Stoptober - week 1

 

 

I think I've done quite well this week...£40 on petrol - I wasn't going to get away without that one...60 mile round trip to work each day so I couldn't cut back there. I always "eco-drive" to and from work...I tuck in behind a lorry and sit there at 56 / 58 mph...they are so much better at sticking to that speed than I am...I can do it, but I find it takes a huge amount of concentration so easier to take advantage of the lorry drivers' skills. I've not driven anywhere over the weekend so I'm hoping that the petrol will last until Wednesday.

I also spent £1.18 on milk...I'm not fond of black tea & coffee so that one is a necessity for me.

 

Total spend = £41.18

 

No salad or potatoes left...1/2 a cauli, 1/2 a savoy cabbage , 1/3 of an augbergine, carrots and parsnips are all that remain of the fresh veg so I think a stop at Aldi will be required next week. I'll try to leave it until Thursday (or whenever the cat food runs out) . Until then I'll just need to be a bit creative. Veggy curry and rice on the menu for today and if I'm not too greedy, I can freeze some for a "ready meal"

 

I'm not feeling deprived at all :-) 

Anyone else doing the challenge? How are you getting along?

 

Take care

KKWF

 ^..^

 

THE Designer Label!!

It's been an horrific week at work, and I can't tell you how many times I've bitten my tongue to stop myself telling them exactly where to stick it, so yesterday mornings knock on the door and the package the postman brought really put a welcome smile on my face. I was lucky enough to "win" this lovely bag, so beautifully made by Frugal Queen. Pretty & practical & completely recycled...Froogs is so talented :-)  (eat ya heart out Cath Kidston!) 

 I shall be proudly flaunting my "designer label" bag when out shopping ( but not during no spend October obviously)...so if you spot this lovely bag out and about in Reading, Newbury or Basingstoke come and say hello to the bag attached to it!!( b'dum tischhhh)
Many, many thanks once again Froogs...it's so lovely and I am SO chuffed.

Perks of the job..

My job isn't challenging or well paid...but it does have some perks. After 3 or 4 hours of being sat in front of a PC, and being crippled by the crappy chair I need to stretch my legs and get the kinks out....and just look a what I have outside of the office door!

This is Mum, Dad and all 4 cygnets. 5 eggs hatched but 1 was predated within the first week or so.

 

 

And here are the honey bee hives...sorry poor resolution / lack of photograhy skills means that you can't actually see the bees but they are there I promise you:-)

 

Lil fishies that have hatched out...hope they're not snacks for the huge carp

 

Some views of the pond/lake. I try to walk here at lunchtime each day...makes a nice break.

And finally, some bindweed....I think it rather beautiful when it's not in my garden!

 

 

 

Jam, Booze and errrr Booze-Jam???

It's been a soggy summer but there have been a few sunny lunchtimes in the last week, so I've been going for a walk at lunchtime and collecting up some blackberries. The recent rains and then the sun meant I found some real fatties...and 1 o'clock found me back at my desk with the telltale stains around my mouth and on my hands. I've very little freezer space so I decided to turn them into something that would keep. I googled some jam recipes and found a spiced apple and blackberry  and a blackberry chilli jam that I rather liked the look of...but I couldn't decide which to make. In the end I amalgamated the recipes and threw in blackberries, some crabapples I found when walking one evening, one of last years lovely red chillies that I had dried (no chillies this year....slugs polished off a dozen fine chilli plants...I have 1 scotch bonnet that I rescued and brought in to pop on the kitchen windowsill...it has survived being knocked about by the kittens so far and produced it's first flower this week) some mixed spice , some nutmeg and some sugar and boiled the lot up. (no - don't be silly - of course I didn't weigh / measure ) The result was 4&1/2 jars of really christmassy blackberry jam...delish...will do that one again.

