Friday 15 March 2013

Pizza, Cupboards and Menu Plans



I love tulips! These are a gift from Victoria, one of my Stitch & Bitch friends. Thank you again Victoria, they are beautiful. We had a lovely relaxed day of it on Wednesday, it was great to see everyone again after missing the last two S&B meets on account of New Zealand. (My tan has almost faded away.)

I must show you our Tuesday evening's meal, the pizza and salad. Maggie commented she felt salad was too chilly a meal for winter, but we do like salad at least a couple of times a week all year round - and more often obviously in summer. I splashed out an bought an avocado because I love 'em in a salad. The pizza was the roasted cherry tomatoes and mixed peppers I wrote about last time, with some slicing mozzarella. Delish!




I must also show you my corner pantry cupboard after its clear-out! I know, it's really sad getting excited about pantry cupboards, isn't it? I should get a life. I must say this corner pull-out thingy is worth it's weight, no more scrambling about in the depths of a dark inaccessible corner. But my favourite is the tall larder cupboard (see last post) if my kitchen were larger I would have two of these.



Inside is for duplicate ingredients or large jars of things. The door shelves hold milk, tea, and plain /self raising/ and bread flours. Oh and porridge oats. In the corner of the inside you can see a collection of small containers ... you wouldn't believe how much bicarb of soda, baking soda and cream of tartar I had accumulated! All now out of date so it is sitting there to be used to clean my sink! And the up to date stuff is in my newly cleared out baking drawer, with the yeast, vanilla and almond essences and baking paraphernalia.

Yesterday started out beautifully. I had my box lesson with lovely Nick Wiseman-Ellis, who is doing a gig on Sunday (St Patrick's Day) at The Rumsey Wells in Norwich if you are handy, 3-7 pm appearing with Copperplate.  I love my lessons, they always unscramble my head of whatever has been bugging me, and despite giving me teeth-grittingly challenging moments I always drive home with a big grin on my face and music playing in my head. I'm so pleased I took advice and collared Nick for lessons - he came very well recommended - as I do feel I'm making progress; I should have done the same with my fiddle, but I fear I am beyond help with that! Anyway, after that I hopped across the city to Chapelfields, for my One-to -One at the Apple store, I am learning SO MUCH about my lap top! They've sorted out all my iphotos (erm ....12,000 and counting!) and shown me so many short cuts. Then I was done, ready for home ...and realised I had no idea where in the big, two-story car park I had left my little Ford Ka! Do you know how many blue cars there are these days? I have seen most of them while I wandered round and round getting increasingly more anxious ...would my ticket run out before I found it? Eventually I found an office near the exit and a lovely young lad came and helped me find it. Phew!! Sorta took the edge off my happy-feelings for a while there!

Just before I left Norwich I popped into Staples and made a purchase. D'you think this is a bit over the top?


It's a dry-wipe board for my weekly menus. It won't live here, it's going up on the wall next to the door under the book shelves. And I can jot down what ingredients I need to buy - not many as we are living out of the freezer and pantry at the moment, saving squids! And look! It's got a little pin-boardy bit at the bottom! ( Oh DO get a life, Lynne!!) Yes, it is a bit Martha Stewart isn't it? But anything that keeps me organised has got to be good.

Oh dear, if you've come to read about textiles you are fresh out of luck, again, I'm sorry. But if you care to scroll back through earlier posts there is LOADS of stitchy stuff. I tried to do that link thing with 3 previous posts pictured at the bottom of your post, but it doesn't seem to have worked. (Yeah, still the same old non-techie me, despite the Apple sessions!) If any of you use that facility, do let me know how it works.) Catch you next time, and hope if you haven't got warmth then at least you have some sunshine to brighten your day. For you lot in the Antipodes, I hope it pours down soon for you.


26 comments:

  1. A good clear out always makes you feel better doesn't it.
    Gillx

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    1. certainly does, Gill, I should do it more often!! Lx

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  2. I don't know about you Lynne but whenever I've had a massive sort out of various cupboard etc I get such a kick out of going back to have another look at my tidying up. Even worse is when I've tackled the mess in the garage (it's bad) I just have to go out there to admire my work. Now that's sad! Love the meal planner. X

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    1. I know, I know! How sad is that, gazing at shelves! My younger feminist self would be rolling her eyes and tutting! (I am still a feminist but don't rant about housework so much these days.)

      I am loving that meal planner, I must say - which is even sadder! Lx

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  3. Having made the comment about salad, guess what I had yesterday, and for my lunch today? Yep, you guessed it... only mine was smoked mackerel (trying to introduce more beneficial bone-wise foods as I am trying to 'treat'my newly-diagnosed osteoporosis the more natural way), beetroot, cherry tomatoes, crispy salad leaves and good potato salad. I love the combination of smoky salty from the fish, sweet from the tomatoes and beetroot, and the creamy potato salad contrasted with the crispy leaves. Yummy. I don't eat salad every week, but thinking about it, probably more than I thought!
    And I love the menu thingy... mine consists of a scrap of paper whereon I throw down ideas to choose from and it lives in a pretty bowl where I keep napkins. Not as tidy as yours though.

