All stocked up again

Hiya campers. It was a good haul at Tesco last night even though there was a bit of argybargy going on around Carol, the fruit and veg lady who was marking down. I had to say something out loud to the effect of, sharing it and there's enough for everybody, when it was obvious that the same two greedy grabbing people were piling it into their trolley. I shamed someone into passing me some mushrooms when I exclaimed, I only want one packet. I think in future I will go on a Tuesday, because that seems the quieter night. Thursday is popular, probably because it is coming up to the weekend. Anyway I stood my ground and got what I wanted. 

Someone gets very excited when I bring my bags into the kitchen. Anything for me in there? Yes, there's cooked chicken and beef slices, reduced from the Deli counter. 

Bread has gone into the freezer, �1.14 for these, plus I had a treat of five ring donuts for 6p. 

A good selection of salad, fruit and veg. Celery, grapes, bananas, prepared fruit, salad bowls, snacking dips, fine beans, jacket potatoes, mushrooms, broccoli, baby kale, mangetout peas, and celeriac.�3.24 for all these.

I did buy some things without a yellow sticker, but I choose my items wisely. 6 small flavoured yogurts �1, Fresh milk 49p. Pet food 49p. Soft cheese 60p. Olive spread �1.50. Carton juice 65p. Plain yogurt 45p. Leerdammer cheese �1. Eggs �1. 2 tins baked beans 24p each. 4 tins rice pudding 15p each. 2 cream crackers 27p each. Quiche �1. Bran flakes 88p. 2 bags dry cat food �1 each. Total shop was �24.45. 

No fancy puddings in pots for me. No expensive juice. No brand name tins or packets. Only buy pet food on offer. 

I did treat myself to this cheese grater, (�3), I have been looking for one of these in all the discount stores but never found one. I had one of those box type efforts with multiple graters on each side. It was such a pain washing it. and I only ever used the one side, so I cut it down with a pair of secateurs. I have managed with that for a while, but the edges are a bit sharp and it was hard to keep hold of it while I grated. Now I have this supadupa version and the old one has gone in the metal recycling box. 

I was ages doing my shopping, chatting to the assistants, they are a friendly bunch. It has been announced in the news that Tesco are going to close 40+ not profitable stores. I think ours will be safe, it's in a prominent position, close to the motorway and football ground, and they have just opened an M & S nearby. I read that the new Imingham store will not now open, sad because they could do with the jobs in that area. As I was browsing last night, I did notice some lower than normal prices, so I think they are taking note of  trends and matching Aldi and Lidl. The quiche I bought is normally �1.19 in Aldi, Tesco have theirs at �1. All this is good news for the shopper.

There is a table at the front of the store full of donated books, put a few coins in the charity box if you want one. I glanced over them, didn't have time to rummage. This huge Readers Digest book caught my eye, well you couldn't miss it could you. Looks in good condition.

As well as the maps there are pages of interesting places to visit. Worth a couple of quid I thought.

The filling station was just about to close down for the night and I wanted some petrol. It is a 24 hour service but you have to put your card into the machine to get a fill up outside of opening hours. I have never done that before, so I asked the nice young man about to lock the door if he could talk me through it. Yep, it worked fine, so I might be getting my petrol that way in the future. Although I don't like the self service check outs in the store, it is a bit annoying when the pumps are busy, there is a queue to get in, and another queue in the shop to pay.

The weekend is upon us, doesn't time fly. I hope you have a good one. Catch you soon.
Toodle pip.

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Aaaah, there she is.

Hello, nice to see you. No snow here yet, guess we are lucky going by the pictures of disruptions in the transport systems caused by an arctic blast sweeping over the country. It has yet to reach the east coast. We've had a dry day, but it's raining now, I am snug back in my own house tonight. 

Has anyone got cats that love to play hide and seek? Mine seem to find hidey holes all over the place and sometimes it takes me ages to find them. When it starts to get dark I like them in. They are in the habit of popping in and out all day, but at about 5pm I start looking for them. If after several attempts to find them, walking around the garden with a torch calling their name and still no sign, I make another inspection of every nook and cranny in the house, just in case I missed them first time around. Can you see a cat here? No, I didn't at first, but looking closely there seems to be a bulge underneath the cover on the settee. 

Ha ha, she's made a little tent. Mayze you are supposed to lie on top of it, not burrow underneath it.

