A bit of an update:
Postcrossing
I send another couple of postcards. Postcrossing is a project where you can send and receive postcards to different places around the world. I love coming home to find a card from a random person, writing random things.
Fat Fighters
Well i finally singed up to Slimming World. I did the plan a few years ago and thought that this time it would be cheaper to just get the magazine and do it myself but the plan has changed and I didn't understand it so bit the bullet and signed up a few weeks ago. So far, so good, I've lost 16 and a half lbs (the half very important). I haven't felt hungry and I've only told one person at work as we take it in turns to bring lunch in for each other and bless her she has made things that I can eat.
Music Festival
After hours online and on the phone I managed to get weekend tickets for Leeds Festival. The line up is ok - I need to squat up on some of the bands but am looking forward to the whole festival experience. I've also spoken to the friends I went to Bingley with and they want to go again this year which is great.
Friday, 9 April 2010
Tuesday, 9 March 2010
Picture Perfect
Being the technophobe I am, I bit the bullet, got my digital camera, instructions and managed to figure out how to put picture onto my pc. I am still playing with it, setting up albums etc but at least my pictures are stored somewhere else. It was nice looking at them all and brought back good memories of places we have been and how lucky I’ve been to visit them.
Hot and Hairy
I went to see the Hairy Bikers on Friday with a friend. What a good night. We didn’t really know what to expect. Even though I love food the thought of watching someone cook for 3 hours was a bit boring, but they made the “show” so much fun. They chatted about their early lives, how they met and how much they have enjoyed making their TV programmes. Along with a bit of cooking. The cooking smells were lovely, made my tummy rubble and jealous of the people from the audience they had on stage tasting their dishes, except the poor man who ate a cricket! We brought the programme to share as they had put a load of recipes in it and I got my OH a “hot and hairy” mug. We both had a great night and laughed lots – my face aches the following day (along with my head but that might have something to do with the voddies )
Monday, 1 March 2010
Menu plan
This month I am trying to use all the food we have in the freezer so we don't have to do a big shop.
Tonight I have made mince to go in shepherds pie and froze 2 lots, in the slow cooker is beef curry which we are having fo dinner tomorrow night but there should be plenty left over to freeze. I also made carrot and coriander soup.
Monday:
Lunch: Sandwich from supermarket
Dinner: Mince and onions, vegetables
Tuesday
Lunch: HM Carrot and coriander soup
Dinner: HM Beef curry and rice
Wednesday
Lunch: Tuna Salad
Dinner: Pasta and Philly sauce, salad
Thursday
Lunch: Jacket potato and beans
Dinner: HM Chicken fajitas
Friday
Brunch: Bacon Buttie
Dinner: Out
Saturday
Lunch: Beans on toast
Dinner: HM potato wedges, spicy bean burger and salad
Sunday
Lunch: HM quiche and salad
Dinner: Sausages, mash, vegetables and onion gravy
Tonight I have made mince to go in shepherds pie and froze 2 lots, in the slow cooker is beef curry which we are having fo dinner tomorrow night but there should be plenty left over to freeze. I also made carrot and coriander soup.
Monday:
Lunch: Sandwich from supermarket
Dinner: Mince and onions, vegetables
Tuesday
Lunch: HM Carrot and coriander soup
Dinner: HM Beef curry and rice
Wednesday
Lunch: Tuna Salad
Dinner: Pasta and Philly sauce, salad
Thursday
Lunch: Jacket potato and beans
Dinner: HM Chicken fajitas
Friday
Brunch: Bacon Buttie
Dinner: Out
Saturday
Lunch: Beans on toast
Dinner: HM potato wedges, spicy bean burger and salad
Sunday
Lunch: HM quiche and salad
Dinner: Sausages, mash, vegetables and onion gravy
Monday, 22 February 2010
Eating Out
The first restaurant we have been to is Michael's Brasserie (www.galtreslodgehotel.co.uk). I have passed this place so many times and the menu always looks great. My OH booked us a table for Valentines Day, such a romantic! There was lots of things on the menu that sounded good and I always think it is a good menu if you struggle to choose. I had deep fried goats cheese to start which came with a kind of jam/chutney and salad and OH had chicken and leek soup. I love goat’s cheese and this was so nice. For my main I had lobster themador and again it was lovely. OH had lamb shank which was a so tender and very large. Then the dessert, yummm was Eton Mess which not only had strawberries but lots of others berries, it came in a glass and if I could have could have got my head in it and licked it all up I would have! In the taxi going home OH said that he would go there again which shows he enjoyed it.
The second place we went to was Evil Eye bar (www.evileyelounge.com). We had heard they did a really good Thai curry and boy do they! I had prawns skewers to start which had been marinated in some spicy sauce on a really nice crunch salad. OH had chicken with lemongrass. Then OH had Thai green curry and I can’t remember the name but a kind of chicken curry and sticky rice for mains. The curries were both quite rich and the portions were massive, if we had known how large they were we wouldn’t have had a starter.
The second place we went to was Evil Eye bar (www.evileyelounge.com). We had heard they did a really good Thai curry and boy do they! I had prawns skewers to start which had been marinated in some spicy sauce on a really nice crunch salad. OH had chicken with lemongrass. Then OH had Thai green curry and I can’t remember the name but a kind of chicken curry and sticky rice for mains. The curries were both quite rich and the portions were massive, if we had known how large they were we wouldn’t have had a starter.
