Hippeastrum
The lovely hippeastrum bulb that I have didn't flower over Christmas, but has just come into magnificent bloom this last week.
It's in a smallish pot, but has flowered for several years in that pot. I wonder if I should re-pot it? It's got a second spike down one side that's new this year.
I tried leaving the pot in the garden last year, but the leaves got so windblown it looked awful. I've got a potting shed now, so I might put it in there over the summer, keep watering and feeding until September, then stop so that the plant rests, until November, when watering begins again, and hopefully, a flower spike will form.
Elephants in East Sussex
Went for a walk in Eastbourne yesterday on a glorious sunny, if rather windy, day. Mike manages to look the same as always, whereas I have a variety of peculiar hairstyles!
There are numerous elephants around the town, including these two. Rather fun!
I also took a picture of the HUGE and striking piece outside the Towner. I really like it and always stop to have a look when we're down there.
Still haven't been in to to see the Turner prize exhibition tho!
It's made entirely from date syrup cans
Recipes This Time
Doughnuts that just happen to be vegan
If you have any, you could use cinnamon or mixed spice in with the sugar coating
Put jam or thick custard in the middle, or chocolate spread.
Mix some cocoa in with the doughnut mix for chocolate doughnuts, dust with sugar and cocoa, and maybe fill with chocolate spread, or raspberry jam
Or try dissolving some strong coffee in the dough, and glazing with a coffee glaze, or add some ground coffee to the sugar dusting and fill with an orange custard
Bacon, Olive and Cheese Loaf/Cake
If enjoying this glorious loaf as a main meal, serve 1/6 per person with a salad of iceberg and cucumber, or some hot veg. It’s pretty difficult to cut into neat slices when hot, so if you want it hot, I would make it in individual portions in small loaf tins or muffin tins.
Aubergine Ragu – Eggplant Ragu – Melanzane a Funghetto
This is a very simple dish, one of my favourites, cooked on the hob, in a single pan. Just aubergine (eggplant), tomatoes and olive oil, simmered slowly to an unctuous silkiness. Absolutely gorgeous just on its own, hot or room temperature. Stir through pasta, top a jacket potato or use as part of a mezze.
Focaccia
The focaccia is at its very best, straight from the oven, as many things are. It will slurp up an extra little drizzle of olive oil making it extra yummy.
Years ago, I used to make it with double zero (00) flour, and you do get a different flavour with it, but I just use the cheap flour now, and it’s still really good.
Fantastic with the Melanzane a Funghetto above
I published an ebook for meal plan 1 in August 2021 and am delighted that many people have thought it was worth getting. I repriced it again in June 2022 and it was still holding on, even in these scary times. Now we are in September and prices have shifted again and I've managed to get my head around WooCommerce so I can feature it on the blog and you can find it here.
I was busy recooking, photographing and updating the recipes for Meal Plan 2 and putting them into an ebook as well. The meal plan was first written in 2013 and still prices up, which is fabulous and that is finally complete. The book is done now too, prices seem to be stable enough to do it.
I've finally completed the e-book from the Stretch A Chicken To Last A Week series. Took me absolutely ages to finish it off!
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 over 17,000 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.
I've also got a few YouTube videos up, not many yet, but I'm planning to do more. I've done a couple more, need to edit them now. So much to do, so little time!
With all best wishes, until next time
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