Saturday 3rd January 2009

Another ramble on life as it is right now! Tomorow is another new beginning in this new year. I shall be 50 & intend to celebrate by starting as I mean to continue. Enjoying life as much as I can, getting as much out of it as I put in. There shouldn't be any presents as I tried to insist those I received for Xmas were more than enough to cover a birthday too. OK a couple of the Xmas pressies weren't really what I would have chosen to receive from my other half but they are OK if you like olive green & camo!! So I shall be grateful that I have a waterproof jacket & boots, even if they do hurt a little.
My dear Dani bought me the stick blender I had planned to get myself & a bouquet of flowers arrived today too. I love flowers. Mum had sent some money so I invested in a few books from my Amazon wish list & also some new bakeware from Lakeland Ltd. I love that shop, it carries all the gadgets that you didn't know you couldn't live without. LOL!
I'm working with the theory that to make good meals from very little, having the right (ie well made, long lasting etc) equipment will surely help.
What I would like to do tomorrow really is sew, without interruption, but in reality I think we'll be going for a walk, & I may visit a friend & get some of her wonderful free range eggs. Which means I could be baking tomorrow evening. I would also like to buy some more fabric to get on with the SWAP sewing - lots of plans just no fabric to execute most them.
We had ice cream for pud tonight. Homemade with chunks of chocolate & toffee. Yummy.
I also took it upon myself to defrost the upright freezer & clear out what was never going to be eaten. Next will be the chest freezer & if I can I'm going to empty it & switch it off until we start to produce more of our own veg & fruit. There's another resolution, shop the freezer more often.

Brrrrr it's cold.

The weather has gone mad! Today we've had sunshine, biting gale force winds, snow, hail, sleet & pouring rain. And then it dried up again.
A lovely surprise arrived in the post - I've wona book in a competition - Kaffe Fassett quilts in the sun. Something to drool over & plan & scheme & wish for time to create. I wanted to take something away with me to work on but haven't the time to prepare. Usually I have a small tapestry or embroidery or something to do. I'm just taking books to read instead & maybe some suduko or crosswords. I'm not good at either but hey the brain needs a workout sometimes. Maybe I'll try my son's DS Brain training!
meanwhile I have no idea how we'll fit everything in the car devoid of bootspace because the dogs will be in there.
Tea tonight was good. Jamie Olivers roast lamb with smashed veg! How come Joe doesn't like mashed potato, especially if it is remotely lumpy, but will eat slightly squashed potato, carrot & swede & love it. Likewise gravy. He never has gravy, says he doesn't like it. But make proper gravy from the roast lamb & stir in mint sauce & call it a sauce & one wolf & it's gone.
Being resourceful, tomorrows tea will be the remains of the lamb, in the gravy - I mean sauce - topped with the smashed veg & put in the oven to reheat & brown & call it a pie! Served with broccoli probably.