A few random photo's

A few random photo's

cats cheap food crafty stuff food

Good morning. I need to get this done in half an hour because I've got a busy day today. Helping my friend deliver leaflets for her de cluttering business, so there will be a lot of walking up and down garden paths. All helps to keep me fit. I've a few random photo's snapped over the last few days. 

Popping in to Morrisons the other evening I found these yogurt drinks. I would never pay full price for them but for 50p I'll have them. I am using them for my breakfast, pour onto cereal, add water to the empty bottle, shake, pour this on. Twelve bottles, twelve breakfasts, yes they will be ok to use even though they are out of date. 

Also from Morrisons, a quiche for 65p. Why on earth do they make them without a crust? Bonkers if you ask me. Four portions make four meals, with salad or steamed vegetables.

There you are. Spinach, mushrooms, cucumber, cheese, and beetroot. Just how I like a meal, no cooking.

The garden is looking very green now, in fact it's green most of the time because I planted the hedgerows with evergreen bushes. This is the view as I eat my lunch al fresco, sat on a chair at the back door.

My mini chopper is still in daily use. By using this I can get my quota of nuts, seeds, and dried fruit inside me. My teeth can't cope with eating whole nuts, this is an ideal solution for me. 

This was a cobbled together meal from a couple of days ago. I made two portions, one eaten with a spud in the microwave, the other I ate with pasta. Mushrooms, a tin of mixed bean salad, spinach, turmeric and garlic powder. It was lovely.

Are you still wondering what I am going to do with the embroidered circles? Here's a clue. I have enough now.

This is what happens when I sit down at the computer, Mayze cat craves my love and attention, rendering my right arm out of action. I can manage to move the mouse, but have difficulty with the keyboard. She is a sweetheart, a crazy cat that doesn't walk anywhere, just dashes about. She is often in the windowsill surveying the world outside.

I must get on, packed lunch to make as I'm out for the day. Thanks for popping in, we'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip

Knocking up some odd meals with what's left

Knocking up some odd meals with what's left

cats cheap food food

Hello. Hoooray, it didn't rain today, in fact it was warm enough to sit in the summer house this afternoon. I did the six mile walk again this morning, the same one as last Friday. Determined to keep up and not slip back. It should have taken a couple of hours but, I met Paul with Doogal dog, Sandra stopped her car for a natter, and a young lady I talk to, the one who does a lot of running, was passing with her little boy Eric, so I had to stop and chat. Eric is lovely. All that added another forty minutes onto it, so I was pretty hungry by the time I got back. 

Dinner yesterday. I am very low on fresh veg, this is the last of the broccoli, with just a few carrots left. I made up half a packet of macaroni cheese. A cheap meal, yellow sticker veg and 23p for the macaroni. 

Lunch today was quick and simple, because I was late getting back. Spud in the microwave, half a tin of mushy peas, and grated cheese. That's the last potato.

And dinner tonight was similar to last night, except I had to add some frozen peas and beans to the carrots and onion. I don't mind simple meals, less faffing in the kitchen.

Mayze loves this table in the mornings when the sun shines through the window. 

I'm visiting rellies tomorrow. Auntie Pat is having a plant sale in her garden for charity. Have a nice weekend whatever you are doing. Thanks for popping in, we'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip

Saving money on my food.

Saving money on my food.

cheap food cooking food vegetarian

Hello. I'm having to use the small computer because for some reason I can't access my Blogger Dashboard on the big one. Everything else is fine, but the Dashboard won't load. It could be something to do with the fact I am still on the old XP. I'm not panicking, I can use the little netbook. 

It's been a lovely day, like summer, and I have been pottering about getting a few jobs done. I had some tagliatelle left so I added some borlotti beans, peas, lettuce, and a few pieces of cheese, with a couple of dollops of mayo. It was bloomin lovely, made a filling lunch yesterday. 

Veg is a good price at the moment. I couldn't resist this cauliflower for 45p and carrots 43p from Aldi. A good buy to make cheap meals.

Mind you, Aldi has let me down on the bananas. Look at these two bags, can you spot the difference? The first one I bought yesterday, the next one is from a month or two ago. This one does not have the weight on it.

