Blimey

Blimey, what a windy day it's been. The wind was so strong here we had dirt blowing off the fields making it very difficult to see when I was out with the dog walking. Had to turn away from the fields and walk where there was a bit of a wind break from hedges and trees.

When the youngest daughter came home from school she went up to her bedroom and came straight back downstairs demanding to know who had opened her bedroom window. Told her I had earlier this morning. Her bedroom was covered in black dust from the wind blowing dirt in from the fields. The cloth she wiped her room over with was filthy. I could not believe how much muck had blown in on the wind. Glad I didn't have any washng on the line today, it would have been filthy.  Did you have these super strong winds today?

On my menu plan tonight, tea was to be pork with veg and mash but I just did not fancy mash (don't even like mash really) or steamed veg so I changed things a little. I did steam vegetables but mixed them with a cheese sauce and topped with breadcrumbs I made from a few crusts and mixed into them some grated cheese. I baked this in the oven for 20 minutes. They had pork with a sage and onion crumb with it and I had a salmon fillet I found in the freezer. It was really nice and tasty.

Can I just sleep please?

Sorry no post yesterday. I had such a manic day did not even get time to switch computer on. Did my voluntary work, quickly made tea then a 50 minute drive to a course I had to do at work then straight into a 9 hour night shift. Once home walked dog then took daughter No2 to college and finally to bed this morning at 9.20am. Was like a zombie, couldn't wait for my bed so here I am a lot more human like.

 For tea today I made Greek beef stifado with Greek potatoes. They really enjoyed it. The recipe used shallots but I did not have any so used a bit of extra onion.

STIFADO

1kg lean beef, cubed
500g shallot onions, peeled
1 large onion, chopped
2tbs tomato puree
1/2 nutmeg crushed ( I used 1tsp ground nutmeg)
1tsp mixed spice
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 sprigs rosemary
1 Large juicy tomato, chopped
1 glass red wine
small glass of olive oil
2tbs red wine vinegar
salt & pepper

Put beef , onions, garlic and oil in a large pan and cook on a high heat for about 5 minutes.

Add wine and vinegar and cook for a further 5 minutes.

Add the remaining ingredients. Cook on a low heat for a couple of hours or until beef is tender. I transfered mine into the slow cooker and left it for about 6 hours.


GREEK POTATOES

4 Large clean potatoes
Juice of a lemon
4 cloves garlic, minced
small glass olive oil
small glass water
oregano
salt

Cut potatoes into wedges and place in a deep roasting tray.

Cover potatoes with remaining ingredients and stir so all potatoes are coated.

Place in oven at 200C and cook for about 1hour turning occasionally.

We finished off our tea with a dessert our youngest daughter made at school.

Lemon meringue pie, her first attempt at making one. It came out rather well and we all enjoyed a slice.

Mushroom update 3

Thought I'd give you an update on the mushrooms progress.

Well we have another good batch growing. These should be ready to harvest at the weekend. The only problem I have found with these mushroom kits is the yield is all at once then I am waiting weeks for the next lot to grow. I think mushroom kits would be best done with two kits at once then you would not be waiting so long in between harvests. The kit does not tell you to keep topping up with a little water. I found it slows their growth if it starts to dry out. I just trickle a little water over the surface when it's feeling a little dry.

Being on the subject of fungi, just passed these beauties on my walk with the dog.

They were growing on a large pile of horse manure outside some stables. Now I would never pick any mushrooms I came across because I have not got a clue what's poisonous and what's not but it got me thinking. I would love to go on a mushroom picking course which teaches you the good from the bad of the fungi world. Well, one day will have to look into that and see how much these courses cost.   

Earlier in the year I started a pot of salad leaves which I have been growing in the conservatory.

 They are a mix of different leaves and you just cut off what you need and they keep growing back. We have been eating these for a few weeks now.

Had some tonight with a jacket potato, coleslaw and an omelet. 

