.......when you feel sick when you wake up. Dave and I both have interviews today. I already work at Sainsburys part time, and 've just been offered another part tie job as Events and Conference Co-ordinator at a hotel. But then I got a phone call offering me an interview for a similar job at another hotel - more involved, better hours, but I'm not sure what the pay is yet. Dave has been out of work since December and gets more and more depressed each week at the lack of jobs, lack of support from the government etc.
So today could be a big day.
Clare xx
Wednesday, 11 July 2012
Monday, 9 July 2012
I'm proud to announce the arrival of....
............my first baby cucumber!! I've got nine cucumber plants altogether, all of them Marketmore. Some I have in the greenhouse, others are enjoying the fresh air in the garden. The tomatoes have really gome wild too - I had to remove the ones in the greenhouse from the growbags yesterday as they were far too big. I transplanted them into those black flower buckets you get from Morrisons eight for 99p - bargain!! My grow-your-own is now taking over the whole garden!
We did loads of baking and cooking last week - muffins, flapjacks and cookies so hubby didn't go short. It's payday on Friday so I just need to last til then. *fingers crossed.
Good news - I've got another job!! This is one that I can do as well as my current job at Sainsburys , so I'll be working thirty two hourse a week in total. But we need the money so......then needs must :-) . My new role is Events and Conference Co-ordinator for a lovely hotel. I know I'll enjoy this role.
We did loads of baking and cooking last week - muffins, flapjacks and cookies so hubby didn't go short. It's payday on Friday so I just need to last til then. *fingers crossed.
Good news - I've got another job!! This is one that I can do as well as my current job at Sainsburys , so I'll be working thirty two hourse a week in total. But we need the money so......then needs must :-) . My new role is Events and Conference Co-ordinator for a lovely hotel. I know I'll enjoy this role.
Monday, 2 July 2012
A lovely weekend
We had a really nice, but busy weekend :-).
I spent Saturday morning at work, but I got home and prepared lunch, we went to a local park called Forest Park. Just our luck - as soon as we pulled up, the heavens opened but after ten minutes the rain gave way and we had a breezy and slightly damp walk around the lake.
We spent a happy few hours baking, Snickers Muffins, Double Chocolate Muffins, Peanut Cookies and Millies Cookies, Lucy made a pillow for using a fat quarter I bought ages ago, I got absolutely loads of planting done, had a full roast beef dinner....all in all very busy, very productive....
but very fun :-)
I spent Saturday morning at work, but I got home and prepared lunch, we went to a local park called Forest Park. Just our luck - as soon as we pulled up, the heavens opened but after ten minutes the rain gave way and we had a breezy and slightly damp walk around the lake.
but very fun :-)
Friday, 29 June 2012
I can't wait for our holiday. After the year we've had, we're desperate for something to look forward to !!
This is where we'll be cruising after a week's all-inclusive stay in Palma. We've been to Rome before (docking at Civitavecchia) so we'll probably stay aboard that day. Don't get me wrong, I love Rome - I cried when I got to Trevi Fountain because I'd finally seen something so beautiful that I'd only seen on tv for so many years. But it's a long coach ride into Rome from the port, so I'm loathe to do that again
The weather was so mixed here yesterday. The morning was showers, thunder, then the heavens opened at lunchtime. The evening was actually lovely. I found the whole day very muggy andhard to breathe though, and the thunder didn't clear the air as I'd hoped.
Hopefully we'll get some decent weather on holiday. It's going to be a very different two weeks than the rest of the year, going from enforced frugality hrough the loss of Dave's job to two weeks of sheer decadance!!
xx
This is where we'll be cruising after a week's all-inclusive stay in Palma. We've been to Rome before (docking at Civitavecchia) so we'll probably stay aboard that day. Don't get me wrong, I love Rome - I cried when I got to Trevi Fountain because I'd finally seen something so beautiful that I'd only seen on tv for so many years. But it's a long coach ride into Rome from the port, so I'm loathe to do that again
The weather was so mixed here yesterday. The morning was showers, thunder, then the heavens opened at lunchtime. The evening was actually lovely. I found the whole day very muggy andhard to breathe though, and the thunder didn't clear the air as I'd hoped.
Hopefully we'll get some decent weather on holiday. It's going to be a very different two weeks than the rest of the year, going from enforced frugality hrough the loss of Dave's job to two weeks of sheer decadance!!
xx
Wednesday, 27 June 2012
My tomato border
Hopefully the gravel will help to deter the slugs!