 

Then I thought some wine would be a good idea and some blackberry I had made a few years ago turned out well so I thought I'd have another bash...so I found the plastic bucket that the birdy fat balls from Wilkinson came in and gave it a good scrub and a dunk in some Milton to be on the safe side.(It's all dead high tech in my kitchen!!) In went the blackberries, sugar, some lemons that were looking a bit dried out, a handful of sultanas, a cup of very strong black earl grey tea, and some boiling water and I smooshed it all with the potato masher. Searched high and low for my brewers yeast...not a sign anywhere...gave in and used the stuff I use for baking bread.

Here it is all ready to be tucked up with it's lid on to do it's stuff for a few days.

 

I gave it a stir around every day for a few days and then decided that it was ready to move on to the demijohn. Oooopppss...demijohn still has Elderberry wine in it and I have only 2 empty wine bottles....creative thinking cap on...drive to Hungerford...accost poor woman dropping off wine bottles at the bottle bank  and pursuade her to recycle bottles in my direction:-)

Bottles scrubbed and sterilised, Elderberry wine transferred to the bottles, demijohn scrubbed and sterilised ( this is 3 lines on paper, but I swear this seemed to be my ENTIRE Sunday afternoon)

Elderberry wine - much beloved by students - the 2009 was lethal...I would only drink it diluted, I think some students in Bournemouth may have had some headaches....

 

 

Bramble wine in the demijohn safely burbling! It seemed a shame to chuck the fruit that remained left over after I had put the wine in the demijohn ....so I threw it in a pan with some sugar and a chilli (naturally) , boiled it up, strained it (it was AWFULLY seedy by this point) and now bequeath to the world.........BRAMBLE CHILLI BOOZE-JAM!!

I think I've found my "signature-dish"...eat ya heart out Heston....you may have snail porridge but I bring you Booze-Jam.....thinking it might make a nice accompaniment (is that even a word?) to Quorn Roast.

I

Ready for winter...

Yes I know we've only just edged our way out of August...but I only have Ethan home for a few weeks of the year so I have to utilise him to the full when he's home. Yesterday, in line with the BBC weather report, we had a few hours of sun, so I had organised to have a cubic metre of logs delivered. I am mid terrace so they had to set the sack down on the road out front and we Ethan had to carry them round to the back.

 

I don't have a wheelbarrow so Ethan carried trug upon trug load round and tipped them onto the lawn for me to stack in the log store.

 

 

I have no idea how many times Ethan went back and forth...it was like the ant and the rubber tree plant..a cubic metre is an awful lot of wood:-)

 

 

I used my middle aged lady joker card and played log tetris to get them all stacked away. What a great team we made :-)

 

 

 

All done! Snug as a bug in a rug! A perfect little home for over wintering wasps and spiders...last year I had to check all of the logs for hibernating wasps as I brought them in...any I missed came back to life in the warm living room. Will be more careful this year.

 

 

Well that's another job off of the "while Ethan is home" list. (I've already had him up a ladder trimming back the wisteria on the front of the house...may have been a tad premature there as it's now putting on a bit of a growth spurt )  Order for Approved Foods done and he'll be home for the delivery in the week CHECK! Still to do...get the chimneys swept, get the Rayburn serviced. If I can get these booked in the next fortnight whilst E is still home it will save me having to take days off of work. It hasn't been all work and no play though...any evening that the sun has been shining we've gone for long walks when I've gotten home from work, and last weekend we walked to Hungerford and back...I think our route took us around 13 or 14 miles. I was really chuffed when Eth commented on how much my fitness had improved...he's a fast walker and previously had to slow down for me...not any more though...the lunchtime walks round the lake and evening and weekend walks up and down hill here are obviously paying off. Anyway, enough rambling on from me tonight...I've been properly domestic in the kitchen this week but I'll save that tale for another day.....time for a glass of wine for me, methinks :-)  Cheers!

 

 

 

 

Have I made a convert???

