Psssst, want to know a secret ;o))

'Ello 'ello 'ello, what's all this 'ere then? Food, that's what. A quick rundown of my meals over the last few days. I don't count calories, or add up points, or weigh portions, luckily I like the healthy stuff. I do have a bit of naughty stuff, but I limit myself. Naughty food is for now and again, not every day. 

Regular food for me is porridge, bran flakes, fruit juices, veg, salad, fruit, pulses, nuts, pasta, rice, cous cous, noodles, some dairy, cheese and yogurt. 

I bought a pack of fresh tagliatelle for around �1, I split this into three meals. Garlic mushrooms with grated cheese, love this. 

Salad - grated carrot, iceberg lettuce, spinach, grated cheese, and chopped celery.

A tasty stew made with carrots, celeriac, runner beans, and a tin of tomatoes. Just eaten a bowl of this with a chunk of wholemeal bread, one large pan makes four portions. Mostly I eat it over two or three days, sometimes I freeze it in margarine tubs.

Lunch today was a happy salad. same as above, with boiled eggs.  

Twas a nice day to take a walk in the park, a bit chilly but ok if you are wrapped up. As I walk around our village I see a lot of people just out for a walk. Some of them walk the mile to the park, then around it, and back again. I drive there, because Rocky can't walk that far. He loves it snuffling away in the grass, then his head comes up and he has a dead leaf stuck to his whiskers, it makes me laugh. Sometimes he spots a squirrel and makes a half hearted attempt to catch it, then stands at the bottom of a tree looking up, watching the squirrel make his escape. 

The ducks all came across the pond to see us, hoping for some food. I always feel guilty not having anything for them. There is a notice up saying only feed them with grain bought from the shop, I haven't seen anyone throw bread in for them. 

Here's an idea of what to do with an old suitcase. Two pets, both want a bed near the fire. I had an old wooden drawer here but it was a bit cumbersome, took up too much space. This is a much better arrangement. The favourite is the side where Mayze is, so if Rocky is first in he takes it. They swap about and will lie in either side. Good idea I thought.  

And now for a surprise, I like surprises, don't you. I was asked what I do with the bags I make, answer, I give them away. Up to 9pm tonight, 417 people viewed yesterdays post, and 17 people commented. I have had a draw and four people have each won a bag. So, please send me your postal address and I will send you one. You can send it in a comment, which I won't publish, or you can email me, address on the side.

Primroses Attic
Aussie Cheryl
Destemona
Quin 

I like doing secret giveaways. A lot more fun than loads of people trying to win something.
Toodle pip

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We have a winner

Hiya peeps, The broadband is acting up tonight, everything is running soooper
s-l-o-w. I've been busy sorting stuff out for tomorrow, the car is packed to the roof with stuff, we've got far too much chuffin STUFF. I've only booked a 6 foot pitch and that was �21, no reduction for charities. It's an early start so I've made my sandwiches, boiled two eggs, and made a diluted fruit juice drink tonight. I am not looking forward to unloading that car, where are we going to put all that STUFF. I hope we sell it all, don't want to bring any STUFF back.

Whilst sorting stuff out I decided we had no room in the car for an office chair, it was recovered from the house clearance skip if you remember. I don't want it here cluttering the place up so I put it outside on the pavement with a note on it, Free to good home. When I looked half an hour later it had gone. Glad someone can make use of it. I can't be bothered to do Freegle, would rather pass large things on locally. I've seen a few people put 'free to take' things at the front of their house.

Anyway, it's just a quickie tonight. I have a winner for the wonky bag. There were 30 names, I wrote them down on a big piece of paper then cut them up into small pieces. Turned them over, shuffled them up, and picked one out. Sorry to those who weren't lucky, the winner is.......

foreveryoung  

Please send me your postal address, either in an email, or in a comment, which I obviously won't publish. Well done. 

Thanks for popping in, I'm off to bed now. Goodnight

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Wonky bag.

Hello. It was enrolment day today at the college where you can go along and discuss which courses you are interested in. I have marked a couple in the brochure and wanted to speak to someone to get more information. 

There is a sewing club for six weeks, and I asked what kind of sewing is it, is there a teacher, and what do you make. The very helpful lady said it's a lot of fun, last term everyone made a skirt. Well that didn't float my boat, I very rarely wear a skirt. I told her I get most of my clothes from charity shops and car boot sales, so it seems hardly worth the bother and expense to make my own. She asked me what kind of sewing I am interested in, I said mainly recycling textiles. She took my details and said she would speak to the tutor, and maybe come up with some ideas that I would be interested in. 

There is another course I want to join so I filled a form out for that. Up-cycled textiles sounds more like me, that one starts in November for six weeks. For �40 the price is quite good, and will get me out meeting people when the weather turns a bit colder. It will save on my heating bill, ha ha. 

