Away From The Madding Crowd

KajiKita

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82062345#Comment_82062345

Oooh, I might have a look then 😊

KK

Humboldt

Hello and welcome.

Motivational quote of the week.

Gratitude is one of the most powerful human emotions. Once expressed, it changes attitude, brightens outlook, and broadens our perspective – Roy T Bennett.

Money saving.

Our monthly grocery budget for me and my DH is £300. Week 2 spend for July was £59.31. Total spend for July to date is £136.54.

Made full use of these week's free electric from our provider.

We recently used the monies from a fixed rate ISA to buy a new to us car. We then transferred monies from a cash ISA into a new fixed rate ISA. This week we cashed in some of our premium bonds to top up the cash ISA before the allowance changes in April 2027. A bit of juggling to take full advantage of tax-free savings.

We will be celebrating a special occasion this week and rather than going out or ordering a takeaway, we will buy a Sainsbury’s £15 meal deal. The deal includes a main, side, dessert and a bottle of wine. Edited to say that we did not deduct this spend from our monthly grocery budget.

Bought a summer top in the S@insbury's sale, saving 50%.

This week’s main menu.

Monday – Ping meal of sorts (cook once, eat twice). Yesterday we amended the menu and enjoyed a BBQ, consisting of jerk spiced spatchcock chicken, warm lemon and mustard potato salad (Oc@do recipe), and vegetable kebabs. There was enough left over for today's meal. When making the potato salad, I omitted the celery and wholegrain mustard (just added a bit more Dijon), used dried dill rather than fresh, and swapped the apple cider vinegar for white wine vinegar because that is what I had. Jerk spice bought when on holiday. Salad onions were homegrown.

Tuesday – Courgette, bacon and cream cheese pasta. No recipe as such, I will just fry off some bacon, add courgette, and then include some lighter cream cheese, with a splash of milk if needed, before stirring through whole-wheat pasta, serving with some grated Italian cheese and a squeeze of lemon.

Wednesday – Thai red chickpea curry (B0ld Be@n C0 recipe), with a small portion of rice. I will adapt this recipe and use a Thai green curry paste. Garlic is homegrown. Red chillies and ginger were reduced in price and frozen until required.

Edited to say that this was delicious and made enough for tomorrow's meal. So Thursday was a Ping Meal (cook once- eat twice) saves on time and energy costs.

Thursday – Aubergine parmigiana (from one of my recipe scrap books), with a dressed green salad. Garlic/salad leaves are homegrown. M+S currently have good sized, quality aubergines for £1.

Friday – S@insbury’s £15 meal deal. DH will choose the items and has offered to cook this evening.

Saturday – Tahini-dressed courgette and green bean salad (R!ver C0ttage Veg recipe). Red chilli was reduced in price and frozen until required. I will replace the tahini with smooth peanut butter. This recipe is becoming a summer favourite.

Edited to say that today we had the Aubergine parmigiana and again, there was enough for tomorrow's meal. So Sunday was also a Ping Meal. No, we don't mind eating the same delicious meal twice!

Sunday – Summer paella (from one of my recipe scrap books). I will use chicken drum fillets and half a bag of prawns from the freezer. Spring onions are homegrown.

Healthier lifestyle.

Last week’s step count was 38,866.

Completed 5 free online meditations last week.

Completed 1 free online workout last week.

Simple pleasures.

Sunday breakfast eaten in the garden – fresh coffee and homemade sourdough pancakes with Greek yogurt, defrosted Black Forest mixed fruits, and a drizzle of local honey. Sat in the early morning sunshine, it felt like we were on holiday. Ald! frozen Black Forest mixed fruits are £1.99 for 500g.

A meet-up with friends. Always good for the soul.

DH and I took advantage of the governments £3 cap on bus trips, and enjoyed a scenic journey to a local town. Lunch in an independent café, a wander around the market, and a mooch around a few shops.

