Tag: food

Survival of the freakiest dear diary…

Monday Monday

Today i woke up far later than my usual 5 am, I can’t begin to tell you just how much I dislike this, It almost throws the whole day from its very outset,. But after a brief moment or three of deep procrastination😁, I forced myself to get up, if for no other reason than somewhere in my tiny kitchen, coffee is a calling, While the kettle bubbles away to itself merrily, I quickly wash, After which I threw the laundry into the washer. Before getting down to the most important start to the day, making my cuppa😁,. I head back to bed, curling up under the still warm fleece blankets, to slowly enjoy my drink while listening to some music, this is one morning of my favourite morning rituals, one I’m not prepared to compromise on at any cost, a peaceful tranquil interlude to begin that new day, a wee gift to myself before the days routine begins in earnest, even if im running late, sighs😁🙄.

By 8am I’ve woken up just about enough to go hang out the laundry, it was a shock to the system to walk outside and find the most brilliant clear blue sky, especially after the blustery storms of the weekend, As I hang out the clothes, enjoying the unexpected warmth of the sun, upon my back, my eyes were suddenly drawn upward, there in a nearby large Sycamore tree, came a sudden burst of activity amid the rapidly changing leaf cover, air now filled with excitable chirrups, flitting between the camouflaged canopy high above, My eyes still adjusting, I began to make out small flashes of colour red,yellow and creamy beige,.. The washing all but forgotten, I stand motionless watching the drama unfold, amongst the autumnal leaves, flew a flock of tiny delightful Goldfinches, there had to be at least thirty, darting branch to branch, swirling upward suddenly for a mere second, before settling back to the task of tugging at the trees endless supply of seed,

The home team(my daily garden visitors) aka White feather(my friendly Blackbird) Robin, the name speaks for itself really😁, and Steve the starling were not quite so enamoured by our new garden dinner guests, I could hear, White feathers warning call piercing the air, as he chased the tiny birds about the tree relentlessly, if they did deem fit to leave, it was only for them to all to land upon the roof of the flats, wait a moment or two, then noisily flock back to the tree, even from my vantage point I could only begin to imagine the annoyance on Feathers face as he tried frantically to round up the frustrating finches, like some over worked Border collie, he had little chance of success mind, these tiny terrors were determined to eat their fill of seeds before moving on for the day, the poor home team didn’t stand a chance, watching them swirl about, confused me, let alone my poor buddy Feather…however eventually the din caught the attention of two local magpies, whose raucous cackles startled the finches off into a mass exodus skyward ..

Make do Monday…

Last month I exceeded my budget, it was my own fault, but one I needed to address and fast, Christmas now just some weeks away and I need to put money aside for presents ect…So I decide to do one of my freaky freezer frenzies…this is a great way of using up whatever lurks in the depths of the freezer, plus not spending any more money for added groceries, it’s fabulous if your on that tightest of tight budgets, plus I’ve also learnt some pretty good winter warmer recipes quite by accident doing just this, they are both super cheap and filling into the bargain.

The over all weekly budget is around £40, I do admittedly go slightly over this from time to time mainly just by a few pounds, really on the whole though I’m pretty good…Coming up with new and inventive recipe ideas I not only take on as a challenge but rather enjoyable, almost like beating the system😁, food prices rising ever increasingly..

It also helps to have a small well appointed store cupboard nothing elaborate you understand, its quite like the emergency, canned food box my mother always kept full at the bottom of the pantry(*pantry children is a teany tiny room, kept for storing food back in the olden days😁), consisting of several tinned staples…in my own there’s mainly plum tomatoes, Chick peas, butter beans, potatoes, tomato puree, a well appointed coffee hoard(goes without saying that one) and finally of course ketchup..I’ve survived quite happily for a week before now, coasting along on my store staples..I look back with thanks to my own mother’s forward thinking, a hangover in her case from the war, when a stash of tins was not only desirable but essential…

It’s a disaster darling…

So there I am happily playing, my version of Dessert island dishes, in the heart of an urban town😁 ….no I know it’s not infact spelt Dessert 😁, it’s desert one S, but when your a self confessed foodie like moi, with a humongous food obsession, (I’m calling it a Dessert, so there!!! (beat me with French fancy and call me happy….but after buying groceries enough for that whole week aheads need, this is when it happened, of course it did!…like it can and does only happen to me, daily!!!!!!!!…

I had just had the online food delivery arrive that thursday, Packing away the freezer food first as is my want to do, then i set about the food store, last but not least the cleaning products…I felt the nice warm and cozy, fuzzy feeling that night knowing I was set up for the oncoming week ahead, stores full, . My modern day version of a cauldron(Crockpot) blipping away, containing a healthy warming casserole, the smell filling my flat and making my stomach growl with anticipation, I was indeed content that night when I feel asleep….

Next morning I woke up, fumbled my way out into the kitchen to be greeted almost instantly with the sight of my freezer door wide open…I’ve no clue how it happened to this day, but all I do know, is all my lovely food at the front was slowly dripping water upon the floor, what’s worse was the knowledge there’s no way I could eat a weeks worth of food in a couple of days, being defrosted it was no longer safe to refreeze…half asleep and not having had any coffee I dealt with the situation as best I could at the time, but then I was in serious need of my emotional support coffee and fast…

Later on that day, I was infact more equipped to deal with the situation, after nursing a large mug of coffee, having a shower, I thought it out in my head, there was three ways I could go with this….1… I could go back to bed, bury my head and hope it went away…..preferable but not at all practical😁2…go shopping replace all the food I had just lost, probably comfort spend into the bargain😁🙄, (it’s a thing honest), which would undo every thing I’m working to achieve….then there’s the 3rd and most foolhardy approach….wing it😲😲😲😲😁, by which I mean come up with food from what I had left in the fridge, salvaged freezer items, that wouldn’t kill me slowly with botulism, using my dwindling store tins….arghhhhh, the 3rd it is then…😁

It’s been a somewhat strange week this one, Some more manic moments spent resisting the urge to just order in more groceries and say, I can’t do this😔😪, Then there was the call of the challenge at other times, knowing full well I’ve survived on far far less in my past life, plus where’s my fighting spirit, Searches under the bed, where is that again?… in the end though, maybe out of sheer desperation, who knows, I begin watching countless wild camping videos, pretending I was roughing it, living my best life, wild and free making camp food, beside roaring wood fires, ewwww fire🔥, sleeping under the stars, fighting off lions, Tigers and Bears oh my!, ….One week later…and I’m pleased to say im still here!😁, I made it…I’ve eaten more beans, lentils and chick peas than its surely wise to do and be around another living breathing human…but thankfully I do live alone, so no problem😁… I also now come with my own jet propulsion system, but hey every cloud as they say…Today is my last day on meagre rations, the freezer is once again cleaned and primed ready for food, it’s so empty right now, I go out there from time to time, bellow just to hear an echo echo echo!!!!!!!!😁 (I will be watching that door more closely from now on in though don’t worry, blooming thing!)😁, but on today’s menu is Pottage….basically left overs heated up….Pottage sounds posherer though don’t it 😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁. Anyhoo I have to go stir the cauldron again, with its eye of chick peas and wind of dragon…..maybe I need stay away from naked flames for a week…stay safe, stay well, look after you and maybe avoid me at your peril…..😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥.

