Grub and 3 legs

Vegetable Lasagne. Try it. It's luverly:o)

We sauteed a few onions, garlic. Added some chopped up celery, potatoes...pea sized...and carrots...and a can of chickpeas. Sploshed in some basil, parsley (a few ground up fennel seeds are nice in this) tomato puree, a couple tins of tomatoes. (I always use whole, plum toms...'cos i hate the hundreds of stalks you seem to end up with when you use chopped, tinned toms). Let this lot bubble away for 15 mins. Season. Layer up in a baking dish. Some of the sauce at the bottom, then lasagne....stops it sticking to the bottom. Layer it all up and top with a white, spicy sauce...we used a creamy gouda but you could obviously leave with out to veganise it. I always add plenty of freshly ground black pepper to this. Bake at 190c for 40 mins. The lasagne sheets were lovely and chewy:o) It made LOADS!!....enough for three meals:o)

Don't have a photo. Batteries conked out, again!!

We have got cat no 13 coming soon. A poor little 3 legged mog who has been living on the streets with her kittens - who have now mysteriously disappeared!! How can people not take the poor thing in when it's plainly starving and needing shelter? Anyway, I have my beady eye on a potential home for this little sweetie. Good job big bro doesn't read this blog!! lol

A friend of ours has taken some homeless kittens in on behalf of a pet charity. "No room at the Inn", sort of scenario at the pet rescue place so the homeless kitties get fostered, where possible, until homes are found for them. She's got over a dozen, plus her own cats!! 30 in total!! The other week some girls brought a little female to her. They had seen some boys (with IQs seemingly on par with the proverbial plank of wood) kicking it about, so they intervened and rescued it. It was yet another stray. You could see the trainer marks on the poor cat's head where the youths had booted her! She obviously needed painkillers. Poor thing. Anyway, she is recovering and is now a permanent member of the feline family (no 19) at friend's:o) Friend will not risk letting her go through anything like that again. So, lucky little cat has taken up residence in the loft bedroom:o) The house is spotless, by the way, even with all the pets.

Today, on the home ed front, we're attempting to build a radio! Should be interesting:o)

RIP

Been perusing the news and am so sad.

I've just read that Keith Floyd has died. He was my favourite tv chef. Flamboyant and shambolic. So funny at times. I used to watch his Floyd on Fish series each week. He got me in to cooking, even though I never cooked fish! lol

And then, if that isn't bad enough, poor Patrick Swayze has gone, too:o( He always struck me as a gentleman. Honourable and all that.

Bullies

I keep getting these nasty, bullying letters from the tv licensing people.

They threaten me with allsorts. 

According to them. I must buy a tv license.  

I am not going to buy a tv license.

Why?

Because we do not watch tv or have any connection to tv here.  We only watch dvds.

Still, the bullying letters regularly land on our door mat.

Bollocks!!

Go and bully someone else.  

I am not going to pay for a service that I don't have and don't want to use.

If we want to watch something, then we go to someone else's house and watch it there.  It is usually a non-BBC channel, too.

I'm not going to telephone an expensive number to explain my self...or waste postage, time after time.

Little Treasures

These are the little teapots from a recent jumble sale that we attended. Cute, aren't they?
This one is my favourite


But it was the colour of this one that drew me to them all

Little cottage

Go them all, plus more, for 50p! lol

Mother wanted this one

She got this plant pot (and lavender plant, which she's put somewhere else) for 50p!

I tried to do a copy of something on Grit's blog...see the post about Grit's twisted family.  My subject is alive and kicking..albeit a pain up the arse at times!!

All these books. 50p the lot! There are some wonderful, old sayings and rhymes in some of these.



The items of clothing bought for less than a quid...destined to be transformed into a couple of patchwork cushion covers by Junior:o)

We've been out and about in our new car. It's lovely to have 'freedom' again. Away from relying on expensive public transport. "Tis really different...going from a BIG jeep to a little automatic...bit like driving a dodgem!! lol But, hey...it has a sunroof and a crappy radio..but the tape player works. Junior was peeing her pants today, at my rendition of Ariel...of Dean Freidman fame. OK. I know nobody has heard of him as it was sooooo long ago, but I enjoyed myself:o)

Yesterday, Son no 2 vsited, with grandchild of Min:o) We spend a few hours at Mother's. Was nice to see them both. Little one is coming on leaps and bounds and is a bright little thing:o) Mother plied us with food, as per usual. Came back stuffed. Little one likes garlic sausage, new potatoes and quavers:)

Bargains and Car

Junior has been exploring the computer.  

She can now make captions and put them on photos and so make her own comic or mag.  Just need to find my spare ink cartridges so she can print them up.

She's also discovered the joys of computer chess!  This surprises me as she's not known for her patience.  Anyway, she's teaching herself and is being repeatedly 'walloped' by her opponent.....the iMac!  Still, every day she soldiers on and gets better and better.  I bought her a chess set this weekend,  in pristine condition, from a jumble sale.  20p.  Bargain!!  One of her brothers was a school chess champion and she wants to beat him!!