It may be a little early to tell, but I think I might just have Ethan thinking about the amount of meat he eats (not a huge amount to be honest...meat was never more than 20% of the plate - max) In the bit under a fortnight that he has been home he's had a salad for lunch each day (as this is what I take to work and it's easy to make 2)..Greek salad with "Greek style salad cheese"...(25-30% of the price of feta)fish stick and chilli salad etc, spag bol and mousaka, both made with Quorn Mince, Tarka Dal and rice, home made felafel, veggie fry ups with Quorn Bacon and Linda McCartney sausages, Sausage/mash/savoy cabbage & onion gravy , lots of various pastas with varying veggie based tomato sauces, lots of fish, full on roast dinner with a Quorn roast, veg thai green curry, mushroom risotto and the list goes on...
Actually, I think you get to eat more interesting, flavourful food as you can't be quite so lazy - you have to think about what you are going to eat/cook. Now, how are we going to convince Josh??? Think that might be a tough one...he's a professional chef and loves to cook meat...I think there will still be cow on the Xmas dinner table this year!

No meat hiding in here!

...but Baldrick doesn't mind...he's going to lick that baking tray anyway...

....the evidence by the back door indicates that the feline residents are not seriously contemplating a veggie life.

Whatever this poor birdie was ( I think it's name was "lunch") I hope the Queenie and Baldrick can differentiate between the pigeons in the garden and Yoko and Mo....

Sent to Coventry....

Baldrick has majorly "copped the arse" with me...

(he' s not wild about the camera flash either)

Queenie is determined to find more interesting things outside in the dark.....

What crime has this human commited to bring about this kitteny wrath??

Exhibit A

Guilty as charged! Think I'll go to bed and read my book...maybe they'll forgive & forget by morning

Second born returns to base...(and an extremely un-frugal weekend)

Finally Ethan is back home for the summer. Last weekend I had to make 3 (yes 3!!) trips to Bournemouth to collect all of his stuff - he's moving to different digs so EVERYTHING had to come home. If I had remembered that there was SO much stuff I would have hired a van  rather than stacking a KA to the gills...nevermind...we live and learn eh?  Ethan didn't actually come home until Thursday as he was filming  ( I went to this audition Mum , but I won't get it as I'd been out clubbing the night before and was badly prepared ) so the last lot of unloading the car was down to me :(
All home now and I'm enjoying spending time with him....Thursday evening we went for a long walk up Marridge Hill and I introduced him to the Chorus Line Cows...yet again all we had to do was say "Hello Girls you are all looking beautiful" and they all came running (yes, really running) to the fence to see us...are all cows so gregarious? How did I get to nearly 50 without realising this? ( I always talk to animals and small children...and pretty much in the same way I've realised...haha...that explains my kids LOL)
On Saturday I bullied asked nicely if Ethan would come with me to look at a new car...I fear the KA won't survive it's next MOT ( to be honest I really don't rate them much...my last one cracked the chassis when I hit a pot hole (obviously I didn't know that at the time) and when I took it in for it's 1st MOT a few weeks later they wouldn't even let me drive it off of the forecourt...cost to repair meant it was cheaper short term to get a new one (£1800 there and then or £160 per month)) - haha....look at me...just realised I'm using double pairs of brackets...how sad...my brain works in Excel formulas - DOH!     Anyway, finally a car was chosen and I'll pick it up on Thursday evening. It was quite late in the day once we finished at the garage so we stopped off in Reading for Sushi....

I think the last time we went to Reading was last August when we went for Sushi..oh well, I don't supposed once a year is wildly extravagant. Ethan took the opportunity to have one meat dish while he could as I have no meat in the house at all...breaking him in gently to a meat free holiday with a fried brekkie this morning...

That's a Linda McCartney sausage and quorn bacon...looks odd but I think it tastes good...egg is shop bought as girls still off lay....how stupid am I buying eggs from a shop??  There's an honesty box just over the bridge...could have bought half a dozen fresh ones for a quid. Anyway, Ethan's verdict was that you shouldn't regard any part of the meal as "meat replacement" you should just enjoy it as tasty in it's own right.
We both had a lovely long chat to Josh in Australia on Skype this afternoon...he's coming over for a month at Christmas with his girlfriend and trying to plan an itinerary. So many friends and family to see and he also wants to show Nat London & Paris...I guess it would be sacriledge to travel half way round the globe  and miss them out!! :-) I'm getting excited about seeing him already (it's 2 years ago this month that he went out to Oz)...by December I'll be unbareable and bouncing off of the walls!!


