Lazy start to the day, cup of tea in bed, another cup of tea in the garden, another cup of tea browsing t'internet - you get the picture!
Today, I have to go to the library. I have reserved a copy of 'Hovel in the Hills' as recommended by the peeps on the OS board at moneysavingexpert. Well, you didn't think I was going to BUY a copy, did you?
Then a browse around the charity shops - I need (as opposed to 'want'!) some plain white t-shirts to wear to work. Wearing an apron all day in the cookery room makes me hot (as if my age isn't doing that already!!) so I wear t-shirts even in the depths of winter.
Must go to the local butchers and get some mince (home-made burgers and bolognese), a gammon joint (Sunday dinner with roast potatoes, yorkie puds and cauliflower cheese) and some bacon (CBA dinner - egg, bacon and chips!). I meal-plan every week - I did this even before it became fashionable! I like to be organised and know that I have everything for the week. Less chance then of having to 'pop to the shops for milk' and come out £20 lighter because I 'fancied' biscuits/cheese/wine etc. Every little helps........ keep my money out of their pockets!
Managed to get a red cabbage reduced to 26p yesterday. I'm going to pop it in the slowcooker all day today, then freeze ready for Christmas Dinner. Organised, or what!!!!!
Shred the cabbage finely. Peel, core and chop the cooking apple. Peel and dice the onion
Layer in the slowcooker with 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves, 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 clove finely chopped garlic, 3 tablespoons brown sugar, 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar and some freshly grated nutmeg.
Add 25g butter. Because this is cooking in the slowcooker, I also added a little water. Cook on low all day. Hey Presto - Christmas preparations started....
And where are all these peelings going? Correct - in the compost bin to rot down and provide my vegetable garden next year with the richest compost ever.
And so the cycle continues....
I shall be keeping an eye out over the next few weeks for sprouts and parsnips reduced so that they can be blanched and prepped for the freezer. I also have a glut of eggs at the moment, so will probably make a couple of dozen yorkshire puddings which freeze well and only need a few minutes in a hot oven to crisp up again. Not that they will last until Christmas though!!!
Have you started your Christmas preparations yet? I will be thinking about my Christmas cake soon....
I am a huge library user. Our library has a 'suggestions list' so I have also ordered reads they don't already stock. It is also great for movies.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to attempt a Christmas cake. Would you be interested in sharing your recipe?
:)
I would be glad to share my recipe. Watch this space.....
DeleteWe have a tiny library here, and they dont have much in the way of decent books, which is a shame. If you have a Lidl near you, they are doing Parsnips this weekend for 59p a pack :)
ReplyDeleteI make a really simple fruit cake for my christmas cake..but cant remember the recipe this year, so am on the hunt for another one.
Must start doing my Christmas food shop soon, as i hate leaving it till the last minute, the shops are always so busy!
Love the cabbage idea!
I use the library all the time. We are lucky to have a fairly large one here. I have to actually diarise the return date as have been caught out with hefty late fines in the past. It kind of defeats the object of borrowing books rather than buying them!!
DeleteI don't make a 'full-on' Christmas cake as we find them too rich, but will probably use a farmhouse fruit cake recipe - just got to decide which one this year!