Butter Chicken Cooking Sauce ... Used at Last!!

I have had a sachet of Butter Chicken Cooking Sauce in my store cupboard for such a long time, so this week I decided that it was time to make use of it, and in the process use a couple of tins from the cupboard too.  So I added a tin of carrots (they were only 18 months out of date 😄) and a tin of chickpeas. 

It looked a bit sad with no flashes of green, so I added a big handful of mixed vegetables from the freezer, I should have added a couple of spinach pellets too but I didn't think of that until I was eating it much later.

Once it was all cooked together I decided to whizz it up with my stick blender into a nice thick curry sauce.  I do like smooth sauces and smooth soups, I'm not one for lots of things floating in a sauce, although Alan is.

It made five perfect sized portions for me.  I wasn't in the mood for rice by the time I had made the sauce and washed all the pots, so I had it with a lovely fresh roll ... with perhaps a bit too much spread, but it was delicious.

I put two of the remaining portions into the fridge and the other two into the freezer, so that I didn't need to rush to eat them.

I still didn't fancy rice the next day, so I decided to make some Curry Pasties with one of the pots of curry from the fridge.  I chopped all the potatoes into quarters and stirred them into the curry sauce, diluting it slightly as it had thickened up.  The ready rolled pastry was from the freezer, and originally from Mum's bungalow when we shared out her frozen foods between us and my brother.

Tip of the Day 1 - Roll your ready rolled pasty out a little bit thinner, it always cooks and tastes so much better.

Tip of the Day 2 -  Roll it out between the paper it came on and a liner from a cereal packet, that way you don't have to add any additional flour, which would make it tougher.

Tip of the Day 3 - Cook your pastry products on the same paper that the pastry came wrapped in.  It saves you using baking parchment or having a messy tray to wash.

I managed to make four pasties, one of them split open so I ate it straight away, before I had even taken a photo, I should have remembered the photo though it actually looked quite nice with all the filling visible.  I then gave two of the pasties to Alan for his tea and ate the other one myself ... two meals half an hour apart ... why not!!

I had the tiniest portion that just wouldn't it into the pasties so I saved it ...

... and had it on a piece of buttered toast for my lunch the next day.

It was surprisingly tasty this way.

The other portion of curry sauce was eaten nice and simply with a portion of Basmati rice and peas, and was very filling.  Sadly, there is no photo of this either ... gosh I've been a bad blogger this week ... but I'm sure you can imagine it.  😄

One pouch of Butter Chicken Sauce, which I rate really highly in terms of flavour, ingredients and price ... and lots of lovely meals made from it.  Also, in finding that link above I have just discovered that it is currently on offer in Sainsbury's, so I think I will have to stock up on a few of them if I can.

Sue xx

Another Week of Minimal Shopping

 

Just another week of minimal shopping.  I need to make a list of things to buy with the remaining money on my Sainsbury's gift card, but in the meantime Alan wanted to shop at Aldi yesterday morning, so I went with him.

I didn't need a lot, so I didn't get a lot.  The large cucumbers were just 10p more than the 'normal' sized cucumbers, and they were tiny, skinny little things, so I went large.

The receipt for posterity.  

It comes in handy having the prices on my blog posts for comparison over the years, mostly the prices go up but every now and then there is a nice little surprise reduction ... none that I can see on here though.

I bought the oats to refill this jar once I get right to the bottom.  

I've been eating weetabix most days since our holiday, but I'm starting to fancy some porridge again now that the mornings are so much cooler.  I don't like warm milk on weetabix, I've never been able to eat any cereal that way.  My Mum used to have hot milk on her corn flakes when I was little, but I never understood the attraction.

 I did, however, quite like the idea of myself with the Ready Brek glow.

Sue xx

Leaves and Sausage Rolls

 

Travelling up and down the motorway on Sunday to go and visit Mum we were treated to the full display of mostly British trees giving us their autumnal displays.  The colours are just starting to really stand out and it always makes me happy.

We were also treated to the sight of a squirrel having a snack in front of my car before I pulled away from the car park at the care home.  I didn't want to disturb him by starting the engine so we just watched ... he was literally 'having a break and having a KitKat'.  If you are from the UK you will remember the adverts for that particular chocolate bar, although they never mentioned squirrels!!  😄

We struck lucky with our 'freebie' timings at Greggs when we stopped at the services on the way home.  We had enough on the app to qualify us for a free coffee, a free sausage roll and a free doughnut.  It meant we got our Sunday lunch for two people for just £7.10.  

Out in our garden everything looks fresh and washed after Storm Amy, the stones remind me of being on Llandudno beach and all the plants seem to have come back to life.  Weirdly my Hydrangea has put out another white flower, just as all the others are in their Autumn colours.

A final hurrah to see the season out.