Believe you can and your halfway there ..Theodore Roosevelt…Dear Diary

Monday…

I love the above quote, it’s so appropriate for me at this moment in time, well anytime really, As is also his Man in the Arena address, given on the 23rd of April 1910…I have this enlarged, framed above my bed…One constant and wonderful reminder that no matter how difficult life can seem for you at times, all the while your here, showing up each morning there’s a chance, a chance for things to improve…it’s a thought I cling to, But quite unlike Jack clinging to that huge lump of wood in the cold cold cruel sea( reference, the film Titanic) I’m hanging on bloody tightly to it…shoving Rose off if needs be 😮😁😁😁…. I can do ruthless😁.

Captains Log day Star date 138…

According to my phones Pedometer I’ve survived 138 days of healthy living…(shows you how well it knows me), Some days have been slightly more questionable, if not darn outright outrageous…On my birthday for example, way back in April for.. As that clock struck half passed Barn owl, which sounds absolutely more like a dementor or in fact a hallucinogenic Terradactyl, don’t ask it’s a clock I thought a good idea at one point in time, while alone scrolling unattended on the Zon… It has different bird sounds for every hour…(yeah I know what was I thinking?, this has yet to be determined though😁 but I digest….no not digest Treez stop ittt, digress thats it, I digress …Anyway it was late, my birthday, I was alone late into the night, a big Bar of Galaxy chocolate also sitting alone in the living room sideboard drawer…crying out pitifully with its seductive siren silky voice….I bellowed at it, although none too loudly in my mind like one does, (tell me this is even a real thing right?!!!!)…”stop, cease, quit, desist, please!!..but it wasn’t paying attention enough obviously…So I showed it who was Boss and ate it huh!!!!!!!, it was it’s own fault don’t feel sorry for it!!!!….But since that lone fateful cold night when that bar of chocolate and I shared a very brief special moment I’m proud to say I’ve been good….

As you also know I can’t abide the D word, no not Dentist (sighs😁..mumbles under breath, behind thebhand.. dxxt….You all know the one, denoting immediate deprivation, starvation, and never eating a single nice thing for EVER ever!!!!!!😮, But with my height not matching up to my ever expanding waistline, something had to be done, either that or buy more elastic waisted pants !….so back in February there I was, I stood bare foot in the cold, hail, fog and rain, pause for dramatic effect😁, Sacrificing everything last little thing with even slightest amount of yummyness at the alter of the Green Goddess,, aka the Bin, Yes after a brief prayer, chant, candle lighting and crossing myself, you have to cover all those bases don’t you?, I called upon the Gods old and new to make me slender, svelte,lissom and sylphlike overnight…..your not surprised it didn’t happen are you?😁…..nah me neither, guess there really is only one way then sighs?…we going in!!!

A lettuce leaf and half a cherry tomato 🍅,

Ok just a slight exaggeration, but I have been eating far more vegetation…vegetables, I joke about ditching, the cakes, sweets, and anything over processed as being a chore..but if I’m totally honest it was the right time for me..I had researched the subject thoroughly, not taking this on-board lightly or as a whim…after reading four books, listening to podcast after podcast on Spotify..everything fell with a loud thud into place…takes a while for me to catch up folks,😁, really does…the evidence was staring me in the face though..back about seven years ago I lost 60lbs in just over six months, no starvation, no endless trips to the torture chamber(Gym)… Just giving up Sugar, carbs and eating more lean meat, fish and veg…After the initial headaches from coming off sugar(that should tell you all you need right there), but something odd happened…I began to feel better, I had more energy, no brain fog, my pain levels became more manageable, even a long standing stomach issue cleared up…it was official I felt good!!! More importantly my blood pressure dropped, I went from six tablets daily to two, my weight slowly but surely began fall also…

I’m sorry to say though just after a year, I had slipped back into my old eating habits…along with the dreaded weight gain, my health nose dived..my pain levels doubled, last year, In fact i spent six months virtually bed bound…my knee swollen and agony, my doctors telling me to rest it up and all would be well…I bowed to their professional knowledge, because that’s what one does when given advice and your desperate… But the pain never decreased, the swelling became more apparent, as did the ever increasing weight gain from being immobile for months, it’s not im a constant eater, or even a picker, no matter how often I joke about it, no it’s not the amount of food I eat, but what I eat…the convenience food, the quick dinner because it hurts too much for me to stand, even small sweet treats spark inflammation around the body…

By February I had come to a conclusion something had to give, and it wasnt going to be me, not this time.., I posted how i ditched anything with sugar, ultra processed, or carb laden…Since then I’ve lost nearly 30lb…Yes watching everything you eat in the beginning is tedium to say the least…Eating out is difficult to almost impossible…but it’s about what you want most…what I want, crave, ney need…is normality, I want to wake ready to greet another dawn, I will never be pain free, because That’s my lot in life, Pain and I have become old friends, kind of strange I know, but acceptance is the key…what I can do something about though is improving things for myself…I’ve seen so many doctors now, specialist, and as kind as their intentions are, I’m no better…My illnesses are incurable, but there’s no harm in making the best of a bad situation…I feel better taking charge of my own health,it’s something I can do,… I will also keep researching, keep eating a healthy foods only, nutritious, fresh. Making wise choices…

As the months pass by, I find myself no longer craving the foodstuff I would eat previously, rather I’m enjoying the taste of fruit,not just enjoying actually, but really tasting it almost for the first time…peaches for instance have never tasted better, flavour intensified exponentially, I no longer need to over season food, it’s own clean earthy flavours, textures being far more preferential now…this way of eating isn’t for everyone, I get that …but if it improves my life even by a fraction I’m ready to work at it some more…the 30lb weight loss although a bonus is nothing to the clarity of thought, increased energy and decrease of meds…here’s to the next six months in the Arena…whatever your doing this beautiful summers day, enjoy, stay safe and look after yourself.x💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛🌹

Merry Christmas, Dear Diary…..