Menu Week 28/03/11

MONDAY - Roast chicken, jacket potatoes, homemade coleslaw, salad and homemade bread

TUESDAY - Spaghetti bolognese and homemade garlic bread

WEDNESDAY - Greek stifado & Greek potatoes

THURSDAY - Pork steaks, vegetables, mash, yorkshire puddings and apple sauce

FRIDAY - Mince & onion pie with potatoes and veg

SATURDAY - Chorizo Hash & fried egg

SUNDAY - Leftover chicken in a sauce, Roast potatoes, stuffing balls and vegetables


Well you will have noticed the lack of meals filled in on my menu plan. Not been very organised this week so will hopefully have the rest of my meals sorted tomorrow. I went shopping Saturday because the plasterer will be here Monday which is my normal shopping day. I normally menu plan on Sunday but was out a lot of the day at our granddaughter's 3rd birthday party so no menu plan got done. So, I'm sat here too tired to think about menu planning and just want to go to bed.

All restored back to normal now, menu plan completed.

Got a pan of "bottom of the fridge" soup made this afternoon. Made some rough puff pastry and used this to make a batch of cheese, onion & potato pasties for the girls lunches.

Two are in containers for lunch tomorrow and the rest are going in the freezer.

Slight Blip

Had another day at the charity shop I volunteer at. Got another top to add to my collection to try to build up my wardrobe.

This one cost me £2.20. I remember last year around this time stashing away clothes I bought in the charity shop in a size 12. Then each week as I lost weight I would try them on to see if they would fit. Was great when I could fit into them all and I ended up with a good summer wardrobe at very little cost. Will keep trying my existing wardrobe on each week until I can get them all to fit again.

Not doing too bad today with the healthy eating. had a little blip when I got rather stressed at the state of the house after work had been done on it today. So I succumbed to a couple of biccies. Well, maybe four! Then I had tea at mum and dads and had a vegetable pie that mum had made that was lovely and tasty but not low in calories! I am on- call at home tonight, so if I don't get called out I shall be able to sleep so will have all of tomorrow to do stuff like make some more no fat soup for the weeks lunches instead of spending the day sleeping.

Back to healthy eating

With the weather being so beautiful all this week I was searching through my wardrobe Monday looking for something cooler to wear than my winter jumpers. This is when the realisation hits you. oh no! Nothing fits anymore! Last week I tried to diet but just had no motivation to stick to it.Then along comes the sun giving me a kick up the bum I needed to get motivated. I've really stuck to it this week.

I got a bargain Monday in Tesco, yellow stickered mangos, reduced to 45p.

So, my healthy breakfast was cereal and mango which was lovely.

This was my lunch. Home made "bottom of the fridge spicy veg soup" and rice cakes with cream cheese, tomato and olives. Eaten in the garden. Lovely!

Bottom of the fridge spicy veg soup

400g can tomatoes
800ml stock
1tbsp garam masala
1tsp chilli powder
Any veg from fridge (I used onion, celery, carrot, green bean and baby sweetcorn)

Whizz can of tomatoes to a puree and place in a pan.
Add stock, spice and vegetables.
Cook until tender.

Had a productive day in the garden. Got my compost dug into the veg patch. Planted up loads of strawberry plants that had grown from the runners last year. Re potted up some chilli plants and some sage. Sowed some runner beans,   green beans, marigolds and some petunias.

Spoilt again

How long can this gorgeous weather keep going. We are being spoilt so early in the year. Think it's to change here Friday so I shall have some time in the garden tomorrow before we go back to cloudy miserable days.

Took Sherlock for a walk this afternoon and it was so warm. He was running around but I took a break

under a tree and sat on a log relaxing for five minutes. It was so warm and I was just enjoying the peace and quiet. Saw my first Tortoiseshell butterfly of the year. Tried to take a picture but I pressed the close button by mistake and it flew off. Me and gadgets!

Look at the colour of Sherlocks paws after he had a paddle in a very muddy puddle. Glad he didn't roll in it!

Can't delay it any longer, got to go and iron or noone will have ironed shirts for work or school tomorrow.

See you soon