I don't much care for it.  Used to play in my younger years, but I much prefer draughts.  We used to play with my Dad, who was a hilarious, serial, call your bluff cheat:o)  He'd make rules up as he went along and we ended up playing to these instead of the proper ones.  Hilarious.  We'd have a whale of a time, ping ponging, backwards and forwards across the board.  Dad also used to make other rules up as he went along, to assist himself in winning (especially against my younger brother, who was way too competitive).   Dad would titter away like a mischievous child:o).   He made it fun.   We always play to Dad's rules nowadays.  The normal ones are too boring!  lol

We came  back from the aforementioned jumble sale ladened with loads of goodies, some of them given for free!  From cat-loving stall holders:o)  Lots of ornamenty types, which Mother has commandered...but I don't mind.  Less dusting for moi!!  lol   There are some lovely, cute little novelty teapots.   Shall have to photo them.   They're all still at Mother's because old Rickety Joints here couldn't carry them home.  6 teapots, some crystal, figurines and loads of other odds and ends for...50p!!

I love jumbles and car boots. 

Also got some clothing...all in pristine condition.  The intention was to get some cotton/linen bits as Junior wants to make a patchwork cushion.  So, as patchwork was originally to make use and reuse scraps/old/unwanted clothing,  we picked up a few items in co-ordinating colours  at the jumble sale (and some for J's wardrobe).  Trouble is, now that they're home, they seem too good to cut up...even if they were only 30p each! (including a designer linen skirt)   But, they will have to do.  New quilting materials are just too expensive and it's a bit pointless spending money on these when you are trying to recycle, save money, etc.  So, like it or not, Junior's new patchwork cushion cover will be in differing hues of lavender and lilac.   I think they'll be really lovely, too. 

Even the mogs got something.... we bought a couple of lovely, fleecy jumpers for them to cuddle/sleep on, now that the nights are getting colder.. for 30p each.   They've washed up a treat.  Beats paying a fiver for a pet blanket or bed.  

Did I mention that I love jumble sales?  lol

Bro and bro in law are coming down tomorrow to build a wardrobe for Mother.  She's fed up of crinkly clothes.  Junior and I could put this wardrobe up, but she won't let us!  She fears for my joints.  Junior is a bit disappointed as she likes doing this sort of stuff.  Krypton Factor sort of figuring out stuff:o)  So, Mother has promised the boys a bit of old-fashioned cooking in return of their diy skills.  A traditional dish that we used to eat week in, week out in our Uki home....pyrogy!  Basically, little potato dumplings, slathered in melted butter and sauteed, chopped onions.  Delish   She's making 200.  I think that might just be enough:o)  lol  This is no mean feat for an 80 year old.  Making the pasta, rolling it out thinly (which is HARD work) and then cutting out into rounds and filling the buggers up with cheesy mashed potato:o)  Then there's the cooking!  Anyway, Junior will be 'helping'.  lol

We're excited, 'cos bro is also delivering our new car.  A joint friendly type.  Automatic.  He says it's a nippy little thing, having road tested it for ages.  He misses the big jeep that he's kindly let me borrow.  Bless.    We bought him some bits from the jumble sale, too.  A lovely sweater and a 'doom and gloom' book. (about WW2 airplanes and ships - he's into all that sort of stuff! )

We spent about a fiver on all we bought at the jumble.

I love jumble sales:o))  Did I mention that?  lol

Bean Salad

Junior likes the little exotic salad/side dishes that you can buy. You know, in the little plastic pots...and they usually cost a small fortune. They're in the chiller department of the supermarkets, along with stuff like houmus, beetroot salad, cous cous salads, etc.

Anyway, after forking out for one (and liking it muchly) we decided to try making our own so we can enjoy and save money to boot.

Bean Salad


We use frozen beans - mainly because fresh aren't available now and plus, frozen works out cheaper as it makes lots:o)

We use green beans, edamane (soya beans) and broad beans. The shop (Asda) bought version uses sugar snap peas instead of green beans.

You just cook in boiling water for a few minutes and then cool in iced water to keep the green colour. We pop the broad beans out of their thick skins too, but you don't have to do this..it's just that Junior prefers it that way (she also peels her grapes before she eats them, too!!)

The best part is the dressing. We just made this up from looking at the ingredient list on the shop bought version.  We use:-

2 tbs olive oil (We used 2 TSPS walnut oil instead last time and it was good)
2 tbs balsamic vinegar
4 tbs soy sauce
Clove of garlic..chopped finely
Half a thumb length of fresh ginger..grated finely..add the juice, too
1 small shallot - finely chopped
1 tsb of runny honey or agave nectar or maple syrup
A smidgeon of finely chopped red chilli (optional)

Stick all the dressing ingredients in a clean jam jar and shake to mix thoroughly. Season to taste. This is better if you make it in advance and let the flavours meld together.

Mix beans and dressing and enjoy.  It's nicer at room temperature, not too cold.

We made some this afternoon. A huge panful. There's me thinking it would last all weekend, but Junior has basically scoffed the lot. lol


Ringo taking up room on the sofa and posing, as usual:o)

Vitamin Wheel - too big for sidebar!