Making Good Use

The 'I Really Can't be A*sed to go to the Shops' Evening Meal

I could try kidding myself that our evening meal today has been put together with the idea of using up lots of leftover bits and pieces of food in a very frugal and organised manner.  However, that would definitely be telling 'porkies' as it has been devised from what was knocking about in the kitchen purely to save me from walking to the shops yet again. 

We'll be starting off with sweet potato and sweetcorn soup (oddly enough there always seems to be a sweet potato sitting forlornly alone on the shelf - luckily they don't seem to go off quickly), followed by stuffed tomatoes (an old favourite which I haven't made in yonks) with a rice salad (rice leftover from yesterday's evening meal with tinned tuna, the rest of the sweetcorn, some mayonnaise and a handful of dried raisins thrown in).  For pudding there will be the rest of yesterday's 'banana bread (not eaten before it went a bit dry), custard, fresh banana and a splash of Malibu' trifle - very yummy and deliciously decadent as a means of using up leftovers.  Tomorrow I really will have to get my a*se in gear and go shopping again as I've now run out of a) leftovers to use up and b) creative cookery ideas.

One way and another I never got round to showing the photo of some bread bags I made for my Mum a few weeks ago.

They were cut from the same embroidered tablecloth that I made this laundry bag from.  I was really pleased how all the bags turned out and I'll be keeping my eyes open for more embroidered linens that I wouldn't feel bad about cutting up.  The tablecloth was quite badly stained in places so I didn't mind attacking it with a pair of scissors. 

The Social Event of the Year

When you're hosting the social event of the year it is always difficult knowing what to wear.  Doubly so when you're going to be six and the event is being held at the local junior gym.  Obviously something comfortable yet stylish will be needed so that you can throw yourself around on the gym equipment with suitable gusto, yet you also need to ensure that everyone knows you are the birthday boy, indeed you are 'king for the day.'

Surely the answer to all your sartorial problems is a handmade birthday crown, in your favourite colour - purple.  (Being modelled here by a large desk lamp, crowns are difficult little devils to photograph easily.)

And when you will be hosting not one but two birthday events you, of course, need a second crown - this time in two-tone blue.  After all, one simply can't be seen in the same outfit twice.

 

Purple Haze

The wisteria is out and looking totally gorgeous at the moment and, sitting under it all on the newly-moved garden bench, I'm realising for the first time that it is actually scented too.

This is the view from the bench.  I just wish wisteria lasted a little longer as I could happily look at that beautiful sight all summer long.

Don't be fooled by the lovely sunshine, it is pretty nippy outside today with a very strong N/N Easterly blowing.  A good day for drying the washing but not so good for enjoying the wisteria.

A Winner and a Find

First up the 'virtual hat' (this time my Mum via the telephone) picked comment number five as the winner.  Sharie, if you're reading this you're the winner, let me have your address and I'll get the bag, dishcloth and some other bits and bobs in the post to you on Monday. 

I arrived back in Essex yesterday afternoon, it's only a flying visit really as I'll be back in Bristol in two weeks for my boy's sixth birthday party.  Oh my goodness, he is SOOOO looking forward to his birthday this year and as I was personally invited by the birthday boy himself months ago I couldn't possibly not attend.  Meanwhile, I've got plenty of housework, garden work, washing, ironing, shopping, cooking etc to catch up on here.  Naturally, a trip to the high street this morning included a look around the three charity shops.  Nothing of any interest to me in the first two and I hesitated about going into the third one as I know the VERY aggressive helper is in there on Friday mornings.  Sure enough, I'd no sooner got inside the door than she imperiously commanded me to place my umbrella in a bucket in case it dripped on the floor.  As my brolly was jammed down the side of the shopping trolley and so was only depositing any drips directly into my trolley, I declined her offer.  I'm very glad I did go in though as I found nine balls of Rowan Cotton Glace.

I feared asking what the price was as Mrs Aggressive makes up the prices as she goes along (nothing is actually labelled in there), and was really pleasantly surprised when she said they were three balls for £1.00.  Sold!  I'll be popping in again on Monday, when the much-nicer Olive will be working, to see what else might be about.

Just Around the Corner

Not far from my Mum's house is a very useful rank of small shops.  I remember when there was a small supermarket there (a Gateway supermarket - forerunner of Somerfield - and the place I had my first job as a Saturday girl) as well as a greengrocers, bakers, chemist, hairdresser, newsagents etc etc.  These days the choice is not so big as the supermarket is now a newsagents / corner shop type establishment and there are two takeaways where the newsagents and the greengrocers used to be.  Amazingly enough the chemist continues to survive (and is very very useful) and what used to be the bakers is an art shop which sells artists supplies and also offers art lessons.

When the art shop opened I don't think any of us thought it would last too long but many years later it is still doing well.  They usually have a table outside with second-hand books for sale at very reasonable prices.  I've never seen art books for sale but yesterday my eye was drawn to a stack of cookery books - 50p each.

I was very restrained and only bought this one - primarily with the idea of selling it on Amazon - but now I have had a good look through it I think it may be a keeper.  The lovely selection of salad dressing recipes would make it worth keeping alone (I'm still hoping the summer will be wonderfully hot and sunny so we'll be wanting salads for our evening meal every night.)  On my way out from the shop I noticed they had a really good selection of greetings cards so Mum popped in to have a perusal.  She was in there ages and ages (I was waiting in the queue in the fish and chip shop at this point) and came out looking mighty pleased with herself. 

As luck would have it Mum had been using one of my handmade bags - the first one I ever made - and the owner of the art shop had commented on how unusual and nice it was.  Mum had said her daughter had made it and it had been a present etc etc.  All of which got me to thinking that when I'm back down in Bristol in a couple of weeks I might bring a few of my pillowcase totes back with me and see if the art shop would be at all interested in stocking them as they would be a very useful size for carrying brushes, paper and watercolour paints in.  Nothing ventured and all that, you know.

Nippy

Naturally, as it's a Bank Holiday Monday here in the UK, the weather is a.b.s.o.l.u.t.e.l.y f.r.e.e.z.i.n.g. and it's raining intermittently too. 

Too nippy to venture out in the garden to finish off the rather satisfying task of hacking things back with secateurs and chilly enough for the central heating to have been on most of the day.  I try and cheer myself up with the fact that last year's May Day holiday was nice weather which was followed by a couple of weeks of glorious sunshine, and then a summer of grey skies, rain and cold.  Hopefully, as this May Day is so grotty, the coming summer will be a lot better.  It may be a cock-eyed way of looking at it but it certainly helps to cheer me up when the wind is still arctic in May!!

Good job there is a lovely warm Maine Coon to keep our laps nice and toasty.