The Simple Bare Necessities feat. Gratitude & Recipes

Greying_Pilgrim · 30 September 2017 at 3:40PM

Good Afternoon,

Hope it's not raining with you - regrettably it is with us

We have already got soaked

However, we have also had a spiffy lunch

We pushed the boat out a little, for a low-key celebration (no, I'm not...;)), and bought lunch at a new take-away place in Greying Town. All I can say is, I'm glad they are only open for 'lunch'. It'd be too tempting otherwise

Enough food for the 3 of us for less than £12. That's pretty good going, especially since I was telling DH that coffee and cake for me and a chum - my treat - at a 'hip' place several months ago had set me back over £12.......... :eek: The food was the type of stuff I like to eat, and I could have made it myself, but sometimes we all need a 'day off', and I enjoyed the treat (DH paid), and it was nice to get 'good' veggie food for once.

Tea tonight is going to be cardboard box fish and oven chips with mushy peas, as now I'm in the CBA'd frame of mind, I'm taking full advantage...... :rotfl::rotfl: No complaints from DH as there will be less washing up overall.

We were going to go out today, adventurising. But the blessed weather put paid to that

I need to tot-up my accounts. I think I'm pretty much out of budget - maybe slightly over for September, although there are some 'bulk purchases' to take into consideration - I got toothpaste from W1lks today - I usually don't bother, because they've gone expensive, but I noticed that they were having a clear out of various types of toothpaste. For between 18p and 22p a tube, so I got 5 in total. The other thing to take into consideration with the food budget is my (tiny) £2 contribution of food to the foodbank. I'm hopeful that I can make a small weekly donation, rather than try to do something bigger at the end of each month. We'll have to see how that works out. We currently have lots of food in, and have been given a shed-load of fresh produce. I was in the right place at the right time the other day to get harvest festival display 'rejects'. It's interesting how folk aren't bothered about using fresh produce..... I felt greedy accepting what I did - but the alternative was the bin, or at best the compost heap

And of course, the FB can't take this kind of thing

The heating is on

It's slightly too damp without it

And now we've clothes/coats to dry out

Today I am already grateful for these 3 things;

being treated to lunch - even if we did eat it at home

bumping into friends old and new - a kind word always gives a lift

DH working so hard for us, and wanting us to enjoy family time together

Ta for popping in and reading. Appreciated.

Greying X

Hiddenidenity · 30 September 2017 at 4:20PM

We have the wet weather too

Nothing worse than wet! Cold we can wrap up, even snow is better than rain! :rotfl:

Sound's like a lovely day all round x

Greying_Pilgrim · 30 September 2017 at 4:56PM

Thanks Hiddenidentity - I'm really pleased that I can find pleasure in the 'simple' things. OK, so £12 is alot of money, but you can pay that and still be hungry, or the food be inedible, so.....

What I came back to say was that I forgot that, whilst in mrT t'other day, I spotted that they had magg1 brand 'powdered coconut', on special offer for £2.79 - a reduction of a £1. The offer is on until the end of October. It was in our 'world foods' section of the shop. Our mrT is a big 'un. I don't know if all branches stock it. But I do recall that several of you use it - I know Pippi has it in her storecupboard. I haven't had it since AF were all but 'giving' it away a few years ago. Them were the days

Anyhoo, hope that helps someone

Greying X

System · 30 September 2017 at 5:48PM

Sat reading your diary eating cardboard fish, chips and mushy peas! I have been batch cooking so couldn't be bothered either !

Greying_Pilgrim · 30 September 2017 at 6:11PM

Cumbria_lass wrote: »

Sat reading your diary eating cardboard fish, chips and mushy peas! I have been batch cooking so couldn't be bothered either !