Henry choc lab is with the other sitter tonight, when I left the house I went to make a check on my friends rental house on the way home. All was ok, I picked the mail up, and made sure everything was secure. The new tenants move in next month, luckily the previous tenants have left it in good order. They have papered some of the walls, not my choice of design but the new people are ok with it.

While I was passing I thought it would be a good idea to check out the three shops for any reductions. I haven't much food left apart from frozen and a few tins, and I can't be bothered to do a full shop. I was lucky to find enough to keep me going until after the new year. Half price mince pies from the Co op, at 50p. I'm not that keen on them to be honest, wouldn't buy them unless they are reduced.

Also from the Co op, reduced diced chicken and cooked sliced chicken for the cats. Brussel sprouts reduced to 29p at Tesco, and I also bought cauliflower and broccoli, not reduced but at 49p a good price. The Spar shop had six eggs for 50p, have to eat them in the next few days. Also a pack of 8 scones 50p, milk 30p, and sliced ham 50p.

Well that's it for another year. Christmas has been and gone. I get more excited about the start of a new year. A brand spanking fresh new year. Love the idea of leaving the old one behind, and making plans for the new one. There will be no New Year Resolutions, just oodles of optimism that things are going to turn out fandabidozi brilliant. No if's, but's or maybe's, it will be chuffin brilliant.
Catch you tomorrow. Have a nice weekend. Toodle pip.

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Not cooking

Hello and good evening. It's cold and blustery outside, but me and the pets are cosy. I have got my many layers on, and I'm treating us to a bit of heat, one bar on the gas fire is on. I made an adjustment to my clothing to enable me to take this photo. Remove dressing gown, a sweatshirt, and a fleece, and put on my nice new to me Christmas jumper, or sweater if you so prefer. It's black and white, size 12, and a perfect fit. I went round to my friends house this morning for coffee, she saw me in the street a week ago and said you must come round for a catch up. Today I had a spare hour. As I got up to leave, she left the room and came back with this, said she had only worn it twice and didn't like it, and I could have it if it fits. Yep, just my size, perfect. I'm so pleased, it's lovely. Nice friend I've got.

I was half way through my dinner tonight when I photographed it. Another no cooking day. Spinach, cous cous salad, beetroot of course, a quarter of a quiche, and grated cheese. Lunch was the soup warmed in the microwave. I think I can afford a bit of heat if I am not using the cooker very much.

I had an idea the other day, when I boiled the eggs. Why not used the hot water to wash the pots. It came to me in a flash, don't pour it away, put the dirty pots in the bowl with some cold water, top up with hot, and a splash of soap. Probably only saved a couple of pennies, but it all helps. I don't wash up very often, mostly I rinse with a brush under a dribbling cold water tap. Don't fry food so there is hardly any grease on the plates. I used to pile them up and do a load in one go, not any more. Now everything gets rinsed as soon as it is finished with. At this rate a bottle of wash up liquid will last me about a year. 

Time to switch the gas fire off now, we've had our rations. Might have an early night. Cheerio, catch you tomorrow. 

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Starting an art project

Hello. Can you guess what this is. It's an A4 plastic pocket, with an outline of a landscape picture of Sugar Loaf mountain, it's on the front cover of Country Walking magazine. I wanted to draw it on a sheet of greaseproof paper, but I couldn't see enough detail, so I copied it onto the plastic with a marker pen, then onto the greaseproof paper in pencil. The original picture is here. 

Then I transferred it to a piece of A4 paper, and marked out a grid of two inch squares.

I wanted it twice as big so I stuck two pieces of A3 paper together, and marked out a grid of four inch squares, and copied it across.

Now I need to transfer the design onto a piece of fabric, so I used a much bigger piece of greaseproof paper for that. I penciled it in on both sides so it would be the right way round. 

My piece of fabric is an offcut from the Scrapstore. It's a brown hessian, the type they use on the underside of three piece suits when they make them in the factory. It's got to be pretty tough because of all the stitching it's got to take.

So, my idea is to make lots of these cords and couch them onto the fabric to create the picture. Making the cords is simple, cut lengths of fabric about one inch wide, start twisting at one end and trap it under the foot of the machine. Then sew the length in zigzag stitch, twisting as you go. I don't know if this is going to work, but I fancy trying it. It could be a complete disaster, or it could be really exciting. I've got an itching to give it a go, if I don't try I'll never know. I'm going to use the original picture as a colour guide, it won't be exactly the same, but my interpretation of it.