I have seen so many more butterflies in the garden this year.

A refreshing slice of watermelon. Whole watermelons on offer for £1.99 at Ald!.

I know that we are late to the party, but DH and I have begun to watch the BBC series 'Race Across the World'. We have now watched the first 3 episodes of series 1, so plenty more to watch. Really enjoying it.

Books read 17/26 – The Central Line – Saskia Sarginson (a library book).

Cora and Jacob live in London’s vast metropolis; he at one end of the Central Line, she at the other. Their paths have crossed a thousand times without them knowing. When a chance encounter on the underground brings them together, it seems they’re destined to fall in love. Grief, mental health and motherhood are all factors that together make this an engaging read.

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

Willow1983

Hi Humboldt, great update as usual 🙂 we were the same only watched race around the world a couple of months ago, brilliant programme and lets you see areas you wouldn’t normally see. Binge watched then all then came to celebrity race a round the world….. and just couldn’t enjoy it the same 🤷‍♀️ only watched one full episode.

Humboldt

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82069435#Comment_82069435

Morning @Willow1983, lovely of you to drop by. When chatting with a friend about our future travel plans, she recommended the Race Around the World series. Series 1 included several places that we have visited and it was lovely reminiscing about our own experiences. I think that we would happily revisit all of those places, but the world is full of new and exciting destinations …

Today's simple pleasure - the sweet pea plants grown from free seeds courtesy of our local seed hub, are flourishing despite the recent weather conditions, and are now developing flower buds.

Humboldt

Hello and welcome.

Motivational quote of the week.

True wealth is not having more, but needing less – Plato.

Money saving.

Our monthly grocery budget for me and my DH is £300. Week 3 spend for July was £65.20. Total spend for July to date is £201.74.

Set up a 6-month toothbrush head replacement subscription for our new electric toothbrushes. Saved 10% and got free delivery on the first order. I can pause or cancel the subscription at anytime. I will return the old toothbrush heads to the supplier for recycling using the free postage envelope that they have sent me.

Made full use of this week’s free electric from our provider.

Took advantage of S@insbury’s wine buy 6 save 25% offer – saving £13.71, plus £3.00 via Nect@r Price offers. Four bottles were for gifts.

Freebies.

A free hair treatment via my hairdresser’s loyalty card.

This week’s main menu.

Monday – Eating out.

Tuesday – Spicy chicken & sweet potato (from one of my recipe scrap books). Packs of chicken legs from M+S generally contain 3, so I had a couple of spare ones in the freezer which I will use for today's recipe. Sweet potatoes will also be used in tomorrow's recipe.

Wednesday – Roast vegetable tart (from one of my recipe scrap books), warm lemon & mustard potato salad (Oc@do recipe), and a mixed green salad. This recipe requires 2tbsp of pesto, and I will be using homemade wild garlic pesto from the freezer. The remainder of the defrosted pesto will be used on Friday. Basil is homegrown. I will also use the remainder of the feta on Friday.

Thursday – Ping meal (cook once, eat twice – saves on time and energy costs)

Friday – Homemade wild garlic pesto & feta pizza. Wild garlic pesto is homemade and from the freezer.

Saturday – Away visiting family.

Sunday – Away visiting family.

Healthier lifestyle.

Last week’s step count was 40,248.

Completed 5 free online meditations last week.

Completed 0 free online workouts last week.

Simple pleasures.

When shopping in Ald! I rescued a bunch of pale pink roses that were reduced in price, costing just £1.34.

DH and I celebrated a special occasion with an afternoon tea at a country hotel, using a voucher that we were gifted for Christmas. What an absolute joy to be enjoying delicious treats whilst sitting in the sunshine overlooking the stunning gardens.

The stipa gigantea golden oat grasses swaying in the breeze and glowing in the evening sunlight are just stunning. They were so small when I planted them, but now several years later their majestic presence provides structure and movement in the garden borders.

