The Simple Bare Necessities feat. Gratitude & Recipes

Good Morning :hello:


End of the week. Wot we bin up to? Erm :think:


I've been making progress with one of my Christmas craft projects, which is using up stash materials and absorbing my brain cell. Thank goodness for the internet - as I've my tools and materials in hand, with several internet pages open at a time as to how to actually do the techniques :rotfl: But it's working, and I'm getting there.... if you like artisanal, homespun............ and wonky........ :rotfl:


I made a bake based on my chickpea and mushroom banger (sausage) recipe for tea last night. It didn't really work - but did use up a carton of silken tofu that has been in the fridge for an age, so..... I also used a carton of YS'd mushies from m&$ - only reduced to 75p from £1 and some chickpeas out of the freezer. It didn't taste of alot, although did seem to taste better when cooled, but there are 2 slices left for another day, so we'll eat them up - waste not, want not.


Our Hb has started stocking cans of mixed beans in their bElla r1cetta range. Cannellini, aduki and haricot. Quite good for 29p I think. I've invested in several tins - you had to pick through, some had obviously been footballs in a previous existence - as they can be a good standby for curries, stews and I can have a go at jack monroe's mixed bean goulash and remain thrifty (in the intention of her recipe).


The grocery budget will just about last out the month, but we've not bought owt special or fantabulous, just pootling along is expensive enough


We're meeting a chum for coffee today, which I'm really looking forward to. I must insist on paying though, as they annoyingly always pick up the tab, and say, 'you get it next time'. And then promptly pay the next time too! :rotfl: They have been adventurising and will have some tales to tell, so I'm greatly looking forward to a catch up If Baby Greying will permit.



I've stashed away some cart de horse ice-cream that I got from h3r0n for chrimbobs. They were selling organic vanilla, chocolate or coffee icecream tubs 250g at 2 for £1.50. I've not tried the vanilla, but the chocolate is lush, and the coffee vile - who thought putting coffee grinds in ice-cream was a good idea? So I've stashed the vanilla and chocolate for us to enjoy. There's no point in getting xmas pud, it's too much hassle to cook and we don't enjoy it that much. i also got some strawberry icecream from heron for 75p for a large tub. It's gorgeous, with real strawberries in it, but they sold out pdq Unfortunately, since getting taken over, h3r0n seem to be winding down their frozen food offering, and stocking more non food tat But there you go, there are occasional bargains to be had still.


Pizza and wedges for tea tonight. I bought some washed tatties from HB, 69p for 2kg. Although they aren't as tasty as wiljas, they (pricewise) are giving our local tattie producers a run for their money pricewise - as they seem to want nearer 72p for 2kg for unwashed tatties.....................


Right, best go and rescue DH


Ta for popping in.



Greying X

rtandon - 2 years debt-free - WHOOO HOOO - Happy Anniversary!!!


:T:T:T:j:j:j


Greying X

Good Morning :hello:


Well, we didn't have too early a start - thankfully BG either wasn't affected by the time change, or kept themselves very quietly amused. I was awake by the time they started singing to greet the day


Catch up with chum went well on Friday. It was great to see them - BG had fun in their company, and we had a really nice time. I was allowed to buy the coffee - but they didn't want cake, so it was a cheap date! I'll make sure I pay next time too - hopefully they'll pick something to eat as well!


Tea on Friday was pizza and wedges. Tea last night was bean curry - made with cooked chickpeas from the freezer and 1 tin of the mixed beans from HB with lentil dhal and rice (cooked weevily stuff from the freezer).



We're gathering a load of stuff to go to the chazzer. Mostly BG's stuff - their babyhood is exiting the house But looking on the brightside, space is being freed up and there is less stuff for mould to gather on...... And it'll raise some pennies for charity And mumma is left wondering where the time dun gone........................


I did a silly little quiz online yesterday - that guessed your age from your food choices. It was american in origin, so some of the choices were things that we don't have (universally) in the UK, so some of my answers weren't true. But the computer has determined me as 70.............. :rotfl: Don't you love it when people think you're more youthful than you [STRIKE]are[/STRIKE] feel................ :rotfl:;)


I'm trying to 'pace' christmas expenditure, makes and activities. For possibly the first time in my life, I've Christmas quite a few activities to 'do' and attend, planned. I'm looking forward to it, as it's more about the 'spirit' of chrimbobs, rather than rampant consumerism. Although I've no doubt that will start to creep in. But at the moment, I'm just delighting in the anticipation of the simple things. DH was so right to highlight Advent as something that he regards as 'special' and wants to pass on to BG - OK, so it was specifically advent calendars and [STRIKE]possibly [/STRIKE]probably chocolate that was at the forefront of DH's thinking, but I'm running with it, and making advent special - with chocolate incorporated


Right, daylight - and, indeed, sunlight is burning, so best get a tail-feather shifting.


Ta for popping in. Appreciated.


Greying X

Good afternoon :hello:


How are you? Well I hope.


We're batting along nicely here. Halloween came and went... over our heads - thankfully. Baby Greying is still oblivious, I don't care for the 'americanization' of a celebration that I never rated anyway, and DH claims to like it - but did zilch towards; getting BG a costume, getting the house decorated, buying a stack of sweets, taking BG schlepping round other folks houses, begging for sweeties from strangers. So it passed us by....... I must say though, the local parents are incredibly organised and we didn't get knocks at the door - people who were obviously participating got visited - and I think that is important, so bravo to local parents and children for being responsible T or Ter's :T


You couldn't walk down the avenue today for all the discarded 'yeuck' sweets and smashed pumpkins, but that's a different matter I suppose.



Anyway, allmark ollidaze has lurched onto Chrimbobs today - it's official, as I went into HB and halloween had been relegated to the back of the shop in a teeny tiny corner section - and 'hello christmas' had appeared over 3 aisles................... :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:


Although it makes you wonder about budgetting, planning and pacing expenditure for the 'big day' as I got an extremely sneery, 'you do know it's only the first of November' today when I purchased my Christmas stamps in the post office. They were released today, and a) I budget for the post expenditure in November, as I can't afford it in December, b) I was over that neck of Greying Town to purchase items from mrA and c) since when do retailers deride customers for..... purchasing... stuff! And the Post Office wonders why people don't use their branches anymore........... Our Christmas cards will be full of good cheer and best wishes to the recipients, even if the stamp seller did do a good impression of a grinch.................


I purchase some more items for the FB today. I noticed that our mrA had the small Pr1nces brand, tins of corned beef in. 130g for £1.05. Now I fully realise that gram for gram, this is a dearer way of buying cb compared to the 340g 'pyramid' tins, but I figured that if you were on your own, or had limited refridgerated storage, sometimes a small tin is the way to go. Anyway, I set aside my mse 'best value for money' thinking for just a little while and purchased a couple of tins for our donation. But I have already spent £7 and have, actually, very little to show for it



Meals have been 'use ups' and mash ups. I did get some YS'd chestnut mushrooms from mrW - 59p for 250g. I used one punnet last night and will use the other tonight. It was 'sausage' casserole last night and will be some sort of biryani-type dish tonight, I think.


My crafting has been absorbing all my free-time and brain cells, so I've not been wasting a penny down the roller-disco, blowing BG's inheritance I have bought a couple of bits for it - so my goal of making something from my stash and contributions from chums only, has hit the buffers a bit, but a) the item is better for the bought bits, and b) the items are being used/will come in. The stash is being busted too, so I think, all in all, it is working


Right, BG has awoken from their nap, and is huddled on my knee, still a bit sleepy, so I had better vamoose. Ta for popping by, appreciated.


Greying X