I can’t put my finger on it, but there’s something out there coming between me and that first beloved molten hot coffee of the morning…. I’ve only been trying since 8:30 this morning, it’s now 11:47…ugh…First attempt, I crept on tiptoe(not easy these days) silently oh so blooming silently out of the bedroom as both Sage( my budgie) and Jesse were still fast asleep…thoughts I will get ahead of the day before they wake…huh like hell, I had just got out of the bedroom door, when Sage starts he’s alarm chirping…. It’s hard to explain unless your familiar with bird sounds, I speak Birdesse yah know!😊…Anyway it’s a higher pitched and insistent call for the uninitiated among us…Much like a toddler losing sight of their parent around the supermarket, just with less tears and Snot😁, …So somewhat desperately in need of the little girls room by now, I have to backtrack grab he’s cage and bring him into the living room, before I can even flick the kettle switch down😊, just not right!!! ….

After pulling back the curtains so Sage can watch the local community pigeon populace…the equivalent of sitting your child in front of the tv for five minutes peace, I can finally go about my morning routine…while the kettles bubbling away, my cup filled with instant ready and waiting, I set about washing and changing from my oversized t shirt while I wait, (which on hindsight was indeed a blessing….I had thought of at first, at least an hour for laying about in deep procrastination) don’t you just love a good procrastinate first thing!!!, I know I do……Plus no one comes Christmas Eve right?!!!!!, I make my coffee, clean up the kitchen, just sit down to enjoy my long anticipated hot caffeine fix!!!, The door bell shrills out……Sage goes into vicious rabid guard budgie mode…(shouting at full pitch) So I can’t even duck behind the sofa now, even if I could duck!!!!!, I cant (It’s at this point i am so glad I’ve gone to the trouble of putting on real clothes …because stood at the door is my lovely neighbour, (her and her wonderful hubby cut my Grass weekly for me during the summer months ….She has her wee chestnut Dachshund Freddie with her, whose somewhat impatient to be going on his morning constitutional …dancing at the end of he’s leash legs crossing faster than Michael Flatly on speed, never mind children its before you were born😊… He’s inquisitive little nose in the air sniffing out good scents…(doggie Facebook) …I’m always genuinely pleased to see my neighbour Katherine(why oh why do I always think she’s called Lorraine though? 😊) . Anyway Lorraine, I mean Katherine is stood looking immaculate at my door, in her other hand a pretty little red gift bag,..it’s around this time I’m so glad I’m not stood in my old baggy t shirt that’s covered in various copper tones from previous hair colouring attempts….I keep it on there as a constant reminder of my favourite shades….which is up somewhere by my left armpit, called Amber blonde…why does that sound like an exotic dancer or worse….Anyhow due to foresight or whatever, im not infact stood in front of my well turned out neighbour in my ancient red Christmas pants😊 and t shirt….

We exchanged gifts, for I too had momentarily morphed into Santa’s little helper….although mine wasn’t quite so fancied up…not sure a plastic Asda shopping bag is quite the same😁, but I chose it’s contents with care, working of the opinion I would far rather spend more on the gifts than wrapping….Plus plus in my defence the bag did have a Christmas scene upon it😊……as we chatted I’m only to aware of the sad fact my coffee is fast reaching the point of no return….anything other the burn your tonsils to bits hot, is inexcusable and cold….uh uh…can’t have it….as Lorraine walked away…..Katherine, I mean Katherine🙄, was hauled down the path by a now desperate doggo, on closing the door i already knew this is the way my morning is shaping up…. All cold coffee and to good intentions😊 three cold coffees later I give up.

This week has been somewhat slow on beany hat making…normally by about now I would have had at least ten made and finished off, but alas like my coffee partaking, I’ve been easily distracted from the task, six complete another four then I’ve finally reached that 40 hats on heads I wanted and will be pleased with…battling tangled yarns, Christmas preparations, present wrapping, visitors, I guess I’ve not done too badly..though In truth i am a little disappointed it wasn’t more, hopefully once Christmas is over and I’ve restocked my fast depleted stock of yarn I can get stuck in again.

Well it’s Christmas eve folks and I hope your all set up, presents wrapped and under the tree awaiting their excited giftees , Turkey prepped, the green methane makers peeled and washed, carrots and cookies out for santa…large Gin for mothers frazzled nerves😊, whatever your doing, your plans ect, I hope you have a wonderful Christmas…those of us alone again..look at it this way, you get to eat when and what you like, fall asleep on the sofa and leave the washing up to its own devices😊, seriously though stay safe, warm and well, take care of yourselves and i,’ll see you the other side of the year….🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎀🎀🎀🎀🎀🎀🎀🎀🎀🎀🎀🎀🎀🎀🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤💚💚💚💚💚💚

Dearest Diary….

How strange the last two weeks have been, my mood lurching from exalted highs, to much more grounding lows,. the darker nights draw in, although not effecting me quite so much as many, (well of course not) it is infact throwing me somewhat,.Days seem to be stretching out far longer for some unfathomable reason,..I wake roughly the same time, somewhere between six and seven am, there i begin my morning routine, with the usual three rounds of strong steaming hot coffee,(knowing full well I wouldn’t move without that caffeine kick in the pants😊) Most times I take the first back to bed, sipping it’s warmth, while watching some mindless rubbish on prime, my body warming back up like a basking reptile I need that warmth to move, for as much as I adore this time of year,. nature preparing herself for the long winter shut down, her pause mode, drifting into the oncoming sleep, cometh with winter of course, the not quite so welcome or romantic chill that’s alreasy begun once again to encase the flat, with it of course myself,

Last week I rather perilously clambered up and down my step ladders, half a dozen times, ( heights send my head in a spin, Even if it is just two steps up🙄😊) I was at the time though attempting to cover the bedroom windows with sheets of honeycombed patterned plastic, Because although I’m informed by the Estate agent, that the glazing is in fact suffice, (double glazed), Being No glazier myself of course, instinct tells me it’s far from…Most mornings now I draw back my curtains to see condensation mists fogging half way up each pane, water trails sliding down, leaving puddles of water upon the wood sill.. Taking into further consideration there’s no noise barrier from the outside, then there’s the lovely freezing breeze billowing my curtains, even though they are the heavier lined winter ones I put up mid october.. As I diligently work away at the task at hand, I can’t help but feel an oncoming sadness, Im shutting myself away further still, Away from my beloved outside, where I long to be and love, even though I venture outside less now, upon opening my curtains each morning, light flooded in, with it bringing welcome glimpses of new autumnal colouration, I feel imprisoned further now, another barrier put up in some endeavour to shut out the chill, at the same time closes me in further….but choices are few and I do what I have to, I quickly shut the curtains tightly preventing further sadness building from my new myopic fuzzy view. ….

