Wednesday 10 April 2013

Fridge picnics.



Today is going to be a bit of a busy one have lots of odds and ends to sort out and a hospital appointment to go to as well as the usual bits of life to also fit in. So I went for a trawl through my fridge came up with this.




I had some leftover mash and mushroom that began to look a little wan in my fridge and decided that I needed to use them up. So I went on a wander and cobbled together this recipe. Regarding the mash it doesn’t have to be it can be left over cooked spuds just smash um up a bit and season to your liking. As for the mushrooms I would go with at least half a dozen reasonable sized ones. Though the older they are the stronger the flavour. For the onion bit I use either one or a combination of the following. Celery, leek or onion.



Potato and mushroom soup

Sauté off you onion, celery or leek and add chopped mushrooms gently cook for about 5 mins.
Add the potato and gradually mix in a pint of stock beef normally works quite well. Cook for a couple of mins more. Then if you have a blender pop it in there and blitz to your liking. I serve this with sandwiches and if there is blast all in the fridge I make up a sandwich filler of egg/ cheese or both. if you want you can add a splodge of plain yogurt, sour cream or milk.


Sandwich filler

1 egg per person or 2 between 3.
Any leftover scrap cheddar or the like (not compulsory but helps)
If you want you can spice it up with any flavours you like or add a little raw onion finely chopped.
Boil the eggs until the yolk is just cooked (if you can do this fab as it saves on you binding with butter, salad cream or mayonnaise)
Mash down using a masher. If the egg is a bit dry add some of the butter mayo or salad cream if you want and then any “extras” like spices herbs and mayo’s. This goes a surprisingly long way if you need to stretch it out a little further you could do so by adding some bread crumbs or any salad veg you have. And then I pop it in a sarnie with or without basic salad it really is a case of what do I have in the fridge.



Leftovers bake or cauliflower cheese with or without broccoli.
This is a low fat version.

I use Sainsbury's Low Fat Natural Yogurt, Basics 500g
2 eggs
Some cheese
2 teaspoons grain mustard Aldi 45p per jar (last time I bought it)
Season to taste. Now you can use cauliflower and or broccoli pre cooked with this pored over and a grating of cheese or any leftover veg, meat bacon always seems to work well and I buy a lot of scrap bacon Sainsbury’s cooking bacon £1.09p for 200g a little can go a very long way
Bake in the oven at 150-175oc until you like the way it looks. This served with leftover salad or a jacket spud works well.
I use Sainsbury’s basics stock cubes 10 for 15p. (1.5p per cube)
Eggs (for me) average at 10p each

Talk is cheap aint that grand!





Today I finally made the call to change providers for my internet and phone. I went with Talk Talk (T.T). We have used them before in the old property but on moving in here we were compelled to be with Bt as we needed a BT line so for 18 long long annoying months W put up with paying them £45 per calendar month and then on occasions a few pounds extra if we made chargeable calls.



The internet was playing up never did like the system BT had this is just my opinion and no one else’s. So we called T.T not only was I able to get a call anytime package with broadband there was no connection fee£30) nor were they going to charge me for voice mail. They also had a half price package £3.50 and if we wanted to pay a year’s line rental in advance we would save another £65.40 so the line became £114.00 for the year. However there was an option if we were unable to pay upfront it would bring it to around the £20 per month can’t remember the exact amount as I went for the upfront payment. So now we will pay £8.25 per calendar month. Not just a little saving but MONUMENTAL! S DB will have an extra £26 (aprox) a month in his pocket. Yea us xxxxx



Also had another good day finally got a family member to agree to get someone in to move around the furniture as I feel we will get more mileage out of it. So will ring the removers in the morning and see when they can fit us in as I’m not designed for moving very large bulky things in tight spaces the family member concerned really doesn’t want to do it but I had a firm put polite moment when I realised that one of the cats had anointed my sewing machine with personal water! ARGH!!!!! Its gonna be hell but worth it so so worth it.




Next week we pay off the last of the vet bill so that will bring my debts down. I do owe DB some pennies as he made ma a loan for my part payment to dads birthday present and I was caught short for some pennies regarding my glasses. Had no choice but to agree to vari focals and now I have joined the rest of the family wearing glasses permanently. Thank god there not as bad as they were when I was a kid! Vain I know but fear god they were just awful and stigmatising.




And lastly I bought some bits from eBay and used DB card for the last purchase of a gift for someone and failed to change the card back. So there I was merrily shopping and he was being charged! Eeek



I would much rather bite the bullet and pay in two or three chunks and get it done with. Luckily I am not in desperate need for anything and if something crops up I will find another way of dealing with it. After that I’m sorting out my funeral and savings. Won’t feel settled until I do.





Lastly Dad was so sweet he bought home some stunning tulips (and on offer)so my old large ewer I am truly lucky to have those I do in my life.

Right you wonderful lot how’s your day been and life in general?

Love to hear from you.
All the best
Rachel