While I was in town I paid my credit card bill into the bank. It's very low this month, hardly spent anything. A look in the Age Uk charity shop as well. I have wanted a lightweight smart jacket to wear when it isn't cold enough for a thick winter jacket, and not warm enough to go without a jacket. This one will fit the bill. I like the big pockets, it's nice and long and covers my bum, (hate short jackets), and it's like new.   

And it's only �1. I felt a bit guilty for handing over just �1, so I put some change in the charity box. When I have a sort out at home I always bring my unwanted items in here, it's the best charity shop in town.

I was a bit limited for time, so I did a quick dash round Aldi to pick up a few essentials. I haven't needed to go to Tesco this week, so a top up shop will do. Broccoli, carrots, cucumber, 39p each. Bananas 68p, I always count the bananas because they can range from 6 huge fruits to 9 small fruits. I couldn't find 9 today so had to make do with 8. The funny thing is you can buy a bag of fun size bananas which don't have any more in, but they are 99p.

Remember the curtains I got for �1, I got them for my friend but they don't fit his window. I am turning them into shopping bags. This is one I have just knocked up. It is a bit different because I have put a lining in it, just to see if it works. Yes it makes a good strong bag, and probably waterproof, but it is a bit wonky, one side is a fraction bigger than the other side. However, if anyone would like my wonky bag please leave a comment, and I will pick a name out of a hat, or a bucket, or any other receptacle I have handy. I will post it out to anywhere in the world. Closing date Sunday 24th 6pm BST.

It is very strong, will carry a load of spuds, or library books, and is an ilona original, albeit a bit wonky. .

Enjoy the Bank Holiday weekend. Toodle pip

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Fit for human consumption + 2 winners

Good evening from a wet and misty North Lincolnshire. The weather has been pretty dull all day, with heavy downpours on and off. Hope it picks up in time for my long walk. I've had a rethink on the start date and put it back a couple of days. There's a bank holiday next weekend and if the weather is good it will bring crowds of day trippers and long weekenders out across the Pennines, possibly making it difficult for me to find a bed. I'd rather hit those places midweek giving me a better chance. Should work out ok. 

Now these leaves don't look very tasty, a nice snack for a rabbit maybe. I've been saving them up, left over bits from a cauliflower, and the heart of a cabbage a week past it's sell by date. Should be enough to make a couple of bowls of soup.  

All the best bits chopped up in a pan. I did take the manky leaves to a neighbours two white rabbits, they were chuffed, ha ha. These were boiled up and some beansprouts and spices added. Curry powder, turmeric, wholegrain mustard, and garlic powder.

Then I zapped it with the stick blender, and just before serving I added two spoons of plain yogurt. A nice spicy soup with a slice of wholemeal bread, it went down a treat, and enough left for tomorrow.

Right, here is the moment you have all been waiting for. The winners of the two home made ilona bags

Tricia
and
Maggie

Please send a comment including your name and postal address (which I won't publish), and I will get the bags off to you pronto. So sorry I don't have enough bags for everyone, it would be lovely if I could afford to send more. Thank you all for taking the time to read my blog and comment, I appreciate it. 

Now it's the weekend again. If it isn't raining in the morning I will do the Parkrun. Anyone else doing it? Whatever you are doing I hope it is a good weekend for you.

Toodle pip. 

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ilona original designer bag

After Sue sent me a picture of herself with her 'ilona' bag, from Scotland, I put a call out for any more photo's of the bags I have sent out. I had an email. Thank you to the lovely Shabana for modelling an original 'ilona' bag. As you can see she is on holiday by the seaside. She says the bag is coming in very handy, carrying all her stuff around, including her flask of coffee, and is coping with the rain very well.  

Shabana takes her favourite designer bag into the Pier Pavilion at Southport, to sit down and drink her coffee and enjoy the gorgeous view. Next week she will be back at school when the 'ilona' bag is used for carrying her books backwards and forwards. I'm glad you are finding it useful.

I will make a new page for the bags, so if anyone else wants to send a photo, with a short description of where in the world they are, I will add it to the page. In the meantime I have two more bags to send out. They have over the shoulder handles like the one Shabana is carrying. If you want one drop me a comment here, and I will draw two names out. Will post anywhere in the world. Closing at 6pm UK time on Friday. Good luck.
Toodle pip.

Oooops, almost forgot. Two of our kitty's have been rehomed this week. They have been in the pens for a few months, so it's great that they have at last gone to a new forever home. We wanted them to go together, and they weren't that young so they were being overlooked. But a kind family came along and fell in love with them. We are so pleased that it's a happy ending.

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