Just a short walk this afternoon...we stopped off to take a peek at the village horticultural show (but I forgot to take my camra) There were some beautiful veggies...I was so jealous...the slugs and my inattention have spoiled mine this year I think...clearly they paid far more attention and were justly rewarded. The flowers, cakes, photography, artwork, jewellery and sewing were also fabulous...these sort of shows really bring home how talented people in your own neighbourhood are , don't they. I was inspired to pick a few sweet peas from my garden....

they smell wonderful, and the colours are lovely..I'm afraid my cheapy camera and lack of photography skills really don't do justice.



 Typical Sunday and yet more food....trying to feed Ethan up...we currently weigh the same but he's 6 inches taller....if I can fatten him up a bit then I'll look less chunky by comparison LOL. ( Since I gave up smoking I just want to eat 24/7....I've even come down from bed to grab food..what's that all about??

Quorn Roast, Cranberry Sauce, Roast Potatoes, Runner beans & honey roasted carrots.

....and a glass of ale :-)

Have only just realised that Ethan sat to dinner with no shirt on....how did he get that one past me? I think I'm going senile!!!.

Anyway, all full up now and need a little nap.....just like Baldrick...

Do you think he's comfy??

Night night, sleep tight  :-) 

Frisky in the sunshine

No , not me, silly! The sun shone today for the first time in I don't know when...and it clearly put these two lil moths in the mood for lurve....

If you listen carefully, you can hear Barry White playing in the background. Anyway, enough with the Moth Porn...the sunshine meant that I went out with out my cardi or my mac, so I was practically naked  (well, compared to what I've been wearing so far this "summer" ) LOL.

There's a guy in Newbury market square with a book stall...10 books for £5...I can't even find books that cheap in the charity shops.... here's my little stash ..

I'm particularly chuffed to have found the Haruki Murakami one...have just finished Kafka on the Shore and really enjoyed it.

Next door to the bookstall was a stall with Asian foodstuffs. They had spices and lentils and gulabjamun for sale. They were also offering free rice & tarka daal...delicious. Even better...they had printed out the recipe...

Guess what's for dinner here this evening....

Hee hee...I've had 3 bowls already this evening... this is all that's left.

The rest of the day was spent pottering in the garden...the lawn was mown, little bit of tidying and dead-heading....a little harvest of broad beans...

The pods had been pretty badly munched by the uber-slugs in the garden, and some woodlice had broken in and had themselves a little bean-feast..so these are the survivors. I'll be taking the tough outer skin off as I don't like that bit ( I always thought that I didn't like broad beans..turns out I love 'em...but only if the yucky tough skin is removed)

I even managed to get some washing out on the line to have a blow...

The piddled on feather duvet that I washed has been drying on the clothes airer all week, but I didn't think a blow through with some fresh air would do any harm at all.


Oooops...just looked up from the screen...it's getting dark...time to shut the chicken coop and call the kittens in from the garden with the time honoured call of "Who wants a sweetie?"
The chooks are moulting at the moment and have gone off lay...I had to go out and buy eggs - shock/horror!!!
Don't the normal chicken eggs make my girls ones look dainty?

 N'Night  ^..^

A bit of this, a bit of that...

It's past bedtime, but I thought I'd just to a quick post of what's been happening in my world so far this week.
I have very little work surface space in the kitchen, and have been looking out on ebay for a butchers trolley for ages..I found one at the weekend...a little shabby chic, but I rather like that, and I could easily re-paint if I want to smarten it up. It's a good solid piece of furniture and I was chuffed to get it for £50...the cheapest I have seen these new is £250 (and lots of places selling for a lot more) ..anyway I'm very happy with it so I guess that's all the counts.