Ha ha, must be the weather for it, or summat

Listening to R2, with LizaT, and thankfully, no-one seems to be conjuring up a tibetan-style, 15-course feast - in their campervan - this evening, so not even being made to feel guilty

:rotfl:

Greying X

Cheery_Daff · 30 September 2017 at 6:27PM

you lot

Sorry you didn't get your planned day out Greying, but I am pleased you had a tasty lunch :j Wr ended up at the seaside of all things (we are about as far from the sea as it is possible to get in England I think, which isn't really *that* far in the grand scheme of things I suppose :rotfl: )

Anyway I made some spring rolls to take for a picnic

so we only had a cup of tea each, shared a biscuit, and bought some sweets for the way home :money:

I popped in to tell you I found a new product which has just allowed me to create (near enough) our favourite takeaway dish at home, in less time than it takes for delivery (and given the delivery record is nine minutes from ordering, that's pretty quick!)

Sorry, waffling

Deep fried tofu

never seen it before, found it in new international supermarket for £1.45 for 150g (half of which just made enough for both of us). It doesn't look like tofu, more like bits of sponge :eek: :rotfl: but it's got that lovely chewy texture the takeaway stuff has that you never normally get with tofu. I just fried up onions and peppers, and then threw this in and heated it with a sachet of black bean sauce (don't normally do cook i sauces but this was replacing a takeaway after all...).

Excellent substitute, and in total I'd say less than £2.50 for the pair of us (compared to £12 for a takeaway)

Greying_Pilgrim · 1 October 2017 at 7:33AM

Good Morning :hello:

OK, Cheery, deep-fried tofu - this is something I know nothing of. What cuisine is it from, Chinese? I'm assuming that the international supermarket is in Cheery city - rather than where you went for your day trip? You seem to have a much better range of shops than I have access to

But I applaud the saving :T absolutely spiffing :T

We're having a slow start at the towers for once :j We've had a cooked brekkie - only scrambled eggs on toast with beans. I should have been more adventurous, but only knew we were going to have a lie-in by late last night. Blessed weather spoiling things

A load of washing is on the go. More damp to hang around the house

I still haven't got around to totalling up the last of the September receipts into my spending book. Must do that, as it has paid dividends in helping me to see where the money goes.

I need to shuffle stuff around in the freezer and see how much room I have, and contemplate a bit of batch cooking. It's a hectic patch for the next few weeks, and I think I'll do myself a favour if I have some 'grab' meals available. Either that, or I need to get a bus pass to Cheery city and impinge on Cheery's hospitalityto get made delicious teas with interesting ingredients

Right, best get to it and do constructive things with the day. It's miserable currently, but I'm not sure how it's set to go as the day progresses. Definitely will try to get out for a breath of fresh air if we can - and if we can find a dry coat to wear

Ta for popping in. Appreciated.

Greying X

System · 1 October 2017 at 7:50AM

Raining here Greying as well. Off to collect DGS so hope for a dry spot for him to use up all the energy he has.
Deep fried tofu never seen it in Cumbria land .

More batch cooking today as defrosted freezer yesterday so have lots of room . Vegetable gluten free lasagne me thinks for today's evening meal.
Keep posting your recipes , veggie friend coming for dinner next week .

Greying_Pilgrim · 1 October 2017 at 7:56AM

According to Clare Balding on R2, it is 'Grandparent's Day' today. So Happy Grandparent Day Cumbria Lass. I hope you both have fun together

Greying X

Cheery_Daff · 1 October 2017 at 8:37AM

Morning :hello:

You're right, the supermarket is (fortunately for us) in Cheery City rather than the small seaside town we went to for our day trip

This is the stuff:

https://omnivorescookbook.com/pantry/deep-fried-tofu

The Chinese version I think - tastes just like what we get from the Chinese takeaway. I like the idea of it being called 'tofu bubbles'

It's pretty cheap and extremely light so if you ever did feel comfortable giving away your address to a weirdo off the internet, I'd be quite happy to send you some to experiment with

(and you'd be more than welcome to visit but I couldn't promise interesting teas - mostly I just eat toast and branflakes :rotfl: )

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The Simple Bare Necessities feat. Gratitude & Recipes

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