Away From The Madding Crowd

Humboldt

louby40 said:

Being outside and enjoying nature is a joy in Autumn isn't it. I walked to our local Aldi on Monday and thought how wonderful nature is with the changing of the seasons. The colours of the trees and the freshness in the air was breathtaking. 

I've only ever lived in the UK but I do wonder how expats who live in other parts of the world  cope with the lack of seasons - I would find it very strange.

Morning @louby40, thanks lots for taking the time to comment. 

I too enjoy the seasons and all they entail.  I would find it hard to choose a favourite, but if pushed, it would probably be autumn. 

I hope that you are settling into your retirement and enjoying all it has to offer.

Today's simple pleasure - Having made a batch of spiced orange marmalade, the kitchen is now filled with the comforting scent of Christmas on this wet, grey day. I just use a tin of marm@de, adding a cinnamon stick, 2 star anise and 4 cloves, which are removed before filling jars. 

Humboldt

Hello and welcome.

Motivational quote of the week.

Fall is my favourite colour – author unknown.

Money saving.

Our monthly grocery budget for me and my DH is £250.  Week 4 spend for October was £50.40.  Total spend for October to date is £222.35.

Last week I took advantage of the half price offer on fresh medium chickens (£2.67 Nect@r price) and bought two. I will use one this week and the other will remain in the freezer until required.

A free fringe cut.  My hairdresser offers these in between actual hair appointments.

Last week I bought 2  ‘ornamental squash’ @ 69p each (Ald! super 6 offer).  They provided the basis for our spiced chickpea stew, the pumpkin, spinach, and coconut biryani, and this week will feature in the vegetable bhuna. 

This week’s main menu.

Monday – Vegetable bhuna (an adaptation of the H@iry D!eter’s chicken bhuna recipe), with naan bread. 

Tuesday – Roast chicken, roast potatoes, swede & carrot mash, cabbage, cranberry sauce, and gravy. Chicken was half price (Nect@r price) and frozen until required. Swede and cabbage are included in this week’s Ald! super 6 offers. Cranberry sauce is homemade and from the freezer.  To fully utilise the oven, I will bake a chocolate and banana cake (British He@rt F0undation recipe).

Wednesday – Ping meal (as above) – cook once, eat twice – saves on time and energy costs.

Thursday – Chicken noodle soup (from one of my recipe scrap books). I will use leftover chicken, homemade chicken stock, and root ginger from the freezer.

Friday – Peppered mackerel and potato bake (from one of my recipe scrap books), with lightly steamed cabbage.  I will use the remainder of the double cream in tomorrow’s meal.

Saturday – Pasta with sausage, oregano, and cream (W@itrose recipe).  This recipe uses just 2 sausages, so I will use the 2 that were leftover from the pack I bought last week and froze.  

Sunday –  Wild garlic pesto and goats cheese pizza.  Pesto is homemade and from the freezer.  To fully utilise the oven, I will bake a whole wheat seeded sourdough loaf.

Healthier lifestyle.

Last week’s step count was 77,871.

Completed 4 free meditations last week.

Completed 0 free online workouts last week.

Simple pleasures.

For the next couple of week’s DH and I are doggy sitting whilst a family member is on holiday.

The spring onions that I planted, have now germinated.

We paid the final balance on our winter sun holiday.  Something to look forward to.

I was gifted a small cross-stitch kit in my Christmas stocking last year, which I have begun to sew.  I will return it to the person who gave it to me in the form of a Christmas card.

Thank you for dropping by and taking the time to read my diary.

QrizB

QrizB said:

We have a recipe we know as "courgette thing" for a savoury courgette dish, pan-cooked with lentils and curry spices.

I don't have access to the recipe right now but it's popular in our household!

OK so I'm three months late and I'm sure the courgettes have all been eaten by now but here's the recipe for "courgette thing" - the recipe book (here or here) calls it Courgette and Lentil Bake.

