Monday, 13-11-23

Good morning, everyone.  It's stupid o'clock, sadly, but I have realised I forgot to have my night time berry drink yesterday evening so maybe it's helping more than I thought.  I have a fairly full day so perhaps that will keep me going until the evening.

Yesterday ended up quite busy.
I took my list to Sainsbury's, arriving more or less as they opened, which meant it wasn't too crowded and had a really nice leisurely stroll around, picking things up that were on my list.

I tried three things on.

First of all a sparkly green knitted top which I really liked except that the neck was just plain round and needed something to decorate it and it was, perhaps, just a bit short.  And I don't need any more overtly Christmas tops.

Then I tried on some wide legged trousers which looked nice on the hanger but - well, I think you need long legs to carry off that look and I don't have long legs!  So no!

But the one thing I had on my list was 'long sleeved pjs' because I'm needing a bit more cover up as the nights get colder.  This was not what I had in mind - I was expecting to get some stretchy pull on ones but, again, there were a lot of seasonal designs that were too specifically festive to be of much use and the few I liked didn't have my size.
And then I saw these and they just jumped into my arms to try on.  Maybe it's daft trying pjs on but I'm still learning to accept the size I now am - when you've been plus/double plus sizing most of your adult life, it takes a long time to change that mindset, I think.  Anyway, size 10 fitted and I actually have them on as I type.  They are cosy and comfortable and I love them.  And they were on my list so my conscience is clear!

We had the eleven o'clock silence, of course.  I nearly got caught out by not hearing the announcement but it was pretty obvious when everyone stood still and the shop fell uncannily silent.  I always find it very moving.

When I got home, it took a while to put everything away before I started making the strawberry gin which is now shared between two bottles, gin, sugar and strawberries, steeping until next month and the family get together (hopefully).  They will sit on the side for a few more days to be given a bit of a shake whenever I look at them and then into a cupboard.

This is the recipe I use, from BBC Good Food.  It's very easy.

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/strawberry-gin

Then I set to making the not-sausage rolls - well, assembling them anyway.  Now I have, in the freezer, fourteen mini-pasties although I don't know how the pastry will behave for the last few as it was the scraps squidged together, three mini conventional shaped little sausage rolls to use up the last bits of filling and five rounds of pastry to make pot pies using my little ramekin dishes.
So that's all the filling used and all the pastry.  Excellent.

And here's that recipe - ignore the pastry bit and buy it (or use your own recipe/technique if you have an un-bothersome one)

https://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/type-of-dish/vegetarian-recipes/vegetarian-sausage-rolls

We have had these every Christmas since Beth was about ten (she's now forty five).  She decided she wanted to turn vegetarian and you have to respect decisions like that, don't you, whatever the age.  So I let Mum know because we always went there for a few days around Christmas and she, bless her, did loads of research  and came up with two things that have become family classics.  One was a beany crumble for Beth's Christmas lunch and the other was these not-sausage rolls.
Both proved so delicious and so popular that us omnivores were queueing up to have them too and, since then, every family Christmas has seen a plateful of these little parcels of deliciousness on the buffet table - and they always go long before the meat ones (also home made and very nice).

(The beany crumble is also a regular, not just for Christmas either, although for Christmas I add crumbled chestnuts to the topping)

I also did two loads of washing which have dried on the rack and now need ironing.  Hopefully, that will keep me awake this afternoon!

I wasn't surprised at the result in Strictly and I have a feeling that the other pair in the dance off will be facing the chop at Blackpool, much as I don't want them to.  Fair's fair though.

On to today.  First of all, I'm off to B&Q to seek out some handles for the cupboards in the garden room.  I didn't quite go for the ones on offer - or maybe it is just that I couldn't really picture them.  Anyway, fingers crossed.  I need fourteen of them.
(and I might pop into Longacres to look at their festive displays while I'm there - may as well.)

Then it's home for breakfast and off to small group circuits followed by general housework and that ironing in the afternoon, in between making coffee for the lads.
And doing my best to stay awake.  😌
Have a lovely day, everyone, and be happy!  xx