Friday 20 February 2015

Cooking with beer

Hello. This is a catch up post, wot I've been doing for the last couple of days. Pretty mundane stuff actually but I'll try and liven it up a bit, don't want you falling asleep. First off, look what I found. two wrinkly and charred Quorn sausages. They were on the grill pan as I pulled it out to cook some chicken for the cats yesterday. I vaguely remember putting them in there to have with my veggies, must have forgotten them. Possibly a couple of days ago, I think. So what to do with them, eat them of course, don't look too appetizing though. Not to worry, find something to go with them. 
A portion of brown rice. Has anyone noticed these new dinky plastic pots with a blue lid, they come with Bakers dog food in them? Perfect size for a single portion of anything, great for the freezer. 
So, put rice in a pyrex dish, add a drop of water and a teaspoon of gravy granules. Chop the sausages up in small pieces, I use a big pair of scissors for this, and microwave the lot. Open door and stir a couple of times, make sure it's all piping hot. Add a sprinkle of grated cheese. It was bloomin lovely.

Last nights dinner, a plate of steamed veggies. I know, I'm always going on about this, but look at those scrumptious sprouts, such lipsmackin flavour.

I went to town yesterday to pay a bill, and to pick up a few bits and bobs. I ended up with sixteen bags of this cat food, found in the £1 shop. This is a good price, normally £1.49 in other stores, so I emptied the shelf. Get it while it's there. My cats love this, they get ever so annoyed if I run out. Already opened two bags, one for Bugsy upstairs and one for Mayze and Heidi in the kitchen. It's in Poundland by the way, if anyone wants to buy it, though sometimes they run out, probably because other people raid the shelf as well. 
Elevenses today was a banana, plain yogurt, and chopped nuts. Someone mentioned that they get the same yogurt as I do, that particular photo was Aldiddlys yogurt. Tesco's is the same price, 45p, so I get it at either store, where ever I happen to be.

Lunch today was nothing exciting, baked beans and scrambled egg, but I fancied it. I didn't bother to toast the bread, couldn't be bothered.. This bread was a gluten free bun, I bought a couple of packets a few weeks ago on a yellow sticker. Made a sandwich with it for a pack up and it was horrible, tasteless, dry, and gritty like sand, so I'm using it up with beans or spaghetti to give it a bit of moisture and flavour.

I opened my bottle of beer today, bought it two months ago. I like this stuff, puts hairs on your chest, ha ha. I haven't had any for a long time, makes a nice change.  
I put some beer in the pan of stew I made tonight. In here are the last of the sprouts, remember the three bags I bought for 10p each? Two weeks out of date, nothing wrong with them, everything gets eaten here.

What else have I done today, ah yes, dug out the compost heap and spread it around on the raised beds. Trimmed a hedge on the back garden and topped the wheelie bin up with the cuttings, it's now ready for collection. Oh, and made these two bags out of two cushion covers I got out of a skip. The fabric is quite thick but the colours have faded, so after washing them I unpicked the seams and turned the inside to the outside if you see what I mean. They are not great, but at least they will be useful as bags even though their cushion days are over. Not worth posting them off, I'll pass them on to someone at the supermarket.

I spent some time working on the picture, have started to add the field boundaries in black wool. Still a long way to go, but I am getting a better idea in my mind now as to how I want it to look.
That's about up to date now. Thank you for popping in. The weekend is here again, I wish someone would stop the clock, my life is going too chuffin fast, at this rate I'm going to run out of time. Have a great weekend.
Toodle pip

22 comments:

  1. you always come up with interesting meal choices. All very healthy. Have a super weekend.

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  2. Hi - when you said you bought your yoghurt from 'Aldiddlys' did you mean Aldi or Lidl - either way, it made me smile!!

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    1. Ha ha, sorry to confuse. I mean Aldi. It's close to the town centre, whereas I don't normally go to the other side of town where Lidl is.