Lunch today was another salad. Only had half the tub of potato salad this time, with two boiled eggs, and spinach, radishes, spring onions, and lots of beetroot. 

Tonight I made a big pan of lumpy soup with two packs of chopped onions, sprouts, potatoes, carrots, and spinach. It's loverly. Some for lunch tomorrow and some for the freezer.

Tomorrow I'm going to see Elvis, there may be several of him, at the Arts Centre. Should be fun. Over the next three weeks I'm going to be doing some house and dog sitting. My friend has gone on holiday and I shall be staying at hers. Not the whole time, but sharing it with another sitter. I will be posting on here, just the same. I will be commuting back and forth as it's only three miles away. Central heating and a big tele to watch will be a bonus. Hope I don't get too soft. :o)

Catch you tomorrow.

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Need some stuffing

Hello. Thank you all for your responses yesterday, it made for some interesting reading. I see there are some new people visiting, forgive me for not welcoming you earlier. I do take note of what is happening on my sidebar, honestly. I'll go and have a look at your blogs as soon as I've finished this. 

I have made a couple of cushion covers out of men's shirts, started at college, finished at home, but I don't have any cushions for them. The easy way would be to go to a cheapo shop and spend a couple of quid and buy them, but you know me, have I got anything in the house that would do the job? Yep, surely have. A garden recliner that I just don't recline on any more. The frame is metal with some elasticated panels, and is not comfy at all. Must be some stuffing inside the cushions. Let's have a look. The fabric is faded anyway, so it looks a bit dull.

Aha, lots of foam crumbs. Just the jobby, now I need to get a big bag and empty it all out.

Turn my back for a minute and a cat takes up residence. Ha ha.

Once it was emptied I discovered that the inside is still quite colourful. I shall remove the plain backing and this will come in useful for another project. 

Remember this cover, the photo's I took previously turned out a strange colour. Yes, it is blue, now with a cushion inside. Barry gave it to me as a shirt, now he has it back as a cushion.  

I bought a shirt from the Age UK shop for �1, to make the second cover. This one didn't have pockets which makes the job a lot easier. I suppose you could leave the pockets in place, but they would be on the back of the cushion, and as you have to cut the shirt across the width just under the armpits the pockets would get in the way. If you are going to do this choose a shirt without pockets. Doesn't matter if it has short sleeves or long sleeves. 

I'm not sure that sewing a lot of buttons on a cushion cover is a good idea, it might be a bit uncomfortable against your back. I think this one is more for decoration purposes, it's pretty but not very practical. 

You know me and rooting in bins, ha ha. There is a big one in the sewing room at college. Look what I found. One of the students is making a fancy dress costume. This will come in useful.

They have been making pompoms, I'll have the offcuts, thank you very much.

This week the teacher showed me how to make a corsage out of teeshirts. There was only me who wanted to know, everyone else was doing their own thing. Two ways, you can cut circles in different colours and different sizes, and layer them with a button holding it together. Or cut long strips, fold in half lengthways and cut into the open edge all along the length, then roll it up like a catherine wheel in a box of licorice allsorts.

Sew a pin on the back, if you want to fasten it onto your clothes.

What did I have for lunch yesterday? Salad, ha ha. A big plateful. I ate the whole tub of  lentil and bean salad. They put it in a big plastic container to make you think you are getting a lot, but the container is narrow at the bottom and wide at the top, and it is only half full. The cost of it is �2.15. Even if I split it in half over two meals, it would still take the cost of the meal over my limit of �1. Glad I only paid 1p for it. 

For dinner yesterday I made a pan full of veg curry stew with the chopped onions, potatoes, and carrots. I ate one portion last night, froze two portions, and had the last portion for lunch today. Tonight I have had another salad, instead of lettuce I had the spinach, and in the middle I had potato salad. Boy was it lovely. My pee is now red with all the beetroot.

It's very cold and windy here. I am treating us to a bit of heat. Bugsy gets a hot water bottle underneath the duvet, he is camped out on the bed. I am working on an idea for another picture. I fancy making some cording, where you cut long lengths of fabric, twist it, and machine over it with a zigzag stitch to hold it together. Then sew it onto a canvas. Never tried it before, should be interesting.

Must go, I've got a cat still out, need to go and look for her.
Toodle pip.

