Door bell went again this morning..VT ran hot foot to the door expecting the delivery of awaited wine case, only to greet the postman with another parcel for Janice next door! VT reckons he is going to get a peaked hat and a clip board ready to do a Concierge service for "Lynton Cottage".
The word "Cottage" has crept into the addresses locally. We live in a very ordinary row of terraced houses, which were all given names when they were built in about 1910 ish. Now when people move in and they have their twee little house signs put on the name has cottage attached..so you have Lynton Cottage or Elvden Cottage etc., Daft.. they are very ordinary little terraced houses not cottages..
VT went into Crosby this morning to get some smokeless fuel while I remained in case the wine arrived. he said you could have parked anywhere, quite a difference from before Christmas. He is presently up a pair of stepladders having a look at the bathroom heater which isn't working properly. You put it on and then it goes off in a few minutes not leaving much heat. Good job there are candles in there for the warmth!
Tonight we are having:
A hot-pot or Moussaka..not really sure yet.
it will be layers of vegetables, carrots, swede, parsnip, with 8oz of potato.
Might put Quorn minced beef or Quorn beef style chunks into it, finishing off with the layer of potato slices.
Think I will do the hot-pot since we had a gratin last night which was nice by the way.
Wednesday, 9 January 2008
Tuesday, 8 January 2008
Miscellany..Jan. 6th, 7th, and8th..
Sunday 6th Jan..
Had quite a busy day, spent most of the day messing about on the computer, trying to come to terms with a different google search system. Not so easy to deal with so made the usual Sunday crosswords harder and longer to do.
Made a Pizza base which was a tad wet but good enough. Did the usual roast vegetables, added mushrooms and steamed artichokes to the mix.
So Sunday we had:
Pizza with yeast dough, roast vegetables, tomato sauce,
Avocado salad with baby plum tomatoes, potato salad and couscous salad,
Monday 7th Jan,
Had an appointment at Walton Hospital in the afternoon so that just about governed our day. We had an earlier lunch of sandwich, so we could get to the appointment early. Jane rang when we were outside Sainsburys, and said she would ring later.
Kept my date with Mr James(the plastic man) who inspected my tootsies and pronounced them clear for another 6 months, so that is good news. It seems that if you have to have a C then a toe is a good place to have it. Chop the toe off and you are clear. They keep you checked for three years apparently, but twice a year is fine by me.
Monday Night Jane rang back..she is off to New York in the morning, but she was concerned about the size of her bag, Rachel had said that it was too big for the cabin luggage so Jane was worrying as usual. Not organised.
Monday we had:
The left over Pizza, and salad, with the second avocado, and remaining plum tomatoes.
Tuesday 9th January..Up to date.
VT is waiting in today for his parcel, the second box of wine to be delivered from the Sunday Times Wine Club. The box of red arrived on Friday, but no sign of the white. False alarm at lunch time when the bell rang and went running, only to find it was a bunch of flowers for Janice next door! We made a batch of tomato sauce for our pizzas this morning..
3 tins of chopped peeled tomatoes,
I large or 2 small onions chopped finely,
2 tspns bouillon powder, Marigold..
salt and pepper,
a squirt of garlic puree,
tsp sugar
2 tspns Italian Seasoning.
Then long slow simmering..until thick. The whole house smells like an Italian restaurant!. It makes about 6-7 containers with half a cup in each one.Saves a fortune since pizza sauce is about 75p a jar!.
Tonight we are having:
Vegetable mix from Sainsbury's, broccoli, carrot, asparagus and cauliflower.
A sauce possibly savoury white, or onion.
About 6oz of small potatoes. All done like a gratin with a tiny amount of grated cheese over the top.
Broccoli and Cheese Escallope OR a Linda McCartney savoury pie. I will check the calorie value first!
We are now mostly back on the "Healthy Eating Plan" after the Christmas feasting. We have both put on a few pounds so don't want to continue.
Jane has gone offf to New York this morning, flight at 12.15. She said she would e-mail the hotel name but didn't so we have no idea where she will be staying. Hope she has a good time and sees everything she wants to.
