Today

 Has been another busy day.

Saw chap for appointment and got that out of the way with.

Then made a couple of visits to the tip, taking away all the bin liners full of green waste from the garden.  Now I can see where I am going a bit better.  Still a heck of a lot to do, told you before that it is just the depth that varies.

After leaving the tip, we went to the Butcher that we went to last week. Got topped up with meat for the week for the sum of £43.05  all this from ABC Meats.  The business originally started from what I understand selling on the local markets.  As their prices were very good and the meat of good quality they went down a storm locally and then opened their own premises.  They also sell frozen goods.  An ideal place to shop if you have a freezer that needs stocking up. When I had the freezers I used to do this a lot go and buy the fresh meat and then package it up for meal portions.  Used to go once a month and top up or add different items to the freezers this way on.  You soon build up a good stockpile this way and you also put in what you want.  I do miss my freezers. If I had the freezers (which we have nowhere to put at the moment) how I buy and what I would buy size wise would be very different. They offer two or three options.  There was an extremely large joint of pork in the counter today (fresh) which could be bought for £35.  However it could be broken down into 4 to 5 reasonable sized joints, which works out a really good buy. They did have some very good deals on with the Gammon again this week.  4 medium sized Gammon joints for £14 (ideal for 2 people for a week with sarnies, Gammon and chips, used in a Flan.  So a seriously good buy.  So is the Bacon at £12 a pack unsmoked and smoked £14.  Big healthy packs.  Gammon and Bacon offcuts a reasonable size pack for £3.  Just some of the things I noted today.

Bought today:

Very large chicken for £6

Tray of Beef Mince £5

Another tray of the minted Lamb Chops for £10.00                

We enjoyed them so much.

A tray of Pork Slices in Chinese style mix £3.78

A tray of sausages £5

Makes it very economical and provides a very good meal

I also bought in a Tikka Masala mix ~£1.75 a jar, two curry mixes £1 a tub an end of line price as they are not stocking it again.

Two packs of Jam Marshmallows a weakness of mine. £1.75 a pack.

Two bottles of pop Dandelion and Burdock and Ginger Beer £1.19 per bottle

Two small bottles of pop Ice Cream Soda £0.75 and Pepsi Max £1.25.

A pack of very large Naan Breads £1.60 for 2, bigger than a dinner plate each and good.  Have had them before.

Plans for meals for the week are:

Roast Chicken and Veg for tonight's tea.

Meat left over from Roast to be turned into Chicken Curry.

Mince is designated for a Chilli

Chinese Pork slices with homemade stir fry mix.

Sausages for breakfasts and sarnies.

Minted Lamb chops should get two meals out of this tray to be served with veggies again.

Therefore some good eating to come for the week.  Apart from the Chicken, which is being cooked for tonight and tomorrow's tea, a good simple roast with all the trimmings.  The remains being used in a Chicken Curry. The rest of the planned meals are interchangeable depending on how and what we feel like eating on any one particular day.  

Everything is stashed in the fridge out of the way

Now back to the garden.  It is going to be mostly bagging up rubbish again this afternoon in readiness for another trip tomorrow to the tip.

A little while later on:

I went out into the garden to do a bit.  I was pottering sorting some rubbish which needed to go into the main wheelie bin, which is situated in the front garden. On my way there I passed the next door neighbour who was huffing and puffing like a good un.  He does have a heart condition.  It would appear that he had cut his front hedge on his own (he is 87) and had left all the cut foliage in the passage, on the floor in front of the house and in his front garden.  Bearing in mind his state before I came down the passage and his pride in not accepting help readily from anyone, I just set too and cleared it.  Came back to empty the bag, and bumped into him in the back garden.  Told him what I had done, and that I would finish it off and then knock on the back door to let him.  He can be very difficult and a lot of the problem with him is he is retired, 87 years of age and he cannot do what interests him anymore. Too much time on his hands. Today, I told him that if he runs out of puff and wants some help in the future to ask and I will see what I can do to help him.  I can understand how he feels, my Mum was the same, but if it is the difference between getting something done or not, sometimes you have to give in.  Although I do sympathise and no doubt I will be in a similar state later along the line. However, it is about helping people where we can.  It is not always possible to do it, but I do generally help if at all possible.  A lot of the time it is possible but just occasionally you cannot for one reason or another.

I did get back into my garden for a short while, to do a little more tidying, and to put some washing out as well.  Came in late and so tea plans were changed.

Instead tea tonight has been egg, bacon, mushrooms,  sausage, black pudding, for himself and egg, bacon and sausage for myself.

I may go out for a little while again as I do have to check on the greenhouse and see whether the plants need any water.  I also need to feed two of my pumpkins and my Nasturtiums.

Hope everyone has a good evening.

Catch you soon.

Pattypan

x

P.S. My second tray of mixed leaves the Spicy mixed lettuce has now come through as well.  Has not taken many days to germinate at all.  Tomatoes seem to have settled down as have the other plants.  Just need the rest of the seeds to come through now.

PP