Away From The Madding Crowd

Humboldt

@bluenose1 hello and thank you for your latest comment.  

I only became aware of Whistlef*sh via a post on another thread. I liked their greetings cards so much that this is the second year that I have purchased from them. 

Thanks for providing an overview of your meal plan; I am always happy to receive recipe recommendations. Glad that you are enjoying the benefits of freezing extra portions.

Enjoy your new table and floor lamps, and fingers crossed for next month's premium bonds.

Today's simple pleasure - the kindness of strangers.

mark55man

Morning all

Today's simple pleasure - my last weekend off work before I am off work for a few months (taking some unpaid leave as I mentioned above to practice for retirement) 

uralmaid

Enjoy your weekend.

Humboldt

@mark55man surely that has got to be the best simple pleasure of the week. I hope that it is everything that you want it to be and I would love to know how you get on. 

@uralmaid thank you.  We have family visiting this weekend to celebrate Mother's Day. Hope that you have a good weekend too.  I am now popping over to your place because there appears to be a lot going on.

Today's simple pleasure - family

Humboldt

Hello and welcome.

Motivational quote of the week

You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem and smarter than you think – Winnie the Pooh

Money Saving

Our monthly grocery budget for me and my DH is £200.  Week 2 spend for March was £30.42. Total spend to date is £125.28.

Checked our February gas/electric bill, we are £50.56 in credit.

Remembered to buy extra 2nd class stamps before the 13% price hike on 2nd April.  The latest MSE email states that if you buy stamps at their current prices, you will still be able to use them after price increase.

Took advantage of the S@insbury’s buy 6 or more bottles of wine and save 25% offer and saved £9.54.

This week’s main menu

I have replaced asterisks with other symbols when detailing the names of businesses/companies.  I hope that this is a more acceptable compromise for some.

Monday – Broccoli and tuna bake (from my cut-out recipes book, I think it was a Tesc0 recipe).  I will also add cauliflower.

Tuesday – Vegetable korma, with a small portion of brown rice and onion bhaji. The korma sauce (H@iry Bikers recipe) was an extra portion that was frozen until required, as were the bhaji’s.  I will use whatever vegetables I have, including the leftover broccoli and cauliflower from yesterday.

Wednesday – Roast chicken with stuffing, kale, swede and carrot mash, spiced red cabbage, with gravy. The swede/carrots and spiced red cabbage were extra portions frozen until required. The whole chicken will be cooked in the slow cooker to save on energy costs.

Thursday – Ping Meal – As above (cook once eat twice – saves time and energy costs).

Friday – Chicken noodle soup (from my cut-out recipes book, I think it was a Tesc0 recipe).  I will use leftover chicken and homemade chicken stock from the freezer. Chicken stock is a doddle to make in the slow cooker.

Saturday – Cajun-spiced fish with hot salsa (from my cut-out recipes book, I think that it was a Tesc0 recipe).  Salmon was on special offer last week in Ald! and frozen until required.  This is a meal shuffle from last week because I was treated to a meal out for Mother’s Day.

Sunday – Chilli stuffed peppers with salad (beef mince was reduced in price and frozen until required).

Our breakfasts will consist of overnight oats in various guises, this morning it was grated apple, cinnamon, and raisins. If anyone is interested in overnight oat or bircher muesli recipes, WeightW@tchers have a nice selection. Lunches will include some of the homemade soup from the freezer.

Healthier Lifestyle

Completed 2 free online workouts via Fabul0us50s on Y0utube last week.

Step count last week was 77,617. 

Completed 4 free meditations.

Simple Pleasures

Books read 4/2024 – Vanilla Beans & Brodo ‘Real life in the hills of Tuscany’ by Isabella Dusi.  This book was a charity shop find and if you like Tuscany I would highly recommend it.  This is the story of Montalcino in southern Tuscany; a hilltop medieval village with the reputation for some of the finest wine in Italy.  I did not realise at the time of buying the book, that my DH and I had visited this village in 2019.  Having now read the book and gained an insight into its history, cuisine, ancient traditions, festivals, etc, I would love to revisit at some point.

A family meal out for Mother’s Day.

A cuppa and natter with a couple of friends - always therapeutic.