Had quite a busy day, spent most of the day messing about on the computer, trying to come to terms with a different google search system. Not so easy to deal with so made the usual Sunday crosswords harder and longer to do.
Made a Pizza base which was a tad wet but good enough. Did the usual roast vegetables, added mushrooms and steamed artichokes to the mix.
So Sunday we had:
Pizza with yeast dough, roast vegetables, tomato sauce,
Avocado salad with baby plum tomatoes, potato salad and couscous salad,
Monday 7th Jan,
Had an appointment at Walton Hospital in the afternoon so that just about governed our day. We had an earlier lunch of sandwich, so we could get to the appointment early. Jane rang when we were outside Sainsburys, and said she would ring later.
Kept my date with Mr James(the plastic man) who inspected my tootsies and pronounced them clear for another 6 months, so that is good news. It seems that if you have to have a C then a toe is a good place to have it. Chop the toe off and you are clear. They keep you checked for three years apparently, but twice a year is fine by me.
Monday Night Jane rang back..she is off to New York in the morning, but she was concerned about the size of her bag, Rachel had said that it was too big for the cabin luggage so Jane was worrying as usual. Not organised.
Monday we had:
The left over Pizza, and salad, with the second avocado, and remaining plum tomatoes.
Tuesday 9th January..Up to date.
VT is waiting in today for his parcel, the second box of wine to be delivered from the Sunday Times Wine Club. The box of red arrived on Friday, but no sign of the white. False alarm at lunch time when the bell rang and went running, only to find it was a bunch of flowers for Janice next door! We made a batch of tomato sauce for our pizzas this morning..
3 tins of chopped peeled tomatoes,
I large or 2 small onions chopped finely,
2 tspns bouillon powder, Marigold..
salt and pepper,
a squirt of garlic puree,
tsp sugar
2 tspns Italian Seasoning.
Then long slow simmering..until thick. The whole house smells like an Italian restaurant!. It makes about 6-7 containers with half a cup in each one.Saves a fortune since pizza sauce is about 75p a jar!.
Tonight we are having:
Vegetable mix from Sainsbury's, broccoli, carrot, asparagus and cauliflower.
A sauce possibly savoury white, or onion.
About 6oz of small potatoes. All done like a gratin with a tiny amount of grated cheese over the top.
Broccoli and Cheese Escallope OR a Linda McCartney savoury pie. I will check the calorie value first!
We are now mostly back on the "Healthy Eating Plan" after the Christmas feasting. We have both put on a few pounds so don't want to continue.
Jane has gone offf to New York this morning, flight at 12.15. She said she would e-mail the hotel name but didn't so we have no idea where she will be staying. Hope she has a good time and sees everything she wants to.
Saturday, 5 January 2008
Christmas Gone for Another Year!
Like the Queen we here at Woodford Palace have decided to take our decorations down early. Mind you we are only a day early, but Sunday's are generally busy so today was a good day to do it. It takes as long to take them down as it does to put them up, about a good morning really. They do seem to have gone away well though despite VT's grumbling and moaning. We have three trees, all little ones but they all have lights and decorations. Some of them we have had for years and are much loved. Then there are all the other decorations, the door wreaths, the signs and the little ones we have everywhere. The house looks really festive at Christmas, now it just looks bare.
We still have quite a few foodie bits and pieces to go though, they will be eaten as the year goes on. We seem to have an awful lot of Cranberry sauce this year of different types. it's a good job we have it with Quorn.
Tonight we are having:
Guess...
Yes Chinese... The remaining Mini Spring Rolls,
4oz Egg fried rice,
lemon Peking sauce,
Stir Fry Vegetables.
Why break the habit of years!!
We still have quite a few foodie bits and pieces to go though, they will be eaten as the year goes on. We seem to have an awful lot of Cranberry sauce this year of different types. it's a good job we have it with Quorn.
Tonight we are having:
Guess...
Yes Chinese... The remaining Mini Spring Rolls,
4oz Egg fried rice,
lemon Peking sauce,
Stir Fry Vegetables.
Why break the habit of years!!
Friday, 4 January 2008
Friday Shopping
Started out quite early for us today. Went into Formby (very quiet..we actually parked opposite the bank!!) to the bank to sign a form about the mistake on the bank statement.The Crabtree &Evelyn one. Nice helpful lady in the bank really sorted things out..AnnPhoenix.
