Budget eating for one

Hello. It's a bit of a mixed bag tonight I'm afraid. There comes a time when I have all sorts going through my head, so I just pick out a few random bits and pieces. People say things, I read things, and I think, oh must write something about that. So, in no particular order.......

Jayne asked for a recipe for garlic mushrooms. My easy way of making them. Mushrooms cut up if big, but small ones can be left whole. Cooked in a small pan in a splash of oil or a blob of butter/marg or both. If a bit dry add a splash of lemon juice, I have a bottle in my fridge. Or you can add a drop of water, or any old juice you happen to have around. I like them quite garlicky so I add a flat teaspoon of garlic powder, or you can use garlic paste. If you don't like a strong garlic taste you can reduce the amount or leave it out. Stir it in while the pan is still on the heat. Then I add some garlic flavour soft cheese spread. two teaspoons should do it. This costs about 45p -55p depending where you buy it. I always have some of this in the fridge because I like it on cream crackers.

Take it off the heat, stir it in, if there isn't enough sauce add a spoonful of plain yogurt. If you want it rich and creamy add a bit of grated cheese. Easypeasy.

Helen asked how many meals do I have a day, and what are they composed of. Thank you Helen for that question. I have three meals, breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Breakfast is either porridge or bran flakes. Sometimes with a banana and/or sultanas. I aim to have lunch any time between 12am and 2pm, depending what I am doing, and depending when my stomach is telling me to eat. Early lunch if I am feeling hungry, or a mid morning snack of a banana or yogurt if I am busy and not eating till 1pm. I like to have eggs three or four times a week for lunch, either scrambled, omelette, or boiled.  Sometimes on toast, or with mushrooms, or with beans or spaghetti. I will have a salad if I have any in. Lunch could also be noodles, pasta, or cous cous.

Dinner is mainly steamed fresh veg. If I run out I will substitute frozen veg, I have stopped buying tinned veg, frozen is more cost effective. I make soups, stews, and curries with whatever I have in. I like cheese grated on some of my meals. I don't have puddings because my meals fill me up. If I fancy something sweet, which could be at anytime not necessarily after a meal, I will have half a tin of rice pudding, or some tinned peaches with yogurt. I also put ground almonds into my yogurt to eat with fruit or on it's own. I don't eat much bread, but if I do it's wholemeal or seeded. I might have a cheese sandwich for lunch, or a piece of bread with lemon curd on it. I eat brown rice and wholemeal pasta.

When I go shopping for food I never take a list, I know in my head the main things I need. I always have in onions, bananas, cheese, yogurt, eggs, soya milk, bran flakes and porridge. I choose my fruit and veg by whatever I can get on a yellow sticker, if not much is available I try and buy in season, and look for the best prices. If swede is cheaper than potatoes then I have swede. If carrots are cheap I get some. I like to get broccoli, cauliflower, and sprouts, but if they are too expensive I will pass them by. If you go to the food gallery link at the top of the page, there are lots of pictures of my meals there.

I made some more peanut butter today, but instead of using the food processor I used the stick blender, to cut down on the washing up. I used a packet of ordinary salted peanuts and shook them around in a tea towel to get rid of some of the salt. The blender struggled a bit at first until they broke down a bit. Nothing added, just peanuts. I will keep this in the fridge and dip into it when I want some, won't bother transferring it to a smaller container, saves on washing up. I've been looking for cheap peanuts, but the human kind are more expensive than those you buy for the birds. I read the label on a packet of those, it says not for human consumption. Don't know why, they look like any other peanut. Must be different varieties.

I picket up this packet of maize cous cous when I was last in Tesco, reduced from �2 to 40p. A bargain I thought. Not had it before, don't know what it's like, worth a try.

 And here's the dinner I made tonight. The cous cous is buried in the middle of iceberg lettuce, grated carrot, chopped celery, and cooked beetroot out of a sealed packet, (not jar). The cous cous wasn't that nice, not like the regular stuff, no taste and gritty. I didn't eat it all, got fed up with all the chewing, so I will put it back in the pan tomorrow and cook it up some more with a little oil and garlic, maybe some cheese.

I've just realized, it's all food tonight, how boring, ha ha. There was something else to write about but I've run out of time, so I'll hold that over till tomorrow. I want to catch up with Last Tango now, so I'll say, Toodle pip.

PS. A bag is in the post for Aussie Cheryl, thanks for sending your address. One left for Primroses Attic. I'll hang on a bit longer, but if you don't respond soon, I'll draw another name out.

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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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Paid in parsnips

Hello, Isn't it cold outside, that wind is chilling to the bone. How are you managing to keep warm? This is my get up for dog walking, I'll start from the inside. A vest and two short sleeved teeshirts. A sweatshirt and a fleece. Pair of kecks, leggins, short pair of socks, long pair of woolen socks. On top, a long thick padded jacket with a furry hood, this was given to me. I like this jacket, it has plenty of pockets for carrying poo bags, dog treats, phone, extra lead, camera, and keys. A hood is a must in this wind, it keeps my whole head warm as the front zip closes it up over my mouth.  To keep my legs warm I wear pair of trousers, and a thick woolen skirt that I got from a closing down charity shop for 50p. A sturdy pair of  boots (charity shop), and thermal gloves (found), and I'm all set to do battle with the wind. It's surprising what a difference that skirt makes, the only bit of me that gets cold is my nose.  

This morning I picked up Ollie and Alfie from the Kennels, and delivered them back to Paul's house. He had just arrived back from his weekend away, a bit earlier than planned. The timing was just right, he was putting the kettle on, a hot mug of coffee was very welcome. 

And this is what I wear in the house. Pretty much the same as outside, minus the jacket and gloves, and instead of the boots I have what I call my granny slippers. Remember those, I bought them in a charity shop in Driffield for a couple of quid. They are snug little bootees with velcro fastenings. If I get cold I put a long dressing gown on, or I might even put the heating on, or the gas fire, if I'm feeling flush, ha ha.  

Lunch today was salad leaves, mushrooms, a quarter of the quiche, some bread with home made peanut butter, and a small garlic dip. I didn't wash the salt off the peanuts, I emptied the bag into a clean tea towel, gathered the edges together and shook the nuts around in it. I did that again with a second tea towel, that seemed to remove a lot of the salt, and it tastes fine. 

Dinner tonight, my favourite, steamed veg with garlic mushrooms. Mangetout peas, broccoli, fine beans, and parsnips. Delishus.

Paul very kindly gave me a bag of parsnips, they had a bumper crop and have plenty left over. So, it will be parsnips coming out of my earholes for the next week. 

There wasn't much to post about yesterday, so I got on with some sewing and watched a couple of programmes on the catch up. It's very handy having everything in one place in the living room. I can sew while I watch. Last night I watched the Meat Loaf story, from when he started to what he is doing now. It was great, I love the energy of Meat Loaf music, especially Dead Ringer, that's the best. Then I watched a documentary about how Rock and Roll started in the fifties, I vaguely remember that. Remember the Quarymen? They are still going, four old guys still doing the songs, and yes, they are still great. I love that era.

Anyway, keep your pecker up and don't let the buggers get you down. Thanks for your comments, especially thanks to Anonymous, who seems to be commenting all the time  ;o)
Toodle pip

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I'll have a slice of soup please ;o)

Hello one and all. Miserable, wet and cold to start off with today, but it turned out nice again. My food stocks are getting dangerously low, the fridge is empty, and not many tins left. Yesterday I decided to use up the half packet of dried soup mix, which was only two years out of date. Soak it for eight hours, bring to the boil and simmer. I added the last onion, a large potato, and three packets of frozen home grown runner beans. Then I zapped it with the stick blender. 

Anybody like a slice of soup, ha ha. Had some for dinner last night, lunch today, and another bowlful just now. I think I'll go into business making healthy baby food, ha ha. It tastes alright, I watered it down a bit so it goes down more easily without chewing.

I made time to go to the park this morning. They are busy with clearing the leaves at the moment, one tractor with a blower on the side, and two men walking around with hand held blower machines strapped to their body. They didn't seem to be making much progress, just moving them around. 

The ducks lolling about in the sunshine.

It was a lovely afternoon so I did a bit of tidying in the garden. The brown bin is to be emptied on Monday, and as I haven't put much in it over the last month I thought I would trim up the hedges between me and next door. I'm afraid I went a bit crazy with the loppers and hacked quite a lot off. It won't all fit in, I will put some in my neighbours bin, he won't be doing any gardening before Monday.

The gas and electric bills came through the letter box this morning, I was keen to see them because it's about a year since I changed supplier. Three weeks short of a year actually, so my bills are from 12th Jan to 23 December. My four electricity bills add up to �89.09, and my projection for the next twelve months is �107.06. There is a mistake with the reading on the gas bill, they have taken the November reading instead of the December one. It comes out at �10.25, they are 39 units short. I rang them up and they are going to send another bill. I estimate the new bill to be slightly more than double this one. Total gas over the three bills is �57.07, they project my next years usage will cost �71.73.

All in all I am pleased I changed to Ebico, no this isn't an advert, they are not paying me, I have no standing charge, no penalties for quarterly bills, and their prices are frozen across the board for everyone until 2016. If you are considering changing you need to know your  annual consumption, this company may not be the best for you if you are not a low user like me.

I've just seen the time, I'm off to Tesco now to search for yellow stickers. Toodle pip.

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Nuts about nuts

Hello. I'm getting lost with the days, what with having the holidays mid week, I thought it was Sunday today. Not a very nice start, it was very dull, and raining. 

I know some of you like to know what I eat, sorry I'm not good with the recipes, I just make it up. If you read my blog regularly you will see lots of photo's of vegetables, because that's what I like best. I don't care if it doesn't look like a meal from a posh restaurant, I know it's going to taste delicious, well most of the time, ha ha. You can't really go wrong with steamed veg, all you need to do is prick them with a fork while cooking, and removed them from the heat pretty sharpish before they turn to mush. I don't usually have any anything else with them so as soon as they are ready they are eaten. A sprinkle of grated cheese is lovely. Occasionally I might make half a mug of veggie gravy in the microwave, if I can be bothered. Or as a treat I might buy some dips, or mayo. The taste of slightly crunchy sprouts is divine, oh, and broccoli is just scrumptious. My dinner from two days ago. 