I’m trying so hard not to use any form of heating, Every now and again bouts of shivering becomes gruesome and tiring, cold eats into my body, I give in finally when my hands are become painful, my nose blue, seems tissues are now a permanent fixture😊, Even though using my dehumidifier doesn’t exactly heat the room of choice, it does knock the temperature up slightly making it almost bearable, also drys the washing,.drying outside the last two weeks has become slowly more impractical..thanks British weather🙄,….When did heating become a luxury here I wonder?, The few times I’ve used it, Guilt washes over me, I watch the smart little blinky monitor that sits upon my chest of drawers, its bright orange pulsing warning light forever informing me I’m going over my electricity budget for that month., Even though I’m increasingly sitting in my dark cold world, the exception being a few cheery strings of flickering battery powered fairy lights, candles with their faint Amber warmth playfully flickering upon the walls….I curl up under my fleece blankets earlier most evenings, Settling down in my cave, like a creature slipping into winter hibernation….

In the week, I ventured out into the small side garden, spending ten minutes clearing small patches of weeds, it’s a brief moment of much needed daylight, I’m only too aware of the benefit of some natural light to ward off depression, doing anything in nature brings about its own reward, as I prepare the ground for the up coming new springs return…it’s like a sacred solemn promise to myself, just as winters approaching fast, with all it the cold onslaught, the darker nights, Spring always always will follow, in other words this too shall pass 😊, … With the soil cold upon my fingers, I shallow dig , clearing weeds and pebbles as I go, I never use gloves to work, it’s just another barrier from myself and mother nature, I love the loamy leafy smell from the patches of earth I work with…it’s smell is cool and delicious, as is the Smokey acrid scent upon the breeze from neighbours log burners, all at once I’m reminded of early morning walks to school, kicking leaves, picking up and inspecting the spent sad firework casings from the night previous, their gunpowdery smell mixing with the bonfire smoke from gardens, grey plumes hanging heavy upon the sharp frosty air…I straighten my aching back, allowing the memory to wash over me, that invisible link from the me of past to the me of today . I’m bought back from time traveling with a bump, as I look about reacquainting myself with my surroundings, out the corner of my eye, I spot a solitary small white pot, filled with early green sprouting daffodil spikes, ….I’m thinking they are from last year’s Paper white Narcissi, …when in flower they are stunning white waxy little multi headed plant, whose sweet perfume fills any room….immediately the compulsion to bring this show of life into my home over takes me…I quickly transfer the many bulbs into an earthen wear pot I had painted a few years back…

They are now sat by the window, their rapidly growing green spires reflect in the warm brown glossy grain of my Cherry wood coffee table, …the blues and sea greens of their hand painted pot adding a much needed splash of colour to the brighten up the otherwise drab livingroom, the life in their pointed leaves brings the outside in, I look forward to them hopefully flowering in the coming weeks,

The mystery of the stinking veggies……

During the last two weeks I’ve had this inexplicable craving for all things veggie, yeah I know I would have to be different🙄, Most folk want sugary carb laden stodge in winter, your cakes, sweets and biscuits….But for me the latest thing is courgettes, leek, Aubergine, carrots, cucumber and onion, all with lashings of garlic ….every night my plate is piled high with steamed crunchy vegetables, the only issue here is, I have to buy ever increasing amounts to top up the sad looking depleted fridge😊, which never bothers me of course, but I do find the increased number of Morrisons deliveries slightly embarrassing, especially living in my ownsome, I often wonder what crosses their mind…id blame Sage but he’s tiny budgie frame would soon give me away….😊.

Take last week for instance, I had my usual Morrisons delivery spot 12:30 on Tuesday, by that Thursday the cupboards or my case fridge was bare, no really it was!!!!!….Only the odd bell pepper and red onion to be seen, that’s not even one meal for moi😊…so I had this brainwave, (no stop it, it’s happens occasionally….tahdahhhhhh! Amazon fresh….remember this name now for future reference please good folksies…..This Zon ordering food malarkey is still fairly new one such as me, but In my opinion im getting the hang of it….I load my interweb virtual basket with Asparagus, Brussels, Green beans, peppers, cougette, tomatoes etc etc😊,. You have to spend over £25 anyway so no problem I think to myself!!!…..it really wasn’t either…I’m lucky enough to secure a 10 o’clock delivery for the very next morning…all good so far, right!!…

Even more impressive is my shopper had managed to find all I had ordered, it’s going to be a good day, I just know it!, . Last Friday In fact dawns one of those rare perfect cloud free Autumn mornings, the skies a glorious periwinkle blue, the sun has that faint surprising warmth attached to it, I’ve woken up in an extraordinary good mood matching the day ahead….I’ve three lines of laundry blowing in breeze…the window in the living room is open, chasing off the frausty too long enclosed air….my coffee is strong and alls right in my tiny corner of the planet….I should have known, this was never going to end well🙄😊😊😊😊😊, .

Just after 10 O’clock there’s the knock on my door, my Amazon delivery has arrived….I have vegetables at last, yay I can eat….Stood at my door is a rather tall gentleman, very friendly, a warm smile greets me, we pass pleasantries as he hands me the two large heavy brown paper bags, I Find I quite enjoy these small exchanges with delivery people, (it keeps me practice for those rare occasions I have to ‘re join the real world). All the while my driver is standing at the door though this horrible stench begins to fill my nose. To be honest I thought the poor guy must have stepped in something….it happens im sure your only to aware!!!, It was eye wateringly pungent, I could feel my nose hairs wither and fall to the floor in neat piles….before long I found myself holding my breath, or putting my hand up to my nose….where’s one of those good old fashioned vinaigrettes when one is required huh?…..Tears begin forming in the corners of my eyes, it’s only politeness preventing me from making my excuses an leaving the conversation early…. After my nose begins dripping in an effort to rid itsself of the stinky onslaught, I beg his pardon, thanking the driver i walk in closing the door on the prevailing pong….ughhhhh!,

I place the bags straight out into the kitchen, Start putting away the items, when I note almost at once, the smell had returned, just like some unwelcome guest,oh goodness its still there…. impossible I think! Surely it’s not me, is it????!!!!!, I turn about in my tiny Galley kitchen knocking into things, in some vain attempt at locating the source of this putrid smell…embarrassment flashing over me, surely I hadn’t just stood at that door chatting, stinking to high heaven….forgetting there’s no curtain at the kitchen window, I lift my top and arms to sniff…..yeah I really did that!!!!!!, I spin about sniffing around me like some amphetamine laced demented blood hound, but try as I might I just could not find the smell…..I checked my shoes, bottom of the bags, items in the blooming bags,,,, nothing…..but there it hung about in the air ….like so many garlands of strung up doggy do,s…. reaching under the sink for a bottle of disinfectant spray, I began dousing everything within reach….my house spiders ran for cover, havnt seen them since, I scrub every inch of myself, change my clothes respray the fetid air, oh help !!!.