When I went to pick it up on Sunday I found myself only 1/2 hour away from Ethan in Bournemouth...so I thought I'd stop in for coffee and perhaps bring a few of his bits home prior to the complete summer move home in a fortnight. I dialled his mobile, landline and knocked on the door...no sign of him...must be up and off to the supermarket for the weekly shop thought I...when I spoke to him on the phone later it became clear that I am now old and rapidly forgetting what it's like to be young...Ethan had been clubbing til 6 am and at noon was spark out in bed... oh I remember those days...natures cruel trick as you get older and don't have to wake up early with kids anymore is to set your bodyclock to wake up (wide awake ker-ching wake up) by 6am at the latest every day...so unfair!

There was a brief dryish spell...I heard some snuffling in the garden and found this cutie lil hedgepig....welcome and please snuffle away and dine on the robust superslugs currently residing in the garden. Please fill yourself up until you couldn't even manage a wafer thin mint !!

The rain didn't hold off....1 heavy, soggy feather duvet drying on the airer in front of the stove...this may take some time!

Never mind...it may be raining outside (AGAIN!) but it's always fair weather in my house...LOOK!

It's fair weather, bordering on very dry according to my barometer :-) Oh alright, it's more a piece of wall art rather than a precision intrument, but at least it's stuck in the right place, we wouldn't want "Pluie - Vent" in the living room would we? Well, there may be some "Vent" but that is entirely another conversation Hahaha!

Kittens are minging with fleas...I only Frontlined them 3 weeks ago so I don't really understand it...I've always found it brilliant before...anyway, don't want to re-spot them for at least another week as they are still so young , and diatomaceous earth doesn't seem to be doing the trick so I've resorted to the good old fashioned flea comb and beaker of hot water..Queenie is actually quite tolerant but Baldrick is singularly unimpressed, but I'm bearing his dirty looks with fortitude.

Ooops...getting late...time to go up the wooden hill to Bedfordshire...n'night  ^..^

Best laid plans of mice & middle aged ladies....

There were lots of things that I had planned to do today (wild and exciting lifestyle...that's how I roll LOL)....move the chicken coop. mow the lawn, dig a hole and bury my precious fluffy one :(, along with the normal weekend catch up chores....but for want of a better word...it's been a piddly day! Dry spots have been few and far between both in and out of the house.
Queenie decided to have a lil piddle on my bed (litter tray was clean so no excuse - just attention seeking methinks)..stripped the bed and stomped around making Marge Simpson noises..Queenie took this as a cue to make herself scarce for 10 minutes.This is the 3rd time I've jammed a kingsize feather duvet into the washing machine in 7 weeks so I'm clearly not getting all of the aroma out...I think this time we will go with the full on "vinegar-wash" followed by "bicarb rinse",...I don't quite know what else to do. Peeing down outside so 1st load of washing on to the airer and 2nd load in.

I decided that if I am going to have to keep washing duvets then perhaps a more "washable " one might be a good idea...into the car for an unplanned shopping trip...still making Marge noises.  I found a Poundland type store with kingsize summer weight duvets for £6.99..that'll do :-) I also picked up another clothes airer..seems to be no promise of better weather soon, and I'm picking Ethan up from Uni in a fortnight, so there will be MUCH washing. Word to the wise...never EVER buy your progeny one of those "pop-up" washing baskets...with a little brute force they can jam 6 washing machine loads in to it. If it doesn't stop raining soon this will be my kitchen for all of August too!

I would love to tell you that after yesterdays fry-up I ate sensibly...and I did...here's my greekish salad..

..but I also wiped out all the good with an entire packet of Lemon Puff biscuits...think I'd better go on a LOOOOOOOONNNGGG walk tomorrow. When I was young, weekends were WAY different to this......I think I'm entering the "Radio 2 " stage of life...if  you EVER see me singing along to Cliff Richard - shoot me !!!