Monday 11 December 2017

Just peanuts

Hello. While the rest of the country is grinding to a halt, it's business as usual here in North Lincolnshire. We have no snow, but it's very frosty and cold. I am well wrapped up when I take Bailey poodle out. I gave him two half hour walks today because it's a bit of a rush to do the full hour on a Monday morning, and be at Crafty Club for 10am. So I give him a second walk in the afternoon, just to make sure he is empty, if you see what I mean. He lives down the bottom end of a cul de sac so when we are almost home I take his lead off and he runs like the clappers, ears flapping, straight to his door. Looks so funny. He likes going out, but is so excited when we get back. 
I gave up buying peanut butter a while ago. Tesco changed the recipe of their Value brand and put it in a plastic pot instead of the glass one. It was never the same, and didn't taste very nice. I tried one or two other brands, but didn't find anything I like, and the prices were far more than I wanted to pay. I've been making my own ever since. I buy Value salted peanuts, or Aldi, or any other cheap makes. Put two bags in the Kenwood and whiz until they are the right consistency. Tastes lovely. 
So that's one money saving tip, I make my own peanut butter. Another money saving tip is that I put the whole mixer bowl in the fridge just as it is with the blade as well. I don't decant it into another container, why bother because that would make more washing up, costing money and time. I dip into this with a teaspoon  whenever I am feeling a bit peckish but don't want to make a meal. A couple of spoons keeps me going until the next meal time. The mixer bowl gets washed when it is empty. 
Here is a little snap shot of the Zippppeeeeee artwork. It's coming together slowly. I think it's going to be chuffin good. The pink zips I have machined onto the background, all the rest will be hand sewn.

I washed the car this afternoon, the water was freezing on the car seconds after I threw clean water over it to rinse off the soap. I've got to put the back seats up and give it a bit of a clean inside tomorrow morning before I take it for it's MOT test at 2pm. Keep your fingers crossed that it passes.

I've got nothing marked on the calendar for the rest of the month. No plans for Christmas. There won't be any extra shopping, just my normal food will be bought, plus I might have a treat or two. No need to go mad. Tesco sent me a voucher for £6 off a £40 shop. I'll check through my cupboards and see if I can find enough to make up a shop for £40. It would have to be things I use anyway, no point in buying just for the sake of it.

Thanks for popping in, we'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip

11 comments:

  1. Hope your car sails through the mot tomorrow!,Its always a worry though isnt it.Well,the snow we had yesterday is still about,only now its turning to ice and is very slippy.Staying in the house as much as possible.We have had the heating on most of the day because my hubbys illness gets worse when he is cold.Have really enjoyed looking at your photos from your break.The Hostel looked great and so cosy inside.I would have loved to have sat in the lounge area reading mags!,Debi,xx

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  2. I would love to have a go at making my own peanut butter as there is so much sugar in the shop bought ones but I do not have a food processor. Would one of those hand held blenders do the job? I am a bit of a luddite technophobe and have vowed not to buy any more electrical items.

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    1. No, a stick blender would not be robust enough, the blade would be too small and not sharp enough and not fast enough to cut through the nuts.

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    2. Yorkshire lass, perhaps you could crush the nuts with a pestle and mortar to make your own peanut butter. Jean

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  3. I can't be sensible around peanuts.I made your peanut butter & ate it too fast.Went out with the dogs-they love the snow but the furry one refuses to wear his all in one & the snow was so high he was struggling.It really was beautiful in the countrysicle.On our return,the car was stucl< by my house,but very nice man across road pushecl it.Woofburner was lit & I wore a jumper,2 gilets & a coat but as still v colcl.Reluctantly I put the heating on x

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    1. It is very more-ish, but if I have some in the fridge to dip into it stops me nibbling on cheese. I am having a bit of heating also. Maybe spend some of my Winter Fuel Allowance from the government, ha ha.

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  4. Do you wash off the salt and add oil? Sharon

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    1. I did wash the salt off and dry them in a tea towel when I first made it because I thought that was the thing to do, but they tasted a bit bland. So now I don't wash the salt off, I put them in a tea towel and give it a shake to dislodge some of the salt. There is no need to add oil, if blended long enough the will break down to make smooth butter. If you like it crunchy stop the blender sooner. It's a matter of catching it at the right moment. If it is too dry whizz a few more seconds. I do sometimes add a tiny amount of toasted sesame seed oil, seems to add to the nutty flavour, but only a drizzle is needed.

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  5. I didn't eat peanut butter until I was an adult. When I was 6 the school nurse prescribed peanut butter as they considered me to be under weight. I hated the stuff. Being told you have to eat something changes your thoughts! I love it now but it too high in calories do it's only an occasional treat.

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  6. good suggestion on the peanut butter. I have never tried this. I have currently an excess of cashews, suspect it may work the same?

    Thank you.

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  7. I don't like peanut butter from plastic jars either. I like glass for storage and it seems to me that a lot of plastic could be done away with if we used glass, which is the ultimate recycling material. I buy an expensive peanut butter in order to get one in a glass jar because I never thought of making it! Going to give this a go.

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