A Morning Out in Morecambe

 

After a week of working hard at the bungalow, mostly on his own, Alan needed a break and some nice fresh air.  So with the temperatures going down nicely, and a weekend virtually to ourselves we headed off for breakfast in Morecambe last Saturday.

And that was just what we did, had breakfast in one of our favourite cafés, Ralphy's and then went for a circular walk on the prom.

We stopped to read the billboard, telling us about the coming Eden Project North.

It's been promised for so long, and was stuck in the planning stages for years.  Alan was hoping that they would have broken ground on the development and there would be something to see.  Unfortunately, there was no sign of anything happening yet, although it had been reported on social media that they were starting in June.  

It will be very good for the regeneration of the town and it's tourist trade when it finally happens.

https://youtu.be/whhHTVQH44o?si=qFlejGcgdmXBGLxd

We bench-hopped along the prom and stopped for a while to look out to sea, it was such a beautifully clear day and we were playing 'spot the Cumbrian town' on the opposite side of the bay.

Sometimes you just need a little seaside break to clear your head and re-invigorate yourself, ready for some more hard work the following week.

Sue xx

Art, and Mixed Fruit Jelly

 

Tea, toast and marmalade - Artist Lucy Almey Bird

It's that time of year again for me, time to dig out all the fruit peelings, cores and random bits from the freezer where they have been added to for months, and make up a batch of Compost Heap Jelly ... only this year I have renamed it Mixed Fruit Jelly as there was so much good fruit in there too that would never have ended up on the compost heap.

I assembled all the bits well over a week ago and chopped some extras up.

They simmered away nicely on the hob ...

... then I discovered a tub of extra blueberries in the freezer so these were added and I kept it all puttering away for quite a bit longer.

After a night of dripping away through a jelly bag and into a large bowl, the resulting liquid was stored in the fridge ... for well over a week, it was just too hot to be stood at the hob boiling up any sort of jam or jelly.

With the weather having cooled considerably now I got it out this morning and boiled up the beautifully coloured jelly.

Three and a half jars of beautiful tasty Mixed Fruit Jelly.  Alan is very happy with his two jars, he loves this stuff, no matter what the colour and what the flavour.  I think it just reminds him of our smallholding days when we had jars and jars of jewel coloured preserves lined up in the cupboard.

Sue xx

Shopping and Shopping Bags

 

My little black fold-up bag is probably one of the hardest working things I have owned for years.  

I bought it way back in 2013 when we first moved to North Wales and I shopped regularly in Marks and Spencer in Llandudno.  I had simply forgotten my shopping bag one day and didn't want to buy a plastic carrier bag, so a reusable bag that was actually made from recycled plastic and sold at the checkouts seemed like a very good idea.  It used to tell me all this information on the bag, but after thirteen years of constant use the words have faded as has the logo for M&S.

Anyway it came with me yesterday, as it always does, to Aldi and held all this shopping with ease.

14th - Aldi - £16.97

Once again my shopping included some things I don't usually buy, as some of them were for Alan's lunches ... not the Tasty Licks I hasten to add, they are most definitely for Ginger.🐱

Once the bag was unpacked, my bag was refolded and is now happily living in my handbag until next time.

11th - Booths - £52.96

A couple of days earlier I had shopped at Booths for some things we needed and some treats. The shopping was away and in the cupboard and fridge before I even though of taking a photo, so once again there is just a photo of the receipt for posterity. It's proving to be much more expensive to shop for both of us for two meals a day ... especially when there is a hard working man begging for treats.  

 But it's not a problem, he deserves them all.  😄

Sue xx

Towel Rails and Underfloor Heating

Alan fitted the electric towel rail/radiators this week while the electricians were there to sign off his work.  Mine is in chrome to match all the chrome elements of my shower room.

While Alan's is in matt black to match all the black elements of his bathroom. 

It's good to have some form of radiator in the bungalow, as these will be the only place to dry knickers and socks when you need them in a hurry after washing things in the colder, wetter weather of Winter. 😄

Can you even imagine colder, wetter weather at the moment, I know I can't!! 

The reason for the lack of any other radiators in the bungalow is because we are having underfloor heating.  Alan has been working out the layout of all the mats on the floor this week.  He is hoping to start the gluing down of them either today or tomorrow, then the pipes will be inserted into their positions next week, ready to be tiled over.

Laying them out ahead of time means that he can double check that he has enough of the straights and  curves as well as the blanks that he needs to cover all the floors.  

It appears that there are indeed enough of what we need.

It's all coming together nicely.

But I am very impressed by my very skilled husband.

Sue xx

 

A Week of Lunches

 

Lunch 1 - Homemade Vegetable Soup and a toasted crust of bread.

My lunches, frequently also called dinners here up North ... .with me it depends what mood I am in ... are quite simple affairs.  I've been trying to get away from just sandwiches at every midday meal and have also been attempting to use up the bitty bits from the fridge and freezer at lunchtime.  The more I delve in the freezer drawers the more I seem to find.

Also leftovers, and the last one or two of anything make for brilliant lunches.  

Lunch 2 - Fishfinger Butty and homegrown tomatoes.

Lunch 3 - Leftover Rice and Roasted Vegetables.

Lunch 4 - A Tomatoey Vegetable Medley

Lunch 5 - Homemade Soup and half a Garlic Bread

Lunch 6 - A Sausage Bun with Ketchup

One thing most of my, and our meals have had in common this past couple of weeks has been the addition of courgette.  We are in the midst of a yellow courgette glut and I am determined to keep up with the output this year.

Sometimes just a few slices and sometimes a whole lot more.

Lunch 7 - A Vegetable Omelette

It's been a very tasty seven days.  Now I have just started on a 'Week of Teas' ... we will see how long it takes me to photograph seven nights of evening meals.  I keep forgetting ... I have a lot on my mind ... but no-one wants to see a half eaten plate of food, so I will persevere.  😄

What is your favourite type of lunch?

Sue xx