A quick shop

In the good old days - when we lived in a big house with separate pantry and all accoutrements ( ooh, love that word ) I still planned meals like I do now, but then we had our 'oh hello' moment and stopped spending/started to be frugal(got a lot happier/became the real people we are today).

Yesterday we popped to the shops.

I needed to get a prescription dispensed: more on that later (OMG, I'm not kidding), and we had a shopping list for Mr Tesco.  

I know there are other supermarkets out there.  

I have shopped at them.  

I use Mr Tesco currently as; (a) it's nearest to where we currently reside (get me today!), (b) the quality you get for your money is good, and you can often get bargains, (c) their own-brand products - which are much cheaper than branded ones - are absolutely fine, and (d) they have loyalty schemes I use (currently money off per litre of diesel per month and clubcard points I use for dinner out with my man).

Anyway.

GD was at work, so we took the two babies with us; one in the baby seat, the other with the list and a pencil.

I needed:

Eggs

Potatoes, onions, carrots, green veg

Bananas, grapes

Bread *

Fish fingers

Soya mince

New Toothbrush for 2 1/2 yr old

* currently the seeded bread Man Wonderful picks up is 80p a loaf.  I don't think I can make a large loaf any cheaper than that with all the seeds.  Does anyone else make their own and find it much cheaper?  I'm thinking about whether to take the breadmaker with us when we move, or to get rid...

I also managed to pick up 2 x hummus reduced to 35p a pot. Everybody here loves hummus; it's a lunchtime staple.

I always take a list to the shop with me, this list 'lives' on the fridge door with a pencil.  This helps to avoid unnecessary spending; not that it cuts it out completely!

It's the last few days with GD and the babies here.

Although they're not moving too far away, I'm not going to be in the same role and it feels strange..

Still.

Life moves on for a reason.

Supper following the shopping trip had been planned as HM pizza. GD is gluten-free, and really doesn't enjoy HM gluten free pizza; only Asda's! So we changed the menu.

Instead we had Veggy pasta bolognaise.

I started with a little oil and sautéed a finely chopped celery rib and two chopped carrots with a chopped onion until soft.  To this I added a squirt of tomato purée and a tin of chopped tomatoes.

I also added half the tin of tomatoes' worth of boiled water from the kettle and a teaspoon of my own herby mix **.

I added a bag of frozen soya mince, a tablespoon of smoked paprika and a good splash of soy sauce.

I simmered this until the mince was cooked through, then turned off the heat and clamped the lid on.

We ate half of this with cooked pasta, and today will have the other half under mashed potato, served with green veggies.

** I have an amazing 'spice rack'.  I'll write a separate post on it, I promise, but the herb mix I make is equal parts of: dried parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme.  I know it's a cliche, but it really works.  I use this anywhere a mixed dried herb is called for.