That evening I decide to cook myself a chicken breast with green beans,Brussels sprouts, and broccoli…I prepare the veggies as the coated chicken cooks merrily away in the air fryer…I plan to steam them as is my norm….putting them on to cook for just minutes before letting them steam away for a further five in a covered bowl….As the vegetables cook away….this overwhelming smell rises up through the air in a nose abusing steamy stench….only it’s worse than ever….there’s no escape, as the moist air is making it rise up. Permeating every nook and cranny, thinking it has to be my imagination, I drain the veggies and leave them steaming in their bowl….five minutes later however I go back out into the kitchen, lift the lid on the steaming contents, and as I do….it’s like the steam takes on a life of its very own, ramming itself firmly up its nostril and strangling my throat….eyes watering, choking me….I put the lid straight back on before it gets a further strangle hold….When Im recovered enough, I grab out the green beans from my fridge…snapping one, I bravely sniff the offending item…..this it it! Voila!!!!, I’ve located the blooming pong!…..but not only do the beans stink, everything within reach does also, it’s all contaminated….I’m contaminated…my fingers are reeking….there’s no escaping, it evades everything….I scrub my hands numerous times, but I can still smell that lingering stink….ughhhh, I grab out all the vegetables from the fridge, I double bag everything and throw it straight out into the bin…angry at the waste, the cost, I don’t bother with dinner, I seemed to have had a sudden hunger bypass….next day I put in an order from my old favourite Morrisons, then thoroughly clean out the fridge,bleaching the kitchen afterwards …lesson learned the easiest way isn’t always the best….. It was one expensive lesson…I thank goodness for my sense of smell, who knows what damage would have ensued had I eaten any of that……well I hope you all have a good week ahead of you folks…take care of yourself and be careful out there …..💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜🍆🍆🍆🍆🍆🌽🌽🌽🌽🌽🌽🌽🌽🌽🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄😁

Lets play Fridge frenzy ….

You know those times?, normally around the wee small hours of the night?, When anyone with half ounce of sanity and a dash of common sense, are fast asleep? ….Well then there’s the rest of us raving lunatic insomniacs, …On many of these occasions my brain decides oh 3am this is the perfect time to go over everything last thing that’s wrong in your tiny corner of the looniverse…last week’s conundrum…how shall we loose this 6lb, gained since learning to bake the practically perfect gooey treble chocolate chip cookie? 🍪, that was fatal…..but in my defence they really were utterly divine., Trouble was each one was also sighs!. So how to loose this excess weight?……At the same time I’m also doing my online groceey shop….well doesn’t everyone do their shopping in the night while half asleep?….what do you mean not normally!!!!!! That will be just me then.😐

Just as I was ready to go through to checkout, I decided to check my list to make sure I had everything…..And boy did I have everything…there was that stray large packet of cashew nuts, vegetable crisps, French fancy cakes, oven fries, fish fingers, ect ECT ECT🙄 ……Not one solitary morsel of green stuff in sight….this on the whole isn’t me, I’m normally a very good eater(don’t sayyyyyy it)…I love fruit and veg…ok I also love cake, but I do try to avoid it where humanely possible😊, ….

Feeling deeply ashamed of my sudden onslaught of gluttony, I release all the goodies or is that baddies from my cart back into the wild😊, then i begin all over again by adding those things I know I should be having…Until my trolley is a positive rainbow of the vegetable variety…I have covered every root,vine,and pod, I sit back feeling all smug, thinking to myself when my delivery guy brings this little haul ain’t he going to be impressed😊, I check out then promptly fall into a deep comatose sleep ….see it’s working already…

That was last week, and I must confess a lot of the fresh vegetables still lurked untouched, looking at me accusingly each time I opened the fridge door….I tried shutting my eyes and wildly grabbing for the milk but ended up with mayonnaise…erm nope even my pallet won’t stretch to that in my morning coffee…..over the weekend I decided these veggies were trouble and had vegged out in my fridge quite long enough thankyou….I was sick of them doing a song and dance each time the spot light went on in the fridge…I was going to show them…huh!! …so here’s how you play along with Fridge frenzy….

Thousand vegetable soup….

Ok maybe not quite, but any you have to hand, and if those vegetroubles have any manky bits on them trying to get you to avoid eating them …..chop it off ouchhhhhhh!😊

My recipe….5 carrots or there abouts, .1. slightly manky red onion, green sprouting, I even used this chopped, .1. Leek, .1. Courgette.1. Parsnip.1. Potato, eyes enough to see in the dark. Any old frozen veg you have left over in the freezer..Garlic, tin of chopped toms, tin of French onion soup,.2. Stock cubes of choice,.1. teaspoon of ginger powder,.1. tablespoon of mixed herbs, parsley, basil and celery salt….I put this all in for four hours on low heat, in the slow cooker/crock pot, set about doing real chores, when it was virtually cooked, say the last 30 minutes…I made a slurry of corn flour and tomato ketchup, stir this well, add a ladle of your soup mix, stir some more then add to your crock pot, allowing it to cook on for another 30 minutes……when it was done I liberally added several glugs of worcheshire sauce to add a kick….. It turned out super thick, full of flavour and perfect for a cheap healthy lunch….if you want it thinner for your taste just add more water or stock……Bon appetite!!! Mon petits fleurs……until next time look after yourselves…..stay safe🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻x

Dear Wartime Diary…

Well this is fun..The rain started at some point during the night and hasn’t realised it can stop anytime now if it wanted to, obviously hasn’t got the message yet…, Most of England woke up to a generous covering of thick silvery grey blanket cloud, It was so dark here even at 8am I had to turn on big light….😁, main light for those posher folks amongst us, it’s one of those days if I’m honest i could either spend it curled up under a blanket sleeping for hours listening to the slow rhythmic patter of rain hitting the window pane, or drink coffee cheerfully making my way through an entire cake, alas living my wartime ration/frugal lifestyle cake is out…So coffee it is then…my heads abuzz with ideas today or is that just caffeine….unsure which yet but i,’ll take it…

The cookie monster within

In the kitchen looking all freshly baked seductive and stuff is a small tray of chocolate cookies lovingly baked by my own hands,,, my only quandary now for the day is ..One of trying to eek them out, making them last a few days or eat them up quick before they go all soft and chewy…no one wants something soft, when it’s not meant to be do we?😏, just a disappointment all round really…Sunday’s batch lasted all of two days…I tried honest but I’m a weak woman, never put temptation in a woman’s path.🙄.

Yesterdays left overs are being made into a kind of strange hot pot type meal… The main ingredients being a combination of Minced beef, black lentils, leek, carrot, tinned tomatoes, herbs, salt and black pepper, ..I’ve taken some of the meat mixture, covered it in herby thin sliced potato and shoved(placing) this in the oven for 30 minutes or until a crisp golden colour,.After this portion there should be enough to make two hearty meals if I’m careful, (big if)🙄😊😊😊😊, Tonight’s I will serve with extra veggies to make it go that bit further, …by adding cheap tinned lentils you can stretch out really any meat a bit further..according to the one book I have, A weeks Rations by Karen Wiles, either oats, lentils or breadcrumbs were commonly used to make any meat that could be sourced stretch ….woman queued for hours daily often just to come away with a rather bedraggled cheap cut of meat, and that’s if they were lucky, (I’ve been reading how woman often sought out the longest queues, outside a shop cleverly knowing these had the best chance of getting something worthwhile for that evenings meal, their poor feet, the lines were huge often as not going down the street… Mostly by the time one got to the front everything had already gone…

Slippery Saturday…

Saturday I woke up early….(insert screeching brakes sounds here, I actually didn’t really sleep in the truest sense of the word, making do with a cat nap for the odd ten minutes, finally giving up around 4:30am. by five I was showered ready to do my first load of laundry for the day, Wanting it done quickly before it realised it hadn’t rained for at least hour now. A light load was first as a had a particularly stained t shirt I wanted to tackle, tomato sauce is a devil right?…I sprayed it liberally with a mixture of alcohol, dish soap and water, rubbing it into the affected area vigorously…before digging out my stash of soda crystals, hidden under the sink for my back up plan…(this is one of those times im unsure whether ive mentioned this in the past or not?, But as I pushed in deeply the handy plastic spoon, kept solely for measuring out purposes ..My treacherous arm decided that was to be the exact moment to go into spasm, sending a lovely arc of glistening soda crystals into the air, before they showered down scattering the length and breadth of the kitchen floor…never mind rain!!🙄, it’s in fact now snowing, …(Spasms being common with EDS, always but always when most inconvenient, like with a spoon of coffee, flour, sugar…not to mention glue don’t ask 😊…sighs..

I manage to clear up most with a damp microfibre cloth before pushing the now covered cloth into the washing machine with the still soaking stained t shirt, determined if nothing else that the soda crystals were not going to go to waste, I set the machine off before starting to clean the kitchen counter tops, that were also dusted in white 😊,Still angry and checking where I put my feet, the very next thing I was aware in fact aware of, were my legs going in two separate directions like demented scissors, Trying desperately to react quick enough to stay upright, all the while clutching at the door frame, my legs slipping and sliding across the glass like floor surfice… despite my best efforts and at least not falling over completely thank goodness, I did however twist my knee cap quite badly, feeling the knee sublux as my left leg twisted back to front horribly, .I righted myself somewhat easily enough, but not before the damage was it seems already done…it was the knee I had just spent months trying to get to heal…when I looked down at the floor, it had become a veritable ice rink, thanks very much to the aid of a damp cloth and Soda crystals…although sore after some strong language and manipulation I manoeuvered the kneecap somewhere near to the right place..held there mainly by masses of kinetic tape and sheer determination for the rest of the day😊.

It’s still moving about, swollen and hot, but living alone means things most still get done..I baked cookies…yes of course that’s essential work!! A woman needs biscuits at a time like this😊, I watered my garden also, I can’t let weeks of hard work go to waste…my tomato plants are looking far too good to neglect…besides it will all be worth in a few weeks when I’m eating tomatoes still warm from the sun…but later on I decided to lay down and rest my leg with an ice pack strapped on firmly, all the while cheering myself up with research for new recipes I could find online, they are few and far between but my notepad is looking fuller…

I have still narrowly avoided assauging my frustrations and boredom with the lure of “The Zon” (Amazon)isn’t always easy though I must admit, especially when a low hits unexpectedly, but each time I’ve found myself drawn to the dark side by promises of sales, or you might like popping up on my face book, I put down my tablet and listen to music or read…I also carry on with WW2 research, history being that huge draw for me…learning the somewhat shocking statistic of losses of over 60,000.. I thought I knew about the blitz and the terrible loss, but reading that bought it all home..I think my family must have been extremely lucky because despite living in a dock area, my mother never mentioned losing anyone in our immediate rather large extended family on either side…mother and father originally living next door to one another while growing up…anyway enough of my Gas bagging, I’ve washing up to get done, a kitchen to straighten up before lights out…least I’m not living in black, with an ARP warden knocking at my door for neglected chinks of light escaping…😊, take care all, and look after one another…ps…exciting news being on my WW2 rations, I’ve already lost 10lb…that’s in a week..I’ve eaten home made cake, biscuits and bread most days…lot to be said for rations😁.💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛

May day, may day, may day..dear diary

After what I can only call an epic nights sleep, which believe it or not began around the 7pmish mark that evening and finally finished somewhat reluctantly by myself, at an astonishing 8am this morning. I would love to say I awoke fully refreshed, full of the joys of spring and vim and vigour, flinging the covers back and diving out of bed ready for anything.. (Instead I was ready for nothing) being rudely awakened instead, the room ablaze with a golden yellow hue..it’s my new curtains folks, not an alien invasion…when I did finally managed to pry open my eyes halfway,(this only achieved manually) I glared up at the intrusion not amused…I’m grumpy before BC