I'm also loving the colour of the leaves on my blueberry bush.  It will be a plant pot full of twigs in a few weeks so I am enjoying it while it lasts.  

I love seeing the garden readying itself for the Winter, I think we all need to take time to wind down a bit and lay dormant for a while.

Sue xx

Questions ... and Answers

 

I realised after answering a question from Bovey Belle yesterday, that there may be many more of you, especially all my newer readers, who may have questions about various things that I post regularly about.  

BB had asked me specifically about non-food item shopping and did I buy it separately from the food.  I forgot to answer part of your question ... yes, I am using mostly frozen vegetables at the moment, alongside tinned vegetables.

Anyway, I thought I would do a very quick lazy post encouraging anyone that wants to, ask any questions that they have been wondering about in the comments section, and within reason I will answer them all there.

Sue xx

Autumn's Softer Rhythm

 

Art by Paco Yao

 Autumn's Softer Rhythm  

Relaxing in autumn

feels like sinking

into a softer rhythm,

the world slowing

beneath drifting leaves.

The air carries

a gentle crispness,

cool enough to wake the senses,

calm enough

to invite stillness.

Colors glow warmly,

as if the trees

exhale their final breath of beauty

before winter’s quiet.

Beside me,

a steaming cup of coffee awaits,

a good book rests open,

companions to the hush.

In this season,

to sit,

to breathe,

to simply be,

feels like enough.

~ ‘Autumn’s Softer Rhythm’ by Spirit of a Hippie

Mary Anne Byrne

Shared because I loved it so much, I hope you do too.  💛

Sue xx

Free Food, Bargains and Final Pickings

 

My 1st October shopping from Sainsbury's.

I had a £100 Sainsbury's gift card to use that I had acquired by taking out a Pure Cremation funeral plan. Me, Alan and my brother all did this so that Mum would get £300 in gift cards for recommending people. As my Mum doesn't need much  these days except soap and shampoo, Graham kept just one of the hundreds as a Sainsbury's card to keep her supplied, and with my permission used the other £200 plus his own £100 for taking out his funeral plan to go towards a much needed new laptop from Curry's.  Alan chose a Marks and Spencer's gift card and bought himself all new underwear and a couple of t-shirts.

Well anyway I digress, with far too much background information.  Here's what a smidge over £50 of my gift card bought me.  After reading so much online and in the news about coffee prices due to really shoot up soon, I thought I would stock up on next years coffee supply, this winter's lip salves and a decent stock of dairy-free cheeses.  I also bought a few other things that I had almost run out of.

I didn't want to blow it all in one fell swoop as I wanted to see what I had in my longer term storage cupboard and see if more coffee would be good idea, or did I need something else.  When I got home I found I already had one and a half of this sized jars, so at the rate I think I use coffee I reckon that is a nine month supply. I might just hang fire a bit and see if a decent coffee offer appears later this month.  

There was a coffee offer on at the moment but that was on the 200g jars, and looking at the shelf edge label in store this was still quite a bit more expensive per 100g than my jars.  So not quite the brilliant Nectar offer it proclaimed itself to be.

Tip of the Day:  Always check the shelf edge label for the price per 100g, or mls whenever possible.

They didn't have any organic eggs in Sainsbury's for some reason, so I nipped round to Booths for my preferred ones, and managed to find myself two £1 books on the charity book table.  These have been on my radar for a while and have been recommended by many people.  There were a lot of really good books there but I restrained myself admirably.  😁

Once I got home and put the shopping away, I decided to pick the remaining rhubarb.  That's the last from my two plants for this year, and the garden suddenly looks a little bare.  Once lightly stewed with a bit of brown sugar, I got another five takeaway sized tubs of rhubarb for the freezer, two for Alan and three for me. 

That should keep me going for a while.

Then yesterday I picked the last of the tomatoes.  With the weather turning really bad this weekend I wanted them in and out of the way.  Now they are in the fridge, while I decide if their fate is chutney or something else.  🍅

Here's to a weekend of mostly staying in and staying cosy as Storm Amy is set to hit our area over Friday night and Saturday.

Sue xx

The Freebies I Got Last Month

At the end of every month on my Instagram account I used to share the freebies that I had managed to collect over the course of the month.  Now, while it is easy to scroll though photos and photos of napkins and sugar sachets on Insta it might be quite a different kettle of fish on my blog.

But here for posterity is last months collection of acquisitions.  All gathered legally and to save them going to landfill unwanted and unused.  I'll explain them all this month, to give you an idea of how I collect them.

For instance in the top photo - Alan chose a tomato ketchup sachet to go with his Booths bacon bun, but decided not to use it, he used one sachet of sugar instead of his usual two, and the napkins were leftovers, they always seem very generous giving you one each and at least one spare. 

