What's been happening
There's quite a lot been happening since we last spoke, I've been having a great time!
The u3a Historical Inns group went to The White Hart at Catsfield for our monthly lunch. It was our biggest group since we started at 24 people. The pub dealt with us all in their usual casually efficient manner and we all had the MOST enormous lunch. It was HUGE, most of us had a doggy bag to take home!
Next to the pub is the very beautiful Normanhurst Estate which we often have a little walk around before going for lunch in the pub.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8oa4jIFAZ8
Here we are doing our thing at le Marche last year.
On Friday evening, the choir I'm in, the wonderful Cake and Wine Club Choir were the entertainment at a fund raiser for the great club that is Young At Heart. We sang some glorious songs and had an absolute blast at a church hall that was decorated with loads of twinkly lights and 25 Christmas trees for a Christmas tree festival. I think we all positively floated out of that hall, I certainly did!
One of our new songs is The 12 Days Of Christmas, and one of our members stands in front and does all the actions all the way through, which we all copy. I am SO doing that on Christmas Day! My son-in-law loves that kind of thing and I'm sure he'll make the most of it!
Then the next day we were at Holy Cross Uckfield for a Christmas Event in aid of St Wilfreds Hospice, which is where my daughter was for her final 11 days. We heard the very talented Glyndebourne Youth Choir, a married couple who each sang a couple of songs in a rich baritone and a soaring soprano, the actress Celia Imrie was there and did a couple of readings (her sister is a nurse at the Hospice, so she is particularly interested ). Several members of the youth choir AND their leader remarked how good we were - I was very flattered by that.
Then on Thursday evening, 20 or so of us piled into a couple of mini-buses and headed off to see the lights at Wakehurst Place's Glow Wild.
It was FANTASTICALLY good. Innovative, imaginative, lovely music to go with each set piece. It took well over an hour to go round it all, truly magical. AND we had the only dry evening for several days!
Tomorrow, I'm off to Cookalong, where the group members will all bring along a Christmas plate. I have opted for this pan forte recipe.
The local shop didn't have any candied peel and I've substituted dried mango and dried cranberries.
Mine looks a lot nuttier, with less cake bits in between than this, but we'll see tomorrow what it tastes like!
Some Recipes for December
Roasted Cabbage Steaks
Roasting cabbage in steaks makes an ordinary vegetable that bit more interesting, and just might get veggie-phobes trying it! Roasting vegetables concentrates them and will often mean that bigger portions are eaten – and more vegetables are always a good thing!
Spiced Christmas Clementines
I had 2 dishes of clementines last year and more due to arrive in the fortnightly vegetable box, so came up with this seasonal recipe to use a lot in one go. They are super delicious and would make a wonderful Christmas pudding to help cut through all that richness and get some at a time when you don't always get enough!
Christmas Coronation Sandwich
This sandwich is for tea on Christmas Day on a Vegetarian Meal Plan for the entire Christmas week
It is lentils spiced with curry powder, moistened with mayonnaise and with a hint of sweetness from a jar of mincemeat, together with the fresh crunch of raw vegetables all encased in soft fresh bread. Absolutely delicious!
I haven't had this since last year and I really fancy one now!
Another reminder of the main 2 Christmas meal plans
A Vegetarian Christmas Meal Plan
I think the days of me hosting Christmas are probably over now and my younger daughter has taken over the mantle for various reasons.
However, I do enjoy making lovely seasonal food, at any time of year, but this month especially
This meal plan is for a couple for the whole of Christmas week, incorporating lots of seasonal flavours, but no meat
A Christmas Week
If you are on a tight budget, Christmas food can be very difficult, causing stress, and maybe even debt too. No need to get into debt, when with a bit of extra planning, you can enjoy a delicious festive meal, without spending a fortune. If you don’t know where to start, or would like a few ideas, have a look at this detailed, 2 person, 7 day Christmas dinner menu for the entire Christmas week.
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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