Juggling ......

 ..... is the name of the game around here!

Always so many balls in the air, trying to maximise the time I have and trying out new to me things and projects.  Always upwards and onwards and yet I do find time to stop to smell the Roses as the saying goes.  I tend to compartmentalise things as I am working on them so that I get a good run at what I am doing and it saves a lot of "Bitting" and "Bobbing" which I am not fussed with at the best of time.  Need to be able to focus and concentrate on the job in hand so that I get the best out of my concentration and time.

Take today for instance.  It was supposed to be a kitchen day. However the electric going and needing re-loading for the month put paid to that and as we had to go out anyway for that, I added in a trip to Aldi. I had seen an offer on at Aldi for a palm sander which I need for rubbing woodwork down in readiness for painting for £16.  It also has a collection unit on it and I thought anything is better than grating my knuckles raw.  I ended up bringing one home.  

As I do not go to Aldi very often I decided to have a good look.  G took hump he hates shopping but from what I saw there was a good selection and it was relatively quiet.  Have come home with a few things to try.  I am re-defining my shopping areas bearing in mind we lost the Veg shop and then the Co-Op.  I tend to be a creature of habit when it comes to food shopping and the shops I use.  I vet each shop and test things out before using.  I tend to use Iceland The Warehouse for a lot of the offers on milk, bread, meat, frozen items and Pantry items.  Home Bargains tends to be more cleaning stuff, Pantry items, sweets, nuts, etc. However, it is the fresher items on price and quality that I go for. Morrisons is okay and has its part to play.  Morrisons has taken over what was our Co-Op, but their prices are a bit up there, but then it is a Morrisons Daily store and although holds a better stock of some items there are others that it does not hold.  

Some of what I saw in Aldi today is more in line with what I have been after.  I have come to the conclusion after today's visit which was at a different time to what I would normally go  that there is a far better choice and is not picked over as much, just by going at a different time.  So will try here again another week and see if it is the same.  Prices and choice are definitely quite good.  Because G was in a hump and was not coming in the shop and then comes in sees I have a trolley full (never mind that this was mostly fresh veggies small trolley) and then starts creating I did not get to have the really good look I was after.  I certainly am going to look a little better next time especially at the baking stuff, tinned fruit, frozen fruit, and other tinned items.  Probably tell him to leave me and come back for me later that might save some grief. I cannot be doing with people throwing Tantrums i.e. Terrible Toddlers syndrome especially at his age!  It is not pretty. 

I also looked at the large containers of plums and nectarines hopefully will have some next week in which case will snaffle a few to bottle and/or make jam from. My mind is always on the Pantry, Freezers and making sure that we have a varied diet without paying through the nose for it.

Bearing in mind that I do not have any Broccoli in the freezer at the moment, I bought in a couple of heads of Broccoli and a bag of mixed Cauliflower and Broccoli.  Am going to blanch them later on and get them into the Freezer so I have a small supply.  That will be tomorrow's project.  I shall probably do this moving forward a bit as I am a big believer in having plenty of green veggies to eat. They are important to our family.  Perhaps that is my grandparents' influence coming through even now as we always had plenty of fresh veggies and fruit.  In a roundabout way my grandparents' kept not only our family supplied with veggies but also extended family and also neighbours in the village, not forgetting the apples and the eggs.

I cannot help myself when it comes to food; I always see the possibilities of what I can do with it.  In retrospect I should have bought the Plums and Nectarines from Aldi, fingers crossed they will have them next week. However, I do have an awful lot to be getting on with in any event. They were selling Bramley cooking apples at 50p each. I tend to buy in kilos if I can.  Apples I need for the Pantry shelf.  I did come away with some pears though and they are set to be put into syrup.  That may well be the preserving job for Wednesday.

Tea tonight - did not know what we were going to have. I had bought a pack of two fresh Corn on the Cob(Sweetcorn) at Aldi, and so I boiled those for 10 minutes, putting the Corn straight into a pan of boiling water and cooking for 10 minutes.  Serving with golden butter and they were to die for.  Fresh Sweetcorn on the Cob is an absolute favourite of mine.  Funnily enough I am not keen on it canned or frozen.  Swiftly followed by a couple of Ham, Cheese and Onion Paninis.  Found out where we can get the Panini Bread - Aldis. So tea although very simple has been very good and tasty.  Simples as they say.  

Have a lovely evening and keep warm wherever you are.

Catch you soon.

Pattypan

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