I have a Dobbie's card which entitles me to two free coffees per month, along with many other perks.  We nearly always manage to visit and pick up our freebies.  It was my Dad who introduced us to the wonderful art of enjoying outings in retirement and getting free coffees with membership cards.

Another day another Booths breakfast, this time for some reason Alan chose brown sauce when he was asked for his preference ... he rarely eats this, and I really don't like it.  I might use it to flavour a soup or a curry, or pass it on to my son who loves the stuff.  😕

Napkins and a sugar sachet.

Another napkin and more sugar.

The white sugar was off someone else's tray, they left it behind when they went ... I'm getting a little bit braver at doing this.

I always bring home unused napkins, otherwise they are swept into the bin when the tables are cleared along with everything else.  Far better for them to be used at home and then thrown away than to not be used at all.

I have not had to buy any paper kitchen towel rolls since December of last year thanks to this new habit of mine.  I use my collection of rescued napkins for any messier jobs, and keep my one roll of kitchen paper for anything food related.

Two little sugars.

A single tomato ketchup sachet.

I only use tomato ketchup on sausage or 'bacon' butties, so having a couple of these in my little stash means I don't have a bottle of ketchup going off before it can all be used up.

Just a couple of napkins, but always worth bringing home.

I have the Greggs app on my phone and while we have been stopping at the motorway services at least twice a week for the past two years, it means that we have been able to enjoy quite a few free coffees and sausage rolls by gradually building up the required purchases in each category.  It's buy nine and get one free, so when there are two of you ... and occasionally three ... enjoying sausage rolls and coffee, this soon adds up.

This month I had a free sausage roll to enjoy, is it just me or do they taste even better when no money changes hands.  😀

A couple more napkins for the stash.

Sugars and salt.

 Alan had forgotten to ask for them when he bought us some coffees and chips at Booths one lunchtime, so he went back to rectify this.  They nearly always give you far more than you actually need when they hand them over this way.

Mayo and napkins, I never say no to mayo!!

This one seems excessive, but it was due to Alan telling me he was getting one thing and then getting another, and me being the one gathering the cutlery and condiments.  

Nothing will go to waste though.

So these photos were usually to be found on my Instagram page, if you are interested in seeing what we get each month I can continue to share, but if not this is a good round up of what is usually added to my stash, and it can stay on my blog for posterity.

Sue xx

The Books That I Read in September

 

Walking Home by Simon Armitage

I started the month of September by finishing this book.  It was a really good read and I did enjoy it, although I think it suffered a little because I seemed to lose my reading mojo halfway through it with everything that has been going on in our lives.

As you can see quite clearly from the cover he walks the Pennine Way, unusually he walks it in reverse heading for his home, and on each evening of his journey he 'sings for his supper' by reading from his poetry books and collecting donations.

I have Simon's next book on my shelves, which is called 'Walking Away'.  In this next one he is walking the South West Coast Path.  I actually first found out about Simon through one of my favourite books The Salt Path, as Moth was mistaken for him a few times on their walk.  It was a happy discovery.

This book has now been donated.

Preloved by Lauren Bravo

This book appealed to me as quite a lot of my working life was spent volunteering at and then managing charity shops.  It is written in a really unusual style, with mini chapters interspersing the main story to tell the background of various donated items.  It pays to remember the items that you are reading about as virtually all of them then tie back to the main story in one way or another.

A relaxing and enjoyable read, but it took me quite a while as we had so much going on ... and I spent far too long playing on my phone in my downtime.

This book has been donated.

My final quick read of the month was this vegan cookbook.

It was more of a very big magazine than a cookbook really, and as such I can find no link to share with you for it.  I think I actually got it free with something that I ordered a long time ago.  It had remained unread on my kitchen shelf for far too long.

While a lot of the recipes and most of the information was very good, I didn't feel the need to keep it as I have far too many vegan and plant-based cookbooks that I use regularly.  There are only so many cookbooks that I actually need.  

I never thought I would hear myself say those words, let alone commit them to print!!

This book has been donated.

I have been a bit dismayed at my lack of reading recently, so in a bid to stop myself wasting time on my phone and encourage me to pick up my latest book I have actually deleted my Instagram account.  Sorry to all of you who followed me on there.  It was fun to share things with you while it lasted but I think from now on I will share the things that used to appear solely on there with my blog instead.

Here's to rainy days, cups of hot coffee and reading the days away.  💖

Sue xx

I would just like to point out, that although I try provide links to Amazon for all the books that I read each month, not all my books are actually bought from Amazon.  If they are some of them were bought from the Used section rather than at full price.  

I share the links so that you can learn more about the books that I write about for yourself, or read reviews from other people that have read them to get a more balanced view.  Of course most of the books I talk about would also be available from your local library, and if you are very lucky you might even find them in charity or thrift shops.  

