Garage sale gleanings - and mincemeat

Four and a half jars of mincemeat - just been put in the jars and smelling wonderful!

I made it in the slow-cooker - looking divine...

The rug we picked up at the garage sale for just £2. It was destined for the conservatory but then we thought we would try it out in the lounge and it looks fine. We had been wanting something in here for a while, and the colours go well with our pink walls and green curtains.

Just to see the detail on the corner

This is a lamp which hold a tea-light. I thought it would be nice to have on the table in the conservatory, but I took the photo in the lounge as it was dark outside. I haven't seen a lamp like this before, and for 50p, I couldn't resist.

Musical Mondays

I have some photos but Blogger is not co-operating! We went to a garage sale at one of our neighbour's houses yesterday after chapel, and I bought a few bargains - that is what the photos are for. Maybe tomorrow!

The girls and the FH have been at band practice and then the FH went to a residents' committee meeting for the estate where we live; his car refused to turn over tonight so he had to get a lift there and back. We'll have to look at it in the morning as he needs it to bring the girls to gym tomorrow...

All go here!

I have Froog's mincemeat in the slowcooker, roast potatoes in the Remoska, carrots boiling and broccoli steaming, the fire is alight and the school uniforms are almost dry on the airers, ready for ironing later - the only fly in the ointment today is flipping James Bond!

The powers that be have had at least two JB films on each week for weeks now and it is driving me mad - the FH loves to watch them ALL, even though he has seen them all hundreds of times. The YFG went out for a walk with the neighbours and Sinbad the dog, so the EFG and I thought we would settle down in front of the fire to watch The Secret Garden (the Maggie Smith version) since it was raining but hey, JB came on only about 20 minutes into it, so we had to give over and let JB reign supreme..........I was told that it was OK as I was planning to go and "play at cooking" so that is what I did. Good job I love him really as it would have been a good case for murder! Funny how he occasionally mutters that he never sees me because I never watch TV with him - shame he is so bossy about what we have to watch.

I am saving up for a new tv in the kitchen but shhh - I'll be in charge of that one!! Hopefully I will have enough pennies in the pot by Christmas, but it won't be before then as the credit card bill has arrived with the Train tickets and car on it for the holiday at the end of October - I must get my priorities straight - bills first and luxuries later!

The chicken-poo shovelling has had to be postponed due to driving rain this afternoon; I had thought that there was a small window of opportunity when the YFG went out for a walk but it soon started up again and she came home drenched. I am hoping for drier weather tomorrow!!

The menu plan for the week ahead is looking like this:
Today - smoked haddock, carrots, broccoli and roasties, followed by leftover cake.
Monday - pasta and sauce
Tuesday - chicken casserole (perhaps in the slow cooker), birthday cake if I get round to making myself one!
Wednesday - cod, chips and peas - all from the freezer
Thursday - Toad in the hole, gravy and vegetables
Friday - FH on duty so up to him to go freezer-diving!
Saturday - HM pizza.

We have loads of fruit in the freezer, so there may be some crumbles this week - pear would be lovely as we haven't had that for ages.

Hope you all have a good week.

Feeling revived!

This afternoon, I had a bath and then fell asleep on my bed for a good hour - and I do feel a lot better! I didn't feel too tired this morning at gymnastics, but when the YFG and I had had a quick trip around Tesco and then had a cup of tea when I got home, I was beginning to wane!

We have the woodburner alight tonight for the first time since the summer. The lounge is nice and cosy, and the gang are all sitting around, watching Michael MacIntyre - he is a hilarious comic, and he very rarely swears or says anything terribly rude, but he IS just funny in himself somehow.

We have loads of fire wood for the winter, and probably next winter too. I have been reading a website which predicts another cold winter like last year, with considerable snowfall again. It's here and is very interesting: the thermohaline current which drives the gulf stream is waning badly - and there are satellite images which show that on the blog. The influx of fresh water from the melting ice at the pole is not helping, and the whole lot adds up to cooling for us here! Global warming IS happening, but the by-product of it for us seems to be that we may get chillier.

Chicken-poo shovelling is on the agenda tomorrow, so I had better go to bed!

Macmillan morning

I finally sank into my bed at about 12.30am this morning after setting the alarm for 5am to get up again. The baking was finished, but there was all the icing to do so I went to have a sleep whilst the cakes cooled! The coffee morning was successful in that we have raised about £150 - can't be sure as people put more odds and ends of money in the pot after I had counted it, so I will have to do it again tomorrow. The weather (damp and grey) affected the turnout so we were short of a few people, but the mood was cheery and people had a good chin wag!

The FH and UJ have gone to Tattersall's Arena in Newmarket tonight for a Help the Heroes Brass band concert, but I am not waiting up for them, so I will have to hear all about it tomorrow - we've been to gym tonight and I am shattered.

Night, everyone!

The baking is underway - at last!

The vanilla cupcakes are done, the chocolate ones are in the oven, the cheese scones are ready to go in, and the carrot is grated for the carrot cake. Also lined up are ingredients for lemon sponge and gingercakes, as well as the famous Twink's hobnobs - if you haven't tried them yet, you really should! I just need the oven to be bigger so that I can fit more in at once and it would all be a breeze - but as it is, I have time to sit here for a minute, have a drink and catch my breath.

If you are going to a Macmillan event tomorrow, I hope you have a great time, and let's all hope we raise a fortune for Macmillan!

Procrastinating!

I still haven't started this baking and I am beginning to panic!! Can't even decide what to make beyond the cupcakes, Twinks and lemon sponge - must go and look through the recipe folder and think about what went down well last year as well as what would keep OK for a day or two if it didn't sell........