Shall wait to see if I am reimbursed.
Then we took ourselves and our money off to Ormskirk for the Friday shop. Had a bit of a look round the town first. Very quiet too..I wonder if everyone has spent up so staying at home? Noticed the secondary school that we pass are back so we will be going back on our jaunts next week. I feel a lovely cup of coffee at Costa Cheshire Oaks coming on..
I bought a nice skirt in Bon Marche brown with a swirly pattern it goes with the nice white/cream jumper that I bought half price last week. The complete outfir for £14 not bad eh! Jumper£6 and the skirt£8.. I like a bargain. Also got another Yankee Candle a rather large one of the same flavour "Holiday Sage". It is a lovely green colour and a beautiful aroma.. Half price too.. we like bargains..
Then we did the usual weekend shop at Morrisons this time. See..we spread the money about.
Tonight we are having:
Sausages..Red Leicester and onion,
Mashed Old Shetland Black Potatoes.
Gravy and Bisto Yorkshire Puddings from the freezer.
Carrots and peas and anything else that needs using up.
VT actually said I looked a bit slimmer when I tried the new outfit on!!!!! I reckon to have put about 3lbs on which isn't bad considering.
Shall wait to see if I am reimbursed.
Then we took ourselves and our money off to Ormskirk for the Friday shop. Had a bit of a look round the town first. Very quiet too..I wonder if everyone has spent up so staying at home? Noticed the secondary school that we pass are back so we will be going back on our jaunts next week. I feel a lovely cup of coffee at Costa Cheshire Oaks coming on..
I bought a nice skirt in Bon Marche brown with a swirly pattern it goes with the nice white/cream jumper that I bought half price last week. The complete outfir for £14 not bad eh! Jumper£6 and the skirt£8.. I like a bargain. Also got another Yankee Candle a rather large one of the same flavour "Holiday Sage". It is a lovely green colour and a beautiful aroma.. Half price too.. we like bargains..
Then we did the usual weekend shop at Morrisons this time. See..we spread the money about.
Tonight we are having:
Sausages..Red Leicester and onion,
Mashed Old Shetland Black Potatoes.
Gravy and Bisto Yorkshire Puddings from the freezer.
Carrots and peas and anything else that needs using up.
VT actually said I looked a bit slimmer when I tried the new outfit on!!!!! I reckon to have put about 3lbs on which isn't bad considering.
Thursday, 3 January 2008
Tidying Up..
Today is a day for putting things straight. First we did the cupboard over the microwave in the kitchen that we use for our coffees, teas and mugs/cups etc. VT bought a really nice lot of green Apilce ware from a charity shop just before Christmas so we needed to make room for it. We therefore cleared out a lot of mugs etc., that we haven't used in a long long time to make room. Now they have a good home.
The Nat West bank also rang about my bank statement. VT had noticed when I received it that Crabtree & Evelyn in Street had charged me twice for some items worth £50.96!! so the nice lady from the bank had sorted it out. I have to go in tomorrow to sign some form and it should be OK, I hope. Good job he noticed it because I wouldn't have.
Had a nice long C&E bath this afternoon with my candles and my book in Patchouli bath gel which is gorgeous.
Tonight we are having:
Pasta Bake with tomato and asparagus and just a few mushrooms and a very small ammount of cheese on top.
Tenderstem Broccoli.
The Nat West bank also rang about my bank statement. VT had noticed when I received it that Crabtree & Evelyn in Street had charged me twice for some items worth £50.96!! so the nice lady from the bank had sorted it out. I have to go in tomorrow to sign some form and it should be OK, I hope. Good job he noticed it because I wouldn't have.
Had a nice long C&E bath this afternoon with my candles and my book in Patchouli bath gel which is gorgeous.
Tonight we are having:
Pasta Bake with tomato and asparagus and just a few mushrooms and a very small ammount of cheese on top.
Tenderstem Broccoli.
Wednesday, 2 January 2008
Quiet Out Today...
