Tuesday 5 February 2013

Give peas a chance

Here I am suitably refreshed after having a day off yesterday. Well not quite the whole day off, I did feel a tad guilty about letting you all get on with it, so I thought it was only fair that I replied to your comments, just to let you know I hadn't abandoned the ship altogether. You did a grand job, your comments were very entertaining and interesting. It's nice to see that many of you live similar lives to myself. We are all fruglers in this together, all trying our best to make the most of what we have.
I think I can safely say that the excercise was 100% successful. I enjoyed reading about your lives, and I'm sure you all learnt a bit more about each other. It would be nice if you could follow it up and click on some of the links of our fellow bloggers. Thank you for taking the time to write my post for me.
Right, what's on the menu today. A bit of a chitchat, ooops, about food again. I forgot to mention that I did go shopping last Thursday night to Tesco, that was 15 days after my last shop there, so they are never going to make any money out of me, ha ha. I wasn't able to get any reduced veg, none left, but I did get some salad, and I got loads of good quality bread loaves, seeded, wholemeal, and granary, all for 15p a loaf, that's 90% off. My freezer is full now. 
Todays lunch. I got a large flat bread, supposedly with cheese and tomato on it, for 11p. I cut it in half and trimmed it to fit a small frying pan. I beat two eggs in a bowl and added some minced garlic and a splash of milk. I'll just mention here that the jars of Nishaan Minced Garlic are on special offer in Tesco at the moment, at 75p. I stocked up on it. Then I put half the mix into the lightly oiled pan, and put in the bread and poured the rest of the egg on top. I added four slices of tomato and some grated cheese to it, and cooked the bottom on the hob, and the top under the grill. Ate it with half a packet of salad leaves, very tasty, bit like a pizza, but much better with the egg cooked into it.   
Tonight's dinner was another veg curry. The celeriac, leeks and one of the peppers were given to me. The red onions I got from Aldi, won't be getting them again, there were four rotten ones in the pack. Although I photographed these ingredients before I started I didn't need them all. I filled the big pan up to the top, and  have plenty for several more meals.
I cut the peppers up and zapped them in the blender first, this chops the skin into tiny pieces.  
I was halfway through making this and I realised I had to go out, I put it all in the pan, with curry powder, two veg stock cubes, garlic, turmeric, and black pepper, got it to the boil, simmered for five minutes, then switched it off and left it. When I got back later and checked it, I was surprised that it had all cooked through and was ready to eat. I didn't bother to make any rice, a slice of bread with it was enough.
I found these green split peas in Morrisons when I went in for a browse to compare prices, and buy some Whiskas dry cat food on special offer. I thought I would get these, the packet was 45p, not sure why they are a lot cheaper than yellow split peas. It says high in protein on the packet so it's a good food to buy.
Anyway, I thought I wouldn't faff around cooking just a few of them, why not put the whole packet in a bowl to soak. I can find lots of uses for them, will probably bulk up the veggie curry with them when I have eaten some of it. Blimey, they haven't half grown a lot, they have swelled to double their size. This bowl is a really big fruit bowl. Good job I love peas, and for that price they are worth buying. I think I'm going to do a little experiment with them, I will make up a new recipe, ha ha. Watch this space.
I am itching to get on with another art project, but I'm struggling for ideas. I did have something in mind, but I need to visualise how I might put it together. Maps spring to mind. I'll get there eventually. 
Toodle pip. 

18 comments:

  1. Jan here.Welcome back.What interesting followers you have.I always turn the cooker off before things have finished cooking and let them finish themselves.I call it 'hay ovening' after something I read somewhere about what they used to do in the war time when resources were scarce.I don't cover in a bed of hay though,would probably set the place on fire!Works well without that and saves a bit of energy.

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  2. LOL There is a tee-shirt in a shop window here in Glastonbury which has on the front "Give peas a chance".

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  3. We're having vegan fat free haggis tonight. (Made for Burns night,serves 8 so divided and froze it). It's as 'cheap as chips',tasty and healthy.
    Jane x

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  4. I was reading your post happily along until I saw the large bowl of peas :( If someone wanted to torture me to death, they could do it easily by making me eat peas until I collapsed! Sorry, but I won't even allow them in our home. So my husband has to eat split pea soup (one of his favorites) in restaurants. On a crafting note, I am thinking of wallpapering one wall in our guest bathroom with old maps. The bathroom needs something to spruce it up and I love maps and have plenty to spare(all were free to me).

    Nancy from Northern California

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  5. I love your blog Illona, but yesterday's project in letting others write was so interesting - as you say it was interesting to see how others lead their lives and I clicked away on a few of the bloggers links too so I now have some new blogs to follow too :-) Nikki

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  6. Your eggy pizza thingy looks delish. I love peas, but have never had much luck using dried split as no matter how long I soak and cook them they are always fairly hard. What am I doing wrong? My nan used to make mushy peas after soaking them with a block of bicarb. Can't wait to see what your next craft project will be.

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  7. I've never eaten split peas but might try them some time. Your super pizza thingy looks tasty. I have been given so many veggies lately I have actually given a lot away, too many for us, even storing them and freezing them.

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  8. Oh, forgot! I enjoyed looking at the other comments too, I'll have another look tomorrow, I've been busy listing stuff on Ebay tonight.

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  9. Nancy from Northern California- I sooo agree with you about peas. They are not allowed in my house and if have something at someone else's house that has peas in it, I remove everyone before I eat. I have run into only one other person in 66 years who hates peas as much as I. Yuck. Ilona, other than the peas the post was delightful.

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  10. That Ilona-version of tomato cheese flatbreat looks delicious! With green split peas, my husband likes to use them to thicken up vegetable soup. He would also add smoked ham bones but of course that can be omitted for a vegetarian dish. Green split-peas is also a nice substitute to red lentils for lentil dhal. Look forward to updates of the new art project!

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  11. Welcome back :)
    Getting to know my fellow followers (lol) was fun, but I'm glad you're back in the drivers seat. I too found some new blogs to read.
    That 'pizza' looks so yummy. We ended up having frozen pizza instead of the fish and chips. It was even easier to prepare, but wasn't as tasty. I might try your trick on the next slice of frozen pizza. Eggs make everything taste better.

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  12. I love peas too and can make main meals from them, how about pea-burgers ? just mix cooked peas with onion, garlic, a little grated cheese and flavourings of your choice, bind with an egg and fry - loverley

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  13. Good morning Ilona from House fairy
    Just had a boiled egg sandwich with some bread that was not to fresh. I know, yellow stickers. Oh is learning, as he was quick to shout out "we will toast it!".

    This morning we are taking Chip to the Groom room. He is having a wash, Fur tidy up/cut and
    nails clipped. Pet care @ a cost of £41 for 1 large dog.

    Pea's - I cook fish, chips and pea's or carrot and pea's. The frozen garden type.

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  14. There's a road or railway bridge over the M25 that has the slogan 'Gives peas a chance' graffitied onto it, it always makes me smile as I wonder if it was done on purpose or by someone with spelling problems!

    Sue xx

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    1. Hi sue, I too have seen this sign and wondered about it and yes, it makes me smile when I see it.....

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  15. I see flat bread all the time reduced to a few pence. What a great idea to turn it into a meal. Will definitely try this one as I think the kids will love it.

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  16. evening Ilona, I have spent a lot of time working in India and really enjoyed the Keralan Pea curry, maybe you could give that a go? or the usual pea and ham, stand you spoon up because it so thick, soup?

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  17. I'm enjoying all these lovely menu ideas...thanks Ilona!

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