What's been happening
Womens football
Well they went all the way - what a heart stopping tournament it was too. I'm so proud of the English women, what a team! I really enjoyed the tournament and can't wait to see what this magnificent team does next!
Mike's walking
He's still improving, but twice a week now I have to drive him to Eastbourne to see the chiropractor. It's only a 15 minute appointment, but somehow takes up the entire day. Quite time consuming and I have so much to fit in to an average week.
Book Group
We are reading Shy Creatures by Clare Chambers this month. She also wrote Small Pleasures which you might have heard of.
I found Shy Creatures absolutely compelling and couldn't put it down! Want to say so much about it, but don't want to spoil it! Do read it if you can, throughly recommended and can't wait to discuss at book group.
It all started the weekend the Hidden Man came to Westbury Park . . .
Croydon, 1964. Art therapist Helen Hansford is working in a psychiatric hospital, where she has been having a passionate but precarious affair with her married colleague, the charismatic Dr Gil Rudden.
Helen's structured life is upended when William Tapping - a silent, thirty-seven-year-old man with a beard down to his waist - arrives at the hospital. As Helen helps William express himself through art, she becomes increasingly entangled in his mysterious past.
Inspired by a true story, Shy Creatures is a life-affirming exploration of loneliness, love and the quiet forces that shape our lives, reminding us that freedom can come in unexpected forms.
Weight Loss
I'm losing slowly, but at least it is coming off. I did an experiment today and weighed out in books what I've lost to date - 1st 2lbs - my goodness, what an eye opener! That stack of books is really heavy, and I was carrying that round 24/7 until recently.
Will I even be able to lift the total 8 stone that I need to lose - probably not!
Cheese and Onion Deli Sandwich Filling
I had a go at reproducing the cheese and onion deli sandwich filler today
Was very simple, cheese, small bit of onion, bit of mayo. Def needed moisture, even after adding a little mayo, so added 4 tbsps water
The more I stirred and tested the flavour against the bought one, the more I disliked the bought one, having quite liked it before! It started feeling very gloopy in the mouth, and tasting artificial.
So far, I've used 50g cheddar, 50g Red Leicester, 20g onion chopped very fine, 2 tbsp mayo, 4 tbsps water and a spring onion leaf from the garden for a bit of green colour. Costs 70p so far for about 200g
Next time, I’ll add 3tblsp water, not 4, although after a couple of days in the fridge, it did thicken up quite a bit.
I used the Red Leicester as it was the same price as the cheddar, but you really wouldn't be able to taste it at all.
I'll be writing up a proper blog post for it in the next few days.
Snack Time!
Now the children are off school, it's possible they are eating you out of house and home, so here are some snack ideas, cakes and bakes, and things that will will fill them up without costing too much
A meal plan for the week - all three meals, plus snacks
Or perhaps a weekly meal plan would work better for you? All the meal plans have breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks included, with nothing assumed to be in the cupboard at all, except salt.
Sicilian Spaghetti Recipe with chicken, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, raisins and almonds
A quick and simple healthy chicken spaghetti recipe using Sicilian flavours. Juicy chicken, sweet pops of raisins, salty olives, crunchy almonds, luscious sun-dried tomatoes and zesty lemon – delicious! Good hot for dinner, with any leftovers for lunch the next day. This dairy free chicken pasta is quick and simple to make, taking half an hour from start to on your plate.
No Churn Chocolate Ice Cream
Before you freeze it, have a portion as a mousse, super thick and unctuous!
To make this no churn chocolate ice cream, I use double (heavy) cream, sweetened condensed milk, thick Greek yogurt and cocoa powder.
The double (heavy) cream is whipped until it has soft peaks. This type of cream gives a lovely silky smooth texture. I like to cut the richness a little by using equal amounts of thick Greek yogurt, and I like the very slight tang it gives the ice cream. If you don’t like that, just substitute with more cream.
That's it for now, have a great week and I'll see you soon!
Do come and say hello on the Fantastically Frugal Food Facebook group, or the Sensational Slimming Sustenance group. I'd love to see you. Lots of useful tips, recipes and ideas. The nearly 19,000 membership are brilliant, brimming with talent.
And don't forget Thrifty Lesley, where there are 800+ recipes of fantastically frugal food and many weekly meal plans. And Cheap Family Recipes where you can find all kinds of delicious things that don't cost much, with two family monthly meal plans.
With all best wishes, until next time
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