The drumstick alliums in the garden are now at their best and proving to be extremely popular with various pollinators.

I made several jars of spiced orange and ginger marmalade. I used a can of m@rmade, added a couple of star anise and a stick of cinnamon when on the rolling boil (remove before putting into jars), and chopped stem ginger in syrup when setting point had been reached.

Motivated by @KajiKita, I cleaned the window and blind behind the kitchen sink . Not a pleasure as such, but it’s good to know it is now done. I am always amazed at the motivation/inspiration we can gain from others on this forum ☺️

Books read 18/26 – The Story Collector – Iris Costello (a library book).

Three lives, divided by time yet bond by a long-held secret.

London, 1915: amid the wartime chaos, Katerina is hailed as a beacon of hope for her bakery, which offers divination alongside sweet treats. But the dark truth she’s hiding could cost her everything.

Germany, 1918: Miriam secretly vows to help a mute British soldier in the prisoner-of-war camp she’s stationed at. Soon she must make an impossible choice: will she save the one she loves, or herself?

Cornwall, present day: Edie is astonished to find a mysterious box hidden in the wall of her newly renovated cottage. As she digs deeper, she uncovers a secret that has lain hidden for over a century …

Whilst I enjoyed the twists and turns of this storyline, I did the feel that the ending was a little lacklustre.

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

KajiKita

I had no idea that I could be a source of motivation and for cleaning as well - seems very unlikely …. 🤣😉

I like the idea of the roast vegetable tart. Does that include the feta as well? If so, would you mind sharing the recipe?

I also love Stipa Gigantea Golden Oat Grass and reading this has made me realise I am missing them in my garden … am plotting where I could slot a clump or two in 🤔 - they like good drainage, don't they?

KK

Humboldt

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82076423#Comment_82076423

Hi @KajiKita, perhaps I should have said shamed me into cleaning the window and blind behind my kitchen sink 🙄

Vegetable tart recipe.

2 large red peppers, stem and seeds removed and cut into thin strips

1 large sweet potato, peeled and sliced

Olive oil

1 courgette, thinly sliced with a peeler

1 red onion, thinly sliced

275g ready rolled puff pastry (I will use the less fat type)

2 tbsp green pesto

100g feta cheese, crumbled

10 mixed colour baby tomatoes, quartered

1 egg, beaten

Balsamic vinegar

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tbsp mixed seeds

Fresh basil to garnish, torn

Salt and pepper

1. Heat the oven to 220c/200c fan oven/gas 7. Put the pepper and sweet potato into an ovenproof dish with a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper. Place in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until soft.
2. Meanwhile, grill the courgettes in a griddle pan until charred (I don't have a griddle pan so I just dry fry), then add the red onions and sauté with a little oil until soft.
3. Roll out the puff pastry very thinly and to the same size as your flat baking tray, place on a lined baking tray and using a fork !!!!!! the pasty all over leaving an inch rim around the edge. Brush with beaten egg and place in the oven for 10-12 minutes.
4. Remove the pastry and veg from the oven and turn down to 200c/180c fan/gas 6. Brush the pesto over the pastry inside the rim and place all the cooked vegetables on top, followed by the feta cheese and tomatoes. Brush the edges with more beaten egg, sprinkle over the dried oregano then return to the oven for 8-10 minutes.
5. Remove from the oven and drizzle with olive oil, a splash of balsamic vinegar and dress with freshly torn basil leaves and mixed seeds.

Yes, it is also my understanding that Stipa Gigantea Golden Oat Grass does like good drainage. That said, mine are growing happily on the outer edges of my very clay borders, with a generous amount of gravel placed under them when initially planted.

Today's simple pleasure - today's H0tUKdeals email highlighted an offer on our coffee of choice, Nesc@fe G0ld Blend Decaf Premium Instant C0ffee 190g. I managed to get 4 jars for £14.40 (£3.60 a jar) via a family members Amaz0n Pr!me membership, with free postage. You can get them cheaper if you sign up to a subscription. S@insbury's currently have them on offer for £6 a jar!

KajiKita

Yaay, thank you 😊

I want to get into making my own flans etc so perhaps this can be my first one to try 😊

Cracking deal on the coffee 👏

KK

Humboldt

Hello and welcome.

Motivational quote of the week.

Often it is those who live quietly, modestly, and contentedly with a simple life who are the happiest – Joshua Becker.

Money saving.

Our monthly grocery budget for me and my DH is £300. Week 4 spend for July was £59.23. Total spend for July to date is £260.97.

I bought a pack of 6 x dahlias at our local B+M, reduced by 50%. A quick tidy up and they are now settling into their new pots and looking much healthier.

Made full use of this week’s free electric from our supplier.

We were in the process of switching from our current provider to V!rgin Medi@, but the setup administration/communication was so very, very bad that it did not go ahead. Although I had made it clear what I thought of them on the telephone, I was going to follow up with a letter of complaint. However, totally unexpectedly, this week we received a cheque for £116.28, a good will gesture for the inconvenience caused. I feel that we had a lucky escape.

When visiting family this weekend, we were able to use a 35% discount code for a meal out. This together with the money received from V!rgin Medi@ almost covered the total cost of family meal.

I was pleased to be able to purchase our coffee of choice at a really good price, as mentioned in my post on 21 July. It arrived the next day and has a best before date of July 2028.

This week’s main menu.

Monday – Lentil bolognaise, and whole-wheat spaghetti. No recipe as such, just something quick and easy after travelling home from visiting family. I will use a packet mix, tin of tomatoes and green lentils, adding onion, red pepper and half a courgette.

Tuesday – Breaded cod, new potatoes, and peas. Cod was bought when reduced in price and frozen until required. I will cook the cod in the air fryer.

Wednesday – Hearty pasta soup (Go0d Fo0d recipe), with homemade wholemeal seeded sourdough bread. My thanks to @Fortune_Smiles for sharing this recipe on her thread. Carrots and basil are homegrown.

Thursday – Stuffed peppers, and a large dressed green salad. I will stuff the peppers with leftover beef chilli con carne (without the rice) from the freezer, and cook them in the air fryer. Salad leaves and spring onions are homegrown.

Friday – Roast chicken wings with lemon and cracked black pepper (N!gel Sl@ter recipe), spiced sweet potato wedges, salad. Chicken wings were reduced in price and frozen until required. Salad will include homegrown salad leaves and spring onions.

Saturday – Chachouka, also called shakshuka (R!ver C0ttage Veg recipe).

Sunday – Summer paella (from one of my recipe scrap books). I will use chicken drum fillets and half a bag of prawns that I already had in the freezer. Spring onions are homegrown. This is a meal swap from last Sunday when we enjoyed a Ping Meal.

Healthier lifestyle.

Last week’s step count was 41,078.

Completed 4 free online meditations.

Completed 0 free online workouts.

Simple pleasures.

Some much needed rain for the garden. Nice to have a full water butt again.

I discovered a new to me Y0uTube channel – Hum@ns vs Ret!rement with D@n H@ylett. He describes himself as a regulated, practising financial adviser and retirement planning specialist. He states that his aim is to help you retire with confidence, avoid boredom, and make your money last. I have only watched a couple of the videos, but found them to be useful.

I listened to another R0sebud podcast – Petula Clark: ‘Down Town’, Fred Astaire and being a child star. Another insightful interview. Despite her fame, I thought that she came across as a very humble lady.

Our sweet peas have begun to flower. Late this year, but who cares, it is just wonderful to have them. Sowed more lettuce and rocket seeds. Potted on the broccoli and kale.

DH and I visited family. A meal out, lots of chatter, laughter, doggy walks, and DH helped with some DIY.

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

jwil

I love the quote. It's where I hope to be one day 😊