Saturday

Yesterday I tried a bit of reverse weather magic.  I said, in hopes of the opposite, which usually happens . . .
So today it's going to pour all day, then snow overnight with hurricane force winds and thick fog! 

Did it work?  Did it heck!  Drizzle all day and we really didn't fancy going to the allotment - so we didn't.  Mind you, the snow and the hurricane gave us a miss so maybe I just need to refine the technique a bit!
Now it's chilly but dry and way too dark to see much else!

Yesterday I popped down to the library because I tried to renew my library books online and couldn't.  It seems they are transferring everything over to a new server and while that's happening no fines will be issued, so that was a relief - I just have to remember to check every couple of days to see if it's up and working again, which is no hardship, is it, not online?.  

I also had a word with Jenny who runs the book club.  Regular readers may remember that I have joined the library's book club, brought home this month's book a few weeks ago and thoroughly enjoyed it.  The meeting is next Friday but, sadly (sort of sadly, anyway) I have asked to do supply that day so that's that up the spout!
I will collect the next book after school that day and return the current one - which I will re-read before then because it was a jolly good read.

Sharon worked her usual magic on my hair and on Beth's too in the morning.  I feel a lot better now.  It's short again, the fringe is not stopping me from seeing and it just feels right.  Sharon is very good and we are lucky to have her.

Regular readers may also remember that I have been doing a little bit of research into lesser known steaks ever since it was a subject on Eat Well For Less.
I have now tried bullet steak, denver steak and flat iron steak, all of which is sold in Morrisons, my nearest supermarket, at around half the price (or less) of the more popular steaks.
I won't get denver steak again, it was OK but nothing special and a bit 'chewy' (which I don't like much).  It might be better braised rather than fried and I may try it that way some time.
 Bullet steak was very nice indeed but was a little bit tough when fully cooked with no pink. 
However, flat iron steak was something else.  I've now tried it rare, medium and very well done and each way has produced a delicious, tender, almost melt in the mouth steak with a superb flavour.  Move over, fillet and sirloin, flat iron steak is the way to go from now on!  It almost fits into a frugal lifestyle - almost!

Now, if I was a 'Famous Blogger' I could start a frugal steak trend but I'm not and glad I'm not because the price would go up.  At the moment I can get two decent sized steaks for between three and four pounds and I'd really like it to stay that way, please.

Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to be a famous blogger and earn money (or in kind) from my ramblings.  I follow some of them, people like the A Girl Called Jack, Frugal Girl, the Frugal Family, My Tiny Plot and Enjoying the Small Things and really do enjoy their entries.  One of my favourites is Thrifty Lesley who comes over as such a very pleasant and down to earth lady.  However, I just as much enjoy the 'small' bloggers like Diane's Good Morning Early Readers - in fact I think I enjoy them more as they are packed with the so-called 'smaller' and familiar things of life with no consideration for making money or attracting thousands of readers and they are just so down to earth, personal and filled with common sense and good ideas.  Thanks, Diane (and Chrissie, Rachel and many others), you give a lot of pleasure.

Anyway, on to today.  Weather permitting we will be allotmenting.  Beth has asked and I can have a key to the allotment area on payment of a deposit, so I have given her the necessary and soon I will be able to pop down and put in some work without us needing to synchronise our watches, so to speak.  That will be much better.

And, of course, it is Saturday so I will have Strictly, Pointless and Doctor Who to look forward to this evening.  Excellent!

I hope all my gentle readers have as good a day as I am hoping to have.