Sunday, 14 February 2010
COMPLETED/PENDING ITEMS
Re-connect with music
I have made a conscious decision not to turn the TV on and listen to more music. I would like a docking station for my ipod but need to save up. But love genius on itunes which I play on the pc while doing chores. Two bands I’m listening to at the moment are Snow Patrol, OH brought me their greatest hits for Christmas, and also Dove’s who we saw at the Bingley Music Festival last year.
Cook new recipes
The chicken pie (from leftover roast dinner) I made was something I’ve only done once before. I did cheat and used brought puff pastry but I don’t think that’s too bad!
I’m trying to do a menu plan each week and include a new recipe in that.
Coins
I took all the coins we had collected from our travels over the years to the RSPCA
Uggs
I had wanted a pair of Ugg boots but couldn’t justify the costs but found a pair of Ugg-like boots in TKMax for £45. They are so comfy and have kept my tootsies warm during all the snow and ice.
Local Events
I have booked to see the Hairy Bikers in March. I’m not sure what to expect but hope they will show some good recipes. I am going with a friend who I first met a few years ago at the busstop each morning on the way to work. Ended up chatting, as you do, and she has become a good friend. Even looked after our cat when we first got him and he was too young to go to the cattery while we where on holidays. Last year we both had a bit of a go growing our own vegetables and this year we are going to do more and have pooled resources, and ideas.
Beauty Products
While making a start on clearing out our spare room I found lots of shower gel, shampoos etc. I don’t want to buy any more until I have used all the stuff I have. The only things I will buy are creams etc for my eczema.
I have made a conscious decision not to turn the TV on and listen to more music. I would like a docking station for my ipod but need to save up. But love genius on itunes which I play on the pc while doing chores. Two bands I’m listening to at the moment are Snow Patrol, OH brought me their greatest hits for Christmas, and also Dove’s who we saw at the Bingley Music Festival last year.
Cook new recipes
The chicken pie (from leftover roast dinner) I made was something I’ve only done once before. I did cheat and used brought puff pastry but I don’t think that’s too bad!
I’m trying to do a menu plan each week and include a new recipe in that.
Coins
I took all the coins we had collected from our travels over the years to the RSPCA
Uggs
I had wanted a pair of Ugg boots but couldn’t justify the costs but found a pair of Ugg-like boots in TKMax for £45. They are so comfy and have kept my tootsies warm during all the snow and ice.
Local Events
I have booked to see the Hairy Bikers in March. I’m not sure what to expect but hope they will show some good recipes. I am going with a friend who I first met a few years ago at the busstop each morning on the way to work. Ended up chatting, as you do, and she has become a good friend. Even looked after our cat when we first got him and he was too young to go to the cattery while we where on holidays. Last year we both had a bit of a go growing our own vegetables and this year we are going to do more and have pooled resources, and ideas.
Beauty Products
While making a start on clearing out our spare room I found lots of shower gel, shampoos etc. I don’t want to buy any more until I have used all the stuff I have. The only things I will buy are creams etc for my eczema.
Tuesday, 9 February 2010
Update
New list is now up (once I figure out how to put it down the side of my blog!) still need one more challenge so have got my thinking cap on. Just to remind you that I had to change some of the items on the list due to money or lack of it.
I have set a monthly budget of £200 to include food, cleaning and laundry products, cat food and litter and toiletries. Things like eating out and takeaways come from a different pot. I have no idea if we will keep to this but have to start somewhere. I am cooking meals from scratch and even made bread which was very heavy and reminded me of the scene in the film “About a Boy” where he throws the bread to the ducks and it kills one. OH begged for some shop brought bread and have managed to get it all from the whoopiesd shelf so far.
I’m also trying to waste less too and use left overs. I got lots of meals from one medium chicken
It did: Roast chicken dinner x 3 portions
Chicken and leek pie x 4 portions
Chicken sandwich x 1
Chicken soup x 4 portions
I did a large online shop at the beginning of January with just buying fresh veg, fruit and milk plus any whoopies I come across, that I know we will use. I was thinking of getting an online shop each month but think I might try and go 6-8 weeks. The main things I get from online is cat food and litter and tinned food, as we don’t own a car these things can be heavy to carry.
I am also recording what we spend out money on to see if there is any pattern. When I did this a few years ago I found when we just popped to the local shops for one item such as milk we always came back with a few other things that we didn’t need. So hopefully doing this again may help us to make further cutbacks.
I have set a monthly budget of £200 to include food, cleaning and laundry products, cat food and litter and toiletries. Things like eating out and takeaways come from a different pot. I have no idea if we will keep to this but have to start somewhere. I am cooking meals from scratch and even made bread which was very heavy and reminded me of the scene in the film “About a Boy” where he throws the bread to the ducks and it kills one. OH begged for some shop brought bread and have managed to get it all from the whoopiesd shelf so far.
I’m also trying to waste less too and use left overs. I got lots of meals from one medium chicken
It did: Roast chicken dinner x 3 portions
Chicken and leek pie x 4 portions
Chicken sandwich x 1
Chicken soup x 4 portions
I did a large online shop at the beginning of January with just buying fresh veg, fruit and milk plus any whoopies I come across, that I know we will use. I was thinking of getting an online shop each month but think I might try and go 6-8 weeks. The main things I get from online is cat food and litter and tinned food, as we don’t own a car these things can be heavy to carry.
I am also recording what we spend out money on to see if there is any pattern. When I did this a few years ago I found when we just popped to the local shops for one item such as milk we always came back with a few other things that we didn’t need. So hopefully doing this again may help us to make further cutbacks.
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