To hell in a handcart

Fantastic image, and seems apposite today, I'm not entirely sure why, I'll be musing on it. Meanwhile trying to find the origin, it appears it may have started in several places, with variations, so it has resonated throughout the ages.

Running away from it all

Last New Year I took up running, doing the couch potato to 5km course - see here. Its fantastic, I went out a few times a week, and by Easter was able to do a 30 minute run, which was massively satisfying. I stopped running in the summer, and have decided to restart it again, especially to make use of this break from work at the moment. Last year I had to do each stage of the program at least 4 times before I was ready to move up a stage, this time, I've started at week 2, jumped straight to week 3 today, and plan to do the week 4 program on Monday. Its great I havent lost all my fitness, so my target is to get back to a 30 minute run by the begining of Lent.

Feeling smug and sweaty !

Lentil heaven

Determined to cut down our meat consumption, last night we had (drum roll)

• Home made chickpea flat bread (see recipie earlier in blog)
• Mixed frozen veg heated in a Jar of curry sauce (found in back on cupboard) - boys loved it to my amazement
• And fantastic Lentil Dhal - see recipie here LentilDhal
• And small amount of lamb

They grumbled about lack of meat, but ate it all, so a sucess I think. Next time I will make some home made onion bajees too, and some raita.

And for lunch today I had left over dhal, added to some frozen sliced peppers, and a blob of cream cheese, which was really good.

Glossy/Grotty hair ?

One of the joys of being "between contracts" is that I've given up washing my hair, to see if its true that it becomes self-cleaning, and top notch condition. Its been a week so far, itching like mad, and looking yuck. Will stick with it a bit longer, and keep you posted (if you really want to know !)

Soap

Needed some soap today, but not prepared to pay more than £1 for 4 bars - tried superdrug, then Boots, eventually went to an independent chemist and got some Imperial Leather on a special offer (printed on the packet) of 4 bars for £1. Both the chains had Imperial Leather, but neither had the packs on special offer - dont they realise they need to be as competitive as possible to survive. Plus, both shops had very low soap stocks, will watch with interest over the next few weeks.

'In the red' vegeburgers

Thanks to my credit crunching sister for this one

Whizz up red onion, red pepper, carrot in the blended til resembles mince.
Fry all in butter till soft.
Puree (or mash) red kidney beans, add to mixture.
Add 2 good spoons red pesto.
Shape into burgers.
Coat in flour (red if available!).
Fry.

V nice, kids ate them (and it doesnt get better praise than that !)

Yummy soup

Today is definately a soup and home made bread day, with this wind and rain. I threw this together, and it was actually yummy, so I'd recommend it

Tin of value processed peas
Some well chopped cooking bacon (I cut it with scissors)
An inch or two of leek, finely chopped.

Throw in pan, cook for 10 mins or so, add a big spoon full of cream cheese, mash with potatoe masher. Its a wonderful green colour, and I really enjoyed it - and v. cheap !