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    1. There you go! You enjoyed it! We like smoked mackerel too, I bet it was lovely.

      Yes, menu thingy is right! I'm torn between loving it (which I do) and feeling slightly shocked that I would ever own such an item!! I am recently moved up from tatty bits of paper! Lx

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    2. Just goes to show you're never too old for a bit of self-improvement!!!!!!

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    3. Maggie this is my constant prayer ...that it's never too late! Lx

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  4. Gorgeous tulips, and I rather like your meal planning board!

    I start moving stuff into my studio this weekend, when that's done we might have space to swing a cat, and then I can start getting organised here ... phew! Meanwhile I am watching your progress with interest :D

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    1. See above comments on MPBoard!

      Hope we are going to see lots of photos of your studio when you are straight, on your blog? Lx

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  5. Well Lynne, you are on a roll there! I will watch with interest, and maybe pick up some tips along the way! Lovely tulips, have a great weekend, hope the sun shines for you! :) x

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    1. And on you too, Ada, though I saw the news and the weather doesn't look great. Let's hope the 'roll' continues! Lx

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  6. We have a menu board too - ours is a chalkboard type. It's so helpful! Your Pizza looks delicious and the Tulips are stunning.
    Claire

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    1. They are handy, aren't they, Claire? I've just done next weeks and I'm pleased with my board. Scraps of paper get lost and just add to the general clutter round here. Little by little I am getting there! Lx

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  7. Hi Lynne, All I have to say is, that all those people that put down the food in the UK have never eaten at your house. Yum!!! What time do you want me for dinner? I love your little eraser board, too. Very cool idea.
    Your blogging sister, Connie :)

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    1. Hi Connie, I do enjoy cooking, and think i'm a reasonably good plain cook. I think the reputation Britain used to have is a bit outdated now, some excellent young chefs coming up, some great restaurants and our old-fashioned country pubs often do really brilliant meals.

      The boards are intended to keep me in check! I'll keep you posted! Lxx
      ps you'd be very welcome!

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  8. I am always trying new ways of menu planning. I've found that whatever I try, the problem is in actually keeping it up to date...!

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    1. Hello! Stupidly I didn't comment properly on your blog I was really wanting to put my two-ha'ppenthworth but got carried away and replied to one of your readers by mistake! Never mind, I'll be dropping by again, because I enjoyed it so much!

      Well now, I'd hate to have you think that I reckon I've got it all sussed! I know me, and I know what my consistency record is.... but I am starting the right way and hope it continues. Loving my boards. At the moment!!

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  9. I enjoyed my visit to your blog, I was visiting relatives in New Zealand in December, near Auckland
    Tilly

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    1. Hello Tilly, thanks for popping by. (I see you know Jo!) There seem to be a lot of us British bloggers with relatives in the Antipodes! And there wed 3 other friends of mine in and around North Island when we were there. They still seem to be enjoying an extended summer out there, don't they? Lucky so-and-so's!

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  10. Hi Lynne, thank you for popping by my blog and leaving me a nice comment, I'm so glad I found your blog too. Its a possibility I have seen you playing fiddle :-) we are old folkies and have seen loads of dance teams over the years either at music festivals or street festivals. I recognised the name of your team straight away. I don't play anything myself nor can I sing but I have been known to jump up and down in the mosh pit to Bellowhead LOL not a pretty site, I'm not the right shape for jiggin about! Who knows one day we might just bump into each other.

    Loving reading your blog, think I will start at the beginning.

    Karen x

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    1. Hi Karen! Great to see you here, and loving your blog. You may have seen OWM at Whitby last year? Cheltenham? I shall be at Towersey later this year.OWM certainly get around! Believe me, I am not the right shape for jiggin' around either...hence I play fiddle and melodeon, not dance!

      I hope your wade through my blog posts is fun; like you I love to post and comment and get to know other bloggers through their words and pictures. Lx

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  11. Hi Lynne, I love those gorgeous tulips and that menu drywipe board. Thats a great idea! (Pizza looks good too!)
    Dorothy

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    1. Hi Dorothy, thanks for your comment. I pinched the idea of the boards - as you will have read! But a good idea is a good idea, isn't it? The pizza was good, I have to say! Lx

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  12. Dearest lovely Lynne

    Thank you for your kind words of wisdom on my post tonight, I am already feeling a lot better. People areso sweet and generous and give so beautifully in this blogging community. I value and treasure your words of wisdom. Thank you once again xox Penny
    ps. Love your menu white board,might just have to get organised and get one too :o)

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    1. Trite to say, Pen, but there's always tomorrow...and hopefully that tomorrow is better than today!

      I might add that even Himself is getting into this white board thing! He has just bought me a large one to go up on the kitchen wall ......more anon! Lxxx

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