There are so many ways to bring books into your home if you love reading. 📚

October

Bliss - Lucy Almey Bird

This month's picture on my calendar, it's so cosy and atmospheric isn't it.

We're about to lose our internet for the day so I will have to vanish now ... sorry!!

Sue xx

Conkers ... Also Known as Horse Chestnuts

 

It's that time of the year, the week or so when Alan walks the streets and around the local park looking for conkers.  This year while I was driving us home from visiting Mum, he spied a LOT of very large Horse Chestnut trees on the main road not too far out of town, so he has enjoyed a few walks and conker gathering trips over the past week as they are currently at their peak of perfection.

We now have them on all our windowsills and in the doorways, we have taken some to Mum's empty bungalow and distributed them evenly there too.  The rest, of which there are many, are double wrapped in bags in both our freezers.

WHY?

Yes, I hear you asking.  Well, Alan's Mum Jessie always had conkers as spider deterrents on all her windowsills.  She explained it all to me in great detail many years ago, when I plucked up the courage to ask about her unusual window decorations.  I sort of scoffed a little ... in private, never upset your future Mum-in-Law ... until I tried it for myself in our large spider infested farmhouse, which was situated in the centre of acres of farmland.

It worked, the spiders were vastly diminished, so I have done it myself every year since.  It keeps her memory alive in a very special way and seems to keep the spiders away too.

You can also use conkers to make an eco liquid washing detergent.  Nancy Birtwistle has a very good recipe for this.  https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1Bdnn2aAGu/

I've never tried this, maybe I should. 

https://youtu.be/4GaGw73LijM?si=w7K-apGtmTOKkbXr

Of course you could also do the traditional British thing of actually having a game of Conkers.  😄

Sue xx

Real Retirement, Selling the Office Stuff

 

Alan is now embracing his retirement and relishing the late mornings and time to do things, it's taken him a while to settle into this.  He was supposed to retire in 2017, but as most of you know that didn't come to pass and our plans unexpectedly took a dramatic change.

Now he has one more trip back to headquarters to hand back his security passes and secure laptop and then that is completely IT!!

As all the work from home has now ended he has been sorting through his office over the last two weeks, shredding all the confidential documents and disposing of other less sensitive stuff.  Now that he no longer needs a desk that is almost seven foot long, he has moved the things that he still needs into the small box bedroom in his house.  Instead of a new smaller desk, he now has a kitchen worktop balanced on two of our old short filing cabinets to fill the window wall of the room completely, and his big desk has been listed on Facebook Marketplace.

As has this little set of office drawers which has moved house with us five times.  I'm not even slightly sad to see them both go.  Now when we come to sell this house the 'office' can be shown as a proper double bedroom which will hopefully be so much nicer.

It feels like the end of an era and the start of something much better.

My 'office' remains at it is, as I mostly worked from the little breakfast bar in my kitchen unless we were working together recording training courses.  So now it can be my 'blogging desk'.  😄

Sue xx

Spending Money, Saving Money

 

Booths - 24th - £23.64

After my trip to the hairdressers first thing on Wednesday morning, I called to Booths for a little mooch around the shelves.  I don't tend to be able to do that when Alan is shopping too, it's straight in and straight out and grab what I need if I'm quick enough.

But as you all know 'mooching' costs money, and although I only actually needed bread and milk I came out with quite a colourful little haul.  The chips and potato croquettes* were on a 'buy two get one free' offer, so I just had too!!

*  It turned out the croquettes had milk in them, so Alan got a free gift.

26th - Barton Grange Farm Shop - £15.96  😧

Then yesterday we went to Barton Grange Garden Centre for lunch, it's just five minutes up the road from us, so it's another regular place that we visit.  After a stroll through the shop admiring the Christmas displays which are just appearing in all their glory ... it's a favourite destination for coach loads of people in the run up to the festive season, and throughout Summer of course ... we had a light lunch and then finished off in the farm shop as Alan wanted some milk.

He bought my Veggie Curry Pasty and Red Onion Marmalade for me, and I paid for my own Fruity Meercats ... they are quickly turning into a bit of an addiction so I can't let Alan keep paying for them!!

In the café, Alan had a salad and a cake, while I just chose a sandwich, so he talked me into a 'pudding',  I chose an Oat Biscuit, unfortunately as I suspected I would be, I was much too full after the sandwich so the biscuit came home and provided my supper.

A quick food review.

These chips are absolutely delicious!!

And while they may seem to be expensive at £2.60 a pack, I worked out that after sharing a pack with Alan this week, with a breaded fish portion each and a large serving of peas, it was a quarter of the price that we paid for our tea at the chip shop the week before, and it was much, much tastier.

However, half a pack was slightly too much for me, so I split the other pack into three portions and froze them for future use.

Now they are double wrapped and nestled in the freezer.

Sue xx