Well, today is the first day of a whole week of beautiful hot and sunny weather. I'll not be wanting my usual soup for lunch that's for sure!
So I'm looking at some of the deliciously cooling salad recipes we have to choose from
Crunchy Broccoli Salad
This is a delicious salad that takes just a few minutes to make. It is creamy from the dressing and has a wonderful balance of flavours, with little pops of sweetness from the currants and savouriness from the sunflower seeds. It doesn’t taste particularly vegetabley strangely, probably because of the dressing, so might be liked by those not especially fond of veg.
Three Bean Salad
Three Bean Salad – an absolute classic dish. It’s super easy to make, is absolutely delicious, can be used as a main or a side and is very adaptable.
Chicken and Mango Salad
I made this salad with chicken and mango in one of the Cooking Up A Storm groups that I do with my local u3a. It was very simple, quick to make too, and very delicious!
This is one of the more expensive recipes on Thrifty Lesley, so if funds are short, maybe something for a special occasion.
Vegan Couscous Salad
This couscous salad is filling and sustaining, keeping me going until dinner (I usually have it at lunchtime).
Very versatile, follow the recipe or you can add all kinds of bits and pieces to it from those little dishes in the fridge
Bean and Quinoa, Lemon and Herb Salad
This salad is wonderfully fragrant with multiple levels of flavour. I used my best oil, a hazelnut one, but I couldn’t really taste it. Perhaps I’ll use an olive oil next time.
One serving in a bowl doesn’t look like very much, but it’s really filling and sustaining, as things with beans in tend to be. We had ours with a wedge of chewy sourdough baquette and butter.
This is ideal for lunch at home or away, as well as at dinner time. Although the herbs are fresh, they last very well.
What's been happening
Mike continues to move through his illness. He's losing weight as he's not able to eat very much at all. I'm living inside each day and turning my face away from the future.
What's coming feels both real and unreal right now
We were going to meet a friend for a couple of hours this week, but he didn't feel up to it, so I cancelled it.
We're getting the hang of what Mike can tolerate food wise. He's just had a fresh strawberry milkshake. I add a good splash of cream and a tablespoon of maple syrup, to get more calories into him, that makes it so nice I have to make sure not to glug it myself!
I enjoyed a lovely meeting with the book group on Thursday when we discussed The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox. We had a very lively discussion and I enjoyed a delicious coffee and almond croissant at The Pink Cabbage, a lovely little cafe set in what used to be the train station many years ago.
Had another meet up with a friend this morning for coffee. It's so nice to just go out for a couple of hours for a break.
Now the cats are going outside, they've picked up a flea or two, so earlier this week I picked up a couple of packs of flea treatment. But I picked uo the wrong one, it was for cats up to 4kg, whereas ours are chunky lads of 16lbs, so I changed that this morning too after coffee with my friend.
I intended to change dentist too. I'm currently going to an NHS one in Mayfield but not getting a very good service eg I had a little filling between two teeth, but it fell out within a fortnight. Unfortunately, the dentist I want to change to were closed for lunch, and it was right at the beginning of that hour. Oh well, I'll have to try again on Monday.
That's it for now, have a great week, enjoy the weather and the Bank Holiday, 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
0 comments