This one is a 1kg bag. I have been buying these bagged bananas for a long time, they are 72p. I count the bananas because I would rather have 8 or 9 small ones than 6 or 7 large ones. Now they are not selling them by weight, you get 5 bananas in a bag for the same price 72p. What a sneaky way to put the price up. I will have to go to Tesco for them and buy 1kg of small loose ones for 72p.

I got my mower out today for the first cut of the year. I am amazed that this cheap B & Q mower is still going after about ten years or more. I never do anything to it except scrape off the dry grass from underneath it. This cheapo was well worth the money.  

The leaves from the cauliflower came in useful, I made some soup with them.

I added some borlotti beans and spices, and blue cheese and zapped it with the stick blender. It tasted deeeelishus. 

Remember the mayo I bought from the Cash and Carry? Well it is a lovely creamy taste so I bought some more yesterday on my way to town. At 20p a jar it's bargain, even though it is six weeks out of date.

Found some nuts and fruit as well, at 50p a bag. This will be added to my breakfast cereal.

I've had a letter from the TV Licensing people, it's two years since they last wrote. They ask if anything has changed, do I need a licence. The answer is still the same, no I don't. I haven't been onto the BBC iplayer site since they brought in the new rule in September. I get most of my entertainment from Yooootoooob, forums, blogs, and online newspapers.

That's me done for tonight. Thanks for popping in, we'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip.

Soup of the day.

Soup of the day.

cheap food healthy eating

Hello. The future King messed up my plans today. I was going to go to Hull to see the newly refurbished Ferens Art Gallery, the new Humber Streety Gallery, and the Blade installation. I checked my Twitter and saw that Charlie and Cami were going to be there. Oh bother, don't want to get tied up with a crowd of people, and Ferens was closed until 2.30pm anyway. Weather permitting I shall make the trip across the bridge tomorrow. 

So, plan 'B' is to tidy up the spare bedroom, there is stuff in there which will have to go. I did my walk early to get that out of the way first. Lunch today was soup. I didn't manage to eat all the salad last night so it went in the pan with some carrots, peas, cucumber and spring beans. Also added soft cheese and spices. 

Here is a little video I made as I was about to eat my soup.



Two soups.



Back upstairs. Thank you for popping in, we'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip

Jade, a lovely lady

Jade, a lovely lady

cheap food cooking dogs experimental food

Hello. And life goes on. I'm holding off going to the shops, though now is probably the best time to go, there will be stuff marked down. I don't need anything at the mo, cat food stocked up, freezer stocked up, and I've enough Brussels Sprouts, potatoes, and carrots to last another week. I had a plate of veg this afternoon, never get bored with that. Sprouts and broccoli drizzled with toasted sesame seed oil, deeeelishhhh. 

Caught a glimpse of a fantastic sunset the other night, view from my bedroom window. A few minutes and it was gone. Twas a beautiful deep red, the colours never fail to amaze me. 

This was my lunch yesterday. The last of the yellow sticker mushrooms and chopped onions, half a tin of chick peas, and an egg scrambled into it. Spices, Danish blue cheese, and cream cheese with garlic. I had it on a microwaved spud. There was enough for two portions. Cheap and bloomin lovely.

Doggy walk this morning, this is Jade. She is a sweetie though you wouldn't have said that if you knew her when she first arrived from a rescue. She had a rough start in life and was very wary of people, leading to bouts of aggression. Both the gardener and the handyman were bitten, but her new owner persevered and she calmed down when she realized that she was safe in her new home.

I am walking her on alternate days for the next three weeks while her regular dog walker is away on holiday. He takes her all over the place, down tracks, across fields, she is allowed to run free with him. I won't be letting her off the lead, although she knows me I don't want to take the chance of her running off. We have a very fast march around the village, stopping to talk to any other dog owners we meet on the way. She is fine with people and other dogs, no sign of aggression now.

Bugsy is still eating, but getting a bit picky. It's good that he chunters and moans about not having the right food, at least he is interested in it.

Thank you all for commenting on the previous post, a lot of  opinions, and stories on how you spent your Christmas, and what it means to you. I think it's a topic which will emerge year after year. As people grow older and families grow up, ideas of what Christmas is about are bound to change. I liked it when I was young, but stopped liking it when I was in my late twenties/early thirties.

I had a very late lunch today, so I'm just about ready for a small meal. Don't need a full dinner, so spaghetti hoops on toast will be enough.

The computer is playing up a bit, I uninstalled Skype because it was slowing things up and I don't use it, but I must have done something wrong because now I can't access my favourite sites from the top bar. Will have to look into it, or get the little computer out. Bloomin pain.

Thanks for popping in. We'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip.

Controlling my blood pressure

Controlling my blood pressure

cheap food experimental food vegetarian

Hello. The weather has turned cold today. I took a dog for a walk this morning, I haven't walked Jade for a long time because she has a regular walker, Ken, but he has gone on holiday, so I said I would help out. I told the owner that I don't want to commit to a daily walk, but would help at odd times, and let her know. I said I would do it on Thursday and Saturday, and let her know after that. I don't want to be tied to a routine. Jade is lovely, a rescue dog that walks nicely on the lead and is happy to meet other dogs and people. 

Lunch today was a salad, under the grated cheese is a microwaved spud. I had some houmous with it, which was reduced to 25p. 

Not a very good picture of dinner tonight. I fancied some pasta, haven't had any for ages. I am using up yellow stickers, so in the topping is onions, butternut squash, mangetout peas, broccoli, and mushrooms. And the secret ingredient, Danish Blue cheese. I've made enough for lunch tomorrow, and there is enough pasta for dinner as well. Looks a bit yucky, but it tastes fantastic.

I've been doing a bit of sewing today, have changed the white bits on the picture and coloured them blue. It's looking good. I checked in with Stan on the library this afternoon, returned one book and took two out. He won't be coming for the next two weeks, that's ok, I have plenty of reading matter.

I wasn't going to mention this, but I feel terribly sad for the people of  Germany. What is this world coming to. I try not to write about politics because it won't make one bit of difference to what is going on. It only raises blood pressure, and I don't want lots of people piling in with their views and turning my comments into a punch up. I would rather it stay neutral.. However there is one thought in my head which I will share. 'That bloody woman'. That's it, nothing more to add. Anyone wanting to air their political opinions, do it elsewhere. Thank you.

Thanks for popping in, we'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip.

PS. Bugsy has been scoffing tuna fish.

1000 miles - finished.

1000 miles - finished.

cheap food experimental food vegetarian walking

Hello, This is me on my last three mile walk which takes me to the magical number of 1000 miles. Yes, I've done it, and boy does it feel good. 

I was a year younger when I started, and felt pretty much ok then, and now I feel even better. It's right what they say, exercise is good for the body and the brain. 67 is just a number, I don't feel any different to when I was forty something. I want to continue feeling good so I will be carrying this on and starting again on Jan 1st 2017. I can feel the benefits, and I want to stay mobile. It would be such a shame to stop now, I will keep going. 

This was my lunch yesterday, potatoes, watercress, and mushrooms. All yellow stickers. 

I cooked a pan of veggie stew yesterday, ate one portion for my dinner and froze three and a small portion. It was bloomin lovely, my secret ingredient is Danish Blue Cheese.

Tonight I have cooked another pan, eaten one, and there is some to freeze.

 Bugsy update. A week ago I thought he was ready to keel over and die. He was scrawny and didn't have any interest in anything. He refused all the food I offered him. He had three injections from two vet visits, they didn't seem to make any difference. A day before I was due to take him back for blood tests he suddenly became interested in food. I had removed most of it as it became dry having been out for 24 hours, and replaced it with fresh out of the pouch. He was in it like a shot scoffing like he was starving, he almost was starving. Since then he has been eating small amounts regularly. When I come down in the morning he is sitting up asking for food. It seems his appetite has returned. Sometime he is picky and refuses what I am offering, but if I poke it around the bowl with a knife, tell him how lovely it is, and hold it under his nose he usually decides he will eat it. I'm completely baffled. So it seems we have a reprieve, how long for I don't know.

Thanks for popping in. Enjoy your Sunday. We'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip