Susie's 2022 campaign

[ladyfelsham]

Thanks honey - yep just two months to go!

The cats will need a pet passport (I seem to have lost Orbit's one!), Stella needs microchipping and they will both need rabies shots before we leave, so that happens next month. Don't think I'll keep the blog going when i get back - reading about Italian adventures is one thing, but London - not sure how many people would be interested in that.

Feeling slightly more tranquil this morning - which is just lovely, because I've been in such turmoil for the last couple of months. Nice to not constantly have butterflies in my tum! I'm going to get my handyman to come next week and tidy up the downstairs bathroom (basically, plaster over the cracks and paint it) so it looks better. Once that's done I'll contact estate agents. The 'friend' who sold me the house is proving to be not much of a friend, so I'll go with other agents, which he won't like, but that's his problem. The important thing is to try and get the house sold (although it may take years), and then when I want to come back to the area i can rent my friend' apartment. Which is really what I should have done in the first place - but live and learn!

 

[Lisa-Ann]

It's nice to hear you're feeling slightly more tranquil today. I think you're doing amazing to deal with everything you've currently got going on. Sounds as though you're on top of it and those loose ends are getting tied up nicely. I would just go with other agents too (don't worry about so called friend he'll get over it), best to start the process and with a bit of luck it won't take years. Will Orbit and Stella travel in the car with you? x

 

[Tibbs]

Morning Suzie, how's your sorting out going ready for your garage sale? You must have so much to think about at the minute, I'm list crazy and would have a million of them if I was getting ready for a move like you Can you rent your house out while waiting for a sale or that not an option? X

 

[ladyfelsham]

Will Orbit and Stella travel in the car with you? x

Thanks hun - yes they will travel with me, hopefully after a few miles they will settle down and sleep!

Morning Suzie, how's your sorting out going ready for your garage sale? You must have so much to think about at the minute, I'm list crazy and would have a million of them if I was getting ready for a move like you Can you rent your house out while waiting for a sale or that not an option? X

Sorting out is happening bit by bit, and will do the garage sale in mid September. We are definitely virtual sisters, I love a good list too!

To rent out I'd have to spend more money on the house that I just don't have, and there's no guarantee of a rental either - quite a lot on the market. I think it's simpler and easier if I leave it empty - but a friend last night kept telling me to visualise the house being sold - so that's what I'm doing a lot of now!

Now to something slightly gruesome...for many years I've had bad nail fungus on my toes, despite regularly changing shoes, etc. The only options have been pills that can damage your liver, or laser treatment which is very expensive. In my many hours of googling I came across Lindens olive leaf tablets. Started taking them a couple of months ago - they are completely harmless, not addictive AND they are working! Went to my podiatrist today and she was very happy to see clean nail growing! Yahoo! I also get very dry skin around the bottom of my feet and have been putting on Vaseline most days and she was also very pleased with that. So - if you do suffer from dry skin on your feet and nail fungus - try these remedies. Much cheaper and very effective.

 

[ladyfelsham]

FOOD PORN ALERT...

Had a lovely afternoon/evening cooking. I'm really trying to tackle using up everything before I go, otherwise I'll do my usual - leave it until the last minute, panic and throw it all out!

So I've made a butternut squash lasagne for dinner - which actually rocked, surprised myself - and flaxseed bread, which also came out well. Will make more tomorrow night.

Hoping tomorrow to make baked polenta squares with bacon and spinach; curried chickpeas and rice; quiche with a polenta base and quark/egg mix; and also found a recipe for brownies using instant hot chocolate - I've got four (!) jars of Options, so will be good to see how they come out.

Also googled "I don't have, what can I substitute" and it turns out I can make baking powder from cream of tartar and bicarb of soda, so might even try making scones. Makes me very happy to use everything up!

 

[Tibbs]

Yum yum bubble gum everything sounds delish! You've been very busy. Have you recipes or a link for BNS lasagne & baked polenta squares please? I've never used a polenta base for a quiche, what's it like? I use a brill site called gourmetsleuth for substitutes.
Brilliant about the olive tablets (My name is Linden) working. Have you seen the thing on Pinterest for hard skin on feet using listerine mouthwash, it's supposed to work a dream. X

 

[ladyfelsham]

Morning all!

Tibbs here's the polenta squares recipe - http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-bre...acon-breakfast-recipes-from-the-kitchn-200887

The lasagne I made up - I steamed butternut chunks, then threw them in a large frying pan with garlic, onion, very small chunks of carrot, frozen mushrooms, passata and herbs, then layered up with dry lasagne sheets (wet on top), grated some cheddar over it and popped in the oven at 200 for about 20-30 minutes. Depending on the lasagne sheets you might want to cover with foil for 15 mins then grill.

I've not tried the polenta base before either - here's the recipe - http://www.takeamegabite.com/feta-tomato-and-bell-pepper-quiche-with-a-polenta-crust-gluten-free/. There's also another method where you use chicken stock to cook the polenta in, but I'll give this one a try first.

Ooh thanks for gourmetsleuth - that looks great. Also thanks for the tip on Listerine, not heard of that one before!

Today - more cleaning up and throwing out. Just chucked my degrees, Mum had them stuck to boards and framed and I've carted them about for 20 odd years, so out they go! Amazing what cr*p I've kept - old records (I don't have a turntable), a bluetooth keyboard that won't work with any of my devices, curtains I've had for over 10 years - still in their wrapper! Loving a bit of life laundry . Then am meeting a friend at the dreaded pizza shop - I have to cancel the internet contract by letter (yet another instalment of welcome to Italy) so she's done it for me - so lunch is on me.

 

[jules1981]

They sound yummy. enjoy your lunch xxx

 

[Tibbs]

Thanks for the recipe and links Suzie. The polenta squares look good & I've printed it off..I'd totally forgotten about the site they're from. Your lasagne recipe sounds good and I'll make that for through the week. Have you had the polenta base quiche yet? What do you think? I'd not heard of takeamegabite.com and there's some nice looking things on there.
Ah, your mum must have been as proud as punch of you when you got your degrees. Vinyl is making a big comeback and turntables are easy to get once more..but that means lugging your records back to the UK, I've boxes of vinyl up in the loft that I mean to ditch but never do, each one is a memory
What did you get at the Pizza shop? X

 

[ladyfelsham]

O.M.G - I resisted - and bought nothing! I arrived a bit late and my friend had already bought herself two pizza slices, so I bought us coffee - and nothing else! Miracle...

Too hot to cook today so polenta quiche may be tomorrow. Got lentils soaking so curried lentils and spinach are on the dinner menu.

Also spent ages last night typing a list up of all the stuff i want to flog, it's over €1200! (if it all sells).

 

[Tibbs]

Yay! Well done for resisting the pizza ..good on you Suzie X
Wow, about your list of things to sell! Just goes to show it's worth being a hoarder of gadgets hope they get snapped up. If I was over there they'd probably all be coming home with me
Dinner sounds nice, I was going to make a lentil curry today but didn't get round to it. I am so lazy when it comes to using lentils, I always use tinned X

 

[ladyfelsham]

I usually use tinned legumes too but a friend gave me some dried chickpeas (not lentils, my mistake) so am using them up.

Bit of a bizarre mix, actually - chickpeas, a can of mushroom soup, a can of chopped toms, arborio rice and mixed veg - all thrown in the slow cooker - but I'm more or less confident that it will be edible . Might add some smoky paprika later. I've also got red kidney beans to use up, so will soak them overnight and make a turkey chilli I think.

Re the for sale list, it's amazing how much things add up to! I've already sold one of the coffee makers and the Nutri Ninja, so we're off to a good start. I'll send out via a FB event to friends here and post on a couple of Buy and Sell FB pages. If most of it does get sold I can afford to do the downstairs bathroom and that will all help to make the house more attractive to buyers.

I thought I might leave some things in the house but have decided to get rid of as much as I can, stop all the utilities and just close the house up when I leave until it sells - so it doesn't cost me any more money! My pizza loving friend is going to come by once a month and check it's all ok and clear the post etc.

 

[ladyfelsham]

Ugh moaning all . A very hot night, with both the a/c and fan on, but I still feel like a wet rag. After one of the coldest winters on record, this is now the hottest summer on record - and I am Over It. Can't wait for wet, windy, cold England again .

Forgot to soak the beans so chilli will be tomorrow. I've got loads of cans of soup so will chuck a mushroom one in the slow cooker with frozen mushrooms, rice and paprika and do a sort of stroganoff for today.

Have a good one x

 

[tipperary]

Sounds like you now have a good plan in place and are getting organised. Isn't it annoying though that at times in order to make life plans and life changes that diet gets sidetracked or at least put on hold.
Wishing you the best with all your plans and I'm telling the universe to get your property sold quick.

 

[ladyfelsham]

Wishing you the best with all your plans and I'm telling the universe to get your property sold quick.

Thank you honey! Sent out the for sale list this morning and already sold €250 worth!

 

[Tibbs]

Wow Suzie, that's brilliant that you've sold some of your things already
It was hot last night here too..though I think that's the winter weight quilt I still have on the bed not much call for a 4.5 tog in the north

I must say that you're very good at putting a meal togetherI wouldn't have thought to add stuff and turn it into a stroganoff, I'd have just sat there with a boring old bowl of soup. Ooo I just fancy mushroom soup now X

 

[ladyfelsham]

I must say that you're very good at putting a meal togetherI wouldn't have thought to add stuff and turn it into a stroganoff, I'd have just sat there with a boring old bowl of soup. Ooo I just fancy mushroom soup now X

LOL Ready Steady Cook here I come...not. There's no guarantee it'll ever be edible .

 

[Stackhead]

I'm a recipe type of girl. Throwing things into a pan and seeing how they turn out gives me palpitations!! I'm in awe of your bravery there :-D

Woop! To selling some stuffs already, it'll be fab if you raise the funds for a new bathroom.

It's not that wet or windy today... melting in my living room (although nothing like the heat on the continent!!)

 

[ladyfelsham]

I'm a recipe type of girl. Throwing things into a pan and seeing how they turn out gives me palpitations!! I'm in awe of your bravery there

YUCK ALERT -

Well you win some and you lose some on the whole using everything up front. I had two helpings of the chickpea/toms/rice concoction yesterday (to use it up) and OH MY GOD did it pay back big time. I was in massive tummy pain from about midnight until 10 this morning, running to the loo constantly and cramping in between. Chickpeas are banished from this house forever more!

Slept pretty much most of the day, and just had some stroganoff, which appears to have settled ok. I'd soaked lots of kidney beans for the chilli but they are in the bin too, I ain't going through that again to save a euro or two!

Also going in the bin is the polenta - made a polenta cake and it was horrible, could have used it for a doorstep! I've got a friend who loves baking, she can have the flour and other baking stuff.

 

[tipperary]

Pulses can do that to some people especially if not soaked or cooked properly. I take the lazy and safe way out by buying tinned.
I've made an orange polenta cake and it was delicious but it took forever to make and involved boiling and pureeing oranges (or maybe mandarins.....I can't remember).
I hate throwing food out too but sometimes its safer...though we have hens and ducks and cats and a dog so nothing ever gets to the bin so I don't feel as bad.