A while ago I bought a box of Caffe Latte, I fancied something a bit different to plain Nescafe. I used some of the single sachet's, but the taste didn't excite me, not enough coffee in them.These three have been in the cupboard for ages. What to do with them. Empty them into the jar, and mix ordinary coffee in with them. Nothing wasted in this house.

I fancied some pasta yesterday. I never buy sauce in jars, always make my own, it's simple enough. I chopped a large onion into a medium size pan and added a portion of frozen home grown runner beans. Cook them in a slug of oil until they start to soften. Add whatever spices you have. I used garlic powder and turmeric, and a shake of this and that, ha ha. Chuck it all in. Then I added a tin of chopped tomatoes, and simmered a little while longer. When ready I zapped it with the stick blender. It was lovely. I made three portions of pasta and two portions of sauce. I ate one last night, one tonight, and the rest of the pasta I will eat with cheese and mayo tomorrow,

I had some packets of chopped nuts which needed using up, I eat a lot of nuts, so I thought I would see if they would turn into nut butter if I pulverized them in the food processor. I also have some linseeds so I put them in as well. It was a fairly stiff consistency so I added a slug of olive oil. Then I tasted it, yuk, not great. What to do next. 

I had to divide the mix in half because there was too much for the mixer to cope with. I opened a tin of chick peas and added that, plus some spices, and a squirt of tomato ketchup. Much better consistency now. 

Next I fashioned it into small patties. The mixture was sticking to my disposable gloves, I prefer to use them rather than use my bare hands. Under the grill they went. I got 18 out of it. They taste quite nice, an improvement would be more curry powder, a bit more spicy would be better. They are fine hot or cold, and would be a great addition to add to a snack box.

I wanted to top up the pet food so I went off to a small retail park this afternoon, not very far away. A few years ago most of the shops closed as they went out of business, but new companies have moved in to take their place. It's a nice place to shop now. Not too busy, and plenty of parking. Yes it's out of town, but it's an old established park, not like the brand spanking new ones that are springing up everywhere. It's got shops where I can actually afford to buy things. Poundstretcher, Home Bargains, Dunelm, Pound Shop, Iceland, and Matalan. If anyone needs sugar, it's still 49p in Poundstretcher. I got some Quorn burgers, sausages, and roast from the freezer in Iceland, all half price at �1 each.

Today's colour is.......blue. I didn't have far to go to take this. The daffodils are coming up in my back garden, near to the back door, and I keep stepping on them. A plastic ball on a stick does the trick to remind me to walk round them.

Hey, it's Saturday night, chill time. Thanks for looking in. Have a nice Sunday. I think it's going to rain again ;o(( 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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Apologies to my stomach

Hello and welcome, come on in. I'm trying to tick off jobs on my 'to do', list and not making much progress. Some jobs have been completed but more have been added to the bottom. It's never ending. Getting ready for the Christmas Fair has been priority, but there is one job connected to that which hasn't got done. Our Craft and Chat banner has disappeared. It was last used in June, in the church. I wasn't there when the display was taken down. I've asked everyone if they know what has happened to it, no one does. We have one member who is on holiday, surely she hasn't got it in her house, has she. Too bad if she has, she's in Spain. I did wonder if someone had passed it on to me and I put it somewhere safe. I've searched the house from top to bottom and I can't find it. So I'm going to have to make a temporary one, some cut out letters from coloured card. I can do without that job tonight, still got to sew up two bags. 

These fabric bowls are done, I've made eight small ones and one large one. They will be for sale if anyone wants them. 

Digging up taters has been ticked off the list, they are all up now. The last few. Not very pretty, some knobbly ones, but they will scrub up well. The veg garden is now closed.

My lunch today was egg noodles and spring onions, (yellow stickers), with two scrambled eggs, very filling. Dinner tonight is a plate of steamed veg with grated cheese. It's sprouts all the way now, plus the bargain veg I still have in the fridge.

I have a confession to make. I bought a cake on a yellow sticker on Monday, it was a sponge cake with a cream filling and icing on the top. Half price at �1. I only buy treats when they are reduced, and as I hadn't had anything sweet for a while I thought I might indulge in a little lip smacking delishusness. The cake would have made four or six portions. I should have spread it over four days, but can I save cake, can I hell! I scoffed it in two days. My eyes were bigger than my belly, and boy did I suffer. Not just feeling sick, but feeling really ill. I had a headache and felt tired, and had to sit down. My body felt like sh1t. I ate some for breakfast, because it was there. Half an hour later I thought I had a rock in my stomach. I sent some porridge down to absorb all the crap. Sorry stomach, I appear to have abused you.

They say sugar is poison and I believe it. I took my eyes off the ball for a moment and suffered. I can see how easy it is to do that. Forgive me stomach, I'll try not to do that again.

Must go, the weekend is here, I hope it is a good one for you. 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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