working before I teach it to anyone!

When I got home, I had a call to ask if I'd be willing to help with some English lessons from next week to the summer. I'm more than happy with that.

I made a largeish blackberry and apple crumble to take to J and L's, and we've also lent them our carpet shampooer and taken the dog's birthday present. She's three and managed to extract the duck tug-toy from the wrapper before taking it to her favourite chewing area. We had a really nice meal (fish with Greek salad and potato wedges as well as the crumble) and sat chatting for ages.

Nothing spent by me, and I'm not sure why I was so tired unless it was because I'd been up late the previous night trying to be ready to do Maths.

Today DH has taken DGD1 to her toddler group and I'm having a quiet morning. Later I'll be cleaning and my Tuesday group doesn't meet this evening as we've planned a walk for tomorrow.

Cherryfudge

I've had quite a quiet day with a bit of a headache that didn't respond to paracetamol. We had chicken and chorizo pasta for lunch and have defrosted some more chicken to have later in the week. In the afternoon I suggested going for a coffee at the garden centre so as not to lose the free coffees for this month, which it turns out doesn't start till next month so I had to pay for them. I did point out I'd not been told when I got the card, but it's tucked away in the online T&C. I found it while having my cappuccino. I'm still thinking I might email to complain.

I was quite nice to be out having coffee with DH (and his Earl Grey), though, and I used my voucher for free seeds to get rhubarb seeds. I've never tried growing it from seed before but we like it and it's so expensive in the shops. That said, there are a couple of bags of it in the freezer. There was also space in the freezer, but I've spoiled the effect by adding the salmon.

Work was a two-hour shift, then I went to the supermarket for bargains (two packs of salmon now in the freezer, apples for DH, onions, pastry for me that I'll save till tomorrow as I had banana and custard for tea)along with some fizzy drinks to get me to drink more.

Spending:
Entertainment Toddler Club £2, Coffee and tea £5.45
Garden £2.99 (voucher)
Housekeeping - what ever DH got plus £16.44

Cherryfudge

Day out today: my friends and I met up for lunch and went for a walk afterwards. It was through a park and alongside a woodland, but the footpath was very muddy in places. There was a gift shop at the far end, which was interesting but I managed not to buy anything! Then we said goodbye to one of the group who was getting a lift home, and the rest of us went back to the café, where I was treated to a hot chocolate. We were warm enough from walking to be able to sit outside with our drinks, despite the very grey skies.

I got home not very long before DH, spent a short while on the computer and made tea. Mine was Coronation chickpeas with a  jacket potato, and DH finished the pasta from yesterday, so it didn't take long to put together. We were both out to meetings this evening so it's been a fairly full day.

Expenditure:
Entertainment £8.20 (lunch)

Cherryfudge

I had a couple of hours of training this morning which was interesting but unfortunately inadvertently hit a trigger. I was okay at the time but it caught up with me later on, though I'm better now. I get angry that I've been left with a damaged area of my life and it affects my freedom to go where I please and try for various jobs. In order to feel secure I've chosen not to work public-facing or use the skills I used to have.

I did a bit of networking at the training and have a new drinks bottle, so it was mostly positive.

Anyway, in more cheerful news, pay is in and this month's time sheets are completed and sent off (and looking a lot healthier than the ones I've just been paid for). I've done a couple of other end-of-month financial bits but most is outstanding.

This evening I did cleaning for two hours and resisted going to the shops on the way home so I've not spent anything. I think I might order some trainers I saw on Ebay, though. I need some slightly smarter ones since I got bleach on the ones I wear a lot. That lead to me browsing for inspiration for something to wear for the family event in April. I do have various dresses I could bling up a bit but I don't know. It seems a bit pointless buying something I'll wear once and won't be comfortable in... I wonder if white trainers will still be The Thing to wear with dresses this summer? That was a great idea.

Cherryfudge

For a cold, wet day, today's not been too bad. I did the church cleaning in the morning and called at A3da on the way back for the usual cheap tins shop, though they didn't have everything I aimed to get.

By the time I arrived home, the nearest I could think of to a nutritious lunch was granola with yogurt and blueberries, so that's what I had, and I think it was  good call.

I had two hours of the cleaning job this evening, so I'm shattered, but I went to both Mr T and L!dl on the way back, and bought a bundle of food bargains. L!dl has put up the stands of seeds again so I bought four packets for a pound - that has to be the absolute cheapest anywhere! I'm glad I didn't spend my free packet of garden centre seeds on lobelia now, as I found exactly what I wanted for a fraction of the price today. I also bought carnation, snapdragon and Californian poppy seeds.

My tea tonight was a large brown bun full of ham and coleslaw and now I'm having hot chocolate and wishing I'd done my Duolingo hours ago when I was more awake. I might give the Italian a miss tonight and find an easier French exercise to keep it ticking over because I might just lose all my 'lives' if I try anything more.

Expenditure:
Garden £1
Housekeeping £15.07

Honeysucklelou2

Rhubarb is quite easy to grow from seed but you have to see it as a long term crop!!  I didn’t realise Lidl did seeds so cheaply…will have to investigate!

Cherryfudge

Honeysucklelou2 said:

Rhubarb is quite easy to grow from seed but you have to see it as a long term crop!!  I didn’t realise Lidl did seeds so cheaply…will have to investigate!

It says on the packet that you can take a little from it in the second year - but I'm prepared to wait!

Lidl had a good selection, about 50/50 between flowers and herbs/vegetables. I'd say that's a good way to grow your own herbs, for instance, it must work out a lot more cheaply than buying plants, particularly if you already have compost and pots. Their seeds are coded so the cheapest are 29p a packet or 4 for £1, then there are other tiers that are more expensive. There seem to be a reasonable quantity of seeds per packet, too.