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

bluenose1

Your weekly meal plan looks delicious and is making me hungry, time to start our evening meal
You are doing really well on your monthly food budget, we aren’t doing too bad and putting that down to doing batch cooking. 
Never been to Tuscany but love travel books about what life is really like so will put on my list. I used to love the Bill Bryson books for their info as well as the humour. 
My  greeting cards have arrived from the site you recommended, I spent hours choosing, ordered 30 cards including some of their more expensive cards for special occasions and some stamps. Absolutely delighted with all the cards, they are gorgeous and I will most definitely use again, much cheaper than buying from the card shop and I think a nicer range.
Many thanks for taking the time to post your weekly update, I have enjoyed it as ever.

uralmaid

I commend your planning for meals Humboldt.  I tend to write my supermarket order on Sunday evening then amend as necessary on the Monday ready for delivery on Tuesday.  Mostly we tend to stick to similar meals each week.  Some meals I would like to make aren't always possible as after having an Ileostomy my husband can only eat certain vegetables - mainly broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, tomatoes and cucumber. He can't have sweetcorn, mushrooms or cabbage.Also he can't have lettuce which is a shame as we used to eat lots of salads in Summer. We do still manage a varied diet but not as good as it could be.  When he had his operation in 2008 he was very ill afterwards with infection and lost 3 stone in weight.  He only weighed 11 stone to start with so it was horrendous.  The dietician recommended he eat lots of full fat foods such as cream, Jersey milk, butter and custard etc.  He is still eating all of that and eats quite a few biscuits and cake each day, but still is less than 11 stone wet through!  That's part of the reason we spend so much a month on food.  Still - apart from not putting on much weight and struggling to maintain it, he does really well and is always doing something so it is a small price to pay, as a lot of people in his situation don't seem to have as good a life. I don't eat anywhere near as much in the way of cakes and biscuits, but do have a weakness for chocolate and books!! Have a great week.

Humboldt

Hi @bluenose1 I hope that you had a good weekend.  DH and I love to travel and I too really enjoy books that provide an insight into another country/culture. I am so pleased that you like the cards from Wh!stlefish. Your kind words about my weekly update are much appreciated. 

Evening @uralmaid sorry to read about your DH's health condition, but good that he remains active and is doing well.  Our meal plan reflects our need to make healthy choices and I hope to have an update on this at the end of April. I'm not sure that chocolate and books are a weakness, more like essential. 

Today's simple pleasure - DH and I spent almost all day in the garden.  This morning we replaced the wires that secure the honeysuckle and jasmine to the fence with a much sturdier version.  After lunch, we dug over one of the borders and I divided some of the plants.  Hard work, but very enjoyable. 

Humboldt

Hello and welcome.

Motivational quote of the week

Start noticing the beauty around you – there is always somewhere to find it – Dara McAnulty, author of Diary of a Young Naturalist.

Money Saving

Took advantage of a ‘buy one get one half price’ offer in H0lland + Barrett, saving £6.70.

When paying for my hair cut this week, I will use a voucher that I was gifted, saving £20.

A random free bar of chocolate appeared in my M+S Sp@rks account.  When collecting the chocolate, I will also enjoy a free cuppa that I have ‘earned’ (buy 6 drinks and get a free hot drink).  M+S café is often the venue for a cuppa and natter with friends, so it is nice to see our loyalty rewarded.

Main menu of the week

Our monthly grocery budget for me and my DH is £200. Week 3 spend for March was £69.43. Total to date is £197.41. It is becoming obvious that due to rising costs our budget will need to be increased to £250.  I acknowledge that we are in the fortunate position to be able to do this and empathise with those who do not have this option.

Monday - Tandoori chicken thighs (I just mix 2 tsp of curry paste with 2 tbsp plain yogurt and use as a marinade for the chicken), cumin-crusted roast vegetables (H@iry Dieter’s recipe), with a side salad (salad was reduced in price). I will use carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes, and red onions. Whilst the oven is on, I will roast the butternut squash for tomorrow’s meal.

Tuesday – Roasted butternut squash and sage risotto (BB( Good Food recipe).

Wednesday – Cottage pie (H@iry Dieter’s recipe) with Spring cabbage.  I will top the pie with sweet potato and carrot mash. The beef mince was reduced in price and frozen until required.

Thursday – Ping Meal – As above (cook once eat twice – saves time and energy costs).

Friday – Lentil Bolognese (Oc@do recipe) with wholewheat spaghetti.  This recipe uses tinned green lentils. 

Saturday – Salmon in a chilli ginger sauce (H@iry Dieter’s recipe), stir-fry vegetables with noodles. The salmon was on offer a couple of weeks ago and frozen until required.

Sunday – Meal out

Our breakfasts are mainly oat based, i.e. porridge, overnight oats, bircher muesli, etc.  We add fruit (either fresh, tinned or frozen), nuts, seeds, zero fat Greek yogurt, etc.  For health reasons we add 20g of a cold milled flaxseed, almonds, Brazil nuts, walnuts & CoQ10 mixture to any oat-based breakfast or cereal. This is the product that was on offer at H0lland + Barrett this week. Lunches will include homemade soups from the freezer.

Healthier Lifestyle

Completed 1 free online workout via F@bulous50’s on Y0utube last week.

Step count last week was 60,821.

Completed 4 free meditations.