We had the homemade pizza, made my my elder daughter. It was actually very good! :-)
Saturday, 23 June 2012
Meal Plan w/c 24/06/12
Sunday
Roast Chicken Dinner
Monday
BBQ Chicken Pizza
I've bought two fresh pizza bases from the pizza counter at work (75p each). I'm using one for garlic bread and the other will be topped with leftover chicken from yesterday. I'm lucky - my elder daughter works on the pizza counter so she's going to do it for me ! :-)
Tuesday
Burgers and chips, peas and side salad
Wednesday
Spaghetti Bolognaise
Thursday ( my full day at work - start at 8, finish at 5)
Fish finger sandwiches for me and hubby, shoestring fries for Lucy, St James Beef with potato wedges for Mickey
Friday
Chips, egg and beans
Saturday
Breaded turkey steaks (recipe from work) in wholemeal baps with potato wedges and side salad
Roast Chicken Dinner
Monday
BBQ Chicken Pizza
I've bought two fresh pizza bases from the pizza counter at work (75p each). I'm using one for garlic bread and the other will be topped with leftover chicken from yesterday. I'm lucky - my elder daughter works on the pizza counter so she's going to do it for me ! :-)
Tuesday
Burgers and chips, peas and side salad
Wednesday
Spaghetti Bolognaise
Thursday ( my full day at work - start at 8, finish at 5)
Fish finger sandwiches for me and hubby, shoestring fries for Lucy, St James Beef with potato wedges for Mickey
Friday
Chips, egg and beans
Saturday
Breaded turkey steaks (recipe from work) in wholemeal baps with potato wedges and side salad
Filling the Freezer
When I get paid (on a four weekly basis) I do a big shop at work - Sainsburys - and a shop at Bookers, as I still have the wholesale card for them from when we had the pub. The majority of the shopping from Sainsburys is the Basics brand. All good quality, just not the perfect slices/shapes that seem to be in demand from other brands.
The Bookers shop consisted of -
4 x 9 luxury toilet rolls £7
1 kilo lean stewing steak - diced fresh for me from a whole piece £11
2 kilos lean minced steak £10
1 1/2 kilo lamb steaks £11
1 A6 tin of tomatoes - HUGE!!! £1.50
5kg pack of chicken breasts £19.99
5kg pack smoked bacon £5.59
3kg pack of bacon bits £2.99
I then have a huge cooking session that day, to fill one of my two freezers - I have one to store pre cooked meals, the other to store ingredients, meat, bread etc.
On Friday I made -
Stewing seak - 8 portions of St James Beef (a rich beef casserole), 10 beef and ale pies
Minced steak - 8 portions bolognaise sauce, 2 big lasagnes, 4 individual lasagnes, 1 big cottage pie, 2 small cottage pies
Lamb steak - half I turned into 8 portions of lamb rogan josh, the othe half is in my freezer ready to turn into minted lamb steaks
the tomatoes I share between the bolognaise and the curry, with a helping leftover forhubby to have with bacon and cheese :-)
Chicken breasts - my Mum and sister had two kilos of these, the rest I turned into 8 portions of chicken curry, 8 portions sweet and sour cicken, 8 portions and barbecue chicken, with quite a lot remaining to be made into whatever else we meal plan.
Bacon - I divided this into three, froze two and kept one in the fridge as hubby quite likes his bacon sandwiches!
Bacon bits - I froze 2/3rds of these and used the other third in the St James Beef to give it another layer of flavour.
Don't get me wrong - I actually LOVE cooking. But by preparing so many meals in advance I know that
a) There's always food in the house, regardless of my money situation
b) There's always something in when my fussy nineteen year old doesn't like what I'm planning for tea
c) If I really don't feel like cooking or have time, there's a meal available
I then try only to buy milk, bread and fruit and veg during the week. Easier said then done when I can't avoid the temptation of the supermarket because I work in one !!
Clare
The Bookers shop consisted of -
4 x 9 luxury toilet rolls £7
1 kilo lean stewing steak - diced fresh for me from a whole piece £11
2 kilos lean minced steak £10
1 1/2 kilo lamb steaks £11
1 A6 tin of tomatoes - HUGE!!! £1.50
5kg pack of chicken breasts £19.99
5kg pack smoked bacon £5.59
3kg pack of bacon bits £2.99
I then have a huge cooking session that day, to fill one of my two freezers - I have one to store pre cooked meals, the other to store ingredients, meat, bread etc.
On Friday I made -
Stewing seak - 8 portions of St James Beef (a rich beef casserole), 10 beef and ale pies
Minced steak - 8 portions bolognaise sauce, 2 big lasagnes, 4 individual lasagnes, 1 big cottage pie, 2 small cottage pies
Lamb steak - half I turned into 8 portions of lamb rogan josh, the othe half is in my freezer ready to turn into minted lamb steaks
the tomatoes I share between the bolognaise and the curry, with a helping leftover forhubby to have with bacon and cheese :-)
Chicken breasts - my Mum and sister had two kilos of these, the rest I turned into 8 portions of chicken curry, 8 portions sweet and sour cicken, 8 portions and barbecue chicken, with quite a lot remaining to be made into whatever else we meal plan.
Bacon - I divided this into three, froze two and kept one in the fridge as hubby quite likes his bacon sandwiches!
Bacon bits - I froze 2/3rds of these and used the other third in the St James Beef to give it another layer of flavour.
Don't get me wrong - I actually LOVE cooking. But by preparing so many meals in advance I know that
a) There's always food in the house, regardless of my money situation
b) There's always something in when my fussy nineteen year old doesn't like what I'm planning for tea
c) If I really don't feel like cooking or have time, there's a meal available
I then try only to buy milk, bread and fruit and veg during the week. Easier said then done when I can't avoid the temptation of the supermarket because I work in one !!
Clare
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