Cheery's path to fulfilment - finishing the DIY, looking after myself, appreciating the garden 🌻

Sun_Addict

Lucky you having another week off. I went back to work yesterday 😞 I had to use 3 days leave for last week as work only closes on bank holidays. I couldn't justify using 4 days leave to take this week off as well. Sounds like you've got a nice few days on the horizon, how I love a bit of goal planning.

Cheery_Daff

Urgh, so sorry you're back already! I do love a long rest at Christmas. We usually shut for a week or so, but I think they're saving money by turning all the lights off for a fortnight this time, and it doesn't come from our leave allowance when the whole place is shut, so I'm using an extra week too. I'm very fortunate, I realise.

Yoga done in front of the tree 😊 I'm going to get dressed straight away so we don't risk a repeat of the other day 🙈😂 and then a gentle breakfast.

On the cards for today

⭐ washing on then hung to dry
⭐ make some wholesome lentil soup
⭐ make some shortbread for gifts (I've not actually made shortbread before, and I'm a notoriously haphazard and innatentive baker so this may not go well 😂)
⭐ possibly a bit more clearing of the grass outside the front gate to alleviate some of the pond-formation that happens when it rains

Weather is decidedly nondescript today - I'm tempted to suggest Mr C gets the remaining fence panels up before the bad weather hits, but since they've been sat there since August I suspect he won't see it as a priority 🤭

Need to get stuff ready for staying with friends, they've only just moved house and I'm not sure how many people are staying, so not sure whether we need to take bedding etc.

Dressed first though! 

Cheery_Daff

Well the washing got done, but I put it on as we went out the door and I confess I forgot about it til I just came in here so that still needs hanging up 🙈

I did make soup though, just chopped one of the free celeriac, some carrots, and some of the spuds I started chopping on Christmas day before I realised Mr C had already done some in the microwave 😂 added some lentils and a couple of stock cubes, brought to the boil then shoved in the hay box for several hours. Perfectly done and still warm when we came in 😊 I blended mine and had it with a small sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds and a small sprinkling of grated cheese 😊 I'm going to put the rest in the freezer.

One batch of shortbread is in the oven, another firming in the fridge - I have timers set and am NOT leaving the kitchen until both are safely out of the oven 😂 I am not to be trusted when it comes to baking 😂

Going to knock us up a paced lunch and packed tea for tomorrow- don't often do this for a trip to Mr C Snr, we often take him out for lunch. We still might, but it will depend on his health tomorrow, he's not at his best right now. And we're going straight from there to a new years eve party, where I imagine snacks will be the order of the day and I want to at least a bit of actual food first. Might just do some kind of cous cous salad for simplicity (ooh, I could roast some courgette & peppers while the oven is on). 

Been thinking about holidays. Our last trip to Orkney was 11 years ago, we went for a fortnight about every year for 10 years. Prices of self catering cottages are extortionate now though - even late spring the cheapest i could find on the mainland was £1300 for a shepherds hut with an outside kitchen and bathroom! 😱 

So we have been having lots of discussion about holidays and MAY attempt some house sitting/home swap type activity 😬 Wouldnt want to look after a dog, but we could do cat/chicken/rabbit etc, or could just swap our house (but would anyone want to stay here?? Lovely location but it's not exactly a pristine show home 🙈)

More investigating to do, I think. If anyone's done this type of thing do shout up!

Cheery_Daff

Right. Shortbread is made and looks (and tastes 🤭) passable for presents.

I was about to tell you the washing is hung up but I forgot I got half way through then the timer went off - goodness me, it's never going to be dry at this rate!! 😱

Hang on, I have more to tell you about cous cous (thrilling, I know) but washing first...

peb

Ooh. Orkney. Finally made it myself this year. Stayed at Sebay apartments and didn't pay that sort of money?  Half term in may.  Recommended 

peb

Politely leaves before cous cous discourse 

greent

I'm here for the couscous chat... 😁

Cheery_Daff

peb said:

Ooh. Orkney. Finally made it myself this year. Stayed at Sebay apartments and didn't pay that sort of money?  Half term in may.  Recommended 

Ooh, thank you! Will investigate 😊

Two open bags of cous cous. Bought pre-pandemic, now several years out if date. Figured cous cous couldn't be that bad, but it just tasted musty, so I opened a second, and that tasted musty too. Both went in the bid. Raided the pantry shelves - we do like a bit of a store cupboard but it does rather need a sort out, everything is buried behind a layer of booze that people buy us and we don't quite keep up with 😂 Two additional bags of equally out if date cous cous located - one with a dead adult moth inside (inside the sealed bag!). 

Both now deposited in the bin, as much as it pains me 😬

Also located two bags of bulghar wheat, equally out of date (in fact out of date the year before!) Decided to chance it, and cooked with stock. Seems to have done the trick and it's decidedly edible, doesn't taste musty at all, so that's been mixed with roasted veg, celery, a tin of green lentils, and some hard boiled eggs for eating tomorrow. I cooked quite a lot of it so there's also a tub in the fridge for when we get back 😂

Shortbread is packaged - I was hoping 2 batches would be enough for my auntie, my dad, and to take a bit to tomorrow's party but it seems I bought a massive tin for my auntie so even after filling half of it with a cardboard shelf the remaining shortbread just about filled it 😱 (well, some was lost to the cooking fairies, and some didn't look very good so we've kept that 😂). Will have to make some more for my dad, and tomorrow's party will have to do without. 

Washing hung up, clothes ready for tomorrow, and I'm fit to drop but will watch a small bit of TV with Mr C before bed.

Phew! 

Cheery_Daff

peb said:

Ooh. Orkney. Finally made it myself this year. Stayed at Sebay apartments and didn't pay that sort of money?  Half term in may.  Recommended 

How long did you stay for @peb ? Cheapest I can see all year is £115 a night, making a fortnight £1610. Maybe I'm being unrealistic imagining we'll get anything cheaper than that these days, self-catering or not! 

Greying_Pilgrim

Goodness Cheery - have things changed in the apartment/cottage model these days?  Do you get charged the same rate every night you stay (I realise tourist tax is starting to kick in in some places, so accept that prices will have only gone one way 🙄), but I thought sometimes - if you wanted to stay a night, you'd pay eg £150, but if you stayed eg 7 nights it would work out at £130 pn, and if you stayed for 14 nights, perhaps it would be £122pn.  The little air bnb we use works on that principle.  Gulp! we'll be 'home''cationing in 2026 if that is the case ☹️

Our issue is usually finding somewhere 'reasonably' priced for  2 (or now) 3.  It always seems cheaper if there are 13 or you, looking to stay in a mansion...... ☹️

Safe travels today Cheery!