Nipped into Formby this morning for a bit of fresh air and to pay some money in the bank for Jane. She said she wanted to buy a new watch in New York so I have sent her some money for that. It was really quiet, everyone spent up after Christmas and New Year I suppose. There were parking places everywhere in Waitrose. What a difference a few days makes.
Went into the animal charity shop to take some books, and spotted a copper/brass coal scuttle that we have had our eye on for a few weeks. It had been priced at £15 which we thought was a bit dear but it had been reduced to £12 so we bought it. VT polished it up this afternoon and it has come up a treat and looks really good lovely and shiny, and worth more than £12. I like a bargain!
Went into Waitrose and had a lovely cup of coffee and bought a very few items. Got some "Old Shetland Black" potatoes which have a bolack skin so we will have them for tea. Also a box of Duchy Originals crackers for half price and some wrapping paper for next year.
Tonight we are having:
Quorn Wild Mushroom Croutes,
Tenderstem Broccoli,
Baked Old Shetland Potatoes.
AND a PUDDING!!!
Last night I opened a jar of brandied peaches and had half of them with some M&S brandied cream. Gorgeous and a REAL treat.
Big weigh in today being Wednesday, and I think we have both put on a few pounds, but back on the healthy eating plan on Monday..
Hey Ho the pounds will go!!
Went into the animal charity shop to take some books, and spotted a copper/brass coal scuttle that we have had our eye on for a few weeks. It had been priced at £15 which we thought was a bit dear but it had been reduced to £12 so we bought it. VT polished it up this afternoon and it has come up a treat and looks really good lovely and shiny, and worth more than £12. I like a bargain!
Went into Waitrose and had a lovely cup of coffee and bought a very few items. Got some "Old Shetland Black" potatoes which have a bolack skin so we will have them for tea. Also a box of Duchy Originals crackers for half price and some wrapping paper for next year.
Tonight we are having:
Quorn Wild Mushroom Croutes,
Tenderstem Broccoli,
Baked Old Shetland Potatoes.
AND a PUDDING!!!
Last night I opened a jar of brandied peaches and had half of them with some M&S brandied cream. Gorgeous and a REAL treat.
Big weigh in today being Wednesday, and I think we have both put on a few pounds, but back on the healthy eating plan on Monday..
Hey Ho the pounds will go!!
Tuesday, 1 January 2008
Happy New Year...2008
Happy New Year one and all, and a very prosperous one too.
Jane is off to New York on Jan 8th so I hope she has a good new start to the year.
Had a really quiet start to the year today, finished off the MOS crossword this morning and sent that off, then read the papers after lunch and watched a Hetty Wainthrop! Sad Beggars eh!
VT is still looking after Cat next door, he goes in and feeds it and lets it out and in again later. Poor little thing I hope it isn't too lonely.
Feels strange today, for lunch we had what we usually have on a Saturday and Sunday that is cheese and a variety of crackers and dippy things, so it feels like a Sunday now not a Tuesday.
Tonight we are having:
Our usual finger buffet meal. We have 1/2 on Boxing Day, and 1/2 on New Years Day. We have done this for years now, Jane used to like it, so we have kept up.
Looked at the weather in New York in the paper and apparently it is the same as Manchester so that is a surprise, I was expecting it to be very cold there.
We will be back on our healthy eating plan on Jan 7th or next Monday.
Jane is off to New York on Jan 8th so I hope she has a good new start to the year.
Had a really quiet start to the year today, finished off the MOS crossword this morning and sent that off, then read the papers after lunch and watched a Hetty Wainthrop! Sad Beggars eh!
VT is still looking after Cat next door, he goes in and feeds it and lets it out and in again later. Poor little thing I hope it isn't too lonely.
Feels strange today, for lunch we had what we usually have on a Saturday and Sunday that is cheese and a variety of crackers and dippy things, so it feels like a Sunday now not a Tuesday.
Tonight we are having:
Our usual finger buffet meal. We have 1/2 on Boxing Day, and 1/2 on New Years Day. We have done this for years now, Jane used to like it, so we have kept up.
Looked at the weather in New York in the paper and apparently it is the same as Manchester so that is a surprise, I was expecting it to be very cold there.
We will be back on our healthy eating plan on Jan 7th or next Monday.
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