Anyone else after nearly 10 hours sleep(allowing for the four half hour intervals) would surely feel well rested right?…instead here I am staring about myself in a almost stupified daze, Coffee! and much of it, after refamiliarising myself with the flats layout..(well it had been some hours, I finally felt my way out into the kitchen, (felt because the Sun was still flooding into every room and steadily doing its upmost to bore out the back of my eye sockets, so I keeping my eyes closed, in doing stubbing my little toe, falling through the kitchen door, after opening it of course (and smashing it into my already aching head)… I decide maybe I should risk the laser beam sun with my eyes after all…

I already know without any shadow of a doubt it’s going to a multiple coffee infusion kind of day..I can feel it in my veins, or is that the zinging of freshly squeezed caffeine berries trying desperately to awaken the undead, they fail miserably…Time to call out the big guns…a lovely cold water shower mmmmhmmm…(I just love my life), . Since the installation of this electricity use recorder gadget, I have been inflicted with a kind of paranoia…who wouldn’t though…I swear it records everything including my movements, marking it all down as energy used….well it is agreed, but just looking at those massive green numbers flashing away, their dire warnings of power used, especially when it informs me most gleefully I’ve gone over budget..this only serves to increase my anxiety level…but in fairness it works as I now watch over my use more intently…Hence no longer putting on the boiler to heat the water unless it’s an emergency, hot showers now being a luxury and only to be indulged in over the winter months….maybe I should invest in a tin bath by the mock coal fire…..could be a thought …only the thought of boiling endless kettles deters…..😁

After the almost drive through speedy body wash type shower, I am now somewhat awake…(least there’s early signs, which is hopeful) in my infinite wisdom or boredom could be either at this stage..I decide to tackle the kitchen…and not just a quicky😊….but a deep clean..(was I mad?, this of course is debatable..or is that non negotiable?I’m never sure .. My eye is drawn firstly to my kitchen utensil holder, it’s a shiny black earthen ware affair, says utensils on the front in big bold white writing, so it must be true…in Theresa logic(not to be trusted be anyone other than myself) it’s black right so how dirty can it get?😁, Plus I only put in washed up items…like my spatula…no reason for this information only I love the word Spatula….s p a t u l a!!!!! ….anyhow where was I again? Oh yes the black holder….I pull out all the kitchen accoutrements….sounds posh don’t it….oh don’t you believe it…as I look into the black hole of the top…I’m met with shock horror!!!😮…not Saturn’s rings, but more white limescale rings than I care to admit….for shame …if the rings on trees denote their age, then this blooming black shiny thing came from the ancient Greek Asda super store….I rapidly fill it full of a water and bleach mix, this is far too grosse to take in especially this early….I re_wash every blooming utensil plus scald them thoroughly with hot water from the still boiling kettle…. Ouch! Yes I touched them just to see if they were indeed hot enough, you,’ll be relieved to hear they are now fully sanitised, so is my fast blistering finger…..

After that debacle Im left feeling the intense need to check absolutely everything…ohhhhhh just look at the glass jar holding my measuring spoons…Damn!!! as Sage the budgie screams (all too often), could this really my kitchen?, has it really become a retirement home for a frap of bacteria?…But then I wash this jar every few days…even using white vinegar to be on the safe side…as I run water into the jar, the same jar that in a previous life held scrumptious amounts of black currant jam, now relegated to a mere utensil prison..water trickled out of the bottom….no that’s impossible!!, it can’t can it?, I mean it’s water proof….yes it is normally, until it’s not…until I must of at some point dropped the things in with over zealousness….literally smashing a tiny chip that I hadn’t noticed, up until now that is….sighs!….now what could I use….aha I have just finished a can of Azera coffee…yup let’s repurpose that, I love a good reinvent….being metal I can’t have a mishap with that surely …..Theresa hush thy blooming clanging mouth woman 😊.

My day did indeed go steadily from bad to worse, it’s already 10:30 by this time, and I’m thinking breakfast, I’ve earnt a good old fashioned bacon sandwich…I can taste it already…the crisp edge bacon…the still warm freshly made soft bread straight out the bread maker…this begins the drool reflex…like Pavlovas dog…will get your mind off food woman…(Pavlovs, it’s Pavlovs dog….I drag out the bread maker, place it on the kitchen counter top.. I know the recipe by heart…soon the whirling, bucking bronco bread machine gets down to work, I can hear it from the other room…thumping about as it stirs the flour mix into a dough….I’m already looking forward to bread in a couple of hours….

As I sit relaxed drinking my second coffee of the morning , I hear an almighty crash…id love to say I rushed out into the kitchen to see what it was, but with my gimpy leg…rushing is something of the past…but when I do finally reach the kitchen there’s carnage…the bread maker is now laying on its side upon the floor lid completely broken off its hinges , There’s flour everywhere like Christmas scene from a Hallmark movie, and all I can think is well guess there’s no bread for me today then….I begin clearing up the mess, it wasn’t the first time my bread machine worked it’s way off the counter, but unlike the other times I couldn’t rescue it….

After clearing up my kitchen for the second time that morning..I hit on a crazy notion..Treez make the bread by hand…..stop it!!!!😁, I can hand make bread if I want..course I can, it’s easy….Using the same recipe I do for a bread maker(one that doesn’t have a death wish that is) I set about mixing the ingredients.. As incorporate 300g of warm water, a table spoon of sea salt , tablespoon of sugar, 3 cups of strong flour, 1/2 a cup of spelt flour, two spoons of Pesto, grated Parmesan cheese … As the warm yeasty scent reaches my nostrils, like bakers, woman in warm kitchens gone on before me, I feel an instant connection to the past, providing food for hungry mouths… Just as I’m doing..for mine and Sages hungry mouth..he loves bread 😁…

Only thing that stumped me, is when it comes down to proving the bread(getting the dough to rise)…you need either a bakers oven or a warm spot…as everywhere in this flats cold I’m at a loss…until necessity proves the mother of all invention…light bulb moment inserted here…, Of course my bedroom window ledge…I rinse a tea towel in warm water laying it across my mixing bowl, walk into my bedroom and as if the sun was mocking me once again it promptly hides forever!, Sliding behind a group of fast growing big black threatening cloud…. I should have known it!!!!!!,

Not to be outdone though, I remembered suddenly from last night huddling under my blankets with my electric hand warmers….Now I’m in no way suggesting huddling with dough under blankets or indeed with hand warmers…but hey if needs must…😁, No I turned on said hand warmers and placed them under the plastic mixing bowl, not thinking I had a chance of it working… it only worked though ….the dough doubled in size not only once, but for the prove needed too..genius…what’s more I couldn’t believe my luck when later that same morning two perfect specimens of baked bread came out hot from my airfryer….not having an oven needs must and all that….I even had enough dough left for two bread rolls, which I filled with bacon for brunchfast …the taste was remarkable and well worth the hassle to get there…. Anyhow folks have a grand Mayday bank holiday or what’s left of it anyhow, take care of yourself whatever your doing….stay safe 💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜🍞🍞🍞🍞🍞🍞🍞🍞🍞🍞🍞🍞🍞x

Dear Diary…in a stew

It’s been one month exactly since I began my grand finale in an otherwise long line of previous failures. A last quest for health before ancient and decrepit😁, that final attempt!, So I’m more determined than ever this time to make it work for me…And so far so good…the scales are indeed tipping…and my way for once thank goodness.