Ingredients:

• 8 oz red split lentils (no soak)
• 4 courgettes or one small marrow
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or pressed
• 1 oz butter
• 1 tbsp oil
• 2 teaspoons curry paste or powder
• Salt and pepper

Put the lentils into a saucepan, cover with water and add the chopped onion. Bring to the boil and simmer until the lentils are soft, then drain. Add the butter and curry paste/powder, stir well and set aside in the pan.

Wash the courgettes and cut into thin slices (if using a marrow, peel and cut into chunks). Heat the oil in a frying pan then add the corugettes or marrow, browning slightly over a high heat. Lower the heat then add the lentil mixture and garlic, and stir. Cover and cook gently on a low heat for about ten minutes.

Serve with rice or noodles.

Serves 4-6 (depending largely on the size of your courgettes).

Humboldt

Morning @QuizB thanks for taking the time to share the recipe.  I wonder if the courgette/marrow could be swapped for squash now that the season has changed....

Today's simple pleasure - a dry, blustery day and the bath sheets are drying outside on the line.

Humboldt

Hello and welcome.

Motivational quote of the week.

The only constant is change – attributed to the ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus.

Money saving.

Our grocery budget for me and my DH is £250.  We choose to set ourselves a budget in order to make the most of what we have until we receive our State Pensions. Week 5 spend for October was £48.46.  Total spend for October was £270.81.  Over budget again this month. According to a recent episode of BB( Radio 4’s Today’s programme, UK food prices are still running quite high at 4.5%, with red meat, coffee and chocolate seeing a strong price increase.  I have seen a steady increase in our weekly staples of late, so will continue to monitor our grocery budget, with a view to increasing it in the New Year. I am extremely grateful that we can increase our budget should we wish, and empathise with those who are unable to do so. 

Having signed up to the ‘C0unt up to Christmas Challenge’ at S@insbury’s, I have now completed 3 tasks and gained 900 extra advantage points.  As I have mentioned previously, I generally shop at Ald!, but will buy item’s that S@insbury’s price match to gain advant@ge points.  We save the points all year and use them to help with the cost of the Christmas food shop.    

I bought some Liz E@rle skin care products from Bo0ts.  Taking advantage of several offers - buy 3 items get one free - 20% off premium beauty - a free luxury cosmetic bag - £4.50 worth of extra points for orders over £45 – over 60’s earn an extra 8 points per £1 spent on certain premium beauty products.  I saved £30.20 and gained 719 Adv@ntage points.  Products are a Christmas gift, so will be paid for via the Christmas/Birthday account.

This week’s main menu.

Monday – Wild garlic pesto and goats cheese pizza.  This is a meal swap from yesterday when I made a Veggie Crumble (G0od F0od recipe) to use up lots of vegetables. To fully utilise the oven today, I will use some of the homemade pesto to make cheese and pesto whirls (Go0d Fo0d recipe).  These are a savoury ‘Chelsea bun’ and are nice to have in the freezer to enjoy with homemade soups.

Tuesday – Venison burger in a whole wheat bun with blue cheese, smoked paprika sweet potato wedges, and a large green dressed salad.  The venison burgers were half price and frozen until required.  I will use the remainder of the blue cheese in tomorrow’s recipe.

Wednesday – Broccoli and stilton soup (G0od Fo0d recipe), with a homemade cheese and pesto whirl (see above).  

Thursday – Salmon in chilli ginger sauce (H@iry D!eter’s recipe), stir-fry vegetables and noodles.  I will use a homegrown chilli.  

Friday – Away overnight visiting family.  I am taking a pre-made venison ragu (slow cooker recipe), which we will enjoy with whole wheat pasta for our evening meal.  The venison mince was half price and frozen until required.

Saturday – Away overnight visiting family.

Sunday – Away overnight visiting family.

Healthier lifestyle.

Last week’s step count was 64,499.

Last week I completed 0 free online workouts.  Online workouts have been replaced with doggy walks for a couple of weeks.

Last week I completed 5 free meditations.

Simple pleasures.

Lots of enjoyable doggy walks.  I will miss him when he goes home at the weekend.

The yellow roses in the garden are still flowering.

I have made a start on the Christmas shopping, using money from the Christmas/Birthday account.  Having checked out the price and content of various Christmas food hampers, I have decided to make my own.  They will cost less, contain more products, and I can personalise them according to the recipient’s tastes.

Books read 16/25 – A Wood of One’s Own – Ruth Pavey (loaned to me by a friend).

After years spent living amid the thrum of London, the author yearned to reconnect with the British countryside and to pursue her dream of planting a wood.

In search of the place to realise her ambition, she found herself in the Somerset Levels where she was struck by its beauty.  Inspired, she bought four acres of scrubland at auction and set about restoring it, tree by tree.  With a nurturing hand and an old wheelbarrow, over the years she transformed the woods into a haven where plants and creatures could flourish.

A book that provided an insight into the nature and local history of the area.  A nice read, which included the authors own beautiful hand-drawn illustrations. 

Thank you for dropping by and taking the time to read my diary.

Humboldt

Hello and welcome.

Motivational quote of the week.

Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you - Anne Lamott.

Money saving.

Our monthly grocery budget for me and my DH is £250.  Week 1 spend for November was £63.30.

Monthly interest gained via various savings accounts for October was £97.32.

November’s premium bond win was £0 (2025 total to date is £675).

Made £23 via my crafting.  Monies added to the Christmas/Birthday account.

This week’s main menu.

Monday – Away overnight visiting family.

Tuesday – Beetroot burgers, spiced sweet potato wedges, corn on the cob, and a dressed salad.   Beetroot burgers are homemade and from the freezer.

Wednesday – Mediterranean salmon pasta (He@rt UK recipe). I will cook the salmon in the air fryer.

Thursday – Healthy slow cooker chicken (BB( F0od recipe).

Friday – Cottage pie (H@iry D!eter’s recipe), lightly steamed cabbage, and gravy. I will use a small pack of 5% beef mince and add a tin of green lentils to reduce cost and make the meal a little healthier.  I will adapt the recipe and top with swede and carrot mash. To fully utilise the oven, I will also cook our sourdough for the week.

Saturday – Ping meal (as above) – cook once, eat twice – saves on time and energy costs.

Sunday – Pasta e Fagioli (from one of my recipe scrap books), with a hunk of wholemeal seeded sourdough.  Today we have 2-hours of free gas, so I will also cook meatballs in tomato sauce (H@iry D!eter’s recipe)  for tomorrow’s meal, and a soup for lunches.

Healthier lifestyle.

Last week’s step count was 57,785.

Last week I completed 0 free online workouts.

Last week I completed 5 free meditations.

Simple pleasures.

Peachy coloured sunsets.

Watching autumn leaves gently falling and several goldfinches enjoying a patch of teasels.

Homemade apple and blueberry crumble, with custard (apples gifted from a friend).

Books read 17/25 - The Christmas Bookshop - Jenny Colgan (passed on to me by a friend).

In snowy, bustling Edinburgh, a tired old bookshop needs sprucing up for Christmas.

Mr McCredie’s bookshop is in trouble.  Dusty bookshelves are in disarray and the old bell above the door hardly ever announces a new customer.  If Mr McCredie doesn’t turn things around by Christmas, he will be forced to sell.  Carmen is his last hope.

A light, fun, seasonal read that is set in beautiful Edinburgh.

Thank you for dropping by and taking the time to read my diary.

 

Humboldt

Hello and welcome.

Motivational quote of the week.

 Less is more – Ludwig Mies van der Rohe.

Money saving.

Our monthly grocery budget for me and my DH is £250.  Week 2 spend for November was £61.81.  Total to date for November is £125.11.

I saved a further 20% when buying an already discounted thermal gilet from M0untain Warehouse. A total reduction of £6, plus should I wish, I can use the voucher on multiple occasions until 31 December.

Having signed up to the ‘C0unt up to Christmas Challenge’ at S@insbury’s, I completed 4 tasks in total, gaining 1200 points (£6). As I have mentioned previously, I save our points all year and use them towards the Christmas food shop.

My complaint regarding a recent boiler service was upheld.  I had requested the refund of the £60 excess that I had paid, but they have paid me £80 compensation. I only complain when necessary, and equally compliment when appropriate. 

I ordered some table mats in J0hn Lewis to match those that I already have, and was able to use a £5 ‘anniversary gift’ that appeared in my app to pay towards the postage (we don’t have a JL nearby).  I also bought a Christmas stocking filler – a stainless-steel double jigger (spirit measure) that was reduced to £2.50.

£6.71 gained from selling more books to W0rld of Bo0ks.  More items decluttered from the house.  Upon completion of the process, the monies will be paid directly into the Birthday/Christmas account.

This week’s main menu.

Monday – Italian meatballs with chunky tomato sauce (an adaptation of a H@iry D!eters recipe), with whole-wheat pasta.  I cheat and buy readymade meatballs, and add extra diced vegetables to the sauce.

Edited – S@insbury’s ‘t@ste the difference’ pizza, baked potato, and homemade coleslaw.  Pizza was free via a voucher from our network provider.  Meatballs were frozen for another occasion.

Tuesday – Roasted chicken with stuffing, roasted vegetables, and gravy.  Vegetables will include beetroot from the garden. The chicken was bought whilst on offer at S@insbury’s (half price), and frozen until required.

Wednesday – Ping meal (as above), cook once, eat twice – saves on time and energy costs.

Thursday – Bacon and lentil soup, with a hunk of homemade whole-wheat seeded sourdough.  I froze the leftover bacon when I made pasta e fagioli last week, so will use that.  I also have celery leftover from the same recipe. I will cook the soup in the slow cooker.

Friday – Roasted butternut squash and roasted tomato lasagne (R!chard and P@ul Y0uTube recipe), with a large dressed salad. I will add fresh spinach to the roasted tomato layer, and use the remainder in Sunday’s recipe. To fully utilise the oven, I will also cook a couple of sourdough loaves.

Saturday – Ping meal (as above) cook once, eat twice – saves on time and energy costs.

Sunday – Coconut prawn curry (H@iry D!eters recipe), with a small portion of rice.  This recipe only uses half a tin of lighter coconut milk, so I will use some that I froze when I previously made this recipe. Today we have 2-hours free gas, so not only will we enjoy free heating, but I will also cook the curry, and a soup for lunch next week.

Healthier lifestyle.

Last week’s step count was 33,443. A sedentary week, but lots of admin completed.

Completed 1 free online workout last week.

Completed 4 free meditations last week.

Simple pleasures.

I have begun participating in the reverse advent calendar challenge. If anyone is unfamiliar with this, rather than receiving a gift, you buy items for your local food bank. Collecting the items in November, and delivering them in early December allows the foodbank team to sort and deliver them in time for Christmas. If you are interested in participating, @Brie has provided some information over on the Foodbank Donation thread, which is in the Food shopping & groceries section of the forum.  Every item you donate will bring some Christmas cheer to others.

DH and I were lucky enough to witness the mesmerising murmuration's of a flock of starlings.

I have planted garlic and my chard seedlings in the vegetable box.  The chard seedlings have been covered with fleece due to the sudden drop in temperature last night.

Watching a robin splash about in the bird bath.

Another bag of decluttered items donated to the charity shop this week.

Thank you for dropping by and taking the time to read my diary.

jwil

Great result with the complaint!

Humboldt

jwil said:

Great result with the complaint!

Hi @jwil when the engineer arrived to service our boiler we had hot water and heating, when they left we had neither.  Following a visit by another engineer, we were informed that the gas to the boiler had been disconnected and left that way! We all make mistakes, but I wasn't prepared to be charged £60 for someone else's. 

Today's simple pleasure - snow today, and we have no where to go, so can just enjoy it.