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  3. I love your creative meals. Not sure I would be brave enough to eat the sausages though. Those bags look great. Amazing what people throw in skips. One man's rubbish is another man's gold as the saying goes :)

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  4. Oh Ilona! I wish someone would stop the clock too! You live life pretty well. Maybe another walking holiday for you? Or perhaps a new hobby? Whatever, just enjoy - I envy what you have...Debbie.

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    1. Yes, a walk is in the pipeline, been narrowing my choices down, studying maps.

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  5. I love a bit of Old Peculier beer, yummy. Your landscape is looking fab
    Twiggy

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  6. love how the landscape is coming along. almost Clarice Cliffe like. well done you are an inspiration

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    1. Hello Brenda, nice to see you. I've put your blog on the sidebar, more posts please, don't let it slip too far down the list :o)

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  7. I love the variety in your posts even when it is a mundane day.

    In the beer photo, I spy Rocky relaxing in his suitcase bed I think.

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    1. Yes you spy right, the little fella is still here.

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  8. Enjoyed looking at your meals Ilona.
    Great interesting post today (as usual!)
    Wendy (Wales)

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  9. Enjoy my luv you deserve that and much more. I have been looking at a US local thrift at this lovely china 52 pieces for $25, so today I dropped it and I had to have it Grays Pottery hand painted in Stroke-on-Trent. If you please, send me you address and I can send you fabric, etc. that doesn't appeal to me or anyone. Love your blog you are my day to day inspiration.. Thanks for being on that side of the pond. Love you......

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    1. Ha ha, that typo is funny, you hit two keys at the same time, I often do that. Stoke on Trent is the main pottery town in the Midlands.

      Thank you for the offer of fabric. I don't wish to sound ungrateful because I am chuffed that you thought of me, but I have a decent stash of fabric already. A visit to the Scrapstore at Hull is on the cards for any time soon, some of the ladies from my crafting group want to go, and as I drive them there it is inevitable that I will make a purchase myself. Can't leave a Scrapstore empty handed, ha ha. Please donate your excess fabric locally and save on the cost of shipping. I very much appreciate your kindness.

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  10. Yes, frightening how fast the time goes isn't it? Before I retired (haven't actually reached retiring age yet, but we thought we'd do it anyway as we wanted to enjoy life more before we worked ourselves into the ground) ... I thought I'd have bags of time to do everything I want to, but it seems I have even less now, how does that happen?

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  11. I would chop up the sausages and have them in a salad, or add to an omelette, but I don't think I would use them if they had not been in the fridge for a couple of days !

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  12. Oh I can't believe you rescued those sausages ; I'm so glad you lived to tell the tale ! What's in Quorn anyway ? Have a gorgeous week-end, but then I'm sure you will !

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  13. I will have to try my fussy 2 on that Ultima catfood when I'm in Poundland. (although not today as its currently snowing quite heavy over here). Good post as always. Hope your kitty is recovering from her battle wounds. I remember my Matilda coming back with a clawed eye when she was younger, we had to put drops in her eye for ages afterwards, she was not impressed.
    Elaine, Oldham.

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  14. We sometimes buy Aldi's packets of golden savoury vegetable rice (costs about 28p and add white rice to bulk it out) and have that with chopped up sausages and vegetables. Chopped sausages are also lovely with pasta and homemade tomato sauce. Do you remember that I asked you about what I could do with my years of collected used stamps? I sent them off to raise money for guide dogs so thanks for the information.

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  15. I often forget something I have put in the Aga. But by the time I find them they are charcoal....
    Rosezeeta.

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  16. I was a little concerned about the sausages that they might be a bit dangerous, so glad you were able to eat them without consequence. I'm always fascinated by your meals...baked beans and scrambled eggs? I'm think I might be able to eat conservatively like you, but hubby would probably send me packing! Have a lovely weekend, my frugal friend.

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  17. absolutely love the landscape design.

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