Part of what I’m doing is a daily 12 hour fast, if I’m honest this is no real hardship for me, I have never been a great one for having breakfast,. I have researched, read all those pros and cons, those for and against.  Fully understanding the concept of eating something first thing in the morning to get your metabolism kicked in, . But for me this has always been something of an issue, I’m just not hungry!, . I’ve been told often but many including one long suffering dietician, if I would just start having something, anything then my body will go onto naturally become hungry….no not mine, I’m just sat for an age trying to force down a few mouthfuls of something inbetween gagging…so fasting is never a problem.

Lunch is also a battle ground, …see I’ve never felt that stomach rumbling effect ect, well at least not until around the earliest of 5pm anyhow,.. The whole getting me to eat more than once daily has never been quite natural, and considering my weight issues, getting people to take in this information including my doctors has proven hard going many times, so I now no longer try.

Anyhow I digress as per😁, last week on reading the label of a well known brand of tinned soup, I can’t go as far as to say Im shocked by the amount of sugar it contains, as I already suspected if I’m honest, but it did confirm it for me..so instead of ignoring the blatantly obvious, I decided to do something about it…make my own.😁

Now I have several old favourites, Ones I turn to for comfort…these are Tomato, Pea and ham, or anything thick and meaty… I hate watery thin soups with a passion. ..It bodes well for me that am in fact an old hand at soup DIY, perfecting and altering recipes to my taste…Thursday just gone, I decide what tickled my juices most was some thick Pea and ham soup, what’s more I had everything in take make it, plus there’s not a lot of chopping of veggies involved and the prep time is roughly only about ten minutes.

The hardest part of the whole recipe is smelling it cooking slowly over four excruciating slow hours in the slow cooker…😁,..I began with chopping up some Gammon I had cooked and leftover from the previous days dinner, into nice large chunks…(one or two didn’t quite make it im afraid😁) but the rest did., I then roughly chopped up a large onion, a leek, four cloves of garlic😁, you can add less, I just love it 😁,, after which I added a whole large bag of frozen garden peas, a stock cube, water after which closing down the lid firmly, leaving it to stew in its own juices for four hours…

All afternoon the most gorgeous aroma percolated from my tiny kitchen, I could hardly contain myself, keeping busy was the only way in fact… Every once in a while I would torture myself by standing beside the little red slow cooker, where wafts of Gammon and veg were incorporating into a lush soup,. I stirred it several times as the peas lost their form finally, making the broth a thick but very odd shade of well..pea green colour😁,.

Each hour seemed agonisingly long, and dinner time longer away still, but after three and half hours, it was time to make the slurry..( not a nice term used for making a flour and water paste, of which you stir in for the last half hour, only here I use Greek yogurt and cornflour, this works for me)… I pulled out the pack of shops own brand of corn flour, added two large tea spoonfuls, and two of yogurt into a Ramikin, stirring constantly until its smooth, before finally adding it into my bubbling pot of beautiful soup, the smells coming from that pot filled the whole flat with deliciousness…..stir until it’s mixed in….Now thinking back, I had noted, that the slurry(paste) on hindsight had not been as thick as on previous occasions,. Isn’t hindsight a wonderful thing😁.

That half an hour was one of the longest of my life, as the smell drifted on the air and into my room, my stomach growled, I was really ready to eat by now..I couldn’t wait to help myself to a large steaming bowl of goodness, each minute felt like an hour, until finally the alarm on the slow cooker beeped out its readiness, finally being done, the kitchen was filled with its lush aroma, . And as I lifted the lid, i breathed in the warm scents…it had a bubbling thick gloopy consitancy, my mouth drooled as I put in a large ladle, scooping out some steaming liquid into my favourite bowl..

I washed up a few things while I waited somewhat impatiently for it to turn from molten lava, to be remotely edible… I could not wait a second longer, taking up my spoon, I dipped it into the still steaming broth, blowing it twice then i put the whole spoonful into my mouth, but instead of my tastebuds receiving the long awaited cacophony of rich flavours, it was met by a disgusting mix of saccharin sweet green pea horrific gloop, it was vile!, There was no way I could eat this this thing!!! Concoction, mess whatever!, …

Now keep in mind I’m no soup virgin, over my many many years on this mortal coil I’ve made large batches very successfully, without a hitch…none had ever tasted like this though. Mentally I went over the ingredients, over and over, I know them by heart. I couldn’t work out where if anywhere I had erred, made a mistake, but it’s obvious I had. ..I tried it again, in some vague hope, it was just that my tastebuds were playing up after giving up Sugar, as they can do….but the sweetness of this actually physically hurt my tongue…this was madness ! What had I done.

There wasn’t nothing for it, I would have to throw this whole batch out, there wasn’t any way of rescuing it, before I did this though, I opened the cupboard door to my dried ingredients, On the bottom self at the front is where I store the things I use most regular, chilli seasoning, chicken seasoning, wheatfree flour, stock cubes, pasta, cornflour and icing sugar…..screeches to halt, goes back to look again..there stood side by side in almost identical shops own boxes, were Corn flour and icing sugar…both packs the same colouring…I began to understand where I had gone so very very wrong, Remember when I said the slurry had been somewhat thinner this time?, Well now at least we know why., My eyesight being not the best to begin with, only having sight in one eye, then the kitchen also being dark and somewhat dingy it was an easy mistake to make, not very professional, but I had done it all the same..I was angry with myself, ..my punishment a dinner of ricecakes thin sliced cheese and cucumber..not the hot meaty very longed for bowl of soup…I threw the icing sugar in the bin out of temper of my own stupidity… I won’t be doing that again folks 😁😁😁😁😁. ..take care of you in whatever your up to folks ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤x