My Diary ... and a Warming 'Mince Mix'

 

For many years I kept a diary, a large A4 page to a view one usually.  I quite enjoyed the start of the year filling in of all the names and addresses, some personal information and any things that I needed to pull forward from one year to the next.  

Then I started finding that process tedious and slightly ridiculous so I reverted to my old, old way of a personal organiser.  It had been vital to have one of these when I managed two shops in two different towns and needed lots of information about both at my fingertips as I travelled between each of them numerous times a week.

For the past six years now I have just purchased a new 'diary section' for my organiser and all the other pages stay the same.  The names, addresses and phone numbers, the banking pages, the Christmas lists and birthday pages.  It also means that once I slip the new section in, I can put the previous years into the plastic bag the new one came in and my history takes up very little space in the drawer of my sideboard.

My old A4 diaries made a spectacular little bonfire before we moved house from Wales.  😀

Today has been bitterly cold so I kept myself busy in the kitchen making a 'mince mix' from store cupboard items.  Nothing complicated, just a bit of chopping then a lot of slow simmering to let the flavours develop.

It might not look much, but it tastes delicious.

Hopefully it will be nice and warming for Alan when he gets home later.  He's been out in the frosty, snowy weather helping the builder demolish the garage at the bungalow, ready for it being rebuilt next week.  He must be chilled to the bone.  I gave him firm instructions to take a break and either call home, which he hasn't done, or go to Booths for a fresh cup of coffee and a warm through.

I was going to turn the mix into the base for a Shepherdess Pie, but after being reminded in yesterdays comments that I have a couple of part-baked 'cook at home' baguettes waiting to be used, I might just serve it with one of those each for dunking and scooping purposes.

Sue xx

Shopping for My Daily Bread

 

I didn't really need to shop at all this week.  

True I was a bit low on bread or so I thought, I knew there were buns in the freezer.  I had totally forgotten that there was also a loaf purchased just before Christmas, so when I went to put the new one into the freezer ready for use as and when needed, one slice at a time, I found the older one. 

 I somehow managed to squeeze the new one in too ... the freezer is very full.  😐

I have a budget for the first half of this year of £10 a week for shopping, including food and toiletries etc. and a spare £10 each month to make a large purchase if needed, so a total of £50 a month as it were, with any change leftover at the end of the month being carried forwards.

I do also have an emergency 'pot', but I'll post about that another day. 💰

And while I didn't really need to shop for any food this week, I thought I would get myself some flour while we were in Booths for Alan's now seemingly regular Saturday morning bacon butty.  I have been itching to get back to making my own bread, possibly because I seem to have been watching lots of people making their own on various social media platforms.  I also watched a YouTube video about all the additives in so many of the breads we eat, including the seemingly healthy baked in-store loaves.

I think I have been influenced!!  😄

But there's something very satisfying about bread made with just flour, yeast, oil, water and salt isn't there.  So I now have all that I need to get back to my bread making roots.  

Anyway, even if I am going to be making some bread of my own, I did want a sliced loaf in the freezer for any toast emergencies that may arise.  So now I have two.  😁

 I was determined not to waste anything of the loaf currently in use.  I had eaten the last two slices for breakfast before we went to  Booths, so when we got back I crumbled up the two crusts of the loaf by hand and popped them into a tub for the freezer.  They will come in handy for coating something or adding to homemade burgers.

Alan purposefully said yes to a tomato ketchup to go with his bacon bun, even though he knew he wasn't going to use it.  I quizzed him about that and we had a really interesting conversation about the prices of café food and the things that are built into the prices that you pay.  We both agreed that anything that is usually offered i.e. sauces with buns or hot food, and sugars with coffees etc are most definitely included in the price you pay, and we should continue to say 'yes please' when asked.  But if they are not offered, we will not ask for things that we know we won't be using in the café at the time.

Doing this will continue to help me out over the course of this years extra frugality, but also salve my conscience twinges about taking too much.

Sue xx

The Year of the Horse

 

I've always had a passing interest in the Chinese years, also a slight interest in astrology, made more profound because virtually everything that I read about Aries people, of which I am one, seems to be so spot on.

I used to read the horoscopes in the paper many, many years ago.  Now it's just a passing interest if something comes up online and catches my attention.

Back in the days after my divorce had been finalised, and just before I met Alan I signed up for Yahoo Personals, the online dating site ... yep that's how we met, we were pioneers of online dating.  Back when it used to be a much safer place with no 'catfishing' and very little scamming.  One of the adverts that I replied to was from a guy called John, who advertised with:

Pisces Monkey seeking Aries Rat

I was intrigued, as no doubt was his plan, so I responded, well I am an Aries rat!!  We had a couple of dates, and the main ... no the sole ... conversation was about astrology and Chinese years, calendars, animals.  

I moved on as rats tend to do when there's nothing of interest on offer.  🐀

What is your astrology sign and Chinese animal year?

Sue xx

Same Old, Same Old, But in the New Year

 

There's definitely no New Year resolutions here, yes there are plans, but they pretty much are the same as they have always been.  

Take part in Veganuary, reassess my eating habits at the end of the month.  Spend as little money as possible to try and survive until the pension kicks in, so basically all the same old, same old that makes life easy, bearable and with a bit of a challenge.

When I was getting the grand and great-grandchildren's Christmas and birthday money out of my savings account I withdrew some extra cash for myself.  So I have a budget of £50 a month for the first four months of this year.  I have the usual couple of pounds worth of Nectar points that I will make use of in Sainsbury's, and a really useful £15 worth of M&S vouchers.

I also have £100 worth of Riverford Organic Veg Box vouchers that I won in a competition last year via the Vegetarian Society.  So I should be eating pretty well. 

I will be tipping any money that I have in my bag or pockets into my little emergency stash, which I have built up over the last couple of months from little sales on Facebook Marketplace. There's not a huge amount but it will all help, and of course there's my little 'change box' for when things get really tight.

So now it's time to do the start of the year financial housekeeping and check the bank balances, start a new page for monitoring things in my diary and pay off the credit card for the year.  Then we have a blank slate and a fresh start, it's a good feeling isn't it.

Sue xx

Shopping, Veganuary ... and Pyjamas

 

The final shopping photo of 2025.

I called to Sainsbury's and Aldi this morning for emergency Lemsip supplies for us both, and while I was in both shops I had a browse at their Veganuary offerings.  There were slim pickings in our little branches, but that wasn't really a problem as I didn't want to buy anything specific except some mayonnaise and I managed to get that in Aldi.  But I did buy a few extra things to pop into the freezer for those nights when I haven't the energy or the will to do much.

And the Apple Strudel called out my name as I passed by.  😁

So for January I will be taking part in Veganuary.   I decided a while ago that I would be going back to my vegan roots in 2026, and this seems like a good way to see if that really is what I want for the future.  Eating eggs and fish has worn thin with me, they brought me no visible or measurable health benefits and have just turned me into a lazy cook.

It's time to change things up a bit.

I'm signing off for the year now, so I will see you bright and fresh in the brand new, New Year.  

I would like to take this opportunity to thank every single one of you who have read along with my wacky, at times unexpected ramblings.  Thank those of you who leave comments, and occasionally suggestions and put up with my answering or not answering as time and whims dictate, and to say that I hope that each and every one of you have a calm and peaceful entrance into 2026.

I will be tucked up cosy and warm way before any bells ring for the New Year, so my party dress code is pyjamas.  😄

Happy New Year.

Sue xx