Simple Pleasures

Drinking my morning cuppa and noticing how the rain drops create beautiful circular ripples in the bird bath.

A long walk with DH this weekend.  Nature, sunshine, and a picnic. Saw a sign hung on a gate advertising local honey for sale; nice to support our local bee keepers.

Hot toast and very yummy honey enjoyed with a cup of ginger tea.

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

Humboldt

Hello and welcome.

I have been posting this diary for almost 2 months now. Having never had an online presence, I must admit to having some trepidation about sharing information, and in terms of how others would perceive my posts.  To be honest, because my health and wellbeing is steadily improving, I did not want to ‘rock the boat.’ That said, I did want to push myself a little and to interact with others who may find themselves in a similar position to myself.  I concluded that this forum was a ‘safe place,’ with like-minded people, so thought that I would give it a go. 

When deciding on the format of my diary, I took the decision to post what I would describe as a list. I hoped that this would keep me focused on my own goals and lessen the anxiety of ‘what will I say.’  I also chose to update my list on a weekly basis, so as not to put pressure on myself.  I am sure for some it may appear too formal or repetitive, but hopefully this little overview will provide some context.   

I am finding being on the forum a positive experience and want to again thank all those who take the time to read, thank, or comment on my diary.

Anyway, below is this week’s list.

Motivational quote of the week

You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream – C.S. Lewis

Money Saving

Our monthly grocery budget for me and my DH is £200.  Because I did a weekly shop on Sunday 17 March, I only needed a very small top-up shop this week.  Week 4 spend for March was £5.00. Total spend to date is £202.41.  I have decided to add another £50 to this month’s budget to enable me to complete Week 5 for March.  Due to rising costs our new monthly grocery budget will be £250 commencing on Monday 1 April.

A spendy week, but made the best of offers available:

Clothes shopping - I used a 20% off jeans offer in my M+S Sp@rks app when buying 2 pairs, saving £10.  Also purchased a jumper which was half price in the M+S sale.  Bought 2 Seas@lt Breton style tops which are currently 2 for £45, saving £14.98.  DH also bought a couple of items reduced by 60% in the Wh!testuff sale.

Jobs fill your pocket; adventures fill your soul, Jamie Lyn - DH and I booked a winter sun holiday for 2025. We got what we thought was a good deal on a balcony cabin, only had to pay a 10% deposit (so savings can continue to gather a little more interest), plus received an excellent amount of onboard spend.  We were able to use £500 future cruise credit (settlement following a complaint) and £46 bonus cruise club cashback to reduce the cost further. 

This week’s main menu

Monday – Roast vegetable fajitas served with a homemade tomato salsa (He@rt UK recipe), zero fat Greek yogurt, avocado, fresh coriander, and salad.  I make my own fajita spice mix and will use whatever vegetables I have i.e. bell peppers, red onion, carrot, parsnip, garlic, etc, and add half a tin of black beans. Green chillies were reduced in price and frozen until required.

Tuesday – Red chilli and bean soup (He@rt UK recipe) with warm wholemeal pittas. Will also add the remaining beans from yesterday.

Wednesday – Chicken chasseur (Pinch of N0m recipe) with kale and fennel carrots. I will swap the chicken breasts for thighs and the shallots for white onions.  I will also use less stock and cook in the slow cooker.  Chicken thighs were reduced in price and frozen until required.

Thursday – Ping Meal – as above (cook once eat twice – saves time and energy costs)

Friday – Mushroom stoup (River Cott@ge Veg recipe somewhere between a soup and a stew – hence the name).  I will add a handful of orzo and omit the dumplings. This uses both fresh and dried mushrooms.  You can generally pick up dried porcini mushrooms at a decent price from Lid! when they have an ‘Italian week.’

Saturday – Baked white fish with chorizo crust (H@iry Dieter’s recipe) served with peas (frozen), sweetcorn (tinned) and carrots. Hake fillets are on offer in Ald! this week 2 for £2.99. The chorizo crust is from the freezer (recipe makes enough for 4, half was frozen until required).

Sunday – Silverside beef joint, horseradish sauce, Yorkshire puds, roast potatoes, honey roast parsnips, Spring greens and gravy.  Beef joint was reduced in price and frozen until required. Jaff@ cake cheesecake for desert (homemade and frozen in portions until required).  What a treat!

Healthier Lifestyle

Completed 2 free workouts via F@bulous50s on Y0utube last week.

Step count last week was 56,730.

Completed 4 free meditations.

Simple Pleasures

DH and I had a trip to our nearest city.  We were pleasantly surprised to find that the city centre was not overly busy and that there were offers available on the items we wanted to buy. We enjoyed a lovely lunch in an independent café.

Noticing the vivid lime green coloured leaves that have recently emerged on the twisted willow tree in the garden.

A proper roast planned to celebrate Easter.  

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