Welcome to my new followers, although I always think that having “followers” sounds a bit like a cult haha.

Thank you for your comments and as requested here is the recipe for the soup. It was a bit of guess work with the measurements as I’m a bit of a throw it in the pan and see what happens kind of cook.

Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup

Ingredients

3 Red Peppers
5 Plum Tomatoes
1 Red Onion
Few sprigs of Fresh Oregano
2 Cloves Garlic
½ Pint Vegetable Stock
Splash of cream
Olive Oil
Seasoning

Method

Slice peppers in half and de-seed
Place on baking tray along with garlic and oregano, drizzle with olive oil
Roast for approx. 20 mins. until the skins are blacken
After 10 mins. chop tomatoes in half and add to baking tray, rubbing them in the olive oil and oregano that is on the tray with the peppers
While peppers and tomatoes are roasting chop onion and fry in olive oil
Remove peppers from oven and place in plastic bag for a few mins. – this steams them a bit to make it easier to remove the skins
Peel skin from peppers and tomatoes, roughly chop and add to pan with onion in
Add oregano and any juices from the roasting tray to pan and squeeze in the roasted garlic cloves
Pour in stock and simmer for 15 mins.
Blend, season and add a splash of cream before serving

Yummmmm

It was enough for 2 large bowls. I used oregano as I have it growing in the garden but I think basil would go well, especially with the tomatoes.

Cheap and Cheerful Lunch

One of my mini challenges’ this month was to take lunch to work everyday. I think I have mentioned before but me and my colleague share our lunches each day. It is a great way to use up left overs and also to try out recipes. We go as far as to do a menu plan some weeks! So on the menu tomorrow is Red Pepper (pack of 2 sweet red peppers a bargain at 10p) and Tomato (home-grown) Soup. It’s the first time I’ve made it and from the little taste I had tonight is good. We will have it with some of a 9p baguette, so a very cheap but nice lunch.

Also had a NSD.

Bare Necessities and Smiling

I’m joining in with Bare Necessities Challenge found here
And today I have spent £1, on cat litter tray liners.

This week’s Menu Plan

MON
Lunch Home stuffed peppers and salad
Dinner Fish and chips
TUE
Lunch Courgette and lemon pasta
Dinner Mince and Rice
WED
Lunch Chicken Risotto
Dinner Gammon, pineapple, jacket potato & veg
THUR
Lunch Homemade roasted red pepper and tomato soup
Dinner Lamb cutlets, new potatoes and veg
FRI
Lunch TBA
Dinner Sausage and butterbean casserole

A few things made me smile on Saturday. One of the clients gave me a box of chocolates (dark ones, my favourite) to say thank you for a chat we had the other week. After we closed a couple of the other volunteers and me went and had a cup of tea. It was nice to sit down in the sun and chat to people I hadn’t met before. Also when walking through town came across this band


The video doesn’t really do them justice. When I saw them they played Cee Lo Green’s Forget You and sounded amazing – made me want to dance.

Thank you all for your encouraging comments.xx

I followed "mums" advice and sent my thank you card to my uncle. I also paid most of my visa bill, will be able to pay it off in full next month.

I have enquired about renting my spare room out to overseas students and the college is going to send me some information.

Swam for 35 min yesterday.

Menu Plan for the Week
MON
Lunch: Quiche and salad
Dinner: HM Turkey Parmesan, savory rice and salad
TUES
Lunch: Left over Turkey Parmesan, Savoury rice & salad
Dinner: Lamb cutlets, new potatoes and veg
WED
Lunch: Mackerel salad
Dinner: Gammon, pineapple, Jacket Potato and salad
THUR
Lunch: HM Spicey Chicken and pasta baked (made my by colleague)
Dinner: HM meat pie, mash potatoes and veg
FRI
Lunch: HM spinach & mushroom Risotto
Dinner: Fish, white sauce, new potatoes & veg
SAT
Lunch: Cheese Sandwich
Dinner: HM burgers, wedges & beans
SUN
Lunch: Bacon sandwich
Dinner: Roast chicken, roast potatoes, HM Yorkshire puds & veg

Music

I heard this yesterday and was surprised that a such a rock band had covered Adele, but think they have done it so well.

Have a Listen.

Mini Targets

I have a few small things I would like to achive in August. They are:

* Go swimming at least twice a week
* Take lunch to work each day - This is to stop me spending a fortune at Morros
* Pay Visa off - will be so glad if I can manage this
* Send thank you card to my uncle - He very kindly sent me a cheque as he knew I'd had a bit of a rough time with Mums illness
* Apply for job - I have decided apply for the part time job, with the view nothing ventured, nothing gained. If I find it too hard I can give it up
* Look into getting a lodger/student to rent my spare room
* Carry on sorting the garden out
* Menu Plan - I still have lots in the freezer and need to sort mums freezer out as she doesn't cook anymore. I would like to do small home-made freezer meals for her so the career can just heat them up for her dinner.

I think that is it for now :)

AWOL

Sorry I’ve been away for a while but mum got rushed to hospital a few weeks ago so things have been a bit manic. She is back home now and we have got some care for her but I have found it all very hard and overwhelming to be honest.

I like to think of myself as spontaneous but have realised that I like some sort of routine. I think it comes from years of shift work, that although your hours are all over the place it is set out in advance and you can plan around your shifts. Anyhow I feel that I need to get some sort of routine for visiting mum, doing her washing/cleaning aswell as having time for me and all the things I want to do.

I was thinking about getting a part-time job to fit in around my normal one. This is to both earn some more pennies and also get experience in a different career but due to mums health I think that will be put on hold. I have also started swimming again and have enjoyed the few times I have been so far.