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Fruit and nut case

Good evening. Another wet day, but not to worry, plenty to do indoors. I must say, it's a pleasure spending time in my living room now with it's much improved layout. I can shuffle backwards and forwards from sewing machine to computer on my wheelie chair. It's got a feeling of much more space, I am not cramped up on one table. More sewing today, no pics of that because there is nothing finished yet. 

Let's talk about healthy food. I bought a lot of fruit on yellow stickers and the easiest and quickest way to eat it is to make smoothies. Yesterday was banana, melon, and grapes, with added yogurt, also yellow sticker at 39p.

Today was mango, apple, and nectarine, plus added yogurt again. There was also a little pot of red berry juice in the pack. 

It was gorgeous. Now what do you do when it sticks to the blender? Lick it off of course.

Someone asked about the exotic fruit. �1 per pack of three, yellow sticker price, 10p. Here it is, the first one is cut open. It's the size of a satsuma with a smooth orange skin.

No idea how to eat it, so I scooped it out with a teaspoon. No pips in it. Tasted very sweet and not particularly fruity. There is nothing to say on the packet what it is.

I ran out of my favourite peanut butter a few weeks ago and can't bring myself to pay the silly prices for an upgrade. My idea is to make some in the food processor. Here we go, one bag of KP nuts, 360 grm, bought from the cash and carry for �1. Nothing else added.

After a couple of minutes it looks the right texture.

I transferred it into a margarine tub and put it in the fridge. Taste wise it would have been a whole lot better if I had washed the salt off first. Oooops, I forgot. Never mind, it will get eaten, and now I know it works I will be making more, with plain unsalted peanuts, or washed salted ones.

Tonights dinner was experimental. As I had messed up the mixer I thought I might as well use it again. A few peanuts are fine in this made up recipe. A can of chick peas, drained and rinsed. One medium size onion, a few radishes and a few button mushrooms, the last limp spring onions, and some chopped walnuts. I added pepper, garlic powder, and turmeric. Chop and mix it up, leaving it a bit coarse. Then add two eggs to bind it. It seemed a bit too wet so I added two spoons of porridge oats. 

Make some scone size patties with it and grill on a low gas for 20 minutes turning them over once.

I had seven for dinner with wholegrain mustard, iceberg lettuce and lentil sprout mix. It was smashing, very filling, and best of all, I know exactly what went in them. Enough mix left for tomorrow. I have noticed that vegetarian food in the freezer and chiller cabinet has gone up in price, so I will be buying less of it and making my own more often.

That's all for tonight folks. Thank you for popping in.
Toodle pip

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Soup of the day

Hello. I've never really liked tinned soup. Occasionally I've had tomato or mushroom, as a quick snack, but not been overly keen on it. There are so many different kinds now, but somehow I can't bring myself to try any. There are too many ingredients listed on the label, it puts me off buying it. I imagine huge vats of gunge bubbling away in the factory, yuk, I don't fancy that at all. 

I've checked out the price of tinned soup, Baxters is �1.15 and �1.49. Campbells is �1. Heinz is 74p and 89p. Tesco is 49p and 89p. Tesco Value is 25p. 

So this week I'm having a home made soup extravaganza. A different one every day. There won't be any spending on ingredients, it will be all about using what I already have. I am sure you could make soup out of almost anything, all you need is a stick blender, and a bit of imagination.

Today's soup is potato and runner bean, home grown from the garden. Into the steamer goes two potatoes, and a portion of frozen beans. Steam for seven minutes, then transfer it to a smaller non stick pan, with the water. 

Next I added a shake of pepper, a shake of garlic powder, and a level teaspoon of whole grain mustard. Zap it all together, and return to the heat for a couple of minutes. Served with a slice of wholemeal bread. Very comforting on a blustery day, and tasty too, at very little cost. Please excuse poor photo's, flash needed now we don't have many daylight hours. The soup was a pale green colour, eaten straight out of the pan I may add, to save on washing up. More soup tomorrow.

Heidi has found a new favourite place, on top of the fridge freezer. She can view the whole kitchen from this vantage point, and can be ready to receive any tasty morsel that might be offered. I've brought the money plants inside now, I have three of these, still haven't found a place for the other two.

Mayze has decided she quite likes to sleep in my box of crafting bits and bobs, now I have stolen all the fabric that was lying around on the table. The cats were inside by 5.30pm tonight, I try and get them in as soon as it gets dark.

While I think of it, Beverley, please go back to your comment yesterday, someone has asked about your recipe for apple sauce. Feel free to explain what it is in another comment.

I'm a bit busy this week, things to do. Going to help Helen tidy the garden at one of her rental houses. Apparently the previous tenants have moved and left the house and garden in a terrible state. Lots of work to do. Also helping a friend with a couple of dog walks, and trying to get the picture finished. I like being busy.

Feel free to add your favourite soup recipes, let's make it a souper dooper soup week.
Toodle pip.

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How do you like your pasta, hot or cold?

Hello, I like those small pots of pasta salad. There is one with spinach and pinenuts in, love that one, but at �2.15 it's too expensive. The pot is 215 grms, so it's not very big, if I ate one in one go, that's an expensive meal. I am not paying that price, the only time I buy it is if it's on a yellow sticker, and that's not very often. 

Another one I like is cheese and spring onion pasta, �1.35 for 220 grms, not quite so expensive, but when you think of how much a packet of pasta is, it's still too much. 

Today I thought I would make up my own pasta salad. My pasta cost 37p a bag, I only buy wholemeal by the way, and I cooked half of it. When it had cooled down I added grated cheese and grated carrot. Also chopped raw mushrooms and chopped pickled onions. I stirred it all together with four teaspoons of mayo. It is very nice. and a fraction of the cost of the small pots. I have a massive bowl full, this is a pyrex dish, which will last me 3 or 4 days, kept in the fridge. I shall be making this again, as there are lots of variations I could do.  

It's been a terrible day for weather, I've been sewing for most of the time, not much to report. My dinner was a plate full of steamed vegetables, and just for a change I made some cheese sauce. We'll see what tomorrow brings.
Toodle pip.

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Cheap as cheese

It's a glorious day in North Lincolnshire, I woke at 6am and rolled over for another hour's kip. After coffee and bran flakes with a banana, I went off to the car boot sale at the football ground. Not looking for anything in particular, just to see if I could snaffle a bargain. And I did. You know I have a boot fetish, in fact I was just thinking the other night, at the party, that I was probably the only female wearing boots. No I didn't have great big hob nail boots on, I had a pair of black, dainty, soft bootees on. They fit like a pair of gloves and are so comfy. 

Anyway, what did I buy at the car boot sale? I found a smashing pair of boots for just �5. Look, don't you think they are the bees knees, ha ha. Hardly worn, size 6, fitted me so well that I kept them on and brought my old tatty pair home in a bag. The old ones are not finished with yet, they have been relegated to gardening boots. 

Heidi getting in on the act. This brings my boot count up to eight, plus a pair of boot style trainers. Boots for all occasions, I love them. all bought from car boot sales or charity shops, except for those I walk long distances in. They have to be as perfect fit as I can get, if they are to stay on my feet for 12 + hours a day.

I spotted these judo belts on the Rabbit Rescue pitch, 50p for both. They will be useful for something, maybe handles for bags.

I have had it in mind to get a strimmer for ages, to make tidying the edges of the garden a bit easier. I get a bit fed up of getting down on my hands and knees with a pair of shears, or pulling weeds up with my hands. The whole job takes ages. The bank balance is healthy so I think I can afford to buy a gadget to make my life a bit easier. I went across the road to B & Q while I was in that vicinity. My friend Polly works on the checkouts there, at the weekends. I studied the range of strimmers on offer, nothing too technical, nothing too cheap, a mid range would suit me. There was an older male assistant wearing the standard orange apron, to help me out. I love the way they employ oldies on the shop floor on a part time basis. B & Q  recognise that a person is not past it just because they have hit retirement age. In fact they often prove to be more helpful, simply because they have the skills required and the knowledge they need for the products they are selling. Anyway, got my Bosch strimmer, so weeds beware, you're gonna get slashed. Must be careful though, I have froggies in the garden.

Here is my light lunch today. Salad - carrot, pickled onions, two kinds of tomatoes, cucumber, and a few salad leaves from the box. Need to let them recover for a few days before I pick again. Three kinds of cheese and three crackers, with dollops of tartar sauce. It's all gone, scoffed the lot. Well not all the cheese, that has gone back in the fridge.  

I took some pictures yesterday of these gorgeous flowers, I have seen them dotted about in various gardens. Aren't they wonderful. 

Right, lunch eaten, I'm off out into the sunshine, to play with my new toy. Weeds beware. I hope your Sunday is full of sunshine and fun. Toodle pip.

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